Topstep Rules Overview: Every Rule Explained (2026 Complete Guide)

Topstep's rule framework runs across three distinct stages — the Trading Combine (1-step simulated evaluation), the Express Funded Account (sim-funded intermediate stage), and the Live Funded Account (real-money tier) — with rules that change meaningfully between stages. The Combine uses intraday-trailing drawdown, the Express Funded Account switches to EOD-trailing, and the Live Funded Account adds real-capital execution mechanics on top of an already locked floor. Layered across all three stages are universal rules covering the 50% consistency mechanic, the $150 winning-day threshold, maximum-contract caps by account size, the strict VPN ban, copy-trading constraints, and a 90/10 profit split structure that changed for sign-ups on or after January 12, 2026.

This article is the complete Topstep rules reference. Every rule is explained with the verified 2026 specifics, with cross-links to the dedicated sub-articles for traders who need deeper coverage of any single rule. Topstep is also the industry's longest-running futures prop firm — founded in 2014, headquartered in Chicago, more than 12 years of payouts, and on April 1, 2026 announced the acquisition of The Futures Desk. That acquisition matters because TFD's technology is being integrated into TopstepX — the same platform most traders use day to day. Rules don't change because of acquisitions, but the platform layer evolves underneath them, and the cluster context section at the end of this article puts the framework into the right 2026 lens.

Paul has traded Topstep for three-plus years on the $50K Trading Combine, passed multiple Combines, and pulled around $17,000 in cumulative payouts. First-person voice in this article reflects that $50K Combine experience. Larger account sizes ($100K, $150K) and the Live Funded Account itself are described in third-person from the documentation — Paul's tested ground is the $50K Combine and the XFA progression on it.

For the rules-by-stage matrix and the dedicated sub-cluster articles, see also the dedicated drawdown explainer, the Trading Combine deep dive, and the Express Funded Account guide.

Rule framework at a glance

The Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) — trailing, with two distinct mechanics

The MLL is the defining rule of Topstep, and it is also the rule most likely to end an account. The trick is that the mechanic isn't constant — it flips between intraday-trailing in the Combine and EOD-trailing in the Express Funded Account.

Combine MLL — intraday-trailing:

• Tracks the highest live equity reached at any point during a session
• Trails behind that high-water mark by a fixed dollar distance ($2K on $50K, $3K on $100K, $4.5K on $150K)
• Breach occurs the moment live equity touches the trailing floor, even on unrealized open-position drawdown
• This is the rule that makes the Combine harder than it looks: a midday spike of unrealized profit you give back can pull the floor up and break the account before you ever close a trade

XFA MLL, EOD-trailing, locks at $0:

• Trails only at session close, never intraday
• Once the trailing MLL reaches the starting balance level, it locks at $0 net P&L permanently
• The locked floor is a one-way door: the account is now protected against the trailing pull-up that wrecked Combine accounts

Live Funded MLL, locked at $0:

• The XFA-style $0 floor carries into Live Funded
• Real-money execution layers on top, but the structural floor is the same locked $0

Worked example, $50K Combine intraday-trailing:

1. Day starts: balance $50,000, MLL $48,000 ($2,000 trail distance)
2. Mid-session: live equity touches $52,000 (open position +$2,000). MLL pulls up to $50,000.
3. Same session: position reverses, live equity drops back to $50,500. MLL is still $50,000, you're $500 above the floor.
4. Position keeps reversing: live equity prints $49,950. MLL breach. Account ends. You never even closed the trade.

Worked example, $50K XFA EOD-trailing locked at $0:

1. Day 1 close: balance $51,500. MLL pulls to $49,500 at close.
2. Day 7: balance reaches $52,000 at close. MLL pulls to $50,000, locked floor.
3. From here on: no matter how high the balance grows, the floor stays at $50,000 net break-even.

I've traded this dynamic across multiple Combine cycles, and the practical implication is simple: the Combine punishes you for unrealized-profit pull-ups, but the XFA stops punishing you the moment you reach the locked $0 floor. The structure rewards traders who reach the XFA quickly and then trade conservatively until the lock kicks in.

For the full drawdown breakdown including the Live Funded mechanics, see Topstep drawdown explained.

The Daily Loss Limit (DLL), session brake, not account-ender

The DLL is the second risk mechanism. It exists alongside the MLL and triggers more often, but it is structurally different: it ends the session, not the account.

