Payout intelligence report
The Futures Desk Payout Policy: Daily Payouts, Split, Buffer and Methods
The Futures Desk (TFD) does not pay out from simulated money. You pass a one-step assessment, build a buffer equal to your max drawdown in a short sim-brokerage stage, and then trade a real brokerage account where you can withdraw every weekday at an 80/20 split, with a $100 minimum and no cap. This page sets out that payout policy rule by rule, works through the math, shows what can stop or shrink a payout, and explains what the April 1, 2026 Topstep acquisition means for anyone reading TFD's rules today.
Official The Futures Desk sources checked October 11, 2026
Source snapshot
These are facts stated on the checked policy pages, not scores, rankings, or a view on payout reliability.
What to check first
Build the buffer
Payouts unlock when your sim-brokerage profit reaches your buffer goal, which equals the max drawdown you picked. Anything earned above the buffer in sim does not carry over to live.
Protect the live account
Live opens with the buffer as its balance and $0 as a fixed floor. Withdrawals shrink that cushion. Respect the 5-micro news limit, trade at least every 14 days and never use a VPN or VPS.
Request before 11 AM ET
Accept the Rise invitation and pass its identity check, or link a bank for ACH. Requests in by 11 AM Eastern, Monday to Friday, usually pay the same day; later ones go the next business morning.
Payout checks before you request
The Futures Desk (TFD) does not pay out from simulated money. You pass a one-step assessment, build a buffer equal to your max drawdown in a short sim-brokerage stage, and then trade a real brokerage account where you can withdraw every weekday at an 80/20 split, with a $100 minimum and no cap. This page sets out that payout policy rule by rule, works through the math, shows what can stop or shrink a payout, and explains what the April 1, 2026 Topstep acquisition means for anyone reading TFD’s rules today.
Use this page to see when TFD payouts unlock, how much of the buffer you can take, what the 80% split and fees leave you with, and which rules can cost you a payout. Facts come from TFD’s knowledge base (Payouts, Live-Brokerage, Sim-Brokerage, Fees and rules articles), home page FAQ and Terms and Conditions, all read on October 11, 2026. BestProps did not buy an assessment or request a payout for this page. Status note: Topstep acquired TFD on April 1, 2026. On the check date TFD’s home page showed only the knowledge base and member sign-in, with no pricing or sign-up link, so these rules describe accounts already opened with TFD.
Inspect in this order
Build the buffer
Payouts unlock when your sim-brokerage profit reaches your buffer goal, which equals the max drawdown you picked. Anything earned above the buffer in sim does not carry over to live.
Protect the live account
Live opens with the buffer as its balance and $0 as a fixed floor. Withdrawals shrink that cushion. Respect the 5-micro news limit, trade at least every 14 days and never use a VPN or VPS.
Request before 11 AM ET
Accept the Rise invitation and pass its identity check, or link a bank for ACH. Requests in by 11 AM Eastern, Monday to Friday, usually pay the same day; later ones go the next business morning.
The Futures Desk payout policy at a glance
| Rule | What TFD publishes | TFD source |
|---|---|---|
| Where payouts come from | Live brokerage accounts only. TFD’s home page FAQ: “We do not allow payouts from simulated funds.” | Home page FAQ, Live-Brokerage |
| When payouts unlock | When you reach your Buffer Goal in Sim Brokerage, which equals the drawdown you traded against. | Payouts, Sim-Brokerage |
| Withdrawing the buffer | “At the trader’s discretion, you can withdraw into your buffer (starting balance) without penalty.” | Payouts |
| First withdrawal timing | “Your first withdrawal can be sent while we set up your live account.” | Payouts |
| Profit split | 80% to the trader, 20% to the firm, on “every dollar you withdraw”. It does not change as the balance grows. | Payouts |
| Frequency | Daily, Monday to Friday. No minimum days between payouts. | Live-Brokerage, home page |
| Minimum and maximum | $100 minimum per withdrawal, “no upper limit”. | Live-Brokerage |
| Consistency rule | None on live accounts (“no hidden consistency rules, minimum trade days or forced holding periods”). The Daily Base Hit applies in the assessment only. | Live-Brokerage, Daily Base Hit |
| Cut-off and speed | Before 11 AM Eastern: usually paid the same day. After 11 AM: next business morning. | Payouts |
| Methods | Rise (after an identity check) or ACH to a linked bank. The home page FAQ names Riseworks only. | Payouts, home page FAQ |
| Earliest possible payout | Six days: a minimum of 5 assessment days plus at least 1 sim-brokerage day. | Home page FAQ, TFD at a Glance |
| Activation fee | None. Sim data is covered, and one professional data feed (TFD values it at $140 a month) is covered in live. | Fees, Live-Brokerage |
| Costs taken from the account | Extra exchange data ($135 a month for CME, CBOT, COMEX or NYMEX, $80 for EUREX) and all-in execution fees ($1.20 per side for minis, $0.40 for micros). | Fees, Execution Fees |
| Inactivity | 14 days with no trading and no contact: the account is terminated and gains are lost. | Live-Brokerage Guidelines |
Read on October 11, 2026 from TFD’s Payouts, Live-Brokerage, Sim-Brokerage, Fees, Execution Fees, Live-Brokerage Guidelines and Daily Base Hit articles and the home page FAQ. The Payouts article was last updated on April 1, 2026, the day of the Topstep acquisition.
