Futures prop firm with simulated Intern and Assessment Desks that can lead to live brokerage accounts
Checked 8 October 2026
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The Futures Desk is a futures prop trading firm. Its terms describe two paid simulated programmes, the Intern Desk and the Assessment Desk, which are "designed to evaluate your performance". The homepage advertises a "One-Step Test". It says that after the assessment and a short simulated period, traders move to live brokerage accounts where the capital is real. The terms say funded capital after graduation is offered "at the sole discretion of The Futures Desk". The terms name the operator as TS TFD Buyer, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.
The public pages we saved did not show prices, account sizes, profit targets, loss limits or a profit split. The knowledge base listed its sections, but the articles themselves did not load. This review therefore covers only what the homepage, the Terms and Conditions and the privacy policy say. Where those pages disagree, we say so.
Everything in this review comes from The Futures Desk's own web pages, saved on 7–9 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the firm's site before you buy.
| Account types | 1-Step evaluation 1 |
|---|---|
| Markets | Futures only (contracts on indices) 12 |
| Platforms | ProjectX, Rithmic 1 |
| Allowed / offered on at least one account type | Rules can differ between account types — check the linked page for the account you want. |
| Not allowed, or rules that apply (firm says so) |
|
The terms say the Intern Desk and the Assessment Desk are simulated trading accounts. Based on your results, you "may qualify for an opportunity to trade with The Futures Desk's capital". The homepage describes the evaluation as a one-step test.
| Stage | What the firm's pages say |
|---|---|
| Intern Desk / Assessment Desk | Paid simulated accounts. Graduation depends on meeting all specified profit targets under the Trading Rules. |
| Sim-brokerage period | A "small time period" after the assessment in which trading is still simulated, based on live market conditions. |
| Live brokerage account | The homepage says all capital is real at this stage and payouts come only from these accounts. |
We could not see a price list. The terms say the fee for the Intern Desk and Assessment Desk "varies depending on the options you choose, the margin used, and whether you meet the program's conditions and objectives", and that the final fee is set when you select your "custom loadout". The terms define the Fee as "the recurring payment required to maintain an active account".
The homepage says there are "No activation fees" and lists the activation fee as "$0 after passing". It also says the firm covers "your first pro data fee when live", which it values at $140 a month.
On discounts, the homepage FAQ says to ask the support chat about current promotions. The terms say promo codes cannot be transferred, shared or used more than once unless otherwise stated.
If you fail to meet the conditions, the terms say you must reset and open a new simulated account "subject to the prevailing rates at that time". The firm may suspend your ability to order if you place an unusually large number of orders, for example "exceeding 3 resets in 24 hours".
You must activate your chosen desk within 30 calendar days of its availability, or access is suspended. A suspended desk can be renewed within three months of the suspension date. The terms say all fees are "final, non-cancellable, and non-refundable", including if you cancel or fail the programme conditions.
The homepage FAQ says "You can have a max of 2 accounts per trader." The terms define an Account as "A user's registered profile with The Futures Desk" and have a "single-account requirement" for that profile. Separately, as an example of "gambling-like behavior", they say the firm may suspend your ability to order for "having multiple Intern or Assessment Desk accounts". The terms give no number, so it is unclear how this fits with the homepage's limit of two. Confirm with support before buying a second account.
The terms say graduation from the Intern Desk or Assessment Desk depends on meeting all specified profit targets "in strict adherence to the Trading Rules and account parameters". They also say these rules may change without prior notice and are published on a rules page. We could not see that page, so we cannot give profit targets, loss limits or minimum trading days for either desk.
The homepage describes the drawdown as "Static or EOD" and says "More contracts. More drawdown." It gives no drawdown figures.
The terms say trading is permitted during normal electronic trading hours, except on abbreviated holiday schedules. All positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT or the market close, whichever comes first, "unless the account has Swing Trading enabled". We did not see how Swing Trading is enabled or what it costs.
Traders are "restricted to products authorized by The Futures Desk", with details in the help centre. The terms also say that opening significantly larger or smaller positions than your usual pattern does not meet the risk management standards they require.
The firm's own disclaimer says the Assessment Desk has a historically low pass rate, "estimated at 25%", and that the firm does not recommend it for people with limited trading experience. All activity in the Assessment Desk is monitored by its Risk and Compliance Team.
The homepage says "Microscalping + Algos Allowed". The terms are stricter in wording. Among their examples of prohibited conduct they list:
For the Intern and Assessment Desks, the terms also ban exploiting the simulated environment, for example by taking advantage of slippage, queue position manipulation, market gaps, or an abnormally high volume of trades in short timeframes. Separately, the terms say using VPNs or VPS on accounts is "strictly forbidden" and can lead to account termination and profit forfeiture.