DLL caps by account size:

DLL mechanics:

1. Trigger: realized + unrealized day P&L touches the negative DLL threshold
2. Firing: open positions auto-flatten, pending orders cancel
3. Lockout: account locked for the remainder of that trading session
4. Reset: 5 PM CT, start of the new CME trading day
5. The DLL trigger is NOT a rule violation, the account stays open

Why this matters: Hitting the DLL stings, but it doesn't end the account. The MLL ends the account. Knowing this distinction stops traders from panic-revenge-trading after a DLL hit, there's nothing to save, the day is over, and the next session resets clean.

The XFA carries the same DLL structure into the funded stage. Live Funded accounts inherit the same daily brake.

The 50% consistency rule

Topstep enforces a 50% consistency rule across the Trading Combine and the Express Funded Account: your best single winning day must be less than 50% of your total cumulative profits within that cycle.

How it works:

• Rule: best_winning_day / total_cumulative_profit < 50%
• Applies during the Combine and continues during the XFA
• Does NOT apply on the Live Funded Account

Worked example, $50K Combine, $3,000 profit target:

1. Day 4: cumulative profit $3,200 (above target, eligible for advance check)
2. Best single day: $1,800 (Day 2 NFP trade)
3. Concentration: $1,800 / $3,200 = 56%, ABOVE the 50% threshold
4. Result: advance blocked. The fix is more trading days that dilute the ratio.

Who gets caught: Traders whose edge depends on one or two big news days each month, CPI, FOMC, NFP. Concentrating profit on event days commonly puts the best day above 50% of the cycle.

Who doesn't get caught: Traders with distributed winning patterns, many $200-$500 winning days rather than one or two $2,000 days.

For a deeper walkthrough including the math on payout-time application during XFA, see Topstep consistency rule.

The $150 winning-day threshold

A winning day at Topstep is any trading day that closes at least $150 net profit. This is the single most-misquoted Topstep rule in older content, the actual figure is $150, not the $200 number that has circulated in older third-party reviews and that earlier PTV content also got wrong.

Where the $150 threshold matters:

• Trading Combine: minimum winning days requirement to advance
• Express Funded Account Standard path: 5 winning days minimum + $5,000 cumulative profit minimum
• Express Funded Account Consistency path: 3 winning days minimum + $6,000 cumulative profit minimum (since Feb 5, 2026)
• Live Funded Account: 30 winning days of $150+ unlocks 100% account balance access

What doesn't count:

• A day that closes green but under $150 is a "no progress" day, not a winning day
• A day that closes flat or red is, of course, not a winning day
• The threshold is calculated on session-close net P&L, not on intraday peak

For traders sizing strategies, the $150 threshold is mechanical and predictable. On the $50K Combine, three minis on ES with a 1-point gain comfortably clears it. On micros, the threshold requires correspondingly more activity.

Maximum contracts per account size

Topstep enforces a hard cap on simultaneous contracts at any moment. The cap scales with account size and is split between minis (full-size futures contracts) and micros (1/10th-size futures contracts).

How the cap is enforced:

• The platform blocks orders that would breach the cap
• The cap is on simultaneous open contracts, not on cumulative trades per day
• Mini and micro contracts on the same instrument count toward their respective category caps independently, though in practice, mixing minis and micros on the same trade is uncommon

Scaling logic:

• The $50K Combine's 5-mini cap is the most common starting point
• Most strategies that work on $50K work on $100K with the higher cap, but the Daily Loss Limit also doubles, so position sizing should not auto-scale linearly with the cap
• Maxing the contract limit on a $50K Combine means a 5-mini ES position, about $1,250 per point. A 4-point reversal hits the $1,000 DLL.

For position-sizing edge cases, see Topstep maximum contracts.

Profit split, 90/10 from $1 (post Jan-12-2026 sign-ups)

This is the rule that has the most stale content circulating online. Here is the actual current structure.

