You should consider the following points before engaging in a day-trading strategy. For purposes of this notice, a “day-trading strategy” means an overall trading strategy characterized by the regular transmission by a customer of intra-day orders to effect both purchase and sale transactions in the same security or securities.
Day trading generally is not appropriate for someone of limited resources and limited investment or trading experience and low risk tolerance. You should be prepared to lose all of the funds that you use for day trading. In particular, you should not fund day-trading activities with retirement savings, student loans, second mortgages, emergency funds, funds set aside for purposes such as education or home ownership, or funds required to meet your living expenses. Further, certain evidence indicates that an investment of less than $50,000 will significantly impair the ability of a day trader to make a profit. Of course, an investment of $50,000 or more will in no way guarantee success.
You should be wary of advertisements or other statements that emphasize the potential for large profits in day-trading. Day-trading can also lead to large and immediate financial losses.
Day trading requires in-depth knowledge of the securities markets and trading techniques and strategies. In attempting to profit through day trading, you must compete with professional licensed traders employed by securities firms. You should have appropriate experience before engaging in day trading.
You should be familiar with a securities firm’s business practices, including the operation of the firm’s order execution systems and procedures. Under certain market conditions, you may find it difficult or impossible to liquidate a position quickly at a reasonable price. This can occur, for example, when the market for a stock suddenly drops, or if trading is halted due to recent news events or unusual trading activity. The more volatile a stock is, the greater the likelihood that problems may be encountered in executing a transaction. In addition to normal market risks, you may experience losses due to system failures.
Day trading involves aggressive trading, and generally you will pay commissions on each trade. The total daily commissions that you pay on your trades will add to your losses or significantly reduce your earnings.
When your day trade with funds borrowed from a firm or someone else, you can lose more than the funds you originally placed at risk. A decline in the value of the securities that are purchased may require you to provide additional funds to the firm to avoid the forced sale of those securities or other securities in your account. Short selling as part of your day-trading strategy also may lead to extraordinary losses, because you may have to purchase a stock at a very high price in order to cover a short position.
Persons providing investment advice for others or managing securities accounts for others may need to register as either an “Investment Advisor” under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 or as a “Broker’ or “Dealer” under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such activities may also trigger state registration requirements.
The following general requirements regarding day-trading have been imposed by FINRA Rule 4210 and are enforced by Mondeum Capital, LLC:
By rule, Pattern Day-Traders (“Day Traders”) are characterized by transacting four or more stock or options round-trip day-trades within a five-day period in a margin account. Day-Traders must maintain at least $25,000.00 in account value in order to continue day-trading practices.
In the event that a Day-Trader does not maintain $25,000.00 in account value they will be required to provide cash on-hand for same-day stock transactions.
Additionally, an account may be flagged for day-trading if it regularly recycles funds within the same day. For example, an investor sells a security (stock or option) for a premium of $400 and proceeds to purchase another security (stock or option) for $400 when no other capital is available and prior to funds being cleared. If an account becomes designated as a day-trading account and does not maintain the minimum required equity, at least $25,000.00, a call will be issued which must be met within 5 business days, otherwise the account will be restricted to Cash only for a period of 90 days or until the account equity is brought above the minimum equity requirement or at least $25,000.00. Additionally, if your account meets or exceeds the minimum equity amount, it may be eligible for day-trading margin, which is 4 times account buying power. This buying power may only be used intra-day and may not be held past market close. Please be advised that exceeding your day-trading buying power will result in a day-trading call which must be met promptly, and before you engage in further day-trading.
Mondeum Capital LLC, member FINRA and SIPC.
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