Quote from Trader7793:
Also remember not everyone who ends up purposefully or inadvertenly violating the PDT rule is trying to be a career daytrader.
Often times retail brokerage account holders are home on vacation and want do a few extra trades. They decide to buy 4 seperate stocks or options, then either the market turns and they get out of all positions, or they decide to take profits that very same day and suddenly they have a violation. Often times they make 3 buys as seperate orders and then make one sell trade that same day and now they have already used up their allotment of day trades for 5 business days. If they do make another purchase they are stuck in the position overnight, even if it is not in their best interest. Even customers who normally swing trade occasionally fall victim to this nonsense, especially if they have internet access at work, or thru an iphone or blackberry. I have dealt with customers who have margin accounts with over $100k in them, who have daytraded like crazy, but then decide to make a large purchase (house or business) and wire out enough cash to fall below the $25k threshold and end up in a violation.
Contrary to popular opinion this rule was not designed to protect the public. The PDT rule was created because DTCC did not want to clear sooo many trades, and tie up the amount of capital that was necessary. They put the brakes on individuals daytrading for their own needs and not for the public interest.
Apparently the SEC got so many complaints regarding this issue, that they have informed the compliance departments at various brokerage firms why this rule came into effect. This is what one of my firm's compliance officers told me.