Current, sign-ups on or after January 12, 2026:

• 90% trader / 10% Topstep
• Flat from $1 of profits
• No first-X-thousand-dollar tier

Grandfathered, sign-ups before January 12, 2026:

• 100% on the first $10,000 cumulative profits
• 90/10 split on profits beyond $10,000

What's wrong in older PTV content (and across third-party reviews):

• "50/50 on first $5K then 90/10", incorrect, never the current structure
• "100% on first $10K applies to everyone", incorrect, grandfathered only

For payout cadence, the maximum payout request is $6,000 per withdrawal, with a $5,000 cap on first payouts from the $50K Combine Standard path. See Topstep payout rules for the full mechanics including which cohort your account belongs to.

Express Funded Account, the dual-path mechanic since Feb 5, 2026

The XFA is the bridge between the Combine pass and the Live Funded Account. Since February 5, 2026, the XFA offers two paths:

Both paths share:

• Trailing EOD MLL that locks at $0
• Same XFA pricing
• Same 50% consistency rule
• Same $150 winning-day threshold

The Consistency path is faster (fewer days required) but tighter (more profit required), and both paths still need the consistency-rule ratio under 50% at the moment of advance request.

For the full XFA walkthrough including which path suits which trading style, see Topstep Express Funded Account.

Live Funded Account, the real-money tier

The Live Funded Account is where simulated trading ends and real-capital execution begins. Topstep allocates real capital up to $150K starting balance, with a partial-balance unlock structure designed to gate ramp-up to traders who demonstrate consistency on real money.

Live Funded structure:

• Up to $150K starting balance allocation
• 20% tradable / 80% reserve initially
• Reserve unlocks per $6,000 profit milestone (releases additional $15K to the tradable pool each milestone)
• 30 winning Live days of $150+ unlocks 100% balance access
• Selection rate from XFA: 0.71% of 2025 XFA cohort advanced to Live Funded

Real-money execution mechanics:

• FCM-backed execution (Topstep Brokerage / Plus500US partnership infrastructure)
• 90/10 profit split for current sign-ups; 100%-first-$10K grandfathered for pre-Jan-12-2026 cohort
• $6,000 maximum payout request applies
• Wise / Wire / ACH / Aeropay payout methods

The 0.71% advance rate is the headline statistic that defines the Live Funded tier, it's the smallest cohort in Topstep's pipeline. For most traders, the cluster framing is "the XFA payouts are where the cash is, the Live Funded tier is where the prestige is."

For the full Live Funded breakdown, see Topstep Live Funded Account.

VPN policy, strict ban, no grey zone

Topstep operates one of the strictest VPN policies in the futures prop space. The Help Center is unambiguous: "No, you cannot use a VPN while trading with Topstep." The TopstepX API rules go further: "All activity must be performed from your own device, without using VPS, VPNs, or remote access tools."

What this means in practice:

• Active VPN connection commonly triggers an Error 403 Forbidden response
• KYC and identity verification require VPN disabled (timezone + location verification)
• General platform troubleshooting steps recommend disabling VPN alongside ad blockers and browser extensions
• There is no monitored grey zone, no "we tolerate it but watch you" framing
• No whitelisting workflow for legitimate-use cases like travel

Why this is harsher than peer firms: Other futures props (most notably YRM Prop) frame VPN as "allowed but monitored." Topstep does not. This is a bright-line rule with no exception path.

For the full VPN deep dive including comparison with YRM, see Topstep VPN policy.

Copy trading, allowed, with the payout-window gotcha

Copy trading is permitted at Topstep when set up through TopstepX → Settings → Copy Trading. The TopstepX API also supports cross-account copy for advanced automation.

Allowed:

• Native TopstepX copy across your own accounts
• API-driven copy across your own accounts
• Native or API copy must originate from your personal device

Restricted:

• Cross-account hedging (long ES on account A + short ES on account B), prohibited under "Prohibited Trading Strategies"
• Remote VPS-based copy, prohibited under the no-VPS rule (same logic as the VPN ban)
• During XFA payout request processing: copy-trading connection automatically disables until the payout clears

The gotcha most reviews miss: the auto-disable during payout processing. If you run multiple XFA accounts copying from a master account, requesting a payout on the master severs the copy connection until the payout is processed. Plan for this in your account orchestration.

For the full copy-trading rule set, see Topstep copy trading rules.

News trading

Topstep does not enforce a published high-impact-news blackout window in the way some prop firms (such as Alpha Futures Standard Qualified or Zero Qualified) do. The Help Center does not currently publish a "no orders within X minutes of FOMC/CPI/NFP" rule for the Combine, XFA, or Live Funded.

