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The 25% Rule: A Simple System for Managing Trading Profits
You’ve spent hours at the charts. You’ve taken the trades, managed the risk, and booked some solid wins
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The 25% Rule: A Simple System for Managing Trading Profits
You’ve spent hours at the charts. You’ve taken the trades, managed the risk, and booked some solid wins. But now comes the question most traders wrestle with—what should you actually do with your profits? Do you pull them out? Let them sit? Reinvest everything?
Truth is, figuring out how and when to withdraw profits is something a lot of traders overlook. And without a solid plan, those hard-earned gains can vanish—whether it’s from emotional decision-making, poor money management, or just spending too much too soon.
That’s where the 25% Rule can really help bring structure to the chaos.
It’s a simple, flexible system that helps you split up your profits in a way that supports your lifestyle and keeps your trading goals on track. Here’s how it works: at the end of each week or month (whatever suits your style), you take your net profits and divide them into four equal parts:
✅ 25% to Pay Yourself – You’re the one doing the work, so make sure you’re getting paid. Whether it goes into your checking account or funds your lifestyle, this keeps you motivated and grounded.
✅ 25% for Taxes – Don’t let Uncle Sam sneak up on you. Setting aside for taxes regularly means no stress when it’s time to file.
✅ 25% for Long-Term Investments – Use your trading success to build something more permanent—whether that’s stocks, ETFs, real estate, or even your child’s college fund.
✅ 25% Back into Your Trading Account – This is how you keep growing your capital over time, without risking too much or getting greedy.
This clean, repeatable structure that brings discipline to a part of trading many overlook.
That said, not every trader uses this method. Some pros treat themselves like employees—taking a fixed paycheck every month, no matter how the market moves. Others go the opposite route, leaving most of their profits in the account to compound and grow as fast as possible.
But here’s the catch: if you’re following the 25% Rule and you’re trading with your own limited capital, it can feel like you're holding yourself back. Scaling up becomes tough when a big chunk of your profits are being withdrawn regularly.
That’s where a program like Axi Select can be a total game-changer. It lets you trade your regular Axi broker account—and if you perform well, you can qualify for capital allocation at no cost. That means you can continue managing your withdrawals responsibly, using the 25% Rule, without sacrificing the ability to grow your account and take on more opportunity (Learn more).
In other words, you can grow responsibly while still scaling your income. You keep your profits, stick to your plan, and leverage someone else’s capital to amplify your results.
Because at the end of the day, trading isn’t just about making money—it’s about keeping it, growing it, and using it to build a future.