THE RULEBOOK

Rules in plain English.

The Monster's job is reading fine print so you don't have to. Every explainer shows the original term, what it means, why it matters, and the gotcha hiding inside.

01

Explained

9 entries
01 · THE RULEBOOK

The Consistency Rule

No single trading day can account for more than X% of your profit when you ask for a payout. The most misunderstood rule in the industry.

FTMOFundingPipsFundedNext

02 · THE RULEBOOK

Drawdown Types: Static vs Trailing

A static drawdown never moves. A trailing drawdown follows your high-water mark, and can eat an account hours after a big win.

Apex Trader FundingTradeifyTopstep

03 · THE RULEBOOK

Daily Loss Limits: End-of-Day vs Intraday

The same '5% daily loss' rule is two different rules depending on when it's measured.

FTMOFundingPipsFundedNext

04 · THE RULEBOOK

News Trading Restrictions

Some firms ban trading around high-impact news. The ban is never on the pricing page.

FundingPipsFundedNextE8 Markets

05 · THE RULEBOOK

Profit Splits and Scaling

80/20 is the industry norm. The fine print is in how, and when, it climbs.

FTMOTopstepThe5ers

06 · THE RULEBOOK

Reset Fees and Activation Fees

The second purchase. Some firms charge to reset a failed challenge; activation fees appear after you pass.

FTMOApex Trader FundingMyFundedFutures

07 · THE RULEBOOK

Minimum Trading Days

The 'no time limit' marketing never mentions that you still need a minimum number of trading days.

FTMOMyFundedFuturesTopstep

08 · THE RULEBOOK

One-Step vs Two-Step Evaluations

One round or two? The structure decides how many targets, drawdowns and failure points stand between you and a funded account.

Apex Trader FundingTake Profit TraderFundingPips

09 · THE RULEBOOK

Instant Funding

Pay, get a funded account, skip the evaluation. The fine print is in what 'instant' doesn't include.

FundingPipsFundedNextSmart Prop Trader

START HERE

What Is a Prop Firm?

The model, the money and the catch in plain English. Read this before the rule tables.

Why the Monster reads rulebooks

Every prop firm has two documents: the marketing page and the rulebook. The marketing page sells you the dream. The rulebook decides whether the dream pays out. We read the second one so you know exactly what you're buying, before you buy it.