Ever spent hundreds of hours grinding in a game that’s no longer fun but you keep playing because you don’t want to
Ever spent hundreds of hours grinding in a game that’s no longer fun but you keep playing because you don’t want to ‘waste’ all the time you’ve invested? Meanwhile there are 10 better games you know you could be enjoying instead?
Keeping on playing, just because you’ve already invested hours, is like holding onto a losing trade just because you’ve already lost money.
In both cases, the time, or money already spent, is a sunk cost that can’t be recovered.
This irrational way of thinking is a cognitive bias known as the sunk cost fallacy.
And understanding how your brain tricks you into making bad decisions is crucial for becoming a successful trader.
The key is making your decision based on what’s happening RIGHT NOW and where things are actually headed – not because you’ve already sunk hours or cash into it.
Sunk cost fallacy also unleashes other emotions that wreck your decision-making:
fear of missing out on a turnaround
regret over trades gone wrong
the ego hit of admitting you were wrong
and the urge to chase your losses.
Bottom line: recognize these mental traps, make decisions based on facts not feelings, and make decisions based on the current situation, and you’ll already be ahead of 90% of traders out there.
If you love trading but wish you had more capital to work with, prop trading works might be exactly what you are looking for. It gives skilled traders the chance to trade large amounts of money provided by a firm and keep a share of the profits.
At The Upside Funding, traders don’t just get funded to trade. They also receive mentorship, professional guidance, and the opportunity to grow into a full-time trading career. The company was founded by two former Citigroup Managing Directors with more than 60 years of combined trading experience. Their goal is to make real investment banking-style prop trading available to independent traders worldwide.
What Is Prop Trading?
Prop trading, short for proprietary trading, is when a company lets you trade its own money instead of your personal funds. You get to prove your trading skills, earn profits, and keep most of what you make.
In simple terms, prop trading works like this: you trade using the firm’s capital, and when you make money, you get paid a percentage of the profits. The firm benefits by partnering with successful traders, and you benefit by trading with more buying power and less personal risk.
How Prop Trading Works!
At Upside Funding, traders can start with up to 300,000 USD and scale all the way to 1.5 million USD as they grow. The process is designed to be clear, fair, and beginner-friendly, making it one of the best proprietary trading firms for new traders looking to advance their careers.
Step 1: Prove Your Skill
Before a firm can trust you with real money, you need to show that you can manage risk and make consistent gains. This part is called the evaluation phase, and it’s the first step in most funded trading programs.
At Upside Funding, there are two ways to qualify for funding: a 1 Step or 2 Step evaluation.
The 1 Step Evaluation
Goal: Reach a 10% profit target
Maximum drawdown limit: 4% trailing
No time limits
You can trade during news events and weekends*
You can use trading bots or Expert Advisors
Once you hit your goal and your trading history is approved, you move straight into funded account trading and start earning up to 90%* of your profits.
* Add-ons available for purchase
The 2 Step Evaluation
Step 1: Reach 8% profit
Step 2: Reach 5% profit
You will have:
No deadlines or consistency rules
Full freedom to trade your own style
After passing both steps, you get funded to trade. There are no hidden fees, no margin calls, and no negative balances. The only cost is your challenge fee, which is refunded after your second payout.
Step 2: Start Trading
Once you complete the evaluation, you receive your funded account and start trading live with the capital provided by The Upside Funding, one of the top funded prop firms for serious traders.
This is where things get exciting. You’ll be trading markets, earning real payouts, and building your track record as a professional trader.
Funded traders at Upside can:
Trade major forex pairs, gold, silver, indices, energy products, and crypto
Earn up to 90% of profits
Request payouts every 14 days
Receive payouts within 24 hours
Get direct one-on-one mentorship with the firm’s leadership team.
This structure enables traders to grow their income and gain experience while developing the skills necessary to become a professional trader.
Step 3: Grow and Build a Career
The Upside Funding is not just a place to trade firm capital. It’s a complete remote trader program that helps traders build lasting careers.
Through the Scaling Program, traders who earn at least a 10% profit over three months can grow their account by 25%. This scaling continues until you reach a total of 1.5 million USD in funding.
