City Traders Imperium

FUNDING FAQs

GETTING STARTED

What payment methods are available?

The main payment method on our website is using a credit or debit card.

We also accept alternative payment methods: Bank Wire, PayPal, and Crypto USDT (We accept USDT using the following Networks: Tron, Solana, BNB Smart Chain Network, and Polygon Network).

To request a payment using one of our alternative payment methods, please email our support at [email protected] stating your

  1. Full Name;
  2. Funding Program Type;
  3. Amount to Pay; and
  4. Preferred payment Method.

What happens when I sign up?

Once you sign up, we will send your logins within an hour. If you sign up on the weekend, we will send you the logins by Monday AM (UK Time). If you don't find your email with the logins, please make sure to double-check your spam folder.

If you still can't find the login email, please email our support at [email protected], and one of our team members will send you the logins asap.

Is there a free Trial?

Of course, we offer a free trial for anyone who wants to test our platform's execution, spreads, and commissions. If you wish to test one of our accounts, we suggest you click here.

What platforms do you offer?

Currently, we are only offering MetaTrader5 for Windows and Max OS.

What assets / symbols can I trade?

Forex Majors: EURUSD, GBPUSD, NZDUSD, AUDUSD, USDCHF, USDCAD, USDJPY.‎

Forex Minors : EURGBP, EURNZD, EURAUD, EURCHF, EURCAD, EURJPY, GBPNZD, GBPAUD, ‎GBPCHF, ‎GBPCAD, GBPJPY, NZDAUD, NZDCHF, NZDCAD, NZDJPY, AUDCHF, AUDCAD, AUDJPY, ‎CADCHF, CADJPY, ‎CHFJPY.‎

Commodities: Gold, Silver, Oil.

Major Index Stocks: S&P500, US30, US100, DAX, UK100., F40, JP225, STOXX50, AUS200. 

What are the spreads like?

We have one of the lowest spreads in the industry. Below is a screenshot of our platform spreads. For example, on average, the EURUSD spread is 0.1 pips. You can check the full spread list & tradeable assets below: 

CTI - Spreads

Do you have a Dashboard?

When signing up, we will provide you with the CTI Proprietary Rules & Guidance Tool, which You can add directly to your trading chart to help you monitor your performance during all phases of the Funded Trader Program and avoid violating any rules.

Do you have an Affiliate Program?

Yes, of course, we do! We encourage everyone to join our affiliate program to start earning with CTI 5% on any evaluation sign up and £50 on any Direct Funding sign up

You could also start earning today by joining the Affiliate Program here.

Do you have a community to join?

Yes, of course! We have a large community of funded traders on our Discord Server. You are welcome to join and get in touch via the link below:

Click Here To Join Our Discord Community

Can I withdraw my profit in Crypto?

Yes, of course! We process Crypto withdrawals using USDC on the Polygon/Matic Network within 24-48 hours of the withdrawal request.

To process your crypto withdrawals, please send an email to [email protected] stating your:

- Full Name:
- Account Number:
- Amount to Withdraw:
- Your USDC Crypto Wallet on Polygon/Matic Network.

Can I use a VPS for my EA? & Where is your server located?

Yes, of course. We recommend using ForexVPS as it is one company that offers a good price value with great features.

CTI's server is located in Amsterdam, so if you want the lowest latency possible, then it's best that you choose your VPS location in Amsterdam.

How do I pay tax on my profit withdrawals?

All our traders are independent contractors who get the option to withdraw profits monthly. Thus they are responsible for their own taxes in their own respective countries.


The best way to go about this is to ask an accountant in your city who can give you advice based on your circumstances.

What KYC documents do I need to provide once funded?

We ask for KYC once passing the Evaluation or challenge to verify your identity.

Therefore, we will ask for one of the following:

01. Proof of Address: Internet Broadband Bill, Utility Bill, Tax Document, or Bank Statement no older than 3 months.
02. Proof of Identity: ID, Passport, or Driving Licence. 

General Rules – All funding

Can I leave trades open over the weekend?

Absolutely you can! There are no restrictions on how long you would leave your trades open on all of our funding programs.

Can I Trade during the News?

Absolutely! There is absolutely no restriction on trading the news on any of our funding programs.

