Comparing Worst-Case Outcomes

When you evaluate a prop‑firm offer, look beyond the headline profit split and ask yourself what the hidden costs could do to your bottom line.

• Fees & commissions – many firms charge platform, data or inactivity fees that eat into small accounts. Add these to your daily loss limit calculations.

• Unpaid contractual rewards – some firms promise bonuses after a certain profit target, but they may be forfeited if you breach a consistency rule or a news‑trading restriction.

• Unavailable balances – during the evaluation phase a portion of your capital is often locked as a performance bond. If you hit a drawdown, that locked amount may be frozen, limiting your ability to scale.

• Dispute costs – if a trade is disputed (e.g., slippage or execution errors) you may face administrative fees or a delayed payout, which can be critical during a tight‑rope trading week.

• Loss of access – hitting a daily loss limit or a consistency breach can cut you off from the platform exactly when you need to recover, especially around high‑impact news.

Practical tip: Model a worst‑case scenario by subtracting all known fees from your target profit and then applying your maximum daily loss limit. If the remaining buffer is thin, consider a firm with more transparent fee structures or higher PFB scores like *The5ers* (score 92) or *My Funded Futures* (score 93) and review their terms on the review page.

Feel free to share how you factor these hidden costs into your risk‑management plan!