Consistency rules are the new margin call

The consistency rule, in most firm T&Cs, says "no single day's profit may exceed X% of the total profit." Most traders read it once during signup and forget. The math is brutal: pass a $100K Evaluation with $8K total profit, then get a single $1,500 win on the funded account, and you've already breached a 15% consistency rule. The payout isn't refused — it just isn't paid until you trade enough additional days to amortize that spike below the threshold. Three things to check, on every firm, before you fund: 1. **Is the consistency rule mentioned in marketing copy?** If not, it lives only in the T&Cs sub-clause and the firm is deliberately downplaying it. That's a tell. 2. **Does it apply to the Evaluation, the funded account, or both?** Some firms (FTMO, Topstep) have no consistency rule once funded. Others enforce silently on every payout. 3. **What's the percentage?** 20% is generous; 15% is tight; 10% (Apex futures) requires a fundamentally different position-sizing approach. The pattern of "silent rule enforcement" only emerges in firms with weak verified-payout track records. The big incumbents (FTMO, Topstep, The5%ers) have multi-year reputations that punish surprises. Newer firms haven't built that capital yet and the temptation to deny payouts is real. Verify before you wire.