We understand how annoying it can be not to be able to trade during market volatility. So we make it available for you to trade during any low, medium, or high-impact news at any time with no restrictions.

Can I use an EAs?

You can trade with any genuine algorithms or EA that you developed or bought to use personally.

However, we prohibit using Martin Gale, High-Frequency Trading, Ultra-Fast Scalping, Latency Arbitrage Trading, Any Tick Scalping Strategies, Copy Trading of other person ‎signals, any Reverse Arbitrage Trading, any Hedge Arbitrage Trading, and the use of any emulators.

Can I use Copy Trading Software?

We encourage independent traders and thinkers who can manage our capital. Therefore, Copy Trading is allowed only if you are copying from your personal trading account into our funded account or from our funded account into other external accounts.

 

However, you might need to provide proof of this further down the line showing the MT5 statement of the trading account you are copying from to match with the trading account you manage for us. So, you must prove to us that "you" can trade and not others.

 

Copy trading is prohibited in the following cases:

 

- When buying an EA online and multiple traders end up using the same EAs resulting in mirrored trading activity and/or copy trading, where the same trades are taken on more than 2 accounts. In such a case, we would contact you and let you know to terminate using such EA.

 

- Copying other traders' trades using Social Trading Tools or other copy trading softwares or using challenge or evaluation pass services.

Do you allow Hedging Trades?

Yes! we have no issues with hedging positions. However, you need to be aware that risk is not reduced when hedging positions. Each open position is still considered a new position.

Which rules disqualifies me immediately?

The only way you would get disqualified immediately is if you hit your Max Loss allowed on any of the funding options (Classic, Standard, Portfolio Managers, & Direct Funding) specified in each Funded Trader Program's Terms and Conditions.

Can I use a hidden Stop Loss?

Our statistical data has proven that all traders who don't use a stop loss, end up not surviving in trading therefore, we require you to place a stop loss on every trade inside the MT5 Terminal.

Otherwise, our risk management system will flag these trades as violations, and any trades closed without a stop loss will not count towards the target nor your 30 Active Trading Days and any profits made without using a stop loss would not be eligible.

GETTING STARTED

Am I eligible for a free retake?

 We give you a one-time free retake as long as you meet the following requirements: 

  1. You are in Phase II and your account has expired.
  2. You were in Net Profit in Phase II.
  3. Have not violated any of the challenge rules.

Please send an email to [email protected]m.com to claim your free retake challenge.

Am I eligible for a discounted challenge?

If you fail a Challenge, we offer generous discounts on your next Challenge, Classic, or Standard Evaluation purchases. All discounts are available in the form of Cashback.

A 20% Discount on your next Challenge purchase.
This discount is eligible only if you buy your next Challenge within 24 hours of failing your funded account; or

A 10% Discount on your next Challenge or Evaluation purchase.
This discount is eligible whenever you buy your next Challenge or Evaluation after more than 24 hours of failing your funded account.

Once you make your next purchase, please email [email protected] to issue your Cashback.

What is the starting day of the Challenge?

The Challenge starts on the day we send you the account logins. If you don't wish to trade on the same day or two after signing up, then we advise you to sign up on the day you will be entering trades or a day before. 

How many Challenges I can have?

There is no limit on the number of Challenge accounts; However, we allow only 2 live accounts per trader.

What is the Max Funded Capital per trader?

The max increase per account is up to $200,000.

Can I merge my accounts?

You can merge accounts if you are in Phase 3. However, you cannot merge accounts while you are in Phases 1 and 2.

Do I have to stay the full 45 days to complete the challenge?

No. The 45 days is the max time allowed per challenge. You will move to the next step as soon as you meet all the other challenge objectives, given there are no violations.

Can I extend the Challenge Time?

We are giving 45 days for each Challenge Phase unconditionally and we believe that this is more than enough to pass the Challenge and more than what you would be getting anywhere else.

Withdrawals & Payouts

What is the profit split?

Once you pass Phases I & II, you will receive an 80% Profit Split.

Once you qualify for Tier 1, we will give you a 90% Profit Split.

Once you qualify for Tier 2, we will give you a 100% Profit Split. That's right! It's 100%.  At this point, you can replace your personal account. 

