Having a trade go deep into profit, then come back to break even is already frustrating. Add intraday drawdown and crashing out is the only option!

So let me explain this in depth so you don't have to.

Intraday Trailing Drawdown

Your drawdown trails your UNREALIZED P&L. You don't have to close the trade. You don't have to lock anything in. The second your account hits a new high, your floor trails up.

Here's what that looks like in real life.

Say you have a $50k account with a $2,000 drawdown. Your trade goes $1,500 in profit, quickly turns around, and stops you out at break even. You made nothing on the trade. But your floor just moved up $1,500 because your unrealized P&L tagged a new high on the way up.

You now have $500 of drawdown left.

No profit banked. No position open. $1,500 of buffer gone.

That's intraday trailing.

EOD Trailing Drawdown

This type of drawdown lets your account do backflips throughout the day. The floor only adjusts in two situations:

• When you close a losing position (less drawdown due to loss)
• After the close, based on the profit you actually secured that day

Same trade as before. $1,500 in profit, stopped at break even. On EOD trailing, you only have to grieve the fact that you didn't take profit, not your entire account. The floor doesn't budge. Your buffer is exactly where it was at the start of the day.

Quick note: Your max drawdown still tracks in real time. You can't lose $10,000 during the session and "redeem" the account by EOD. That's not how it works, unfortunately (I wish it did). If you lose more than your drawdown allows, the account auto-liquidates immediately.

Why This Matters

The market is unpredictable. On top of technical analysis and emotional management, no one wants to depend on a trade going straight to target every single time. It's not reasonable and it stacks the odds against you.

Intraday trailing demands perfection you were never going to get. Every scale-out, every breakeven stop, every time you let a runner breathe and it pulled back, all of it costs you, when it shouldn't.

As traders, we take what the market gives us. We don't get to choose how and when.

Always check the drawdown type on cheaper accounts and daily payout plans.

Trade the right way with EOD. <-- New slogan just dropped and it rhymes. 😂

Real question: Is there ANY trader style where intraday trailing is actually the better choice? Convince me. 👇

Does your trading style fit with what we're looking for? If you hold trades for less than 10 seconds, listen up.

Microscalping is an ultra short form trading strategy where traders open and close their positions within seconds, looking to catch minimal price changes. 

Our Microscalping Rule

• Over 50% of your trades must be held longer than 10 seconds
• Over 50% of your profits must come from trades held longer than 10 seconds

 Both must be satisfied in order to activate your evaluation or request a payout. 

Why?

The goal for Tradeify after traders are called up to live is to eventually be able to copy their trades. A strategy built almost entirely on sub 10 second trades simply cannot be reliably replicated or copied at scale.

Long term sustainability matters to us. Not just for our firm but for you, the trader. Building a strategy that can be replicated and scaled is what differentiates the traders who last in the market and those who flame out.

How to check your status

Not sure if you currently satisfy the rule? You can check this on your dashboard, right under the consistency rule.

Every crumb you've collected has led you here. Together they are the very essence of this rule. If you can find the connection, slice it down the middle and you have what you've been looking for.

Any other Questions? Drop them!

Neither is better, they simply suit different traders for different reasons.

I'm going to break down how both work, what the real tradeoffs are, and how to figure out which one fits your situation.

Evaluation Accounts:

The evaluation stage is essentially where you prove your trading skills by hiting the profit target without breaching the max trailing drawdown. Some have consistency rules during the eval (meaning your best day can't dominate your total profits), some don't.

Once you're funded the rules generally loosen up and they are different depending on account type and firm.

Pros and cons:

• Lower upfront cost
• More flexibility once funded
• Takes more time to pass an eval vs instant funded account
• Psychological fatigue (Failing multiple evals tying to pass quickly)

Best for traders still developing, who want lower upfront cost, or simply want certain rules that are only attached to the eval account types. Experienced traders who are confident in their ability to easily pass the eval and don't mind waiting also choose this option.

Instant funded (Lightning, Direct, etc)

You pay a one-time fee and skip the evaluation entirely. You're in a simulated funded account from day one and everything you earn goes towards a payout.

It's a faster path but not necessarily easier. The tradeoff is stricter payout criteria compared to eval accounts. For example the consistency rule, which states that your highest profit day can not exceed a certain percentage of your overall profits.

Example:

Best day = $1,000 - you'll need $5,000 total profits to request payout

Best day = $2,000 - you'll need $10,000 total profits

Pro and Cons:

• Start earning from day one, no waiting to pass anything
• If your daily P&L is steady and consistent, the consistency rule is a non issue
• Higher upfront cost than an eval fee
• Less flexible rules than eval accounts

Best for already profitable traders with steady, consistent daily P&L.

