1. Profit Target Requirements
The profit target is the primary objective of the Topstep Trading Combine. Each account size has a specific profit target that must be achieved before advancing to the funded stage. These targets are designed to test a trader’s ability to generate consistent returns while managing risk effectively.
| Account Size |
Profit Target |
Monthly Fee |
Activation Fee |
Profit Split |
| $50,000 | $3,000 | $50/month | $149 (often waived) | 90/10 |
| $100,000 | $6,000 | $110/month | $149 (often waived) | 90/10 |
| $150,000 | $9,000 | $179/month | $149 (often waived) | 90/10 |
Profit targets must be achieved through legitimate trading activity. Topstep monitors for any manipulative behavior including excessive trading, hedging across accounts, or other practices that violate their terms of service. Our prop firm passing service ensures all trading activity complies fully with Topstep’s requirements.
2. Maximum Trailing Drawdown
The trailing drawdown is perhaps the most critical rule in the Topstep Trading Combine. This rule protects the firm’s capital while giving traders reasonable room to operate. The trailing drawdown starts at a fixed amount and trails your account’s highest balance (the “watermark”) by a specified distance.
Understanding Trailing Drawdown: The trailing drawdown moves up with your account’s unrealized and realized profits but never moves down. Once your account reaches the profit target, the trailing drawdown stops moving and becomes a static maximum loss limit.
For example, on a $50,000 account with a $2,500 trailing drawdown, if your account reaches $52,000, the drawdown level moves to $49,500. If your account then drops to $51,000, the drawdown level remains at $49,500. This mechanism ensures that as you build profits, your risk parameters tighten proportionally.
3. Daily Loss Limit
Topstep enforces a daily loss limit to prevent catastrophic single-day losses. This rule resets at the end of each trading day (typically 5:00 PM ET for futures markets). If your account’s unrealized or realized losses exceed the daily limit at any point during the trading day, the account is immediately flagged for violation.
The daily loss limit is calculated based on the starting balance of each trading day. This means that even if you’re profitable overall, a single day with excessive losses will result in account termination. Professional risk management is essential to avoid triggering this rule.
4. Consistency Rule
Topstep’s consistency rule ensures that traders demonstrate sustainable trading skills rather than relying on a single lucky trade. The rule states that no single trading day can account for more than 50% of your total profits during the evaluation phase.
Consistency Rule Example: If your total profit at the end of the evaluation is $4,000, no single day’s profit can exceed $2,000. This encourages traders to develop consistent, repeatable strategies rather than gambling on high-risk setups.
The consistency rule applies to both the Trading Combine and the Express accounts. Traders must demonstrate the ability to generate profits across multiple trading days, which is a key indicator of long-term trading success.
