How to sign the market data agreement

Signing the market data agreement is essential to start trading. Here’s how:

1. Locate the Welcome Email

   • Check your inbox for an email from no-reply@vanquishtrader.com.

   • The email contains a link to the agreement.

2. Complete the Agreement

   • Click the link and follow the prompts to sign the document.

3. Troubleshooting

   • If you can’t find the email, check your spam folder or log into your Vanquish dashboard to locate the agreement under "Account Settings."

   • For further issues, contact support@vanquishtrader.com.

Note: You won’t have access to market data until this agreement is signed.

Account Limits

Each trader is allowed to have:

• Up to 5 Stock Accounts

• Up to 5 Options Accounts

Troubleshooting Platform Access

If you encounter any issues:

• Login Problems:

  • Double-check your Trader ID and password for typos.

  • Ensure you’re using the credentials for the Trade Manager Login, not the Vanquish Website Login.

• Missing Welcome Email:

  • Check your spam or junk folder for an email from no-reply@vanquishtrader.com.

  • Still missing it? Contact support@vanquishtrader.com for assistance.

• Platform-Specific Issues:

  • For desktop and mobile installations, verify your device meets system requirements.

  • If the web platform isn’t loading, clear your browser cache or try a different browser.

The Goal: Qualify for a Funded Account

The primary objective of an Evaluation Account is to pass the evaluation by meeting specific performance criteria. Once you succeed, you’re eligible for a Performance Account where you can trade with real payouts.

What’s Required to Pass?

1. Profit Targets:

   • You need to achieve a certain percentage gain to pass:

     • Stocks: 6% profit target.

     • Options: 10% profit target.

   • Example: For a $50,000 Stocks Account, you’ll need to grow your account to $53,000.

2. Drawdown Management:

   • Max Drawdown: The maximum amount you’re allowed to lose relative to your starting balance.

     • Stocks: 3% (e.g., $1,500 for a $50,000 account).

     • Options: 5% (e.g., $2,500 for a $50,000 account).

   • Trailing Drawdown: Adjusts dynamically with your account’s equity peak, ensuring you maintain consistent growth.

3. Consistency Rule:

   • No single trade can contribute more than 30% of your total profits. This rule ensures your trading strategy is balanced and not overly reliant on high-risk trades.

Drawdown Limits

Managing drawdown effectively is critical to passing the evaluation. The system uses two types of drawdown to assess your risk management:

1. Max Drawdown:

   • The maximum amount you can lose relative to your starting balance.

   • Example: For a $50,000 Options Account, the max drawdown is $2,500 (5%).

2. Trailing Drawdown:

   • A dynamic drawdown limit that adjusts upward as your equity increases.

   • It is calculated based on your equity peak and ensures you maintain consistent performance as you grow your account.

   • Example:

     • A $50,000 Stocks Account starts with a $48,500 trailing drawdown ($50,000 - $1,500).

     • If your equity peak rises to $55,000, the trailing drawdown adjusts to $53,500 ($55,000 - $1,500).

Why It Matters:

• These limits are in place to encourage careful risk management and prevent excessive losses.

Differences from Evaluation Accounts

While many aspects of trading remain the same, there are several key differences between Evaluation and Performance Accounts:

1. No Profit Targets After Passing:

   • Unlike Evaluation Accounts, where you must achieve a specific profit target to qualify, Performance Accounts do not require ongoing profit targets.

   • Your primary focus shifts to consistent growth and risk management.

2. Trailing Drawdown Becomes Fixed:

   • During the evaluation, the trailing drawdown adjusts dynamically as your account balance increases. In a Performance Account, once you reach the profit buffer, the trailing drawdown becomes fixed.

   • Example: For a $50,000 account:

     • Profit buffer is $2,500.

     • After reaching $52,500, the drawdown limit locks at $50,375, no longer trailing upward.

3. Payout Opportunities:

   • Unlike Evaluation Accounts, where profits are not withdrawable, Performance Accounts allow you to request payouts based on your earnings.

How Resets Work

The reset process is designed to get you back in the game quickly and easily.

1. Purchase a Reset or Use a Reset Credit:

   • Resets can be purchased at any time, or you can use available reset credits in your account.

   • There’s no limit to how many resets you can use in a given period.

2. Immediate Reactivation:

   • Once the reset is applied, your account becomes active again, and you can start trading immediately.

3. Resets and Billing:

   • Resets are independent of your monthly subscription. Using a reset does not extend your billing date, so the timing of your subscription charges remains unchanged.