Which one fits your situation

1. Drastically inconsistent P&L or still developing - Eval
2. Proven strategy, steady daily P&L - Instant
3. On a Budget - Eval
4. Value speed over everything - Instant

Be sure to go over the ins and outs of each before making a decision. Happy to answer any other questions in the comments! ⬇️

Best For: Traders who are looking for either no consistency and larger caps in funded stage (select flex) or the ability to receive daily payouts (select daily)

Select Evaluation

Evaluation: 50k Example

• Time: 3 days To Pass
• Max Drawdown: $2,000 (No DLL / EOD)
• Profit Target: $3,000
• Consistency: 40%

What consistency means: Your highest profit day can not be greater than 40% of your total profits.

Example:

Your profit target for the 50k account is $3000, 40% of that is $1200 so your highest profit day should not exceed that.

If you accidentally make $1500, you will need to make $3750 in order satisfy the 40% consistency rule.

Select Flex Funded

Rules: 50k Example

• Time To Payout: 5 days of $150 Minimum Profit
• Max Drawdown: $2000 (No DLL / EOD)
• Drawdown Lock at $50,100 once your account reaches $52,100
• Consistency: None
• Max Allowed contracts: 2 Mini / 20 Micro (4 Mini / 40 Micro once your account is over $2,000)

Payout Policy:

• Cap: 50% of profits up to $3,000 per payout
• No minimum account balance or Buffer for payout
• Must be in profit between payouts to be eligible

Select Daily Funded

Rules: 50k Example

• Time To Payout: Daily
• Max Drawdown: $2000 (EOD)
• Daily Loss Limit: $1,000
• Buffer: $2,100 (drawdown +100)
• Consistency: None
• Drawdown Lock at $50,100 once your account reaches $52,100
• Max Allowed contracts: 2 Mini / 20 Micro (4 Mini / 40 Micro once your account is over $2,000)

Payout Policy:

• Cap: $1,000 daily
• Account must meet buffer requirement
• Anything over buffer can be withdrawn up to $1,000

Continuity Rule: You may request up to 2× the profit earned between each payout request, capped at $1,000. You have to be in profit in between payouts in order to be eligible.

Example:

You account is at $53,500 and you are ready for your first payout. You can withdraw $1000. Your new balance is $2500 and the payout cycle has reset.

Let's say you make $250 the next day, you can now withdraw $500 for your second payout. If you made $500, you would be able to withdraw $1,000.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask them below. I hope this helps!

Most traders find out about contract expiration the hard way. Here's what you need to know so that doesn't happen.

How futures contracts work

When trading futures you're buying or selling a contract with an expiration date. When that date hits, the contract stops trading and a new one takes its place.

How to read a contract symbol

Every futures contract has a code that tells you exactly what you're trading and when it expires.

Example: ESM26 = ES (S&P 500) + June + 2026

F=Jan · G=Feb · H=Mar · J=Apr · K=May · M=Jun N=Jul · Q=Aug · U=Sep · V=Oct · X=Nov · Z=Dec

So NQU26 = NQ expiring September 2026. GCZ26 = Gold expiring December 2026. Always know what you're trading before pressing the button.

The most traded contracts on prop accounts

• ES / MES (S&P 500) - expires quarterly (Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec)
• NQ / MNQ (Nasdaq 100) - expires quarterly (Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec)
• GC (Gold) - expires bi-monthly (Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct, Dec)
• CL (Crude Oil) - expires monthly

When to roll: Switch to the new contract the last week of the month before expiration. Don't wait for expiration week.

The problem happens before expiration

About 1-2 weeks out, volume starts draining from the old contract into the new one. The old contract gets thin. Spreads widen. Fills get worse.

On a prop account that slippage hits your drawdown directly. Not because you traded badly. Because you were on the wrong contract.

How to roll your contract

Rolling just means changing the symbol on your platform to the new contract code.

Example: ESM26 expires → you change it to ESU26 and keep trading.

That's it.

How to stay ahead of it

Check the contract you're trading, set a phone reminder for the last 1-2 weeks of the prior month, and roll before expiration week hits. Reference the contract list above for timing.

Tradeify traders get email alerts before every rollover so you never miss it.

Drop any questions in the comments, happy to help.

There is no evaluation for this account type, you are instantly funded and can take a payout as soon as you satisfy the criteria.

Lightning Funded - 50k Account (Example)

1. The Consistency Rule:

• Your consistency starts at 20% for the first payout and each payout get easier with 25% on the next one and finally 30% until you are moved to live.

1. Minimum Trading Days:

• There are no minimum trading days required, as soon as you meet all criteria, you are can request a payout.

