Table of contents
Experience boundary: I have traded FTMO for about four years across multiple $50K and $100K Standard accounts with recurring payouts. That operator history predates the current 1-Step product, so current product rules are sourced from FTMO and are not presented as four years of 1-Step testing.
Use the FTMO account comparison for the adjacent decision, then read my complete FTMO review. PTV may earn a commission through the tracked FTMO website. FTMO has no verified public PTV code, so verify changing terms in the official FTMO documentation.
FTMO does not have one universal loss rule. The 1-Step and 2-Step products share a 10% headline maximum-loss amount but calculate that floor differently.
The practical danger is reading the right percentage with the wrong mechanic. A static $90,000 floor and an EOD trailing floor that has moved to $94,000 are not the same account.
What are the core FTMO rules?
| Rule | 1-Step | 2-Step |
|---|---|---|
| Profit target | 10% | 10%, then 5% |
| Daily loss amount | 3% | 5% |
| Maximum loss | 10% EOD trailing | 10% static |
| Best Day | 50% in evaluation and FTMO Account | None |
| Minimum days | None published | 4 in each phase |
| Trading period | Unlimited | Unlimited |
All percentages are measured against initial simulated capital unless the rule explicitly references a current balance. Account equity includes floating P&L, so an intraday open loss can breach even before a position is closed.
How does FTMO Maximum Daily Loss work?
At 1-Step, FTMO takes the balance recorded at 00:00 CE(S)T and subtracts 3% of initial capital. At 2-Step, the amount is 5%. The resulting equity floor remains in force until the next reset.
On a $100K 1-Step account, day-one daily loss amount is $3,000. If the next midnight balance is $102,000, the next daily equity limit is $99,000. A trader who looks only at a $2,000 profit cushion can mistakenly think the full original $3,000 is still available below initial balance.
Closed daily losses, open-position losses, commissions and swaps all matter. Risk should stop materially inside the published line because spread expansion and platform timing can move equity through an exact threshold.
How does the 1-Step EOD trailing loss work?
The 1-Step Maximum Loss Amount is 10% of initial capital, but the floor follows the highest qualifying balance recorded at the end of day. Once the floor rises, a later lower balance does not move it down.
On a $100K account, the opening floor is $90,000. If the highest midnight balance becomes $104,000, the floor becomes $94,000. A later $103,000 midnight balance leaves the floor at $94,000 because FTMO uses the highest balance.
After a Reward and new FTMO Account cycle, FTMO documents a reset of the maximum-loss limit relative to the new account cycle. Traders should still confirm the dashboard limit before placing the first trade.
How does the 2-Step static loss work?
The 2-Step Maximum Loss is 10% static. On a $100K account, the equity floor remains $90,000 through Challenge, Verification and the corresponding FTMO Account unless the account agreement states otherwise.
Profits create additional cushion because the floor does not trail. That is why 2-Step can be structurally easier for a strategy with large swings even though it requires a second evaluation target.
How is FTMO Best Day calculated?
Best Day is the largest closed-profit day. Positive Days Profit is the sum of results from profitable days only. The largest day must be 50% or less of that positive-day total.
If the largest day is $1,500, Positive Days Profit must be at least $3,000. Adding a $500 losing day changes net account profit but does not help the Best Day denominator.
The ratio applies on the 1-Step FTMO Account when requesting a Reward. A trader can be profitable and inside both loss rules but still need another positive day before withdrawal eligibility.
What are the FTMO minimum trading days?
1-Step has no published minimum trading-day objective. Best Day means a normal pass requires profit across at least two positive days, but that is a mathematical consequence, not a separate four-day rule.
2-Step requires at least one position opened on four separate days in the Challenge and four separate days in Verification. A position held over several days counts only on its opening day.
What holding and news rules apply?
During evaluation, Standard traders may hold overnight and through the weekend. On the FTMO Account, Standard positions must be closed before weekend close and before a market break longer than two hours.