Once you reach that level, you can qualify for a full-time position as a Remote Proprietary Trader with a salary of up to 350,000 USD per year. This makes Upside one of the few funded prop firms that offer both growth potential and a true career opportunity.
Why is The Upside Trading Funding Different?
Here is why many traders consider Upside one of the best proprietary trading firms:
Experience and Transparency: Founded by former CitiBankgroup Managing Directors, Upside applies real-world institutional trading standards to every funded account.
Legal and Secure: Upside Funding is a fully registered proprietary trading firm operating under Hong Kong’s legal framework. All payouts and agreements are legally enforceable.
Fast and Reliable Payouts: Traders can withdraw profits in as little as 24 hours, keeping up to 90% of what they earn.
Mentorship That Matters: All funded traders receive direct one-on-one mentorship from the leadership team, helping them improve strategies and stay consistent.
Flexible Trading Rules: You can trade news, hold positions over weekends, and use bots or manual strategies. There are no forced stop losses or restrictive conditions.
Start Your Trading Journey
Getting funded to trade is one of the best ways to turn your passion for trading into a long-term professional path. You don’t need a large personal account or years of institutional experience to begin. You just need skill, discipline, and the drive to grow.
At Upside Funding, you can start small, grow steadily, and even work your way toward a full-time role through their remote trader program. It’s a transparent and supportive environment designed to help traders succeed.
If you are ready to take your trading to the next level, visit TheUpsideFunding and start your challenge today.
Your journey with one of the world’s most trusted funded trading programs could begin right now.
At The Upside Trading, we provide the capital, mentorship, and transparent structure you need to grow steadily and confidently.
Whether you’re an experienced trader or just getting started, our program is designed to help you scale your account, refine your strategies, and trade with professional guidance every step of the way. for more updates visit our youtube channel: The Upside Funding YouTube
Ready to take your trading to the next level?
Start your challenge today and join one of the world’s most trusted funded trading programs.
Why Prop Firms Have Strict Loss Limits: The Mathematics
Understanding Proprietary Trading Firm Rules and Risk Management Proprietary trading firms are often questioned about their strict loss limit rules by new…
Understanding Proprietary Trading Firm Rules and Risk Management
Proprietary trading firms are often questioned about their strict loss limit rules by new traders entering funded trading programs. While these rules might seem restrictive at first glance, they serve a critical purpose that protects both the firm and the trader from the harsh mathematics of drawdown recovery.
The Brutal Math Behind Trading Losses
When traders ask why prop firms implement tight risk management rules, the answer lies in a fundamental mathematical principle that many overlook: recovering from losses requires exponentially larger gains.
Here’s the reality that every funded trader must understand:
If you begin with $10,000 in trading capital and lose 10%, your account drops to $9,000. To return to breakeven, you don’t simply need another 10% gain. Instead, you need an 11.1% gain because you’re now working with a reduced capital base.
The Recovery Mathematics Get Progressively Worse
The relationship between losses and required recovery becomes increasingly punitive as drawdowns increase:
10% loss requires 11.1% gain to recover
20% loss requires 25% gain to recover
30% loss requires 43% gain to recover
50% loss requires 100% gain to recover
This asymmetric relationship is why successful proprietary traders prioritize capital preservation over profit generation. The deeper the drawdown, the steeper the mountain becomes to climb back to profitability.
Why Risk Management Rules Exist in Prop Trading
Proprietary trading firms implement position sizing limits, stop losses, and daily loss limits not to restrict your earning potential, but to prevent traders from creating drawdowns so severe that recovery becomes mathematically improbable.
The Psychology vs. The Mathematics
Many traders focus on the potential upside of each trade while underestimating the compounding effect of losses. Prop firms understand that:
Avoiding a 20% loss is easier than generating a 25% recovery gain
Multiple small losses compound into major drawdowns
Large drawdowns can end trading careers before they begin
Capital Preservation: The Foundation of Long-Term Trading Success
Professional traders who survive and thrive in proprietary trading environments understand a fundamental truth: protecting your capital is more important than any single winning trade.
This mindset shift from “profit first” to “preservation first” is what separates successful funded traders from those who blow accounts. When you prioritize risk management, you maintain the mathematical advantage needed for long-term profitability.