How often can I request withdrawals?

Once funded in Phase 3, a withdrawal on a Bi-Weekly Basis once you hit your 1st 10%, and then on a weekly basis (every Friday) once you have successfully received 4 Bi-Weekly Withdrawals.

How do I qualify for 90% Profit Split - Tier 1?

To qualify for a 90% Profit Split "Tier 1", you must meet the following objectives:

  1. Achieve 10% or more within 4 consecutive months (average of 2.5% per month);
  2. 2 out of 4 consecutive months were profitable.
  3. You also must have processed at least 2 withdrawals within those 4 months on the 80% Profit Split;
  4. Your account balance must be positive at the end of the 4th month;
  5. Every 4 months is considered 1 cycle, with the 1st cycle starting on the account's issuing date.

How do I qualify for 100% Profit Split - Tier 2?

To qualify for a 100% Profit Split "Tier 2", you must scale up your account three times (repeat Tier 1 three times).

When will I become eligible for payouts?

After receiving your Live Account, you will be able to request withdrawals if you need one of the following two conditions:

  1. 10 Active Trading Days; or
  2. Achieved at least 10% in profit.

 

Note:

At any time you hit your first 10%, you must close all trades and send an email to [email protected] to request to evaluate your funded account & process your 1st profit share withdrawal.

PS: Please note in case your net profit is less than 10% after 10 Active Trading Days, you do not have to wait until you hit 10% to process your 1st withdrawal. You will also be eligible for withdrawals at any time as long as you have at least 10 Active Trading Days.

How can I request my payouts?

Please send your withdrawal request to [email protected] titled "Challenge Withdrawal Request" and include your

  1. Account number.
  2. Amount to Withdraw.

We will review your account, and if there are no violations, we will process your withdrawal right away.

What happens if I violate any of the funding rules?

Unfortunately, if a violation has been detected on your account, that account will be suspended and will not qualify for any future payouts. However, you can start a new challenge account at a 10% discount.

Challenge Rules

What happens if I violate of the rules?

The 2 main rules you need to be aware of that get you disqualified immediately are (1) The Max Daily Drawdown and (2) The Max Absolute Drawdown. 

To have max transparency, we have an automated system that will close all your open trades and freeze your account immediately once one of the rules above is breached. Only account reviews are done manually.

What if I reach the profit target but then I violate the drawdown rule?

If at any point you violate the drawdown rule, you will not be eligible to continue on the same account and your account will be terminated.

What is an Active Trading Day "ATD"?

The minimum requirement for Phase 1 is 5 days, and the same goes for Phase 2.

The Active Trading Days are not calendar days. An active trading day, or ATD, is counted as the day when you open a new trade on a new day. 

For example, opening a trade on Monday and closing it on Thursday would count as 1 active trading day. The day that counts was when the trade was opened, not the entire trade duration.

And similarly, if you open 2 or more trades on a certain day, it counts as 1 active trading day.

So, to achieve the minimum active trading days objective, you need to open at least 10 trades on 10 different days for each phase.

It's crucial to keep track of these active trading days, so we provide you with our proprietary EA Metrix that you can install on your MT5 to monitor how many active trading days you have achieved and how many you have left to achieve this objective.

How is the Profit Target Calculated?

The Profit Target for Phase 1 is 10% of the initial balance and 5% for Phase 2.

The Profit Target is the sum of the Eligible Net profit after closing all positions and pending orders.

All Market and Pending Orders must be closed once reaching the Profit Target to review the account at the end of each phase.

The Eligible Net Profit is the sum of all positions, excluding all trades closed in profit without a stop loss. This is because not using a stop loss violates our terms and conditions of funding.

So, once you have reached the profit target in each phase, please close all market and pending orders and send us an email to [email protected] to review the account.

How is the Max Daily Drawdown "MDD" calculated?

On any given day, the Maximum Loss must not be equal to or exceed the value of 4% of the initial account balance.

 

MDD = 4% x Initial Account Balance

 

And your Daily Stopout Level "DSL", would be 

 

Daily Stopout Level “DSL” = Start of Day Account Balance - (4% x Initial Account Balance)

 

The Max Daily Drawdown includes any swaps, commissions, and spreads.

