If you’ve ever felt like the system was rigged against small account traders, you weren’t wrong.
For more than two decades, retail traders have been boxed in by outdated rules that never made sense for today’s market, especially if you’re trading with a smaller account.
It’s been a massive roadblock to progress, to learning, and to building real confidence in the markets.
Regain that confidence with my Monday Setup!
If you aren’t already using it, you don’t know what you’re missing. Here’s how it all goes down…
Every Monday, the market kicks back into gear after its weekend nap, and that reset creates a unique opportunity.
As the first session of the week gets started, there’s a specific pattern we look for that appears again and again with uncanny consistency.
And it has given us some unbelievable gains!
Look what we saw this past Monday…
Right after the opening bell, Flye-E Group Inc. (NASDAQ: FLYE) surged 385%*!
We hunt for these kinds of Monday morning spikes every single week.
Now, it’s your turn to spot them for yourself…
Watch the video below for the full trade breakdown and strategy tutorial on my Monday Setup.
If you’re trading with a small account, you’ve felt that invisible hand pushing you back every time you try to get ahead.
You spot a perfect opportunity, but hesitate. You take a winning trade, but can’t take the next one.
You’re not allowed to trade the way you know you should be trading.
Many traders believe the same myths when it comes to options…
Myth #1: “Options are too complicated.”
Myth #2: “Options are too risky.”
Myth #3: “Options trading is just luck.”
In the LAST Options Bootcamp of 2025, 20-year pro Ben Sturgill breaks it down so clearly, you’ll go from “I don’t get it” to “This makes total sense” in under 2 days.
And you’ll learn how one of his top students went from $600 to $3,000 by week three of trading.*
No Greeks. No complex math. Just real trades and lightbulb moments.
Remember, this is the LAST Options Bootcamp of 2025…
Don’t miss it!
Register for Ben’s Options Bootcamp ASAP!
Why I’ve Hated the PDT Rule Since Day One
Let me be clear, I despise the Pattern Day Trader (PDT) rule.
It’s arbitrary, it’s outdated, and it’s been one of the biggest handcuffs on new and active traders for over 20 years.
Set in motion back in 2001, the PDT rule was designed to “protect” traders with less than $25K in their margin accounts. But instead of educating them or helping them build real-world skills, it simply punished them for trading too much.
You made more than three day trades in five days? Boom!Locked out.
It didn’t matter if you were trading responsibly, it didn’t matter if your trades were up, and it certainly didn’t matter if your strategy made sense.
It was a straight-up wall. And I’ve watched too many dedicated traders hit that wall, get frustrated, and walk away from something they could’ve been great at.
Finally, A Shift That Actually Helps Traders
Now, for the first time in two decades, the tide is turning.
FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, just voted to overhaul the entire framework behind the PDT restriction.
Here’s what’s coming:
- The $25,000 equity requirement? Gone. Instead, they’re proposing $2,000. Huge difference!
- The 3-trades-in-5-days limit? Also gone.
- In its place: a risk-based, real-time intraday margin system.
Instead of freezing your account just because you hit a trade limit, the new system will monitor your actual intraday exposure. If you’re managing risk, you’re free to trade.
Simple, modern, and long overdue.
Industry Giants Back This Move
This isn’t some fringe proposal from a few annoyed traders…
Nope! Wall Street is all-in on this change.
- Morgan Stanley said the old structure is obsolete thanks to real-time risk systems and zero-commission trading.
- Charles Schwab called the current version “anachronistic”, which is a polite way of saying it’s from the Stone Age.
- Interactive Brokers pushed for margin systems that reflect real-time trading activity.
- And Robinhood went even further, saying traders should opt in to more advanced strategies with education, not be boxed out for being active.
This is industry-wide momentum. Everyone knows the rule was crappy. Now we’re finally seeing real solutions.
The Truth About the PDT Rule
It always boiled down to fear…
The regulators didn’t trust retail traders to manage their own risk, so they threw up guardrails that blocked opportunity instead of encouraging education.
But here’s a little quiz for you…
Who’s more likely to be careful with their money?
- A small account trader who’s grinding every dollar with a tight stop loss plan?
Or
- A whale who can lose $100K in a single afternoon and still hit the golf course before 3 PM?
If you guessed A, you’re understanding the lesson.
The PDT rule wasn’t just unfair. It was completely out of touch with how modern traders actually operate.
What This Means for You
If you’ve ever been boxed in by the “three strikes” trading limit…
If you’ve ever hesitated to take a quality setup because you didn’t want to burn your last day trade for the week…
If you’ve ever sat on the sidelines, frustrated while good plays slipped by…
This is your moment!
The new structure puts control back in your hands. You’ll be able to trade more setups, not just your top three favorites, you’ll have the flexibility to scale a strategy, and best of all, you’ll finally be treated like a trader instead of a liability.
Just remember, this doesn’t mean you can go nuts. Risk still matters. You still need discipline, a plan, and stop losses in place every time you trade.
But now, you won’t be punished for being active. You’ll be evaluated based on your actual risk, instead of how many times you click the “Buy” button.
My Final Thoughts…
This isn’t just a policy update but a shift in mindset.
For years, traders like you were treated like problems to manage. Now, you’re finally being seen as participants in a system that needs you.
And it’s about damn time!
To every trader who learned discipline because you had to…
To every small account trader who stayed in the game despite the handcuffs…
To every beginner who stuck with it, kept learning, and kept showing up…
This win is for you.
Let’s trade smarter. Let’s trade with purpose.
And for the first time in a long time… let’s trade with freedom!
Have a great day, everyone. See you back here tomorrow.
Tim Bohen
Lead Trainer, StocksToTrade