- Trading Combine — monthly subscription evaluation
- Trailing Drawdown is Topstep’s signature rule, with the loss threshold following the highest balance
- Pass criteria: no drawdown breach, minimum trading days, and the profit target
- Funded Account starts simulated, then graduates to a Live Funded path with real money
Topstep’s Trading Combine is the longest-running futures evaluation in the industry, and the Trailing Drawdown is its signature rule. Unlike a static drawdown limit, the loss threshold trails the account’s high water mark — so a winning streak that you partially give back can still breach the rule even though the absolute account balance is above the starting figure. In practice, this catches more traders than the daily loss limit does.
Combine Rules ($50K example)
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Target | $3,000 (+6%) |
| Max Loss | $2,000 (-4%) |
| Daily Loss | $1,000 (-2%) |
| Min Days | None (until passing) |
| Duration | Unlimited while the subscription is active |
Trailing Drawdown
- The loss threshold trails the account’s high water mark
- Once the account reaches +$2,500, the drawdown locks at $50,000
- After the lock, the rule behaves like a fixed drawdown
Specifically, this means the early portion of the Combine is the most dangerous — give back too much of an initial gain and the trailing drawdown closes the account before you reach the lock threshold.
Funded Account
- 100% profit on the first $5,000, then 90%
- Weekly to monthly payout cycle
- Live Funded after sustained performance — the trades reach the real market at this stage
Prohibited
- HFT (sub-second trading) — universally banned
- Trading during scheduled news windows
- Hedging across multiple accounts
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