The Max Daily Drawdown resets every day at Midnight Broker's Time.

 

For example, Let’s assume 

  • You started with a $50K Challenge with an initial account balance of $50,000.
  • On day 3, your account balance was $54,000

 

On that same day, 

  • your Max Daily Drawdown “MDD” would be $50,000 x 4% = $2,000.
  • Your Daily Stopout Level “DSL” would be $54,000 - $2,000 = $52,000.

 

Let's go over some scenarios to understand better how this rule works.

 

Scenario #1: 

If your daily starting account balance was $54,000, your Max Daily Drawdown would be $2,000. 

If earlier on the day you lost $1,000, you will have room to lose the remaining $1,000 on the same day, by midnight broker’s time. So you would be stopped out when your account balance (including any open trades) reaches $52,000.

Then at the start of the next day, your Max Daily Drawdown would reset, and it would be calculated again from the new day starting account balance.

 

Scenario #2: 

Let’s say your starting account balance is $54,000, and you made $3,000 in Net Profit earlier in the day. 

Your Max Daily Stopout would still be $52,000 because your daily starting account balance was $54,000.

So, you have room to lose the $5,000, which is the $3,000 Profit you made earlier + $2,000, which is your Max Daily Drawdown. 

In this scenario, your account would be terminated only once you reach $52,000 due to breaching the Max Daily Drawdown. 

 

Scenario #3:

Let’s also say your starting account balance is $54,000, and you made $3,000 in Net Profit earlier in the day. But this time, you had open trades with total floating losses of $4,500. 

Your Max Daily Stopout would still be $52,000 because your daily starting account balance was $54,000. 

However, in this case, you would need to keep an eye on your floating losses. In this instance, you won't be violating the Max Daily Drawdown rule "Today" because you already made $3,000 earlier on the day. Your total loss for the day is only $1,500 (+$3,000 closed Net Profit - $4,500 floating losses), which did not exceed the Max Daily Drawdown value of $2,000. 

However, if you leave those positions open until the next day (after midnight broker's time), then you will be violating the Max Daily Drawdown rule because you will end up with $4,500, which is more than the $2,000 Max Daily Drawdown value.

So, managing your risk and not exceeding the Max Daily Drawdown limit is important to avoid account termination.

How is the Max Absolute Drawdown "MAD" calculated?

The “Max Absolute Drawdown” is a fixed USD loss calculated from the initial account balance that you may experience on any given day. 

In this case, the Max Absolute Drawdown is set at 10% of the Initial Account Balance.

 

Max Absolute Drawdown “MAD” = 10% x Initial Account Balance

 

And your stopout level, “SL”, would be 

Stopout Level “SL” = Initial Account Balance - (4% x Initial Account Balance)

 

Let’s say your initial account balance is $50,000, and your stopout level would be $50,000 - ($50,000 x 10%) = $45,000.

 

It's important to note that the Max Absolute Drawdown is designed to limit your losses to a certain percentage of your initial account balance. In this case, your losses must never exceed 10% of your initial account balance.

 

For example, if your account balance reached $45,000 or below, you would be breaching the Max Absolute Drawdown, and your challenge or funded account would be terminated. 

 

So, it's important to manage your risk and to not exceed the Max Absolute Drawdown limit to avoid account termination.

When You Pass

What happens when I pass Phases 1 & 2?

Well done! Please send an email to [email protected] to review your account.
Please make sure to include the following:
  1. Account name. 
  2. Account number.

Once we review your account, we will get in touch with the next steps. Please allow up to 24 hours before sending us further emails.

How can I scale up my account & qualify for Tier 1?

You must qualify for Tier 1 level where:

  1. Achieve 10% or more within 4 consecutive months (average of 2.5% per month);
  2. 2 out of 4 consecutive months were profitable.
  3. You also must have processed at least 2 withdrawals within those 4 months on the 80% Profit Split;
  4. Your account balance must be positive at the end of the 4th month;
  5. Every 4 months is considered 1 cycle, with the 1st cycle starting on the date of issuing the account.

How much will you increase my account size one I qualify for Tier 1?

We will increase your account size in increments of 30% of the First Account Balance each time you qualify for account growth.

