What Is a Funded Trading Account? How to Get One
What a funded trading account is, how prop firms give you one, whether the money is real, what the rules and payouts look like, and how to get one.
By Lenium · Published · 3 min read
A funded trading account is an account a prop firm lets you trade, where you keep a share of the profits without putting up the trading balance yourself. You earn it by passing an evaluation: trade to a profit target without breaking the firm's loss rules, and the firm gives you a funded account.
It's the most common way for a trader without a large bankroll to trade a bigger account. Here's how it works, what to check, and how to get one.
How you get one
- Pick an account size and pay the evaluation fee. Sizes usually run from about $5,000 to $200,000. Fees range from tens to hundreds of dollars; some firms charge monthly, others once.
- Pass the evaluation. Hit the profit target (often 6% to 10%) without breaking the loss limit, within any time limit.
- Verify your identity. Most firms check ID before you're funded or paid.
- Trade the funded account under its rules, which are usually similar to the evaluation with a few differences.
- Request payouts of your share of the profits on the firm's schedule.
Is the money real?
Usually, no. At most prop firms, including the large futures and forex firms, funded accounts are simulated: your trades are recorded at live market prices, but no orders reach an exchange. When you're paid, the money comes from the firm, not from a market.
That's a normal model, but it should be said plainly. Before you buy, find the sentence on the firm's site that says whether funded accounts are simulated and where payouts come from. At Lenium, every account is simulated, evaluation and funded alike, and payouts are paid by Lenium.
The rules that matter
- Loss limit (drawdown). The balance you must stay above. A static floor stays put; a trailing one rises with your best balance and gets tighter as you win. See trailing vs static drawdown.
- Daily loss limit. Some firms end the account if you lose a set amount in one day.
- Consistency rule. Limits how much of your profit can come from one day or one trade, so a single lucky hit can't carry an account. See prop firm consistency rules.
- Position limits. Caps on size per trade or total exposure.
- Payout rules. How often you can withdraw, the minimum and maximum, and your profit split.
How payouts work
Funded traders are usually paid a split of the profits, commonly 70% to 90%, sometimes more early on. Firms set a schedule (every two weeks, monthly, or on request after a waiting period), a minimum payout, and sometimes a cap per period. Read the payout terms before you start: they decide how much of your profit you actually see, and when.
How much does it cost?
The evaluation fee is the main cost. On top of it, check for monthly renewals, a separate activation fee when you pass, reset fees if you break a rule, and data or platform fees. A cheap headline price can cost more over a few attempts; see the cheapest prop firms.
Lenium's funded accounts
Lenium funds prediction market traders. You pay a one-time fee ($55 to $549 by size, from $5K to $100K), hit a 10% target without falling below a 10% static floor within 30 days, and move to a funded account with a 70% profit split (90% with an add-on). There's no daily loss limit and no minimum number of trading days. When your first payout is approved, your evaluation fee comes back as account credit.
Read how to get funded trading prediction markets, see the pricing, or try the free demo first.