Evaluation vs funded account: the rules that change after you pass
Passing the evaluation doesn't end the rules, it swaps them. The funded account usually has a new starting point, a drawdown that locks at a fixed level, a buffer you must build before your first payout, payout rules such as winning days and consistency, and sometimes contract limits that grow with your profit.
What carries over and what doesn't
| Evaluation | Funded account | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | hit a profit target | build profit you can withdraw |
| Drawdown | usually trails, often never locks | usually locks at a fixed level |
| Starting balance | the account size | the account size, or $0 at some firms |
| Daily loss limit | depends on firm and plan | often present, sometimes tiered |
| Consistency | some firms check it to pass | many firms check it for payouts |
| Fees | eval fee or monthly bill | activation fee at some firms |
Two ways funded accounts start
Same balance as the eval. At Apex the PA starts at the account size, and the threshold locks at the starting balance plus $100 once your best close reaches the starting balance plus the drawdown plus $100.
From zero. Topstep's Express Funded Account and MyFundedFutures' funded accounts start at a $0 balance, with the loss limit below zero. On a Topstep 50K XFA the floor starts at -$2,000 and locks at $0 once you've made $2,000.
Either way, the first job on a funded account is the same: build distance from the floor before you do anything else.
The buffer before the first payout
Most firms want profit above a safety level before they pay anything:
- Apex: the balance must stay above the safety net, the drawdown plus $100 above the start.
- MyFundedFutures Builder: clear a $2,100 buffer on the 50K, then $500 more for the first payout.
- Topstep: five winning days of $150 or more on the Standard path.
Payouts move the floor at some firms
At Topstep the Maximum Loss Limit resets to $0 after each payout. At Lucid a payout request moves the floor straight to the locked level. Alpha Futures says its floor doesn't move when you take your first payout. Read this part of your firm's rules before you request anything, because the payout can cost you more room than the cash you take out.
Practice the funded stage too
The simulator keeps going after an Apex eval passes: PA tiers, payout eligibility, the six-payout close and the inactivity rule all run on your trades. It's worth practicing, because the funded stage has its own ways to end an account, and none of them care that you passed.
Blow it here, not on a paid eval
Run the same rules on your own trades in the simulator. Free, no card, and a blown account costs you nothing but pride.
Start practicing