
Robinhood has been flagged as a day trader, and it's essential to understand the trading limits and requirements that come with it. If you're flagged as a day trader, Robinhood will restrict your account to only allow day trading.
You'll be limited to three day trades per week, and if you exceed this limit, your account will be restricted for 90 days. This is to prevent excessive trading and potential losses.
To be flagged as a day trader, you'll need to have at least five day trades in a five-trading-day period, with a net loss of less than $25,000.
So You’re a PDT
Being labeled a PDT on Robinhood can be a real challenge. Anyone with a Robinhood Instant or Gold account with less than $25,000 will face a substantial penalty if they engage in PDT.
You'll have your account flagged as a pattern day trader, which lasts for 90 days. During this time, you won't be able to make any day trades.
If you try to continue day trading during this 90-day probation, you'll face even greater penalties. Your account will be restricted even further.
Robinhood reserves the right to lock your account for up to 90 days if you're caught day trading on your PDT-marked account. This means you won't be able to buy or sell any stocks or options for the full 90-day period.
Trading Accounts
If you're flagged as a pattern day trader by Robinhood, it's likely because you've executed four or more day trades within a five-day period.
Your account will be restricted from purchasing for 90 days if you trade outside of these restrictions.
A day trade is defined as buying and selling the same stock or opening and closing the same option position in the same day, so positions held overnight don’t count.
To avoid being flagged as a pattern day trader, you'll need a portfolio of at least $25,000 in your Instant or Gold account as of the end of the previous trading day.
This portfolio value does not include cryptocurrency, so make sure you're not counting that in your total.
If you have a cash account, you're not affected since this account does not allow for margin trades.
Here's a quick rundown of the requirements:
- Instant or Gold account with at least $25,000 as of the end of the previous trading day
- Portfolio value does not include cryptocurrency
- Cash accounts are exempt from pattern day trading restrictions
Robinhood Trading Limits Explained
To avoid being flagged as a pattern day trader, you need to maintain a balance of at least $25k in your margin account if you make four or more day trades in a rolling five-business-day period.
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules apply to all brokerages, not just Robinhood. Every brokerage enforces these rules, so it's essential to understand them.
You can check your day trade limit on the app by going to the Account tab in the lower right corner, then to the Margin Investing section, and looking for “Today’s Day Trade Limit.”
The day trade limit can change from one day to the next, but it won't change during the day. In other words, the day trade limit you have first thing in the morning will remain for the rest of the day.
To increase your day trade limit, you will have to deposit funds. Selling stock does not increase your day trade limit that day.
If you're flagged as a pattern day trader within the last 90 days and you exceed your day trade limit, you'll get a day trade call. You'll be notified of this by email.
You need to resolve the call within five trading days, and you can't trade until it's resolved. If you don't resolve it within five trading days, you will be restricted from trading for 90 calendar days.
To resolve a day trade call, you will need to deposit funds into your account. The amount you need to deposit to resolve the day trade call will be indicated in the email and in the account menu on your app.
Trading Requirements
As a Robinhood user flagged as a day trader, it's essential to understand the trading requirements to avoid unnecessary restrictions or penalties.
You can trade as often as your funds allow in a cash account, considering the settlement period.
To avoid a day trade call, you need to know your day trade limit, which can be found on the app in the Margin Investing section, under "Today's Day Trade Limit." This limit can change from one day to the next but won't change during the day.
If you exceed your day trade limit and have been flagged as a pattern day trader within the last 90 days, you'll get a day trade call, which you'll need to resolve within five trading days.
Pattern Trading Rule
The Pattern Day Trading Rule is a regulation that protects inexperienced traders from excessive risk. It limits the number of day trades a trader can perform within a five-business-day window to three or fewer, unless they meet the minimum balance requirement of $25,000 in their margin account.
This rule applies to all brokerage firms, not just Robinhood. If you're restricted by the rule, you must maintain a minimum equity of $25k in your margin account to continue day trading.
Day trades are considered buying and selling the same stock or opening and closing the same option position in the same day. Positions held overnight don't count towards the day trade limit.
The rule aims to protect traders from overtrading, which can lead to random trades and a lack of profitability. Overtrading can be a major pitfall for inexperienced traders, so it's essential to understand this rule and manage your trades accordingly.
To avoid being flagged as a pattern day trader, you need to have a portfolio value of at least $25,000 in your Instant or Gold account as of the end of the previous trading day. This portfolio value excludes cryptocurrency positions.
If you're flagged as a pattern day trader, your account will be restricted from purchasing for 90 days. However, you can switch to a cash account, which isn't subject to this regulation, or use your one-time courtesy PDT flag removal, if available.
Here's a summary of the Pattern Day Trading Rule:
- 4 or more day trades within 5 trading days
- Represents more than 6% of total trades in that 5-day period
- Requires a minimum equity of $25,000 in your margin account to continue day trading
Trading Margin Accounts
Trading margin accounts comes with its own set of rules and requirements. Traders with margin accounts must maintain a balance of at least $25k if they make four or more day trades in a rolling five-business-day period.