What this means in practice:

• News trading is allowed across stages
• Standard prohibited-strategy rules still apply (no HFT, no latency arbitrage, no cross-account hedging)
• The 50% consistency rule is the indirect news-trading constraint, outsized news-day profits push the concentration ratio above 50%

Practical caveat: Topstep can update prohibited-strategies policy without rewriting the rule overview, so always cross-check the Help Center before building a strategy entirely around event trades. The current 2026 reading: news trading is permitted; consistency is the discipline that bounds it.

For the news-policy deep dive, see Topstep news trading policy.

Restricted countries

Topstep maintains a restricted-countries list aligned with US OFAC sanctions and US sanctions law. The Help Center references the list (which begins with countries like Afghanistan and includes other comprehensively sanctioned jurisdictions). The full current list is canonical in the Help Center and updates as US sanctions policy changes.

Practical guidance:

• Verify your country status before purchasing a Combine
• KYC failure due to restricted-country residency or citizenship is a hard breach (no refund typically)
• VPN cannot be used to circumvent restricted-country detection, the VPN ban itself blocks that path

For the country-by-country breakdown and how to handle dual-citizenship edge cases, see Topstep restricted countries.

Platforms, TopstepX, NinjaTrader, Tradovate (no ProjectX in 2026)

As of April 2026, Topstep supports three trading platforms:

ProjectX shut down in 2026. Older content listing ProjectX as a supported Topstep platform is outdated. I used ProjectX during the 2024-2025 era and it was a competent execution layer for the time, Topstep retired it as TopstepX matured and is now consolidating around TopstepX as the strategic platform.

The Topstep × The Futures Desk acquisition (April 1, 2026) is the next chapter of the platform layer. TFD's technology is being integrated into TopstepX, with the marketing tagline "Welcome to the next era." Specific feature roadmaps for which TFD components land first are TBA. The acquisition does not change rules, but it accelerates TopstepX's evolution. See Topstep acquires The Futures Desk and the TopstepX platform guide for the platform-side coverage.

For the full platforms pillar, see Topstep trading platforms. Setup-specific guides: Tradovate setup and NinjaTrader setup.

Reset Credit Bank, how monthly subscribers handle resets

Topstep's reset mechanism shifted from auto-reset on subscription renewal to a Reset Credit Bank model:

• Each monthly subscription renewal adds 1 Reset Credit to your Reset Bank
• Reset Credits match the account size and path of the subscription
• Reset cost varies by account size and path; exact dollar values appear in-app at the moment of reset
• Combines no longer auto-reset on simple renewal, you choose when to spend a credit

Cluster framing: Topstep's Reset Credit Bank is structurally different from YRM (which has no reset mechanic at all) and from Apex (per-reset fee paid each time). The Bank is friendlier to traders who fail evaluations sporadically and want to bank credits for later use. See Topstep refund policy for the full mechanics including the interaction with refund requests.

Cross-account hedging, explicitly prohibited

Hedging across accounts is one of the explicitly named prohibited strategies. Long ES on account A + short ES on account B is a hedging violation. Same instrument, opposite direction, multiple accounts.

What's allowed:

• Long ES + short NQ across accounts, different instruments, independent directional bets
• Multiple accounts trading the same direction on the same instrument, same-direction alignment, not hedging
• Copy-trading the same direction across own accounts, same-direction by definition

What's not allowed:

• Same-instrument opposite directions across multiple accounts
• Same-instrument opposite directions across Topstep accounts and outside-Topstep accounts using copy infrastructure to mirror

This is enforced and not a guideline. Detection is straightforward when both accounts execute on Topstep's infrastructure.

Rule breach consequences

Hard breach (account ends):

• Maximum Loss Limit hit, intraday in Combine, EOD in XFA
• Detected VPN / VPS / remote-access usage
• Detected cross-account hedging
• Detected HFT / latency-arbitrage patterns
• KYC failure on restricted-country residency or citizenship

Soft breach (session ends):

• Daily Loss Limit hit, auto-flatten, lock until 5 PM CT next session, no rule violation flagged

Stage-progression delay (not breach):

• 50% consistency rule violation at advance/payout request, held until ratio dilutes
• Insufficient winning days at advance/payout request, held until count reached
• Insufficient cumulative profit at advance/payout request, held until profit reached

Payout-window operational behavior (not breach):

• Copy-trading auto-disable during XFA payout processing, re-enables when payout clears

Edge cases and clarifications

"What if my Combine breach is intraday but I close the trade before EOD?" Combine MLL is intraday-trailing, the moment live equity touches the trailing floor, the breach is recorded. Closing the trade after the touch doesn't undo the breach.

