Deep dives for funded traders
Fee breakdowns, payout tax guides, platform comparisons, and everything you need to trade professionally.
The true cost to funding: what firms don't put on the pricing page
Evaluation fee is the tip of the iceberg. We break down activation fees, reset fees, data feed costs, and platform surcharges across 20 firms.
Prop firm payout tax guide (US, UK, EU, IN) — 2026
Are payouts 1099 income? Self-employment? Capital gains? The definitive guide with CPA-reviewed sourcing for four jurisdictions.
Tradovate vs NinjaTrader vs Rithmic: platform showdown
Data feed latency, commission structure, order routing quality, and platform UX — head-to-head with real benchmarks.
How prop firm evaluations actually work (and where traders fail)
Profit target math, drawdown types, consistency rules, minimum trading days — a beginner's field guide to passing on the first attempt.
Trailing drawdown vs end-of-day drawdown — which one is safer?
The single rule that kills 60% of evaluations. We simulate both DD types across 10,000 trade sequences.
Consistency rules, decoded: 30%, 50%, and the fine print
Firms enforce consistency very differently. Read this before you take a big day early in your funded phase.
Micro vs mini futures for prop traders
When to trade MES vs ES, MNQ vs NQ — sizing, execution, and the psychology of small-account P&L.
How to spot a scam prop firm before you pay
The 9 red flags we use internally to reject firms from our marketplace.