Minimum and Maximum Trading Days

Minimum trading days

The rule exists to filter out one-trade passes. A trading day usually means any day on which at least one trade is opened, with no minimum size, so a tiny trade counts. Reaching the target in two days does not fail you; you simply have to trade on the remaining days, and the safest way is with sizes so small they cannot matter. Do not forget the rule and stop trading with the target met; the phase does not end until the days are done.

Time limits

A time limit forces a target within a window and pushes traders to take more risk as the deadline approaches, which is one reason many firms removed it and now advertise unlimited time. Where a limit exists, plan the phase so that the target is expected well inside it; if you would need the last week, the risk you are taking is probably too high.

Inactivity rules

The opposite of a time limit: many firms close a funded account that goes unused for 30 days. If you plan a break, place a small trade before the deadline or ask the firm to pause the account, which some allow.

Planning a phase

• Check the minimum days and mark them on a calendar.
• Check the time limit, if any, and set a pace: a 10 percent target over 30 days is a third of a percent a day.
• Keep a few days of the window in reserve for a bad week.
• Do not increase risk to beat a deadline; a reset costs less than a breach.

Key takeaways

• Minimum days stop one-trade passes; any trade usually counts as a day.
• Time limits push risk-taking; many firms have removed them.
• Inactivity closes funded accounts; plan breaks.
• Set a pace and keep days in reserve.