How Prop Firm Rules Support Trader Success
The risk management frameworks implemented by proprietary trading firms serve multiple purposes:
1. Preventing Career-Ending Drawdowns
Strict loss limits ensure traders can’t dig mathematical holes too deep to escape from.
2. Teaching Professional Risk Management
These rules instill the discipline required for institutional-level trading.
3. Protecting Firm Capital
Firms can continue funding successful traders by limiting exposure to catastrophic losses.
4. Creating Sustainable Trading Careers
Traders who master these constraints develop skills that translate to long-term success.
The Path to Funded Trading Success
Understanding why prop firms implement strict loss limits is the first step toward successful funded trading. The mathematics of recovery isn’t opinion—it’s mathematical fact that governs all trading outcomes.
Successful proprietary traders embrace these constraints as tools for success rather than barriers to profit. They understand that in funded trading, the goal isn’t to hit home runs on every trade, but to consistently manage risk while capturing profitable opportunities.
Risk Management in Proprietary Trading: Key Takeaways
Recovery mathematics work against traders who prioritize profits over preservation
Prop firm rules exist to prevent mathematically unsustainable drawdowns
Long-term trading success requires capital preservation as the primary focus
Professional traders understand that avoiding losses is more valuable than capturing gains
The most successful funded traders learn to work within these constraints, using risk management rules as a framework for sustainable profitability rather than viewing them as limitations on their trading potential.
Ready to start your funded trading journey? Learn how our proprietary trading programs combine competitive profit splits with comprehensive risk management education to help traders build sustainable careers in financial markets.
Proprietary trading has become one of the most accessible ways for traders to scale their capital without needing large..
Proprietary trading has become one of the most accessible ways for traders to scale their capital without needing large personal savings. The growth of prop firms has opened the door for retail traders around the world to prove themselves and earn a share of the profits. But for many, that’s where the journey ends, pass a challenge, get funded, and hope to maintain consistency over time.
At The Upside Funding, we see things differently. We don’t believe funded trading should be the finish line. Instead, we’ve built a platform designed to help serious traders turn their performance into a long-term, stable career.
The Limitations of Traditional Prop Firms
While many prop firms offer evaluation challenges and profit splits, their business models often create hidden roadblocks. Rigid time limits, high failure rates, payout delays, and minimal support leave many talented traders stuck in a loop of passing challenges and restarting from zero.
Even when traders succeed, they’re typically left on their own, with no further opportunity to grow professionally. The relationship ends at the payout.
A Different Model: Growth Beyond the Challenge
The Upside Funding was created by traders with institutional backgrounds. Former Citigroup professionals who understand what it takes to succeed at the highest level. Rather than simply offering capital, we’ve designed a pathway that supports traders from their first challenge through to a full-time trading career.
Here’s what sets our model apart:
90% profit splits for funded traders
No time limits on challenges, so traders can perform at their own pace
1-on-1 mentorship from seasoned professionals
And most notably: a chance to join our internal trading desk as a salaried professional
From Funded Account to Trading Career
For those who demonstrate consistency and skill, The Upside Funding offers more than capital, we offer a future. Traders who perform at a high level are eligible to be recruited into our internal team, where they can earn a salary of up to $350,000 per year.
This is a unique opportunity in the prop firm landscape. Rather than continuing in a cycle of challenges and drawdown resets, our top traders become part of a long-term operation, with access to institutional-level resources, coaching, and stability.
Real Experience, Real Guidance
What makes this model work is the experience of the team behind it. The founders of The Upside Funding spent decades trading professionally and managing billions. Their insights shape every aspect of the program, from evaluation criteria to mentorship structure, ensuring that traders are being guided by those who’ve actually done the work.
For many traders, this professional support is the missing piece. It’s not just about hitting metrics; it’s about developing the mindset, discipline, and strategy that sustain long-term success.
Take the First Step
If you’re a trader who wants more than just a few payouts, if you’re looking to build a serious future in the markets, The Upside Funding is built for you.
Visit here to learn more, start your challenge, and begin the path from funded trader to full-time professional.
Looking to understand how mentorship plays a role in success? Read our next article: Why Mentorship from Real Traders Matters in Prop Trading.