For the $10,000 Challenge, your account will grow in increments of $10,000 x 30% = $3,000.

For the $25,000 Challenge, your account will grow in increments of $25,000 x 30% = $7,500.

For the $50,000 Challenge, your account will grow in increments of $50,000 x 30% = $15,000.

For the $100,000 Challenge, your account will grow in increments of $100,000 x 30% = $30,000.

GETTING STARTED

Am I entitled for any discounts after I fail an evaluation?

If you fail an evaluation, we offer generous discounts on your next Classic or Standard Evaluation or Challenge purchases. All discounts are available in the form of Cashback.

A 20% Discount on your next Classic or Standard Evaluation purchase.
This discount is eligible only if you buy your next Evaluation within 24 hours of failing your funded account; or

A 10% Discount on your next Evaluation or Challenge purchase.
This discount is eligible at any time if you buy your next Evaluation or Challenge after more than 24 hours of failing your funded account.

Once you make your next purchase, please email [email protected] to issue your Cashback.

What is the difference between the Classic and Standard Funded Trader Program?

While both programs are the same once you pass and become a Portfolio Manager, the main difference lies in some of the rules to pass the Evaluations.

Standard Funding Evaluation:

  1. Max Evaluation Time = 12 Months.
  2. Profit Target = 9%. 
  3. Max Loss Style = 5% Absolute Drawdown.
  4. Active Trading Days = 20 ATD.

Classic Funding Evaluation:

  1. Max Evaluation Time = Unlimited.
  2. Profit Target = 7%. 
  3. Max Loss Style = 5% Relative Drawdown.
  4. Active Trading Days = 20 ATD.

How many Funded Accounts I can have?

There is no limit on the number of evaluations that you can have at the same time.

For Portfolio Managers who passed a Standard or Classic evaluation: You can have a max of 2 at the same time.

Can I merge my accounts?

Yes, absolutely! If you have 2 PM, you can request to merge both into 1 account. However, the balance must be positive at the time of merging the accounts.

Withdrawals

How to withdraw during the Evaluation Phase?

Withdrawals are eligible on the evaluation once you pass the evaluation. CTI will process the profit share payment of 50% of your profit target into your card you originally paid with.

How to withdraw during the Portfolio Manager?

As a PM, you need to send us an email requesting a withdrawal during the last 5 days of each calendar month, specifying the following:

  1. Your account number.
  2. The amount you wish to withdraw and the amount you wish to leave in your account.

Withdrawals are usually processed within 24 hours. However, you should allow up to 7 days to receive your withdrawal payment.

Please refer to our withdrawal page for full details on withdrawals.

Do I have to wait until I make hit 10% profit target to be eligible for withdrawals?

No. You can request a profit withdrawal regardless of how much profit % you made on the PM/Direct Funding Level. There are no min profit % requirements on our PM / Direct Funding accounts.

Is there any timeframe to make the 10% Profit Target during the Portfolio Manager phases?

CTI wants you to trade at your own pace and without any restrictions; therefore, you don't have any minimum trading days or max time limits to generate the 10% profit target on your portfolio manager account.

Whenever you achieve the 10% profit target, you should close all your open positions and send an email to [email protected] requesting to withdraw and upscale your account.

CTI will pay you the profit share percentage according to your PM level and upgrade your account to the next PM level.

Evaluations & PM Rules

Can I extend the evaluation Time?

We are giving you unlimited time to make a 7% profit target on the Classic Evaluation.

We also give a generous 12 months to make the 9% profit target on the Standard Evaluation.

Therefore, we believe this is more than enough to pass the Evaluations and hit the targets.

If you require to take some time off, you would need to email [email protected] before taking the break to freeze your account for a maximum of 2 months.

How long can I stop trading on the PM Account?

When you are a Portfolio Manager, you can stay up to 2 months without any trading activity, after which we will freeze your account. CTI reserves the right to terminate the account if the trader is not trading the funded account for more than 2 months and did not notify us about taking a break from trading as we need to allocate the capital to active Portfolio Managers.

However, please email us to unfreeze your account once you're ready to continue your journey with us.

Email: [email protected]

Do I get disqualified if I break any of the rules?

