1. DAILY LOSS LIMIT (DLL)
The maximum amount you can lose in a single trading day. If you hit this limit, you cannot trade for the rest of the day. Some firms: hitting DLL = instant account breach. On a $50K account with 2% DLL, you can lose maximum $1,000/day. EOD DLL means it resets at end of day based on your closing balance.
2. MAXIMUM DRAWDOWN (MAX LOSS)
The total maximum loss from your starting balance. If your account starts at $50K with 6% max drawdown, you cannot let it fall below $47,000 ever. EOD drawdown (better) = calculated at market close. Trailing drawdown (harder) = follows your highest peak balance.
3. PROFIT TARGET
The amount of profit you must make to pass evaluation. Usually 8-10% for futures, 8-10% for forex. Once you hit the target AND meet minimum trading days, you pass. Some firms have no profit target on instant funded accounts.
4. CONSISTENCY RULE
Limits how much of your total profit can come from a single day. Example: 30% consistency means no single day can represent more than 30% of your total profits. This prevents traders from getting lucky on one big trade. Look for firms with no consistency rule or consistency only on evaluation.
5. MINIMUM TRADING DAYS
The minimum number of trading days required before you can pass. Usually 1-5 days for futures, 5-10 for forex. A "trading day" typically means you opened and closed at least one trade on that calendar day.