TickTickTrader, as a proprietary trading firm, implements structured rules for secure, systematic trading. These regulations ensure a positive trader-platform relationship. By adhering to these guidelines, traders can earn via performance contests while enhancing their risk management.
TickTick Trader establishes clear rules for its trading process, including TTTEvaluation Accounts, TTTEvaluation bundles, and TTTDirect Accounts, as well as the funded account, known as the TTTPerformance Account. These stages offer traders the opportunity for account progression and earnings through adherence to performance metrics. The platform focuses on reaching specific profit targets, maintaining responsible and consistent trading practices, and implementing effective risk management to secure potential earnings.
TickTickTrader outlines five trading guidelines: manage account balance to avoid exceeding Pro drawdown, adhere to contract limits per account, stay below the daily loss limit, follow trading time rules, and trade only permitted instruments. In addition to these guidelines, TickTickTrader’s TTTPerformance account includes a 30% consistency rule.
Uniquely, TickTick Trader does not enforce a minimum number of trading days or a scaling system rule. However, traders are ultimately expected to meet the main objective: hitting the profit target.
Regarding payout and withdrawal rules, TickTickTrader employs a profit-sharing model, requiring a minimum withdrawal of $250 to be processed within five days. Safety thresholds enable ongoing withdrawals, with deactivated accounts allowed up to 20% profit withdrawal.
This article explores the critical rules and regulations shaping trading activities during both the evaluation and the funded account stages, alongside the distinct payout and withdrawal guidelines at TickTickTrader.
What are the rules for TickTickTrader’s Evaluation?
TickTickTrader Evaluation rules define the structured guidelines, prerequisites, and constraints implemented by TickTickTrader for participants in its proprietary trading initiative. These rules necessitate adherence from traders to be eligible for funding opportunities, advocating for disciplined, risk-aware trading practices within the platform’s stipulations.
The 5 principal trading rules for participating in TickTickTrader’s evaluation accounts include managing account balances to avoid exceeding the Pro drawdown, adhering to contract limits, staying within the daily loss limit, following specified trading hours, and trading only permitted instruments.
The following table provides the specific rules applicable to TTTEvaluation Accounts, TTTEvaluation bundles, and TTTDirect Accounts in the TickTickTrader Evaluation Account:
| Rules | TTTEvaluation Accounts | TTTEvaluation bundles | TTTDirect Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro drawdown | $1,500 for Starter, $2,500 for Advanced, $3,500 for Pro | $1,500 for Starter, $2,500 for Direct | $1,000 for 10K Swing, $1,500 for 25K, $2,500 for 50K |
| Maximum Position Size | 4 for Starter, 10 for Advanced, 14 for Pro and Express | 4 for 25K Direct, 10 for 50K Direct, 5 micro for 10K Swing | 4 for 25K Direct, 10 for 50K Direct, 5 micro for 10K Swing |
| Daily Loss Limit | $500 for Starter, $1,250 for Advanced, $2,500 for Pro, None for Express | $500 for 25K Direct, $1,250 for 50K Direct, $350 for 10K Swing | $500 for 25K Direct, $1,250 for 50K Direct, $350 for 10K Swing |
| Trading Times | 6:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET, Sunday to Friday for CME Globex | 6:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET, Sunday to Friday for CME Globex | 6:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET, Sunday to Friday for CME Globex |
| Allowed Instruments | Products within the CME, CBOT, COMEX, and NYMEX Bundles | Products within the CME, CBOT, COMEX, and NYMEX Bundles | Products within the CME, CBOT, COMEX, and NYMEX Bundles |
1- The Pro Drawdown
The TickTick drawdown rule is a financial metric used to assess the risk of loss in trading. It measures the reduction in an account’s value from its peak to its lowest point before reaching a new peak. In the context of TickTickTrader’s evaluation phase, the allowed drawdown is recalculated daily at the end of the trading day. It remains constant throughout the day but is adjusted if the account balance reaches a new high. This calculation includes only realized profits while excluding any unrealized profits. If the account balance falls below the drawdown limit, the trader’s positions may be liquidated to mitigate further losses​​.
For a practical example of the TickTick drawdown rule, consider trading with a $100,000 account over five days, where the TickTick Drawdown limit is set at $3,500. The account experiences various changes in balance over the days:
- First Day: Starting with an open position balance of $100,500, the balance at closing is $100,000, which sets the TickTick Drawdown at $96,500.
- Second Day: The open position balance increases to $100,800, with the closing balance at $98,000, but the TickTick Drawdown remains at $96,500 as the account has not reached a new high.
- Third-Day: No trading occurs, so the drawdown limit remains unchanged.
- Fourth Day: The account sees a significant increase with an opening balance of $103,000 and a closing balance of $100,000, but the TickTick Drawdown remains at $96,500.
