Overview:
The Futures Desk offers a pathway to futures trading with a focus on a single-phase assessment and a transparent approach, explicitly stating they avoid “Direct to Funded” schemes they deem misleading. They emphasize risk management and provide a free trading platform, partnering with Dorman Trading/Plus500 as their FCM.
Key Points:
- Account Sizes/Plans: Offers plans based on drawdown limits (e.g., Starter $1k Drawdown, Popular $2k Drawdown, Premium $3k Drawdown) rather than traditional account capital figures for evaluation. The actual funded account capital may vary.
- Year Started: Not clearly stated on their website.
- Minimum Evaluation Days: “Days To Live Payouts” vary by plan (e.g., 12 days for Starter, 8 for Popular, 5 for Premium). A minimum of 6 trading days is required for uncapped payouts in a brokerage account.
- Maximum Accounts: Maximum of two accounts per user.
- Restricted Countries: Not explicitly specified on their main website.
- Straight to Funded: No, they have an assessment phase and consider “Direct to Funded” to be misleading.
- Swing Trading: Allowed, provided trading adheres to US laws and CME rules. They state “no ‘gotchas’” as long as these are followed, implying flexibility for overnight and weekend positions if market rules permit.
- Trading Platforms: Offers a “Free Trading Platform.” Specific supported platforms found through further investigation include NinjaTrader, TradingView, TradeStation, Bookmap, Quantower, Sierra Chart, and Jigsaw Trading.
- Profit Split: Not explicitly specified on their main website. Payouts are managed from a trader’s “Funded Sim Account Buffer.”
Product Table (Assessment Plans – Based on Drawdown):
| Plan Name (Example) | Max Drawdown | Target for Payouts | Days to Live Payouts (Min) | Cost (Example) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $1,000 | $1,000 Buffer | 12 | ~$99 (Activation Fee) |
| Popular | $2,000 | $2,000 Buffer | 8 | ~$199 (Activation Fee) |
| Premium | $3,000 | $3,000 Buffer | 5 | ~$299 (Activation Fee) |
Note: “Activation Fee” is a one-time fee. The “Buffer” acts as the profit target to initiate payouts and also as a cushion. Actual funding capital post-assessment isn’t marketed as a fixed large sum but is related to the risk parameters chosen.
Pros:
- Transparent stance against potentially misleading “direct to funded” claims.
- Swing trading appears to be allowed within exchange regulations.
- Supports a good range of professional trading platforms.
- Clear, single-phase assessment focused on drawdown limits.
- $0 activation fee often promoted.
Cons:
- Year of establishment is not clearly stated.
- List of restricted countries is not readily available.
- Profit split details and how the “Funded Sim Account Buffer” translates to trader earnings are not explicitly detailed on the main site.
- The marketing based on “Max Drawdown” rather than a specific “Account Size” for evaluations might be confusing for some traders accustomed to traditional prop firm offerings.