Quote from ggoyal:
arrogance? i dont think so. if someone is good trader, then they would not be stuck with a below 25K account that long. it;s nearly impossible to be profitable with 5k. i thought it was a couple years ago. but it's not. but you can swing trade and if u claim to be as good as u r, u will have more than 25k in no time.
I think we should discuss on the merits of the case. I believe it is sheer discrimination, just because the SEC wants to give an appearance it is maintaining orderliness in the markets. I equally had less than $25000, but traded my balance above that. It was frustrating having to sit out a losing trade just because if you exit the trade, you would incur more than the maximum day-trades allowed and you become a pattern day-trader, unable to short-sell, trade on margin, trade options etc. If it was intended for the protection of the small guy, it is a sham: just like the requirement to have 2.5million dollars to invest in a hedge-fund: what rule says if you have more than that you are sophisticated enough to understand the risks, but if not you are a moron. Like I said, it is just arbitrary rules made to portray an appearance they are on top of their responsibilities.