TFD payouts after the Topstep acquisition
01 What changed on April 1, 2026Topstep press release Acquired
Topstep announced that it “has officially acquired The Futures Desk (TFD)” and is “integrating TFD’s advanced tech directly into TopstepX” (Topstep press release; Finance Magnates report). The TFD Terms and Conditions now name the operator as TS TFD Buyer, LLC, effective April 1, 2026, and the site footer carries a Topstep Brokerage disclaimer (Terms).
Payout rules belong to the account you hold. Nothing BestProps read says TFD changed its payout terms for existing live accounts, but nothing confirms how long TFD accounts will run alongside Topstep’s own products either. Ask TFD support in writing before planning around a future payout.
02 Can you still open a TFD account?Home page and pricing page Not on the site
On October 11, 2026, TFD’s home page linked only to the knowledge base and member sign-in, and the old pricing page returned “Page Not Found”. An archived copy from March 6, 2026 still had “Get Funded” and pricing links; by the April 21, 2026 copy they were gone. Trustpilot’s company text reads “Now a part of Topstep. Follow us there for more updates.”
BestProps could not check inside the member area whether new assessments can still be bought. Traders on Reddit reported that existing TFD members were emailed a code for a discounted Topstep account after the deal (r/PropFirmTester, r/TopStepX); that offer was sent to members, not published by TFD.
From assessment to first payout: the three stages
01 Stage 1: Assessment (no payouts)TFD at a Glance, Daily Base Hit Min 5 days
Reach the profit target without hitting max drawdown, in at least the minimum trading days you chose (5 or more). Hitting max drawdown is the only way to fail. The Daily Base Hit raises the target 1:1 by anything you make above it on a day; the daily loss limit (40% of max drawdown) only locks you out for the day (TFD at a Glance, Daily Base Hit, Daily Loss Limit).
Assessment profit is simulated and never paid. The sim-brokerage account opens at the end of the day you pass, once trades settle.
02 Stage 2: Sim-Brokerage (build the buffer)Sim-Brokerage Buffer = drawdown
Same drawdown and daily loss limit as your assessment, but no minimum days and no Daily Base Hit. Your Buffer Goal “matches the max loss you set in Assessment. For example if you set 2000 your buffer goal is 2000.” When you reach it, TFD moves you to a real brokerage account and you can take payouts from the buffer. “Any amount earned over your buffer will not be transferred to your live account.” Exceptional assessment records can sometimes skip this stage at TFD’s discretion (Sim-Brokerage).
This is the stage that decides your first payout. The buffer is effectively a second, smaller target with your drawdown still live. Profit above the buffer is wasted, so slow down as you approach it.
03 Stage 3: Live brokerage (payouts enabled)Live-Brokerage Real capital
“Your live starting balance equals the buffer goal you hit in Sim Brokerage. That buffer becomes your opening equity, with zero as the static minimum for all accounts.” TFD says most live accounts are set up in under a week at its two FCMs, Dorman (Rithmic) and Plus500 (ProjectX). Contract limits and the daily loss limit can be raised on request as you prove consistency (Live-Brokerage, TFD at a Glance).
You trade TFD’s capital in a sub-account under a power of attorney and are paid “as a contractor based on your performance” (home page FAQ). Any balance you withdraw comes off the cushion above the $0 floor.
How to get your first Futures Desk payout
01 Pass the assessmentAssessment Desk Step 1
Hit the profit target (plus any Daily Base Hit overage) in at least your minimum trading days without touching max drawdown. Five days is the shortest plan TFD offers.
02 Reach the buffer goal in sim-brokerageSim-Brokerage Step 2
Earn profit equal to your drawdown (for example $2,000 on a $2,000 drawdown plan). There are no minimum days here, so one good day can do it. Stop pressing once you are close: profit over the buffer does not move to live.
03 Accept the Rise invitation or link a bankPayouts Step 3
“When you move into live brokerage you receive a Rise invitation and complete a quick identity check. After that future payouts land in your Rise wallet. If you prefer ACH just link your bank once and transfers go directly to your account” (Payouts). Use the same legal name as your TFD account; TFD says names cannot be changed after sign-up (name change article).
04 Request the first withdrawalPayouts Step 4
You can send the first withdrawal while TFD is still setting up the live account, and you may withdraw into the buffer without penalty. The minimum is $100.
