What Happens If You Are Marked As A Pattern Day Trader On Robinhood? (2024)

FAQs

What Happens If You Are Marked As A Pattern Day Trader On Robinhood? ›

If your account is flagged for PDT, you're required to have a portfolio value of at least $25,000 to continue day trading. Your portfolio value is the sum of your cash, stocks, and options, and doesn't include crypto positions.

There is nothing wrong with being a pattern day trader, but it does mean you have to follow day trading rules. The most significant rule that pattern day traders must follow is the $25,000 minimum account balance. Margin accounts that are not flagged as pattern day traders have a minimum account value of $2,000.

Yes, there are two ways to have the restriction removed. You may call 855-525-7634 and request to use your one-time reset request. The removal of the restriction may take 1-2 business days.

When a customer with more than $25,000 is flagged as a PDT, the customer can day trade for unlimited times if he/she has sufficient day-trading buying power(DTBP). Your DTBP is equal to the excess maintenance margin that is available in your account multiplied by two (or by four, brokers can adjust the leverage).

Your account will be flagged for pattern day trading 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. This rule only applies to margin accounts and IRA limited margin accounts.

If you exceed your DTBP, a day trade margin call will be issued for the deficiency. The call is due in five business days and can be met by making a deposit, journal or transfer of funds, journal or transfer of marginable stock, or sale of long options or non-margined securities.

In addition to having an offshore account, day traders can avoid the PDT Rule by trading foreign currency or futures. Neither of these asset classes require a certain level of cash. In fact, you can open an account with many brokers for just a few thousand dollars.

In general, once your account has been coded as a pattern day trader account, a firm will continue to regard you as a pattern day trader, even if you don't day trade for a five-day period, because the firm will have a “reasonable belief” that you're a pattern day trader based on your prior trading activities.

Under the PDT rule, any margin account that executes four or more day trades in a five-market-day period is flagged as a pattern day trader. Getting flagged isn't necessarily bad; it just puts the account under a little more scrutiny.

How to get unlimited day trades on Robinhood? ›

Getting unlimited day trades on Robinhood typically requires meeting the minimum account balance of $25,000 or upgrading to Robinhood Gold. Alternatively, opening a cash account or exploring swing trading strategies can also provide more flexibility in executing day trades.

As I mentioned above, your trading is restricted to unlimited day trades unless you have an equity balance of at least $25,000 in your account. For Robinhood Instant or Robinhood Gold accounts, you're limited to no more than three-day trades in a sliding five-day trading window.

If you are marked as a Pattern Day Trader, and you do not maintain the minimum $25,000 requirement, you will not be able to continue day trading without further restrictions being imposed on your account.

Limited number of trades: Traders with less than $25,000 in their account may be limited to making only three day trades within a five-day period. This can affect their ability to implement certain day trading strategies that require multiple trades in a day.

Account suspension: In some cases, a brokerage firm may suspend your account if you repeatedly violate the PDT Rule or other trading rules. The suspension may last for a certain period of time, or the firm may terminate your account altogether.

In addition to having an offshore account, day traders can avoid the PDT Rule by trading foreign currency or futures. Neither of these asset classes require a certain level of cash. In fact, you can open an account with many brokers for just a few thousand dollars.

PDT Meaning

Once your account is labeled as a pattern day trader then you have to maintain at least $25,000 in equity in your account. The plus side to this is you will have more buying power available. For non day traders you only get 2:1 buying power but as a day trader you will get 4:1 day trading buying power.