News, algos, copy trading and holding rules
Beyond loss limits, firms restrict how you trade: around news, with automation, across accounts and overnight. Breaking them can cost you profit or the account.
News trading
Some firms ban trading in a window around major releases, such as a few minutes either side of US jobs data. Others allow it, or limit it to certain accounts. A breach may void the profit from that trade or fail the account.
Check which events count, how long the window is, and whether a trade opened before the release counts too.
Algos and EAs
Allowed by many firms on paper, usually with conditions: your own strategy, no exploiting simulated fills, no high-frequency trading. Some ban automation on funded accounts. "Limited" on our rules page means there are conditions, and hovering shows them.
Copy trading
Copying between your own accounts is often allowed. Copying someone else's trades, or trading identically with other people, usually isn't, and can lead to denied payouts. Some firms also cap how many funded accounts you can hold.
Overnight and weekend holding
Most futures plans require you to be flat before the session closes, and close any trades left open. Many forex plans allow overnight holding, sometimes with a separate swing account for weekends. Holding through a closed market means a gap can jump past your stop and your floor.
Scaling plans
A scaling plan limits your position size at first and raises it as you earn. On a funded account you might start at half the contracts and unlock the rest after your first profit. Check this if your strategy needs full size from day one.
Conduct rules
Many terms also contain broad rules against gambling behaviour, all-in positions, trading both sides, and exploiting latency. They're often worded loosely, so firms have room to interpret them. Read them before your first payout request, not after.
Every firm words this differently. Before you buy, read the exact rule on the firm's own page, which we link on each plan.