Are prop firms a scam? (2024)

Prop firms aren’t the only way to scale up your trading… but they’re one of the fastest ways.

The thing is…

I’ve gotten comments like these over the past week:

“Nonsense! Prop firms are a scam, looking for traders who will pay for challenges and then fail. That’s how they make their $”

So I thought it’d be worth addressing it.

===

In case you weren’t aware of it…

Prop firms are companies that fund traders with certain rules once they pass an evaluation period.

(1) Why do they ask for an evaluation?

While there’s a sign up fee for it, prop firms can’t afford to risk capital on losing traders.

Back when I started trading in 2013, you could get a funded account but had to deposit $5k to cover your drawdown (5% on a $100k account).

Any loss would be taken on your “deposit”.

These days conditions are much better…

The sign up fee you pay (usually 1% of the account) helps cover those who get funded and blow up the account.

In many cases…

Once you’ve made a certain % on the account, the max drawdown is locked at the starting balance… so there’s no downside for the firm and they get paid from your profits.

You can make the returns you want collecting your profit share, but need to respect the rules (i.e. not lose too much).

It’s a good business model both for the trader who’s trading profitably… and the prop firm.

After all the prop firm gets paid too if you perform well… which is worth way more than just a sign up fee.

===

But I’m not saying all prop firms are legit though.

In the last year, some prop firms have closed whileothers have been accused of making trading conditions bad on purpose.

There’s lots of bad apples making it look bad for everyone else 🙁

But that’s why picking a good prop firm who’s been around for a while… and backed by live capital is important.

And it’s always better not to put all your eggs in one basket.

Meaning, you can get accounts with multiple prop firms and diversify your funds.

===

Here are some other Qs you might be interested in:

(2) Why’s the max. drawdown so low?

While prop firms are offering a 5% to 7% max drawdown before the account gets terminated…. and some people are complaining about it, it’s really not uncommon in the trading industry.

Traders in big institutions have to stick to much stricter rules…

You can’t just get unlimited drawdown and expect no one will say a word if you blow up 20% of your account.

The easy way around it through is to reduce your risk per trade.

Yes, you’ll make less money… but you can focus on trading bigger account sizes.

(3) Why can’t I trade the news / over the week-end?

In most cases, that’s because trading during news events or holding trades over the week-end adds risk.

You get slippage during a news and could lose more than you anticipated.

There could also be a gap in the market after a week-end.

If you want to do these things and the prop firm incurs extra risk, they’ll let you do it… but might charge you a slightly higher sign up fee.

(4) What are my odds of passing?

From what I’ve gathered, nearly 90% of traders fail the prop firm evaluation they start.

It’s not that far off from the saying: *“95% of traders lose money.”*

But that’s because most of the traders who take on prop firm evaluations aren’t even profitable in the first place.

They’re hoping to get lucky…

I’ve been able to prove that with proper training and good trading strategies, that failure rate can get much lower.

Those who do what we teach in Ultimate Prop Firm Trading have an 80% chance of passing a prop firm evaluation on the first try.

Much better than the industry average of 10% 🙂

In the rare case they don’t pass…

I’ve got a guarantee of success with my program and will help them make it work the next time around.

And if I can’t, I refund them 🙂

===

This is what I do inside of Ultimate Prop Firm Trading

Not only will I teach you my proven strategies, build your mindset & funded traders skills

I’ll also pay for your first $25,000 prop firm evaluation once you’re ready… which if you pass, will be trading on real capital.

So if you want to join us and get funded 5-6 figures by a prop firm… on your way to a full-time income in 2024?

You’ll get all the info you need to start below:

Click here to read the details & get started

If you need a refresher, here’s what you get by signing up now:

  • 9-module course to build professional trading skills
  • Complimentary prop firm challenge
  • Trading strategies with metrics prop firms will love
  • Risk management plan for prop trading
  • Monthly trader mastermind calls
  • Bonus #1: Complimentary $25k funded evaluation
  • Bonus #2: Pre-evaluation 1-1 coaching call
  • Bonus #3: Proven crypto strategy TradingView scripts

Keep crushing it 💪 📈

Are prop firms a scam? (2024)

FAQs

Do people actually make money with prop firms? ›

Prop trading is one of the most lucrative activities as the money you earn is determined by a profit-sharing ratio. Unlike brokers, for instance, which generate money from commissions or spreads, the prop firm benefits from directly trading or investing in the market.

