Been trading with a few prop firms over the last few months, and here’s what I’ve learned along the way that might help some folks out.
First off, buy your evaluation accounts when they’re on sale. Most prop firms run regular discounts, especially around holidays. This means you don’t need to pay full price most of the time. When there’s a really good sale, it’s usually worth grabbing a bunch of accounts at once. Why? Because even though you might get the account at a bargain price, resetting a failed account typically costs way more. Stock up when it’s cheap, so if you blow one, you’re not paying full price to get back in the game.
When you’re trading those evaluation accounts, play fast and loose. You’ve got a few accounts now, right? Take advantage of that. It’s all about taking big swings—just one good trade can be enough to hit the profit target on many accounts. I usually load up with 3 NQ contracts for a single trade and push to make that profit target quickly. One solid move, and you’re there.
After hitting the profit target, there’s a catch: you still have to trade for a certain number of days to qualify for funding. Here’s how I get through this part with minimal risk—I take one trade per day with a 2-point take profit and a 2-point stop loss on MNQ, which is like a $4 move. Super low stakes, just enough to tick off the required trade days without risking much.
Here’s the big one: don’t jump on that first payout as soon as you’re eligible. The payout is tempting because, finally, it’s real money in your hands! But here’s what they don’t tell you: if you take it right away, it usually reduces your account value, but your trailing drawdown stays put. So after taking the payout, you’re left with a tiny buffer (maybe $200–$400) before your account blows. It’s a huge trap that almost guarantees you’ll wipe out and have to start from scratch. Instead, keep trading until you’ve built a cushion of at least $1,000 above the trailing drawdown, then take your payout. That way, you can cash out and still keep a buffer in the account to withstand the inevitable bad day or two.
That’s the real trick to staying in the prop firm game. The firms are legit, and they will pay you out, but they’re also set up to profit from traders’ mistakes and impatience—think of them like a casino that banks on players making emotional moves. Play it smart, and you can succeed.
If anyone’s curious, I’ve found that TTF (The Trader Funds) has a really solid Discord community with helpful resources and responsive customer service, though they don’t run a lot of sales. Apex Funding, on the other hand, has frequent big discounts (they recently did a 80% off deal) and sometimes offers half-price resets, plus they offer a lifetime fee option. Their customer service has been decent, though they’re pricier without discounts compared to TTF.