- Fifth Day: The account reaches an opening balance of $105,000 and closes at $104,000, setting a new high, which adjusts the TickTick Drawdown to $100,500.
This example illustrates how the drawdown limit is adjusted only when the account’s closing balance exceeds previous peaks. It focuses on realized profits while ignoring unrealized profits throughout the trading day​​.
The table below shows the pro drawdown value for each TickTickTrader account size:
| Account Size | Trailing Drawdown |
|---|---|
| $10K | $1,000 |
| $25K | $1,500 |
| $50K | $2,500 |
| $100K | $3,500 |
2- Maximum Position Size
The TickTick Maximum Position Size rule stipulates the upper limit on the number of contracts a trader can hold open at any given time, varying by the type of account they hold. For instance, during the evaluation, the TickTick Starter – 25K account allows up to 4 contracts for E-Mini and 40 for Micros E-Mini, whereas the TickTick Pro – 100K account permits up to 14 contracts for E-Mini and 140 for Micros E-Mini. This rule ensures traders do not exceed their account’s risk capacity, aligning with TickTickTrader’s commitment to maintaining disciplined and risk-aware trading practices​​.
3- Daily Loss Limit
The TickTick Daily Loss Limit rule sets the maximum amount a trader can lose in a single day. This limit is determined based on the size of the trading account. Daily loss limits vary by the evaluation plan chosen, for instance:
- 25K Starter plan has a $500 daily loss limit.
- 50K Advanced plan comes with a $1,250 daily loss limit.
- 100K Pro plan is set with a $2,500 daily loss limit.
- 100K Express plan does not have a daily loss limit.
Traders’ accounts are monitored each trading day to check if the daily loss limit has been reached or exceeded. If a trader exceeds the limit, any open positions are automatically closed, and the account is deactivated​​.
4- Trading Hours
The TickTick Trading Hours rule specifies the allowed trading hours for all instruments on the platform. Trading is permitted during CME Globex hours from Sunday to Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), with a daily 60-minute break starting at 5:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. Central Time, CT). Additionally, for CME ClearPort, trading is available from Sunday to Friday, 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. ET, with a 15-minute maintenance window between 6:45 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET. Traders are advised to refer to each Exchange’s website for the official schedules. Crucially, all positions must be closed by the end of the trading day, and failure to comply may lead to account deactivation​​.
5- Allowed Instruments
The TickTick Allowed Instruments rule specifies the financial products traders can trade within the TickTickTrader platform. The permitted tradable instruments encompass products within the Futures Market, specifically in the CME, CBOT, COMEX, and NYMEX bundles. This encompasses a broad range of futures contracts, including but not limited to micro futures, equity futures, currency futures, interest rate futures, agricultural futures, and energy futures across major exchanges.
What is TickTickTrader’s Evaluation Objective?
TickTickTrader aims to test traders on reaching profit goals within set rules. Profit goals differ by account type. For example, the 100K accounts have a $6,000 goal. Traders must hit this goal to pass the evaluation and trade with real money. This ensures traders can make profits while following risk rules.
The table below shows the profit goal for each account size at TickTickTrader:
| Account Size | Profit Target |
|---|---|
| $25K | $1,500 |
| $50K | $3,000 |
| $100K | $6,000 |
what are TickTickTrader’s TTTPerformance Account rules?
TickTickTrader’s TTTPerformance Account rules refer to the comprehensive set of guidelines and conditions that govern trading activities within TTTPerformance Accounts. Adherence to these rules is crucial for sustaining account privileges and achieving success within the TickTickTrader ecosystem, yet it necessitates a careful balance between compliance and strategic agility.
TTTPerformance Account rules cover 6 main aspects, which are listed below:
- Drawdown: The rule limits the maximum allowable account value decrease from its peak. Practically, it prevents traders from incurring excessive losses, securing the account’s health. Once the account balance hits the initial starting balance, the drawdown limit stops trailing, providing a fixed risk threshold.
- Maximum Position Size: Determines the largest number of contracts a trader can hold simultaneously, based on account type. For example, the 100K account permits up to 14 E-Mini or 140 Micros E-Mini contracts, balancing risk and opportunity.
- Daily Loss Limit: This rule caps the daily loss amount. It encourages risk management by automatically closing positions and possibly deactivating the account if the limit is exceeded. The daily loss limit varies by account type, ensuring traders operate within their risk tolerance.
- Permitted Trading Schedule: This schedule allows trading during specific hours to maintain market liquidity and risk management. All positions must be closed by the end of the trading day, ensuring traders adhere to the platform’s risk management framework.
