I Got Banned By FTMO: The Truth About Prop Firm Payouts

Finance / Trading context (prop firms; risk management & payouts)

• The speaker says they were banned by FTMO after receiving an email citing “inappropriate trading behavior.”
• They report their FTMO account was terminated, became inaccessible in the dashboard (greyed out), and they could not access support.
• They argue prop firm rules are subjective, noting that “inappropriate trading behavior” can be interpreted broadly, and they say they were not given clear references to specific rules.
• They claim they have been profitable and consistent across other prop firms and that they did not blow any challenges for about ~3 years.

Reported performance / targets (numbers & recommendations)

Profit model discussed

• Their stated preference is a steady profit target of:
  • ~3% per month as a long-run goal.
  • Example: 3% on a $100k account ≈ $3,000/month (conceptual).
  • Later they also state: ~3% per month on $500k funds ⇒ $15k (explicit).

Consistency vs spikes

• They contrast steady performance with traders who show high returns briefly:
  • They claim 20% monthly traders often disappear after ~3 months.
  • They argue that steady ~3% is more reliable than “spikes” (e.g., “10% in 2 months” followed by no further payouts).

“Unprofitable factor” concern (explicit claim)

• They believe that being consistently profitable for years can raise an “unprofitable factor” concern for prop firms or trigger higher scrutiny, even if the trader claims they follow the rules.

Specific firms / sources and outcomes

CFD / FX-style prop firms (main discussion)

• FTMO

  • Banned: account terminated; no future services; payouts reportedly stopped.
  • Email reason cited: “inappropriate trading behavior” (not detailed further).

• Funded Next (Alpha Capital mentioned separately; “Funded Next” is tied to the email event)

  • The speaker says they received a similar restriction/breach email, restricted for not meeting risk management requirements.
  • They claim they reviewed the full rules hub and believe they did not violate anything.
  • They say there was no response after emailing.

• Alpha Capital

  • The speaker says they were denied payouts one or two times, but payments continued afterward.
  • They speculate possible operational issues (e.g., platform money/processing issues) but provide no confirmation.

• Funding Pips

  • The speaker says they were not banned and were not denied payouts.
  • However, they describe the rules as overly restrictive, forcing them to change their trading approach.

• My Funded Futures / Topstep

  • Mentioned as “major” firms they were funded with and trading alongside; outcomes not detailed individually.

• Secret Funded (formerly My Funded FX)

  • Described as closed.
  • Critique on news trading rules:
    • Profits on news allegedly don’t count, while losses do count (speaker calls this unfair).

• 5%ers

  • A positive note:
    • Claims no denials/restrictions and payouts on time.

• “No-name prop firms”

  • The speaker says they will give them a chance, but plans to publicly call them out if they cannot pay.

Futures-style prop firms

• The speaker says they switched to futures prop firms to diversify.
• Claims:
  • They have not been banned by futures prop firms so far.
  • They describe futures as having cheaper costs and being “less ass” than CFDs.
  • They mention futures spreads are zero (presented as a futures characteristic).
  • They say futures payouts are smaller than their prior CFD experience and that futures are not their main income.
• Duration:
  • They report being in futures for about 2 months.

Methodology / framework elements mentioned (trading-process approach)

• Core discipline: risk management + consistency

  • They claim that with “real risk management,” it is impossible to blow a prop firm challenge.
  • They emphasize journaling and reviewing:
    • Journal every trade
    • Review trades vs prop firm rules

• Prop firm selection criteria (explicit)

  • Their primary question is: “Will they be able to pay you if you adhere to the rules?”
  • They prefer established “major” firms, but are still willing to test lesser-known firms.

Timelines

• FTMO ban: described as about ~1.5 months prior to when they recorded/responded.
• Prop-firm consistency: about 3 years (no challenges blown).
• Futures switch: about 2 months so far.

Disclosures / disclaimers

• The transcript ends with: “Make sure to trade based off data and not guesses.”
• No explicit “financial advice / not financial advice” disclaimer appears in the provided subtitles.

Explicit cautions / implications

• They warn viewers that:
  • Even if you’re profitable and consistent, bans/payout denials can happen.
  • By the time a ban occurs, it may be too late to rely on prop payouts indefinitely—suggesting you should not treat prop firm earnings as guaranteed or permanent.
• Implied money-management approach:
  • They state that 90% of prop firm earnings go into investments or personal trading, not lifestyle spending.

Presenters / sources

• Presenter: the speaker (name not provided in the subtitles).
• Referenced organizations: FTMO, Funded Next, Alpha Capital, My Funded Futures, Topstep, Funding Pips, Secret Funded (formerly My Funded FX), 5%ers.