05 Time it before 11 AM EasternPayouts, home page FAQ Step 5
Requests made before 11 AM ET, Monday to Friday, usually arrive the same day. Requests after 11 AM are processed the next business morning.
06 Keep the live account aliveLive-Brokerage Guidelines Step 6
- Trade at least once every 14 days, or tell support in advance about time off.
- Hold no more than 5 micros from one minute before to one minute after a news release, with a stop in place.
- Stay above the $0 floor: the live drawdown is static at zero, so every withdrawal reduces your room.
- Close positions before the 4:45 PM ET platform shutdown; no positions may be held while the market is closed.
Worked Futures Desk payout examples
All figures use TFD’s published rules and fees read on October 11, 2026. TFD applies the 80% split to “every dollar you withdraw”, so these examples apply it to buffer withdrawals too. They show how the rules interact, not what a trader will earn.
01 $2,000 drawdown plan: the fastest pathSix-day minimum 6 days
TFD’s own example plan has a $2,000 goal and 5 minimum days, so the Daily Base Hit is $2,000 ÷ 5 = $400. Making $400 on each of 5 days passes the assessment. In sim-brokerage the buffer goal is also $2,000; reaching it on day 6 moves you to live with a $2,000 starting balance and a $0 floor. That matches TFD’s “bare minimum” of six days to uncapped daily payouts.
02 Over-shooting the bufferSim profit above the buffer $700 lost
Same $2,000 plan. A strong sim day takes the balance from $1,600 to $2,700. The buffer is $2,000, so the live account opens at $2,000 and the extra $700 does not transfer. Near the target, size down or stop for the day.
03 Withdrawing part of the buffer80% split, $0 floor $800 paid
Live opens at $2,000. You withdraw $1,000 on day one. At 80% you receive $800, and the account balance drops to $1,000. The floor stays at $0, so you now have $1,000 of room instead of $2,000. TFD calls this “without penalty”; the real cost is the smaller cushion if the next trades go wrong.
04 Paying out live profitNo cap, no consistency $2,400 paid
Your $2,000 live account grows to $5,000. You request the $3,000 of profit before 11 AM ET on a Tuesday: $2,400 to you at 80%, usually the same day, and the account goes back to $2,000. There is no cap, no consistency check and no wait before the next request.
05 Costs that come off the balance firstData and execution fees $231 a month
You add one extra exchange feed ($135 a month, deducted from the trading account) and trade 40 round turns of ES or NQ a month at $2.40 all-in per round turn ($96). That is $231 off the balance before any withdrawal. On a $2,000 account, that is about 12% of the cushion each month even if your trades break even.
06 Request timing11 AM ET cut-off Same day or Monday
A request at 10:30 AM ET on a Wednesday is usually paid that day. A request at 11:20 AM ET on a Friday is processed the next business morning, which is Monday. TFD does not publish a holiday payout schedule; assume the next business day.
07 How big can live get?$6,000 total drawdown limit $6,000
TFD caps each trader at $6,000 of total max drawdown across assessments, sim and live accounts, and suggests merging into one live account (two at most). Because the live starting balance equals the buffer, which equals the drawdown, the most you can start live with is $6,000 across your accounts, for example one $3,000 live account plus a $3,000 assessment.
08 Daily Base Hit in the assessmentTFD’s own $3,000 / 8 example $375 a day
A $3,000 target over 8 minimum days gives a $375 Daily Base Hit. Make $1,000 on day one and the target rises by the $625 overage to $3,625, so you are $2,625 away: the same distance as after a $375 day. This only applies before you pass. Funded accounts have no Daily Base Hit and no consistency rule.
Daily payouts at TFD: advantages and cautions
01 What daily payouts do wellAdvantages of TFD’s policy Advantages
- Money comes from a real brokerage account, not a simulated balance, so there are no sim-funded payout caps to work around.
- Every weekday is a payout day once live, with no minimum days between requests and no consistency ratio.
- No upper limit per request and a low $100 minimum.
- No activation fee, and one pro data feed is covered once live.
- Short path: six days at the minimum, with no second evaluation phase.
Frequent withdrawals let you bank profit while it exists, which some traders find steadies their risk-taking. It also suits anyone who treats the account as income and wants regular cash flow rather than monthly lumps.
02 What to watchCautions in TFD’s policy Cautions
- The live floor is $0 and the starting balance equals your buffer, so live accounts are small (at most $6,000 across your accounts) and every withdrawal reduces your room to trade.
- Profit above the buffer in sim-brokerage is lost.
- The split is 80%, lower than many futures firms advertise.
- Data for extra exchanges and execution fees come out of the account balance.
- 14 days of inactivity without contact ends the account and its gains.
- Since April 1, 2026 TFD is owned by Topstep and new sign-ups are not offered on its website.
Daily access can tempt you to drain the account after every green day and leave nothing between the balance and the floor. Decide in advance