Failing to meet this minimum balance can result in a 'Pattern Day Trader' (PDT) flag, limiting trading activities. This flag is put in place to protect inexperienced traders from excessive risk.
The PDT rule limits the number of day trades a trader can perform within a five-business-day window to three or fewer, unless they meet the minimum balance requirement. This rule is enforced to prevent overtrading and its associated risks.
Traders who are restricted by the PDT rule must maintain a minimum equity of $25k in their margin account. This ensures that they have sufficient funds to cover potential losses.
The PDT rule is not unique to Robinhood, but rather a FINRA requirement that all brokerages must enforce.
Trading Strategies
Trading on Robinhood can be a challenge, especially for day traders who get flagged. The platform's strict policies on trading activity can lead to account restrictions.
If you're a day trader, you might be aware that Robinhood has a 5-day holding period for stocks and options. This means you can't buy and sell the same stock within a 5-day period without being flagged.
To avoid getting flagged, it's essential to understand Robinhood's trading strategies, such as the use of limit orders and stop-loss orders. These orders can help you manage your trades and reduce the risk of being flagged.
Pattern Trading
To avoid being flagged as a pattern day trader, you can't place four or more day trades within a five-day period, unless you have at least $25,000 in your Instant or Gold account.
A day trade is defined as buying and selling the same stock or opening and closing the same option position in the same day, so positions held overnight don't count.
The Pattern Day Trading rule applies to traders using any brokerage firm, not just Robinhood.
You can trade as often as your funds allow in a cash account, considering the settlement period.
Traders with a cash account are not affected by the Pattern Day Trading rule since this account does not allow for margin trades.
To avoid being restricted from purchasing for 90 days, you must trade within the restrictions or have a portfolio of at least $25,000 in your Instant or Gold account.
Orders are considered placed when they are executed, so open orders don't count as trades for the day trade limit.
Each execution of a large order or an order in a low-volume stock counts as a trade for the Pattern Day Trading rule.
Here's a summary of the Pattern Day Trading rule:
Note that these rules are not unique to Robinhood, but are FINRA requirements that every brokerage enforces.
Trade Calls
You need to know your day trade limit to avoid a day trade call. You can find this limit on the app by going to the Account tab in the lower right corner and then to the Margin Investing section.
The limit can change from one day to the next, but it won't change during the day. The amount of cash in your account and the maintenance requirements on the stock positions you hold overnight determine your day trade limit.
If you want to increase your day trade limit, you'll need to deposit funds. Selling stock does not increase your day trade limit that day.
If you exceed your day trade limit, you'll get a day trade call. This can happen if you've been flagged as a pattern day trader within the last 90 days.
You'll be notified of a day trade call by email and will need to resolve it within five trading days. If you don't resolve it, you'll be restricted from trading for 90 calendar days.
To resolve a day trade call, you'll need to deposit funds into your account. The amount you need to deposit will be indicated in the email and in the account menu on your app.
Understanding the Rule
If you're a day trader on Robinhood, you need to understand the pattern day trading (PDT) rule. This rule flags your account if you make 4 or more day trades within 5 trading days, and the number of day trades represents more than 6% of your total trades in that same 5 trading day period.
The rule only applies to investing accounts with margin enabled, so if you're day trading with a cash account, you're in the clear. However, if your account is flagged for PDT, you're required to have a portfolio value of at least $25,000 to continue day trading.
The portfolio value is calculated by summing up your cash, stocks, and options, but it excludes crypto positions, futures positions, or available margin. This means that if you have a bunch of cryptocurrencies in your account, they won't count towards the $25,000 requirement.
Here's a breakdown of how the 5 trading day window works: it may not necessarily align with the calendar week, so be prepared for it to be a bit unpredictable. For example, Wednesday through Tuesday could be a 5 trading day period.
If you place your 4th day trade in the 5 trading day window, your account will be flagged for PDT, and you won't be able to place any more day trades until you bring your portfolio value above $25,000 or switch to a cash account.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to not get flagged as a day trader in Robinhood?
To avoid being flagged as a day trader, disable the Pattern Day Trade Protection feature by toggling the button in your account settings
How do I remove the PDT flag?
To remove the PDT flag, deposit at least $25,000 or higher into your primary margin account equity balance. Alternatively, if you're unable to meet the minimum, you can request a reset to remove the PDT status.
Sources
- https://robinhood.com/support/articles/pattern-day-trading/
- https://investmentu.com/day-trading-robinhood/
- https://robinhood.com/support/articles/pattern-day-trade-protection/
- https://stockstotrade.com/how-to-day-trade-on-robinhood-without-25k/
- https://www.gobankingrates.com/investing/stocks/robinhood-day-trading-rules/
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