Identify the stage and its operator
An evaluation program may begin with simulated trading and offer a subsequent path that differs between providers. At Topstep, Trading Combine and Express Funded Account are simulated stages, while Live Funded Account is a separate stage. For FTMO, the simulated CFD Challenge was reviewed, not the FTMO Futures path. Record who operates each stage and whether the trading is live. Do not attribute an affiliated brokerage company’s licence to the program simply because the logo looks similar.
Account size is not the loss allowance
The number in a plan’s name may represent buying power rather than money that can be withdrawn. In Topstep Express, the label denotes buying power and the balance starts separately from the evaluation balance; in FTMO CFD, the balance described is fictitious. These are rules for two different products. Before paying, check the permitted loss allowance, not just the headline figure. Ask how much can actually be lost before a breach, whether profits change the threshold and what happens after a payment or withdrawal.
Read how the loss limit is calculated
Check whether the threshold is static or trailing, when it updates and whether losses on open positions are also checked. According to Topstep’s Maximum Loss Limit article, in Trading Combine and Express the trailing threshold updates based on the end-of-day balance but is also monitored during trading, including profit and loss on open positions. An apparently acceptable final balance therefore does not necessarily cancel an earlier breach. Do not apply this rule to the Live stage, another provider or another path without an appropriate source.
Calculate costs without counting on passing
Separate the registration price, recurring subscription, reset, activation and other charges specified for the path: they vary by provider and program. A path with no activation fee is not necessarily free; for example, FTMO describes a one-time fee for the CFD Challenge, and Topstep has separate pricing and subscription terms for Trading Combine. Also read cancellation terms, trading restrictions and reward-payment conditions before purchasing. Include the possibility that the evaluation will end without passing and without a payout. Information about a path or success stories does not constitute testing by us or a guarantee of the user’s outcome.
This information is for learning and comparison, not investment advice. Verify product details and eligibility conditions against the current source.
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