Where is your line?
A trailing drawdown calculator for prop firm futures accounts. Pick how your drawdown moves, put in your days, and see the liquidation line, the cushion you have left and when it stops trailing.
Three kinds of drawdown
Same $2,500 limit, three very different accounts. Read your firm's rules for which one you have and when it stops moving.
| Type | The line moves on | The trap |
|---|---|---|
| End of daytrailing | Your balance at each close | A red day after a green day starts from a higher line |
| Intradaytrailing | Your highest balance, open profit included | A winner that comes back to zero still raised the line |
| Staticfixed | Nothing, it never moves | Usually a smaller limit for the same account size |
Working out the line, by hand
Three numbers decide it: where you started, the highest balance the rules count, and where the line stops.
Line = start minus the drawdown. $50,000 - $2,500 = $47,500.
New high $51,000 means a line at $48,500. Losing days never lower it.
Once the line reaches the lock (often the start balance) it stays there for good.
Questions
What is a trailing drawdown?
A trailing drawdown is a loss limit that follows your highest balance up but never comes back down. On a $50,000 account with a $2,500 trailing drawdown you are liquidated at $47,500 to start; make $1,000 and the line moves up to $48,500, and it stays there even if you give the $1,000 back.
What is the difference between end of day and intraday trailing drawdown?
End of day trailing only moves the line using your balance at the close of each day. Intraday trailing moves it using your highest balance at any moment, including open profit on a trade you have not closed. A trade that runs $800 in your favour and comes back to break even raises an intraday line by $800 and an end of day line by nothing.
When does a trailing drawdown stop trailing?
Most prop firms stop the line once it reaches the starting balance, or the starting balance plus a small amount such as $100. From then on it is a fixed floor. Check your firm's rules: this calculator lets you pick either, or a line that never stops.
How many NQ points can I lose before liquidation?
Divide the dollars between your balance and the liquidation line by the point value: $20 a point for one NQ, $2 a point for one MNQ. A $1,000 cushion is 50 NQ points or 500 MNQ points on one contract, and half that on two.
What is a static drawdown?
A static drawdown never moves: the liquidation line stays at the starting balance minus the drawdown no matter how much you make. It is the easiest to manage and is usually offered with a smaller drawdown amount.
The other half is reading NQ.
Echelon is d1's NQ training, session breakdowns and private member chat in one app. Or start in the free Discord.
Trading futures involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. This calculator is arithmetic, not advice, and not any firm's official tool: rules differ between prop firms and change, so check yours. It uses the numbers you type in; a fast market can take you through the line between two prices.