You do NOT get disqualified immediately if you make a genuine mistake. CTI is flexible and does not try to catch you on genuine mistakes regarding the following rules.

1. Exceeding the max 1.5% max Stop Loss risk per position.
2. Closing trades without a Stop Loss.

When breaking any of the rules above, you will be given 2 warnings or notices to not repeatedly violate the conditions above, after which CTI will terminate the funded account on the 3rd warning given the trader's failure to adhere to CTI risk management policies.

Also, any profits you made, violating one of the rules above, will not be counted towards the final target.

For more info please watch our YouTube video (click here).

Do I have to trade for the whole Evaluation Period?

No. The evaluation period is unlimited time for the Classic Evaluation and up to 12 months for the Standard Evaluation.

However, suppose you complete all the requirements before the max evaluation time limit. In that case, you will be immediately upgraded to the Portfolio Manager with a fully funded account as long as you have met all the other requirements.

What if I Hit the Evaluation profit target early with fewer trades and less than 30 ATDs?

We use the time requirement to show us that you will be a responsible trader and trust to allocate a larger amount of our capital to you. Carry on trading the same way until you reach the evaluation profit target.

GETTING STARTED

Am I entitled for any discounts after I fail a Direct Funding Account?

If you fail a Direct Funding Account, we offer generous discounts on your next Direct Funding purchase. All discounts are available in the form of Cashback.

 

A 5% Discount on your next Direct Funding purchase; or

 

A 10% Discount on your next Classic or Standard Evaluation, or Challenge purchase.

 

Once you make your next purchase, please email [email protected] to issue your Cashback.

How many Funded Accounts I can have?

You can have a max of 2 Direct Funding accounts at the same time. 

However, you cannot start 2 accounts at the same time. You must have achieved 10% on the 1st funded account and moved to the next level in order to be able to start a 2nd Direct Funding account.

Can I merge my accounts?

Yes, absolutely! If you have 2 Direct Funding accounts, you can request to merge both into 1 account. However, the balance must be positive at the time of merging the accounts.

How long can I stop trading on the Direct Funding Account?

When you are a Portfolio Manager through the Direct Funding option, you can stay up to 2 months without any trading activity, after which we will freeze your account. CTI reserves the right to terminate the account if the trader is not trading the funded account for more than 2 months and did not notify us about taking a break from trading as we need to allocate the capital to active traders.

However, please email us to unfreeze your account once you're ready to continue your journey with us.

Email: [email protected]

Do I get disqualified if I break any of the rules?

You do NOT get disqualified immediately if you make a genuine mistake. CTI is flexible and does not try to catch you on genuine mistakes regarding the following rules.

1. Exceeding the max 1.5% max Stop Loss risk per position.
2. Closing trades without a Stop Loss.

When breaking any of the rules above, you will be given 2 warnings or notices to not repeatedly violate the conditions above, after which CTI will terminate the funded account on the 3rd warning, given the trader's failure to adhere to CTI risk management policies.

Also, any profits you made violating one of the rules above will not be counted towards the final target.

For more info, please watch our YouTube video (click here).

Withdrawals

Do I have to wait until I make hit 10% profit target to be eligible for withdrawals?

No. You can request a profit withdrawal regardless of how much profit % you made on the PM/Direct Funding Level. There are no min profit % requirements on our PM / Direct Funding accounts.

How to withdraw during the Direct Funding my profit share?

As a PM on the Direct Funding, you need to send us an email requesting a withdrawal, specifying the following:

  1. Your account number.
  2. The amount you wish to withdraw and the amount you wish to leave in your account.

Withdrawals are usually processed within 24 hours. However, you should allow up to 7 days to receive your withdrawal payment.

Please refer to our withdrawal page for full details on withdrawals.

Is there any timeframe to make the 10% Profit Target during the Direct Funding phases?

CTI wants you to trade at your own pace and without any restrictions; therefore, you don't have any minimum trading days or max time limits to generate the 10% profit target on your funded account.

Whenever you achieve the 10% profit target, you should close all your open positions and email [email protected] requesting to withdraw and upscale your account.

CTI will pay you the profit share percentage according to your Direct Funding level and upgrade your account to the next level.