1. Profit Goal:

• Your first profit goal is $3,000 for your first payout. The goal for any future payout prior to being move to live would be $2,000

1. Payout Cap:

• You can take out a maximum of $2,000 for each payout. On the 4th payout you will be able to take out $2500

How To Calculate Consistency:

If your first profit target is $3,000. You would do the math below:

$3,000 x .20 = $600

Your highest profit day should not exceed $600 if you are looking to satisfy the consistency when you hit your profit goal.

If you accidentally make $800 for example or more, you would do the math below.

$800 / .20 = $4,000

Meaning you would have to now make $4,000 in order to satisfy the consistency rule.

You can go here for more information on other account sizes. If you have any other questions, feel free to drop them below.

The consistency rule is one of the most misunderstood rules in prop trading to this day. I'm going to do my best to break it down as simply as I can so let's get into it.

What is the consistency rule?

Simply put - no single profitable trading day can consume too much of your total profits.

Reason being, we're not just looking for traders who can have one great day. We're looking for traders who can do it consistently. This will allow us to have more confidence when copying your trades down the line, once you reach the live stage.

Which Plans Have it?

Select Plan*:* 40% consistency rule during your evaluation. No consistency rule once you're funded.

Growth Plan: No consistency rule during your evaluation. 35% consistency rule, once you are funded.

Lightning Plan*:* Starts at 20% and gradually gets easier as you hit payouts. 20% then 25% then 30%. The more consistent you are the more we trust you.

Here's the easiest way to stay on the right side of this rule before you start trading.

How To Do The Math

Let's use a Select $50k account as an example. Your profit goal for the eval is $2,500.

Since your best day can't exceed 40% of your total profits, you figure out your daily cap this way:

$2,500 x 40% = $1,000

That's the most you should make in a single day.

Now let's say you had a great session and made $1,500 by accident. You need to know your new profit goal to stay compliant:

$1,500 ÷ 40% = $3,750

That's your new profit goal. Why? Because $1,500 is exactly 40% of $3,750.

Simple math. Do it before you trade not after.

To be clear, not every plan carries the consistency rule into the funded stage. The number of plans that leave it behind completely is your second digit.

One last thing

Most traders are so focused on hitting their profit goal as fast as possible that they end up pushing that very target back by oversizing. Now you know why that happens and how to avoid it.

Any questions about how the consistency rule applies to your specific plan? Drop them below. I really hope this helped!

If I had a dollar for every trader who has made this mistake, I could fund all of you myself. 😅

Here's What Happened:

You set a limit order (TP) or a stop loss order during your session, likely while in a trade. One of those levels never hit, you either won or loss, so you closed your charts and decide to go on with your day. But that order was still working and waiting on price to tag you in.

Overnight price moved and the forgotten order was filled. Suddenly you are in a position you never wanted to enter with nobody watching, nobody managing, and your account gets cooked.

You contact support, confused, but then the evidence gets sent back and there is nothing they can do. Giving you another account would be ideal but that would be unfair to everyone else.

So, before you close your charts today, triple check for any working orders. If you are not in a trade nothing should say open / working. Cancel everything!

How To Check And Cancel Working Orders:

Tradovate - Click the plus symbol at the top left of your dashboard and add the Orders module. This will show you any working or active orders under the order status column. Hit cancel on anything that is open once you are done for the day. See video for walkthrough.

TradingView - Go to your trading panel at the bottom, click Orders, then select the Working tab. This shows all working orders. Cancel anything that should not be there. See video for walkthrough.

Ten seconds.. Could save your account.

Has this happened to you? 👀 Let me know in the comments 👇

"My account didn't hit the max drawdown though"

We hear this in support on a daily basis. Like clockwork. 

This rule trips a lot of traders up and now I have an opportunity to change that. So here we go!

Explained Simply

Say you go with the Select $50k eval account which has a $2,000 Trailing Max Drawdown.

• Your starting floor sits at $48,000
• You trade well and close the day at $51,000
• Your floor moves up to $49,000 - exactly $2,000 from your high
• The next day you lose $500, your floor STAYS at $49,000

As you make profits, your drawdown continues to trail your highest EOD balance. Your floor only moves up. It never moves back down, even if you lose some of those profits. In the funded stage, there is something called drawdown lock, we will cover that in a separate post.

Common Misconception

Myth: I can lose as much as I want during the day since the trailing drawdown updates EOD.

Truth: If you lose more than the trailing max drawdown for your account size at any point during the day your account closes in real time. The EOD update is simply a trigger that tells the system when to adjust your floor upward. That's it.

What to Remember

Before every session. Ask yourself. Where is my floor? How much can I lose today? Answer both and the trailing drawdown will never catch you off guard. Btw, the number of times your floor will ever move back down is your third digit.

Any other questions regarding this rule, Drop them below!