How to know if a prop firm is legit? ›

Review The Evaluation Criteria

Prop firms that are legit require specific profit targets, requirements, and maximum drawdowns that you must adhere to. These targets and limitations are in-place to ensure that only profitable and talented traders receive funding.

Do prop firms actually copy your trade? ›

It takes no additional effort to replicate your trades to multiple prop firm funded accounts. In fact, most traders that do this use a trade copier system to replicate their trades automatically. This allows you to increase your profits with the exact same amount of work.

What percentage of people pass prop firm challenges? ›

The article from Lux Trading Firm provides slightly different results. According to it, 4% of traders, on average, pass prop firm challenges. But only 1% of traders kept their funded accounts for a reasonable amount of time.

What are the negatives of prop firms? ›

Among many other potential factors, the main disadvantages of prop trading arise from being classified as a market professional, unfavorable profit sharing, and whether your net trading profits are taxed as capital gains or ordinary personal income.

Is a prop firm worth it? ›

Prop firms are an excellent source of accessing further capital to increase profit potential. Passing a prop firm's evaluation means reaching a profit target while staying within its risk management rules. Prop firms require traders to use their brokers, which can be positive or negative depending on the broker.

What happens if you lose money in a prop firm? ›

Proprietary trading firms often provide evaluation accounts where you prove your trading skills. Usually, you pay a one-time fee to enter this “challenge.” If you lose money during this evaluation, you won't owe anything beyond the initial fee.

How much does a prop firm pay you? ›

Base salary: Most prop trading firms offer their traders a base salary, which is usually paid on a monthly or annual basis. This salary can range from $50,000 to $100,000 for junior traders and can go up to $500,000 or more for senior traders.

What is the success rate of prop traders? ›

At its core, the prop firm challenge can be a way for prop firms to make money from failed challenges. This is because some sources have the failure rate of prop trading challenges at 90%. So for every 10 traders that buy a challenge, 9 will fail. That can be a lot of money for a prop firm.

How many prop traders fail? ›

Historically, retail prop firm challenges have been designed to set traders up to fail. They're given harsh targets, limited time, no support, and huge leverage – a perfect storm! It's not surprising that 95% of traders fail their challenges!

Can you make a living trading for a prop firm? ›

Also known as “prop trading,” it offers higher earnings potential much earlier in your career than jobs like investment banking or private equity. It's arguably the most merit-based industry within finance: if you make millions of dollars for your firm, you'll earn some percentage of it.

Do prop firms actually payout? ›

Statistics on Average Trader Payouts

Profit Split: The average prop firm will offer a 80-20 profit split once you become a funded trader. TFT, on the other hand, gives up to a 90% split, — even as high as 95% in some promotions — the highest in the industry.

Is it hard to get funded by a prop firm? ›

Performance Track Record: Many prop trading firms require applicants to have a track record of successful trading, either through personal trading accounts or demo accounts. Demonstrating consistent profitability and low drawdowns can increase your chances of being accepted.

Which prop firm has the highest pass rate? ›

Overview: Apex Trader Funding is the best futures prop trading firm on this list for a variety of reasons, but most notably because it boasts the highest pass rate for its evaluation program out of all the futures prop firms on this list. It is also by far the most friendly option for beginner futures traders.

How profitable is prop trading? ›

Proprietary trading occurs when a financial institution carries out transactions using its own capital rather than trading on behalf of its clients. The practice allows financial firms to maximize their profits, as they are able to keep 100% of the investment earnings generated by proprietary trades.

Can you make a living with prop trading? ›

Also known as “prop trading,” it offers higher earnings potential much earlier in your career than jobs like investment banking or private equity. It's arguably the most merit-based industry within finance: if you make millions of dollars for your firm, you'll earn some percentage of it.

Which prop firm provides real money? ›

Prop Trading Firms with Real Capital
Proprietary Trading FirmProvided with Real Capital
Audacity Capital
Axe Trader
Blue Guardian
City Traders Imperium
27 more rows

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