3 - 5 rule :
Isn't that clear enough ? Has been posted twice in this thread now.
"New Day Trading Margin Rule :
Starting August 28th the NYSE will impose a $25,000 minimum equity requirement for âpattern day traders.â Effective September 28, the NASD will impose the same requirement. Consistent with the new margin rules, as of August 28th, if an IB customerâs margin account falls under $25,000 and the customer has opened and closed positions on THE SAME DAY day three times within five days, the customer will not be allowed to open new positions until the $25,000 requirement is restored or the five days have elapsed."
I understand it this way :
1.Example :
You start with 3 roundtrips on a Monday in your sub 25K margin account. Next time you'll be allowed to do 3 roundtrips is following monday ( 5 days later - actually, it would be saturday, but since the markets are closed on weekends .... ).
2. Example :
You start with 1 roundtrip on Monday, 1 one Tuesday 1 on Wednesday, next time you'll be allowed for 3 new roundtrips would be the following monday again ( when the 5 day period in which the 3 roundtrips occured, has elapsed )
The new rule will be in force as of Aug. 28th. for NYSE. This is a Tuesday. So one could do 3 rountrips in the period 'til Sunday ( if they use calendar days instead of trading days ). Next 5 day period would start on Monday the following week ( Sept. 3rd. - which is a holiday in the US )
For Nasdaq, the rule will start on Sept. 28th. which is a Friday. So one could do 3 roundtrips on this Friday and would have to wait for his next 3 rountrips until Thursday, Sept. 4th ( once again, if calendardays are used ).
However, if one doesn't trade on any of the starting days, the 5 day period will start the countdown with his 1st. completed intraday roundtrip following the day the rule has been imposed.
Sub 25K traders need not only to watch their intraday charts, level 2, indicators, etc. but also their calendar
;-)