Drawdown Limits

Managing drawdown effectively remains a cornerstone of trading in a Performance Account. The limits ensure you’re growing your account while controlling risk.

How It Works:

• Trailing Drawdown: This adjusts dynamically as your account balance grows. It’s calculated based on your equity peak and is intended to protect both you and the funding provider.

• Profit Buffer: Once your profits reach a set threshold, the drawdown limit becomes fixed, providing more stability as you trade.

Example of Trailing and Fixed Drawdown:

• Starting Equity: $50,000.

• Profit Buffer: $2,500 (5% of starting equity).

• Before Buffer Is Reached:

  • Trailing drawdown moves upward as your equity increases.

  • If your equity rises to $55,000, the drawdown limit adjusts to $53,500 ($55,000 - $1,500).

• After Buffer Is Reached:

  • Once equity exceeds $52,500, the drawdown becomes fixed at $50,375.

  • Even if your equity grows beyond $52,500, the drawdown limit no longer adjusts upward.

Impact on Drawdown

Withdrawals affect your account balance and, in turn, your drawdown limits. Proper planning is essential to avoid unintended rule violations.

How Withdrawals Affect Your Account:

• Account Balance Reduction:

  • The withdrawal amount is deducted from your total equity.

• Drawdown Limit Adjustment:

  • If your account is still in a trailing drawdown phase, withdrawals bring you closer to your loss limit.

  • Example:

    • If you withdraw $1,000 from a $50,000 account with a $52,500 equity peak, the new equity is $51,500. The trailing drawdown adjusts accordingly.

Key Consideration:

• Plan withdrawals carefully to ensure you maintain a safe buffer above the drawdown limit.

Allowed Strategies

The platform supports a range of trading strategies, allowing traders to leverage different approaches while staying within the rules.

1. Day Trading:

   • You can open and close positions within the same trading day.

   • Day trading enables quick responses to market movements and avoids the risks of overnight exposure.

2. Scalping:

   • High-frequency, short-term trades are permitted.

   • Scalping involves capitalizing on small price movements, often holding positions for minutes or even seconds.

3. Hedging Positions:

   • You’re allowed to hedge trades to reduce risk.

   • For example, you can take offsetting positions (e.g., long on one asset, short on another) to protect against adverse market movements.

What’s Not Allowed (for Context):

• Certain strategies, like selling naked options or holding overnight positions, fall under prohibited practices and are detailed in the next article.

Account Misuse

Behavior that breaches the trust or integrity of the platform:

• Account Sharing:

  • Allowing others to trade on your account is forbidden. Accounts are strictly for individual use.

• Multiple Logins:

  • Using unauthorized software or accessing the platform from multiple devices simultaneously to gain unfair advantages.

Overnight Positions

All positions must be closed before the market closes to prevent penalties or account violations.

Key Rule:

• Deadline: All trades must be closed by 3:59 PM EST.

• Impact: Positions left open after this time are at your own risk and can lead to account balance changes due to after-hours price movements.

Why This Rule Exists:

• Overnight positions are riskier due to limited liquidity and unpredictable market movements during after-hours trading.

• This rule ensures that accounts remain protected from overnight volatility.

Processing Times

• Payout requests are typically reviewed and processed within 48 hours.

• Once approved, funds are sent using the payment method you selected.

Note: Processing times may vary slightly depending on banking systems or cryptocurrency network activity.

Taxes on Cryptocurrency Payouts

If you choose to receive payouts in cryptocurrency (e.g., USDT or USDC), these transactions must still be reported for tax purposes.

• Taxable Amount: Calculated based on the value of the cryptocurrency at the time of receipt.

• Self-Reporting: It’s your responsibility to report these earnings in your tax filings.

Planning Withdrawals

To avoid unintended violations, consider these tips:

• Keep a safe margin above your drawdown limit after withdrawals.

• Time withdrawals during periods of stable account performance to minimize risk.

Changing Subscriptions

• Once you’ve signed up, you cannot change your account type (e.g., from stocks to options).

• To switch account types, you’ll need to create a new account under the desired type.

What Resets Affect

• Metrics Reset:

  • Account balance returns to its starting level.

  • All performance metrics, such as profit targets and drawdown limits, are reset.

• What Remains Unchanged:

  • Subscription billing dates are not extended.

  • Resetting your account does not pause or renew your subscription cycle.

Common Subscription Issues

1. Billing Problems:

   • Verify that your payment method on file is current and valid.

   • For declined payments, update your billing details in your account dashboard.

2. Cancellation Questions:

   • Subscriptions can be canceled anytime, but access ends at the end of your current billing cycle.