From $25,000 to $2,000: The New Era of Intraday Margin
From $25,000 to $2,000: The New Era of Intraday Margin Yesterday, April 14, 2026, marked the end of an era for retail trading. The SEC has officially granted accelerated approval to FINRA’s proposal to scrap the Pattern Day Trader (PDT) rule. For over 20 years, the $25,000 minimum has been a massive barrier, but the regulatory landscape has finally shifted to favor the individual trader. What’s Actually Changing? The "4 trades in 5 days" limit is being completely retired. Instead of counting how many times you trade, regulators are moving to a Risk-Based Intraday Margin Standard . The New Standards: The $2,000 Minimum: You no longer need $25k to trade unlimited intraday. You simply need a standard margin account, which carries a federal minimum of $2,000 . Real-Time Exposure: Your broker will now monitor your risk in real-time. As long as your account equity covers your active mar...