Are trading prop firms legal?
US law generally allows prop firms to operate and for them to provide traders with capital to trade. However, there are specific regulations regarding how prop firms can manage these funds and the relationship between the firm and the trader.
There is nothing inherently scammy about the business model of prop firms. But how do they make money then? For starters, prop firms, of course, do not give money to just anyone who asks. Typically, they have a multi-stage evaluation process to make sure the traders they employ know what they are doing.
That result should look catastrophic for anyone who hopes to join a prop firm. The article from Lux Trading Firm provides slightly different results. According to it, 4% of traders, on average, pass prop firm challenges. But only 1% of traders kept their funded accounts for a reasonable amount of time.
Prop firms are an excellent source of accessing further capital to increase profit potential. Passing a prop firm's evaluation means reaching a profit target while staying within its risk management rules. Prop firms require traders to use their brokers, which can be positive or negative depending on the broker.
FTMO have now restricted access to all new US-based traders as of January 2024. This appears to be related to regulatory issues and may have something to do with the recent My Forex Funds case.
Having successfully operated since 2015, we provided thousands of clients with their FTMO Accounts, and in total, we have paid out over $160 million. We've also been featured in Forbes and awarded by Deloitte and EY multiple times.
The FTMO challenge has a reputation for being extremely difficult to pass. Across FTMO's various account levels, it is estimated that only around 10% of traders are able to successfully complete the evaluation and become a funded trader. This means approximately 90% of those who attempt the challenge end up failing.
Limited Control Over Capital and Payouts:
- Traders in prop firms often have limited control over the firm's capital. They may need to deposit their own money as collateral or risk management. - Additionally, payouts are subject to the firm's rules, which may restrict a trader's access to profits.
Proprietary trading firms often provide evaluation accounts where you prove your trading skills. Usually, you pay a one-time fee to enter this "challenge." If you lose money during this evaluation, you won't owe anything beyond the initial fee.
The most common reasons traders fail prop firm challenges are simply overleveraging their trades, not understanding the rules, and not having a profitable trading strategy.
Can you make a living trading for a prop firm?
Yes, as a funded trader with True Forex Funds, it is possible to make a living from prop trading firms. Proprietary trading firms, or prop firms, often provide traders with the opportunity to trade with the firm's capital, allowing them to access larger trading positions and potentially increase their profits.
Historically, retail prop firm challenges have been designed to set traders up to fail. They're given harsh targets, limited time, no support, and huge leverage – a perfect storm! It's not surprising that 95% of traders fail their challenges!
Benefits and Advantages. One of the primary advantages of a 5k funded account is the opportunity to trade with substantial capital without the need for a substantial personal investment. This alleviates the financial burden on traders, particularly those who are just starting out or have limited resources.
Prop Firm Trader Salary
The salary of a prop trader can vary greatly depending on several factors such as experience, performance, and the size of the firm. On average, a junior prop trader can expect to earn anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000 per year, while a senior trader can make upwards of $500,000 annually.
Each Representative shall be required to pass the Series 7 General Securities Representative Qualification Examination unless his or her activities are so limited as to qualify him or her as a Proprietary Trader as specified hereafter.
Therefore, when a funded trader makes profits – it costs the company money. The only way that traders can be paid is from other traders signing up and failing their prop firm challenges – This is literally a Ponzi scheme. Winners getting paid out because of losers. These firms will be shut down by the regulators.
Prop trading firms have been shutting down or suspending their services, particularly to U.S.-based clients, because of a crackdown from MetaQuotes, the company behind the popular MetaTrader trading platforms.
- Axi Select.
- FTMO.
- The Forex Funder.
- E8 Markets.
- True Forex Funds.
- The 5%ers.
- Funded Next.
Conversation. Dariusz from the USA exceeded everyone's expectations and made his dreams come true. As our FTMO Trader with a maximum allocation, he beat the previous record payout of $500,180 thanks to his profit of $1,206,225, the biggest payout in the industry! Huge respect for Dariusz.
Please note that FTMO does not provide services to persons in/from (both nationals and residents) Iran, Syria, Myanmar, North Korea and USA, persons listed on sanction lists, persons with criminal records related to financial crime or terrorism, and persons previously banned because of breach of contract.
What happens if you lose money on an FTMO account?
Loss of the FTMO Trading Account: FTMO sets maximum drawdown limits that traders must adhere to. If your account balance falls below this limit due to trading losses, FTMO may terminate the trading account, and you would no longer have access to their capital.
FTMO Account
Therefore, the Trader never gains access to a real "live account" or "margin account" etc. However, the FTMO Trader will receive a real financial reward for his trading on the FTMO Account, as long as his trading is profitable and there is no violation of the contractual conditions.
We don't charge any commissions for withdrawals.
You don't need to score any minimum profit to receive a Profit Split, only just enough to cover the transaction fees* Whatever amount of profit you generate, you are entitled to withdraw 80% of it.
For a Normal risk account type, the limit is set at 5% of the initial balance. Let's take the Normal risk account with the 5% limit as an example. If you have a $200,000 FTMO Account, you must never exceed the total equity loss of $10,000 in one day.
The legality of Prop firms has been a topic of debate. Regulations like the Volcker Rule and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act have made it more difficult for banks to engage in proprietary trading.