Behind every great trading firm is a team that understands what it takes to win. At The Upside Funding, that team is led by…
Behind every great trading firm is a team that understands what it takes to win. At The Upside Funding, that team is led by two former Citigroup Managing Directors and a former Director from HSBC with over 60 years of combined trading experience.
Founded in 2024, The Upside Funding isn’t just another prop firm. It’s a mentorship-driven platform built by traders who’ve worked at the highest levels of institutional finance. And now, we’re bringing that same experience to retail traders around the world.
Why We Built The Upside Funding
After decades inside global banks, the founders of The Upside Funding saw a gap in the prop trading world, too many firms focused on quick funding, with little guidance or long-term development. Most traders were left to navigate the markets alone.
So they built something different.
The Upside Funding was launched to give traders what they never had: a true partnership. Real capital. Real mentorship. Real careers.
Our mission is clear, support traders not just with money, but with the guidance, structure, and opportunity to thrive.
1-on-1 Mentorship from Industry Veterans
What makes The Upside Funding different starts at the top.
Every funded trader has access to direct mentorship from our firm’s leadership, including:
1:1 coaching with the CEO and co-founders
Strategy feedback based on real-world experience
Personalized performance reviews
Ongoing support to help scale to $1.5 million
This level of direct access is nearly unheard of in the prop firm space.
“After decades in institutional trading, we realized the real missing piece wasn’t capital, it was mentorship,” says Charles, Co-Founder and CEO of The Upside Funding.
Turning Traders Into Professionals
Mentorship is just the beginning. Top-performing traders can qualify for something even rarer: a full-time salaried role.
Through the Remote Trader Program, consistent performers can:
Earn up to $350,000 per year
Trade firm capital remotely
Gain full-time career stability
“We’re not just funding traders; we’re building careers,” adds James, Co-Founder and Head of Trader Management.
Built for Traders, Backed by Experience
The Upside Funding’s founders know what it takes to manage risk, build strategy, and grow capital. They’ve done it for decades at one of the world’s top banks.
Now, they’re using that expertise to shape the next generation of trading professionals, offering not just an account, but a full career path.
If you’re serious about trading, The Upside Funding gives you more than a chance. We give you a team.
Start Your Career with The Upside Funding
Ready to learn from the best? Join The Upside Funding and get backed by traders who’ve been there, done that and are now here to help you grow.
5 Ways to Access Significant Trading Capital with No Personal..
Get access to big trading capital with no personal risk. Learn how The Upside Funding helps you trade smarter and safer.
Get access to big trading capital with no personal risk. Learn how The Upside Funding helps you trade smarter and safer.
Many traders face the same problem. They want to trade big, but they don’t have enough capital. And even if they’re willing, the idea of risking their own capital can be too intimidating or stressful.
That’s where prop trading comes in.
What is a Prop Firm?
A proprietary trading firm (or prop firm) gives traders access to capital, usually up to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, so they can trade without using their own money. In return, the firm takes a small share of the profits while the trader keeps most of it.
But not all prop firms are the same.
Some make you pay high fees. Some set rules that are hard to follow. And some kick you out after one mistake.
That’s why we at The Upside Funding do things differently.
1. Trade Without Using Your Own Capital
At The Upside Funding, you don’t need a big savings account to start trading. You only pay a one-time evaluation fee starting as low as $49 to prove you can trade responsibly.
Once you pass the evaluation, the firm gives you access to simulated capital ranging from $5,000 to $1.5 million.
This means you can aim for real profits without risking your personal funds. No need to borrow money or worry about margin calls.
2. No Margin Calls, No Debt
In regular trading, if your position goes bad, your broker might issue a margin call, forcing you to deposit more money or close your trade with a loss.
At The Upside Funding, this doesn’t happen.
Since traders must first pass a challenge on a simulated account, you’re not risking real capital from the start. Your only exposure is the evaluation fee. If things don’t go as planned, that’s the maximum you’ll ever lose, nothing beyond what you paid upfront.
This gives traders peace of mind and allows them to trade with a clear head.
3. Simple, Transparent Evaluation Process
Many prop firms have hidden rules. They might ask you to follow strict consistency rules, limit your trading days, or pass multiple stages with no room for mistakes.