"Does the XFA EOD-trailing MLL ever pull below the locked $0 floor?" No. Once the MLL reaches the starting balance level and locks at $0, it cannot trail back down. The lock is one-way.

"Can I run multiple Combines simultaneously on the same account size?" Yes, Topstep allows multiple simultaneous Combine subscriptions. Practical strategy: many traders run 2-3 Combines on different sizes for diversified pass odds.

"Does the Live Funded Account have a consistency rule?" No. Consistency applies during Combine and XFA only. The Live Funded Account drops the consistency mechanic.

"What about Topstep Brokerage, do these rules apply?" No. Topstep Brokerage is a separate retail trade-your-own-money product (FCM partner Plus500US, $0.50/side commissions, instant debit-card funding). It uses the TopstepX platform but is not part of the prop evaluation pipeline and operates under standard retail-brokerage rules, not prop-evaluation rules.

"How does the TFD acquisition change rules?" It doesn't. The April 1, 2026 acquisition affects the platform layer (TopstepX gains TFD technology over time). All rules in this article remain the rules. Watch the cluster news article for any rule-side updates as TFD integration progresses.

Cross-cluster comparisons

Topstep is the industry incumbent, 12+ years operating, the longest-running futures prop firm, and the brand most traders recognize first. It is also the strictest on VPN, the firm with the toughest Combine drawdown mechanic (intraday-trailing), and the firm where the 0.71% Live Funded advance rate is the rarest tier in the cluster.

Comparable firms and how rules differ:

• Apex Trader Funding, also one of the earliest futures props (alongside Topstep), see Apex vs Topstep
• Tradeify, newer, alternative drawdown mechanics, see Tradeify vs Topstep
• TakeProfitTrader, see TakeProfit Trader vs Topstep
• MyFunded Futures, see MyFunded Futures vs Topstep
• YRM Prop, VPN policy contrast (allowed-but-monitored vs Topstep's bright-line ban), see Topstep vs YRM Prop and the YRM Prop rules overview
• Lucid Trading, see Topstep vs Lucid Trading and the multi-way Lucid vs Apex vs Topstep
• Alpha Futures, EOD-trailing MLL on all plans (more forgiving than Topstep's Combine intraday-trailing), see Alpha Futures rules overview
• FundingPips and FundedNext, non-futures-primary alternatives
• TopOneFutures, newer entrant in the futures category

For the full main review, see the Topstep firm page. For the complete cluster Q&A reference, see the Topstep FAQ.

The bottom line

Topstep's rule framework is more demanding than the average futures prop firm on two structural axes, the intraday-trailing Combine drawdown and the strict VPN ban, and more forgiving than average on the EOD-trailing XFA mechanic that locks at $0 once reached. The 90/10 profit split applies from $1 for current sign-ups (the legacy 100%-first-$10K is grandfathered for pre-Jan-12-2026 cohorts only), the $150 winning-day threshold is the mechanic that drives advancement, and the 50% consistency rule is the discipline that bounds reliance on big news days. Twelve years of operating history, a real-money Live Funded tier (rare in futures props), and the April 1, 2026 acquisition of The Futures Desk make Topstep the industry's most-evolved infrastructure. Read the rules for your stage before trading, respect the MLL and DLL distinction (account-ender vs session-ender), and Topstep's framework rewards traders who can convert a $50K Combine into XFA progression and stack disciplined winning days.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main Topstep rules?

Topstep's rule framework rests on six core mechanisms: trailing Maximum Loss Limit (intraday in the Combine, EOD-trailing in the XFA, locked at $0), Daily Loss Limit ($1K/$2K/$3K by size, resets 5 PM CT), 50% consistency rule (best day under 50% of cycle profit), $150 winning-day threshold, maximum contracts per size (5/10/15 minis or 50/100/150 micros), and a strict VPN ban with copy trading allowed only through TopstepX. Rules change between Combine, XFA, and Live Funded stages.

What is the Topstep Maximum Loss Limit?

