How are loss limits calculated?

Read the profit target together with the daily and total loss limits, including whether open positions and fees count. Check the reset time and whether the loss threshold stays fixed or rises after gains; even one provider may calculate these differently across programs.

Does “funded” mean real trading capital?

Check whether the account provided after an evaluation uses real trading capital or simulated funds. FTMO, for example, describes its FTMO Account as a demo account with fictitious funds and real market quotes, so the displayed account size is not a personal cash balance.

Separate passing from receiving a reward

Treat passing the evaluation and qualifying for a reward as separate steps when reading the offer. Review the applicable payout conditions and restrictions, because FTMO states that rewards depend on account results and the conditions of the selected product.

A one-page check before paying

Write down the exact product and account size, then add the daily-loss formula, overall threshold, reset timezone and first-payment conditions. A hypothetical equity reading of $96,000 cannot establish compliance by itself: it is below a $97,000 daily threshold but above a $95,000 threshold. Fill unresolved fields from the provider’s documentation or support before paying.

Follow your own money through the process

A $100,000 account in an advertisement is not $100,000 arriving in your bank. FTMO describes its trading environment as simulated. An evaluation fee is your actual expenditure, the displayed account amount measures trading performance, and a reward is a separate payment subject to its conditions. Combining these three figures as personal income makes the offer look very different from the cash you can actually use.

Make a simple timeline: purchase, evaluation, identity checks and agreement, reward request, then receipt. Next to each stage, record money leaving your account, conditions still outstanding and evidence to keep. A passed dashboard can document evaluation completion; it cannot replace a payment receipt. This reading method helps you compare the money you commit with the conditions remaining before anything is paid.

One stage does not necessarily mean easier

On the FTMO CFD product pages checked on 8 September 2026, the daily loss limit is 3% for 1-Step and 5% for 2-Step: $3,000 versus $5,000 on a $100,000 simulated account. These are breach limits, not recommended loss budgets. Comparing only the number of evaluation stages can conceal a narrower daily allowance for your usual trading pattern.

Look at the days when losses clustered and how long positions remained open in your own records. If trades involve news releases or weekend holding, read evaluation and subsequent-account restrictions separately. FTMO’s news restrictions, for example, distinguish Standard accounts after evaluation from Swing accounts. That is a specific provider example, not a rule shared by every prop business.

Align registration and payment details before buying

Write down residence, nationality, individual or business registration, the contracting entity and the name receiving payment. Reading a Korean page does not turn it into Korean-resident terms. FTMO’s agreement guidance separates identity checks and the agreement, with documents depending on registration type. A successful fee payment should not be treated as proof that every later contract and payment requirement has been met.

Ask support using the exact product and account type. Explain which documents you hold and the trading situation that remains unclear. Request a sample agreement and save the dated answer with its relevant clause. This makes a comparison with the advertising concrete. Submit personal documents through the provider’s official verification channel, not through a comparison site or public comment.