- Permitted Instruments: This policy restricts trading to specific financial products. Futures contracts on CME, CBOT, COMEX, and NYMEX are allowed, guiding traders to focus on suitable market strategies.
- Consistency Rule: Requires traders to maintain steady profit generation, limiting the highest daily profit to 30% of total profits. This rule fosters disciplined trading, focusing on sustainability over sporadic high gains.
These rules may restrict trading flexibility by imposing stringent risk management and operational parameters.
What are TickTickTrader’s TTTPerformance Account objectives?
To initiate the first withdrawal from a TickTickTrader TTTPerformance Account, traders must meet certain profit objectives corresponding to their account size based on defined safety thresholds. These thresholds represent the minimum profit balance required in an account to enable fund withdrawal. Specifically, for a $25,000 Starter account, the threshold is $1,600; for a $50,000 Advanced account, it’s $2,600; and for a $100,000 Professional account, the requirement rises to $3,600. Moreover, the policy mandates a minimum withdrawal amount of $250, which must exceed these safety thresholds. This arrangement might prompt scrutiny regarding the accessibility of funds and the practicality of these thresholds, as they compel traders to achieve potentially challenging profit levels before accessing their earnings, potentially reflecting a cautious or restrictive approach to fund withdrawal policies.
Does TickTickTrader have a consistency rule?
TickTickTrader’s Maintain Consistency Rule, tailored for TTTPerformance Accounts. This rule limits a trader’s highest daily profit and loss (PnL) to 30% of their total profits. The aim is to encourage stable and consistent trading. It tries to prevent traders from making large trades that could lead to big quick wins, promoting disciplined trading instead. However, this rule might limit traders’ ability to exploit special market situations. It applies the same limit to all traders, which might not fit everyone’s risk-taking level or trading style. This could hold back traders who can handle more risk for bigger rewards.
Does TickTickTrader have a scaling plan rule?
TickTickTrader previously had a Scaling System rule for TTTPerformance Accounts, which was no longer in effect from January 15th 2024 onwards. The Scaling System limited the number of contracts traders could open based on their account balance, allowing for increased positions with higher account balances. However, this rule was replaced, and traders must now follow updated trading rules and guidelines for TTTPerformance Accounts, which do not include the Scaling System​​.
what are TickTickTrader’s withdrawal/payout rules?
TickTickTrader’s withdrawal and payout rules are designed to cater to both TTTPerformance and Direct Accounts, with specific conditions outlined for each. Here’s a breakdown of their withdrawal/payout rules, including profit splits, withdrawal policies, methods, dates, amounts, limits, and restrictions:
- Profit Split
- For Direct Accounts: For the first three months, traders receive 100% of the profits. Starting from the fourth month, the split is adjusted to 90% for the trader and 10% for TickTickTrader​​.
- For Performance Accounts: Initially, traders keep 100% of their earnings. After the initial period, the standard split becomes 90% to the trader and 10% to TickTickTrader​​.
- Withdrawal Policy
- Withdrawal Methods
- Withdrawal Dates and Timing
- Payout Amounts and Limits
- Restrictions
- 30% Consistency Rule: No more than 30% of profits can come from a single trading day, encouraging traders to maintain consistent performance​​.
- Tax Responsibilities: As an independent contractor, you must adhere to local tax regulations. Form 1099-Misc (for US citizens) or W-8BEN (for foreign citizens) will be issued, and TickTickTrader does not withhold any taxes​​.
- Additional Notes
Is TickTickTrader a Regulated Company?
TickTickTrader is not a regulated entity in the conventional sense associated with financial institutions or brokers. It functions as a private fund that owns a Future Trading account under a regulated broker, indicating it does not directly offer financial services and, therefore, is not subject to traditional financial regulations. TickTickTrader’s main activities include trading with its own funds and facilitating traders through a simulated trading environment. This environment focuses on paper trading, where traders are rewarded based on their simulated account performance. Although it works within the ecosystem of regulated entities, TickTickTrader itself does not fall under the direct oversight typical of financial institutions.
Is TickTickTrader a legit Company?
Founded by Gerardo Tolivia Mariscal in February 2022 and based in Bucharest, Romania, TickTick Trader is recognized as a legitimate proprietary trading firm by over 6,200 day traders globally on Trustpilot. The firm is commended for its user-friendly rules, quick payout processes, and responsive customer service. Offering both TTTEvaluation and TTTDirect Accounts across various sizes, TickTick Trader caters to a wide range of trader needs with platforms such as Rithmic, Tradovate, and NinjaTrader. Despite criticisms regarding its profit payout structure and the mandatory adherence to a daily loss limit, the firm’s high rating on Trustpilot and the positive reception of its transparent evaluation process and diverse payment options affirm its reputation. The company’s operation underscores its position as a credible entity in the proprietary trading firm landscape.