The Upside Funding evaluation process is clear and beginner-friendly. You choose between:
A 1-Step challenge with a 10% profit target and trailing drawdown
Or a 2-Step challenge with 8% + 5% profit targets and static drawdown
No time limits. No retests. And you can trade using bots, EAs, or even during news events (if enabled).
This structure is designed to reflect real-world trading, not a game.
4. Keep Up to 90% of Your Profits
After passing the evaluation, you’ll get a funded account and a profit split of up to 90%.
That means if you earn $10,000 in a month, you keep $9,000. The firm takes only a small share for providing the capital.
As you grow and perform consistently, your account size can scale up to $1.5 million without extra fees.
So you’re not just protecting your own capital. You’re scaling someone else’s.
5. Built-In Career Path, Not Just a Challenge
Most prop firms stop supporting you after you pass the challenge. But The Upside Funding goes further.
We offer 1-on-1 mentorship from real former bank traders, people who used to manage billions at Citigroup and HSBC.
And if you perform well, you could be invited to join their Remote Trader Program, a full-time paid role with a salary up to $350,000 per year.
It’s more than funding. It’s a career path.
Start Smart, Trade Bigger
Accessing big trading capital doesn’t have to mean risking your life savings.
With The Upside Funding, you can trade professionally, grow steadily, and avoid the financial stress that holds many traders back.
If you’re ready to take your trading to the next level without personal risk, we’re here to help you start.
Explore The Upside Funding today and get funded by professionals who’ve traded at global investment banks like Citigroup and HSBC and are now backing traders like you.
Most traders entering the world of proprietary trading are eager to prove themselves, but few have access…
Most traders entering the world of proprietary trading are eager to prove themselves, but few have access to experienced guidance. Online forums, Discord channels, and influencer-led courses have become the norm, yet they rarely offer mentorship from people who’ve actually traded at an institutional level.
At The Upside Funding, mentorship isn’t an afterthought, it’s a core part of our model. Our 1-on-1 guidance from former HSBC and Citigroup Managing Directors helps traders develop the skills, mindset, and strategy needed to succeed not just in a challenge, but in a long-term trading career.
The Mentorship Gap in Prop Trading
Most prop firms focus on evaluation metrics and trading rules, but not on education. Once a trader signs up, they’re often left to figure things out on their own, with little feedback or professional support. The result? Traders make the same avoidable mistakes over and over, and few ever reach true consistency.
That’s where mentorship makes all the difference.
Why Real Trader Experience Matters
There’s a clear difference between advice from content creators and insights from professionals who’ve managed risk at scale. At The Upside Funding, our mentors have decades of real trading experience, at institutions where precision and consistency weren’t optional, they were required.
Our mentors help traders:
Understand risk and capital management from a professional perspective
Refine strategy and execution in live market conditions
Build emotional discipline to handle volatility
Prepare for growth beyond a funded account
This is about more than passing a challenge. It’s about learning to think like a trader who belongs in the markets long-term.
What 1-on-1 Mentorship Looks Like at The Upside Funding
Every trader at The Upside Funding has the opportunity to receive direct mentorship. This isn’t generic advice, it’s a structured, personalized relationship designed to:
Review performance and identify patterns
Provide feedback specific to trading style
Develop a professional trading plan
Offer career coaching for those aiming to join our internal desk
The result? Traders improve faster, avoid common pitfalls, and begin building habits that lead to long-term results.
Mentorship Leads to Opportunity
We believe in backing our traders with more than just capital. That’s why mentorship at The Upside Funding is directly tied to opportunity. Traders who grow through mentorship and demonstrate consistency can be offered salaried positions on our internal trading team.
This sets us apart. Most prop firms end the relationship at the payout. We’re just getting started.
The Bottom Line
If you’re serious about improving as a trader, mentorship from real professionals isn’t optional,it’s essential. At The Upside Funding, we give you access to knowledge that can’t be learned on YouTube or in trading forums.
Explore what mentorship can do for your trading career. Visit theupsidefunding.com to learn more.
Next up: Who’s Behind UpsideFunding? Meet the Traders Who Built It.