Selected macroeconomic-news restrictions apply on Standard FTMO Accounts. Swing removes the holding and selected-news restrictions but is available only through 2-Step and must be chosen at purchase.
Which FTMO mistakes cost accounts?
The recurring mistakes are carrying too much open loss into the daily reset, treating 1-Step maximum loss as static, assuming Best Day applies only to passing, and forgetting that funded Standard has different holding and news rules from evaluation.
Another mistake is using the hard line as a personal stop. A rule limit is the account-termination boundary, not a recommended risk budget. A strategy should have room for spreads, swaps, slippage and platform timing.
How should you track the rules?
Record four values after every FTMO session: current balance, current equity, next daily-loss floor and lifetime maximum-loss floor. On 1-Step, also record the best profitable day and total Positive Days Profit.
Use Account MetriX as the official account view, but keep an independent worksheet. The independent record helps catch an unsafe position before the platform metric becomes an account-level problem.
How do commissions and swaps affect FTMO limits?
FTMO defines account equity broadly enough that commissions and swaps belong in loss calculations. A trade can be inside its chart-based stop and still push equity closer to the account line after costs. This matters most when several positions are open or when a Standard account is carried into a daily reset.
Model risk using the platform equity result, not only price distance. If a $100K 1-Step account has a $3,000 daily amount, allocating the entire $3,000 to planned stop loss leaves no room for costs, spread changes or another open position.
What should you save when a rule looks wrong?
Save an Account MetriX screenshot, platform statement, exact CE(S)T timestamp and the instrument schedule. A support ticket that says only the dashboard is wrong gives neither side enough information to reconstruct a daily reset or rollover event.
Do not keep trading while trying to prove a metric is mistaken. Reduce or close risk first. The account agreement and dashboard are the controlling surfaces for that account, while this guide explains the public rules checked on the date shown.
The bottom line
The FTMO rule that matters most is the mechanic behind the percentage. 1-Step is a trailing-risk and consistency product; 2-Step is a static-risk product with another phase. Choose the product whose loss behavior matches the strategy, then trade well inside the published boundaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the FTMO 3% rule?
The 3% rule is the Maximum Daily Loss Amount on FTMO 1-Step. The daily equity limit is recalculated at 00:00 CE(S)T from the midnight balance minus 3% of initial simulated capital.
What is the FTMO 5% rule?
FTMO 2-Step uses a Maximum Daily Loss Amount equal to 5% of initial simulated capital during the Challenge, Verification and corresponding FTMO Account.
Is FTMO maximum loss static or trailing?
It depends on the product. 1-Step uses a 10% balance-based end-of-day trailing limit. 2-Step uses a 10% static maximum-loss floor.
Does floating loss count at FTMO?
Yes. FTMO evaluates account equity, so open-position P&L, closed results, commissions and swaps can contribute to a daily or maximum-loss breach.
When does the FTMO daily loss reset?
FTMO recalculates the daily limit at 00:00 CE(S)T. A profitable midnight balance can therefore tighten the usable room for the next day relative to the displayed balance.
What is the FTMO Best Day rule?
On 1-Step, the largest profitable day must represent 50% or less of Positive Days Profit for Challenge completion and FTMO Account Reward eligibility.
Is breaking Best Day an account breach?
No. FTMO states that exceeding the ratio is not a breach. The trader must continue until additional positive-day profit brings the ratio to 50% or less.
Can FTMO traders hold overnight?
During evaluation, yes. On funded Standard accounts, positions must be closed for a rollover break longer than two hours and before the weekend. Swing accounts are exempt.
Can FTMO traders trade news?
Evaluation trading is broadly allowed. On FTMO Standard accounts, restrictions apply around selected releases. Swing accounts do not carry those selected-news restrictions.
Does FTMO have a time limit?
FTMO publishes unlimited trading time for both evaluation routes. 2-Step still requires four trading days in each phase.
What happens if FTMO equity touches the loss limit?
The rule says account equity cannot reach or fall below the applicable limit. Traders should maintain a buffer for spreads, swaps, commissions and execution movement rather than using the exact threshold as a stop.