The MLL is Topstep's trailing drawdown. In the Trading Combine, the MLL trails intraday, tracking live equity high-water marks tick by tick, and a breach can occur at any moment, including on unrealized profit pulls. In the Express Funded Account, the MLL switches to EOD-trailing, it moves only at session close, and once it reaches the account starting balance, it locks at $0 net P&L permanently. The Live Funded Account inherits the locked-at-$0 floor.

How does the Topstep Daily Loss Limit work?

The Daily Loss Limit caps how much you can lose in a single trading day: $1,000 on the $50K Combine, $2,000 on the $100K, $3,000 on the $150K. The DLL resets at 5 PM CT, the start of the new CME trading day. Hitting the DLL triggers automatic liquidation and locks the account for the rest of that session, but it is NOT a rule violation: the account stays open and trading resumes the next day.

What is Topstep's profit split in 2026?

For sign-ups on or after January 12, 2026, Topstep pays 90% trader / 10% Topstep, flat from $1. Traders who signed up before January 12, 2026 are grandfathered into 100% on the first $10,000 cumulative profits, then 90/10 thereafter. The "50/50 first $5K then 90/10" claim that circulates in older content is wrong and outdated.

What is the $150 winning day threshold at Topstep?

A winning day at Topstep is any day that closes at least $150 net profit. It matters in three places: the Combine's minimum winning days, the XFA path requirements (Standard 5 days, Consistency 3 days), and the Live Funded Account's 30-winning-days requirement to unlock 100% balance access. The number is $150, not the $200 figure that has appeared in older third-party content.

Does Topstep have a consistency rule?

Yes. Topstep enforces a 50% consistency rule across both the Trading Combine and the Express Funded Account: best winning day under 50% of total cycle profits. Example: $4,000 cumulative profit with a single $2,200 day is 55% concentration, above the limit, advance blocked until additional days dilute the ratio. The rule does not apply on the Live Funded Account.

Can I use a VPN with Topstep?

No. Topstep's Help Center: "No, you cannot use a VPN while trading with Topstep." The TopstepX API rules: "All activity must be performed from your own device, without using VPS, VPNs, or remote access tools." VPN connection commonly triggers Error 403 Forbidden. There is no monitored grey zone, no exception for travel, and no whitelisting workflow.

Is copy trading allowed at Topstep?

Yes, when set up through TopstepX → Settings → Copy Trading. The TopstepX API also supports cross-account copy. All trading must originate from your personal device (no remote VPS). During XFA payout request processing, the copy-trading connection automatically disables until the payout clears. Cross-account hedging is prohibited as a separate rule.

What platforms can I use with Topstep?

As of April 2026, three platforms: TopstepX (proprietary, with built-in TradingView, DOM, hotkeys, 60+ futures), NinjaTrader (legacy, still supported), and Tradovate. ProjectX shut down in 2026. Topstep acquired The Futures Desk on April 1, 2026, and TFD's technology is being integrated into TopstepX over time.

What is the maximum payout from Topstep?

Maximum payout request is $6,000 per withdrawal. On the $50K Combine Standard path, the first payout is capped at $5,000. Withdrawals process within about one business day. Payout methods: Wise (fastest), Wire / SWIFT, ACH, Aeropay. PayPal is no longer listed.

Is Topstep a 1-step or 2-step evaluation?

Topstep is a 1-step evaluation. The path is Trading Combine → Express Funded Account → Live Funded Account. No 2-step evaluation, no instant funding, no choose-your-path multi-stage product on the prop side. Topstep Brokerage is a separate retail product, not part of the prop pipeline.

What countries are restricted at Topstep?

Topstep maintains a restricted-countries list aligned with US OFAC sanctions and US sanctions law, beginning with comprehensively sanctioned jurisdictions like Afghanistan. The full current list is canonical in the Help Center and updates with sanctions policy changes. Always verify your country before purchasing a Combine.

What happens if I breach a Topstep rule?

Hard breach: hitting the MLL ends the account permanently, a new Combine is required. Soft breach: hitting the DLL auto-flattens and locks for that session only; trading resumes the next day with no penalty. VPN detection or prohibited-strategy detection (cross-account hedging, HFT) results in account suspension and possible payout forfeiture. Consistency violations don't end the account, they delay payout or stage advancement until the ratio dilutes.