As a trader, you will need to day trade in order to get the most out of the market. Robinhood lets you day trade however, but you will need to understand the Robinhood day trade rules in order to prevent your account from being flagged as a pattern day trade. Many users experience this situation on Robinhood and a question arises "What happens if you are marked as a pattern day trader on Robinhood?". It surely doesn't sound good but in case you don't know, you can always request a pattern day trader status reset on Robinhood in order to come out of such tough trading conditions.
Robinhood is a well-known commission-free trading platform. You get to buy and sell stocks, crypto, and options when the market conditions are favorable. Robinhood has been proven by expert traders as a trading platform for beginners. If you've gained sufficient knowledge about trading and want an advanced trading platform, then considering transferring your stocks from Robinhood to TD Ameritrade or Fidelity can be a great option.
If you love trading on Robinhood and want to know what happens if you are marked as a pattern day trader on Robinhood, continue reading because this is what we will be focusing on in this article.
But before, let's understand some basic terms.
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Table of Contents
What is Considered a Day Trade On Robinhood?
If you perform four or more "day trades" within five business days, you are considered a pattern day trader, according to FINRA rules, as long as the number of day trades constitutes more than 6% of your total trades in the margin account for the same five business days.
There are two ways to keep track of day trading. Please contact your firm for additional information on how they decide if you are a pattern day trader by counting trades.
Your firm must also designate you as a pattern day trader if it knows or has a reasonable basis to suspect you would engage in pattern day trading, according to the rules. For instance, if the firm gave you day-trading instructions before opening your account, it could designate you as a pattern day trader.
In general, after your account has been coded as a pattern day trader account, the firm will continue to treat you as a pattern day trader even if you don't day trade for five days because the firm has a "reasonable belief" that you are a pattern day trader based on your earlier trading actions. You can contact your business to discuss the appropriate coding of your account if you modify your trading strategy to stop day trading.
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What are the Requirements for Pattern Day Traders?
On any day that the customer day trades, pattern day traders must maintain a minimum equity of $25,000 in their margin account. Prior to participating in any day-trading activity, you must have this needed minimum equity in your account, which might be a combination of cash and qualifying securities. If the account falls below the $25,000 minimum equity threshold, the pattern day trader will be prohibited from day trading until the account reaches the $25,000 minimum equity level.
In order to trade pattern day, pattern day traders must have a minimum of $25,000 in their margin accounts. Prior to participating in any day-trading activities, you must have this needed minimum equity in your account.
Pattern day traders are also prohibited from trading in excess of their "day-trading buying power," which is typically up to four times the maintenance margin excess as of the previous day's closure of business. The amount by which the equity in the margin account exceeds the required margin is known as the maintenance margin excess.
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Why Do I Have to Maintain Minimum Equity of $25,000?
Day trading is a high-risk activity for both the day trader and the brokerage firm that clears the day trader's transactions. Even if you don't have any open positions at the end of the day, the deals you made during day trading are likely not yet settled. Day trading margin rules provide organizations with a cushion to cover any account shortfalls caused by day trading.
The majority of margin needs are determined by a customer's stock positions at the end of the trading day. A customer who just day trades does not have a security position at the end of the day that would result in a margin call if a margin calculation was performed.
Despite this, the same customer has put money at risk throughout the day. These guidelines mitigate this risk by applying a day trading margin requirement based on a trader's greatest open position during the day rather than open positions at the end of the day.
Many businesses choose to apply a higher equity requirement than the minimum set forth in the rules. These stricter minimum criteria are known as "house" requirements.
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Can You Day Trade on Robinhood?
Yes, you can use Robinhood to day trade. If you're a day trader and want to know if you can use Robinhood, your favorite trading app, for day trading, the answer is yes. Robinhood allows you to day trade for three days and then trade based on your portfolio for another day.
On Robinhood, there are several guidelines to follow if you want to day trade. The current worth of about $25,000 in your Robinhood account is included in these regulations.
If you can't keep up with these regulations or figure out how to determine a fair valuation, Robinhood can help.
In the side menu of your app, look for the day trade bar under the day trade column. Check your status in this section to see if you're eligible for day trading on Robinhood.
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How Many Day Trades Can You Make On Robinhood?
When you decide to start day trading or switch to Robinhood as your day trading platform, the obvious question of how many day trades you can do on Robinhood arises.
The short answer is that you can only make three trades in a five-day period on Robinhood. If you have a larger portfolio, though, the situation is different.
Only if you have 25,000 dollars in your portfolio or an equal worth of assets in your possession does Robinhood allow you to make the fourth trade on consecutive days.
This valuation takes into account both the cash worth and the stocks in your account.
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Can You Day Trade On Robinhood Without 25K?
If the account falls below the $25,000 minimum equity threshold, the pattern day trader will be prohibited from day trading until the account reaches the $25,000 minimum equity level. In order to trade pattern day, pattern day traders must have a minimum of $25,000 in their margin accounts.
However, here's how to day trade on Robinhood without 25K.
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What Happens If You Are Marked As A Pattern Day Trader On Robinhood
If you day trade while marked as a pattern day trader and conclude the previous trading day with less than $25,000 in equity, you'll receive a day trade violation and be barred from purchasing (stocks or options with Robinhood Financial, and cryptocurrencies with Robinhood Crypto) for 90 days.
If you end the trading day with more than $25,000 in equity, this restriction will be lifted. Even if your portfolio is worth more than $25,000, frequent and/or repeated day trading breaches may result in your brokerage account being restricted to position closing only.
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Can I Reset the Pattern Day Trader Status on My Account?
Yes, you can request a pattern day trader status (PDT) reset on your account. However, this will only be possible if your account is eligible for the reset. You can check from your account center to see if you are eligible. For your convenience, here is a complete guide to resetting the pattern day trader status on your account.
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Final Thoughts on What Happens If You Are Marked As A Pattern Day Trader On Robinhood
Though day trading is important for every trader and brokerage firm, it turns out to be a risky activity for both parties. When day trading on a platform such as Robinhood, make sure you've checked the rules and regulations of the Robinhood app. When opening an account, Robinhood prompts you to accept its terms of service, go through it, and make sure you read the necessary information.
If you exceed your day trade limit, your account will be flagged as a pattern day trader on Robinhood. If your account is eligible, you can request for the pattern day trader status reset on your account and continue trading normally.
References:
https://www.finra.org/investors/learn-to-invest/advanced-investing/day-trading-margin-requirements-know-rules
https://robinhood.com/us/en/support/articles/pattern-day-trading/