The terms' market-manipulation example expressly "includes engaging in short-term or high-frequency trading", which reads against the homepage's "Microscalping + Algos Allowed". The automated-trading ban covers tools "that could manipulate, abuse, or provide an unfair advantage", so it does not name all algorithms. We could not see the trading rules page that would settle where the line is. Anyone planning to run algorithms or very short-term strategies should get written confirmation first.
The terms say the firm may delete the trading day and its profits, reset or close the account, or ban the user. If prohibited conduct is found at any point, including after graduating, "any withdrawals from other accounts you hold with TS TFD Buyer, LLC will be forfeited" and those accounts closed.
The homepage FAQ says payouts never come from simulated trading: "We do not allow payouts from simulated funds." After the assessment and the sim-brokerage period, traders move to live brokerage accounts. The FAQ says funded traders trade the firm's capital, not their own. They are given power-of-attorney permission to trade the firm's sub-accounts and are paid "as a contractor based on your performance".
The terms say that after graduation the firm may, at its sole discretion, offer funded trading capital "from TS TFD Buyer, LLC, or Evolved Capital", under a separate written agreement. The privacy policy says you may be eligible for a funded account "with one of our introducing brokers".
The homepage FAQ says the "bare minimum" to get into a brokerage account and start uncapped daily payouts is six days. The same page also says "Start earning in as few as five days in live accounts". We use the six-day figure from the FAQ answer, as it is more specific.
For funded accounts the homepage says payouts are "Uncapped after buffer", with "No consistency or minimum days between payouts (Mon-Fri)". We did not see the size of the buffer. The FAQ says payouts can usually be processed the same day if requested before 11AM, Monday to Friday. It does not state a time zone. All payouts are made using Riseworks.
We did not see a profit split percentage on the pages we saved. On scaling, the homepage says only "More contracts. More drawdown. More opportunity. As you scale, we scale with you." We did not see a scaling plan with figures.
The knowledge base menu has sections headed "Platforms: ProjectX", "Platforms: Rithmic" and "ETP Guide (Rithmic)". The article text did not load in our capture, so we cannot say which platform applies to which stage. The terms say trading platform operators are separate from The Futures Desk and have their own terms.
The terms refer to "the applicable futures markets" and the homepage uses NQ and ES as its commission examples. We did not see a full list of authorised products.
The homepage says the firm holds a "CME Rule 106.R Electronic Corporate Membership". It quotes commissions of $1.20 all-in per side on NQ and $2.40 all-in round trip on NQ or ES. It says it covers the first pro data fee when you are live.
The homepage advertises "Free 1-on-1 coaching". The knowledge base overview invites traders to "work with our coaches".
The Terms and Conditions, effective 1 April 2026, name the operator as TS TFD Buyer, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. They are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. Disputes go to binding arbitration in Delaware administered by JAMS, and the terms include a class action waiver.
The terms say TS TFD Buyer, LLC "is not a broker-dealer". The homepage FAQ says: "No, we are not a broker. But we use ONLY regulated FCMs who pass stringent compliance by the NFA and CFTC (Dorman/Plus500)."
The site's disclaimer says Topstep Brokerage LLC is "an affiliate of TS TFD Buyer, LLC" and is registered with the CFTC as an introducing broker and a member of the NFA (NFA ID 0567079). The same disclaimer says futures accounts are not protected by SIPC. We report these statements as written. We did not check the registers ourselves.
The terms say trading in the Intern or Assessment Desk is not real and "The funds provided for simulated trading are entirely fictitious." Unless explicitly stated otherwise, you receive no payment from simulated performance.
You must be at least 18. The terms also require that you have no felony convictions related to financial crimes, no disciplinary actions from the NFA or CFTC, and no outstanding balances with trading firms. We did not see a published list of restricted countries. The terms say the firm may limit availability to any geographic area at its discretion. A separate Rewards programme in the terms is open only to U.S. citizens or legal U.S. residents aged 18 or older.
The terms give support@thefuturesdesk.com and the phone number (833) 411-3375. The privacy policy gives a Chicago postal address for its Chief Legal Officer: 141 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 4240, Chicago, IL 60604.
On its own description, The Futures Desk is aimed at futures traders who already have experience. The firm estimates the Assessment Desk pass rate at 25% and does not recommend it for people with limited trading experience. The 3:10 PM CT close-out rule suits intraday traders unless Swing Trading is enabled on the account. Traders who want daily payout requests from a live account may find the payout terms on the homepage relevant.
It is harder to assess for anyone who wants to compare costs before signing up. The fee is set when you configure a loadout, no price list was visible on the public pages we saved, and the terms make all fees non-refundable.
MyPropGenius Rating:
The rating measures how openly The Futures Desk discloses its rules, pricing, payouts and ownership (our Transparency Index methodology). It does not measure how likely you are to pass or be paid.
Its homepage says it is not a broker, that assessment trading is simulated, and that it uses regulated FCMs; it gives an affiliated introducing broker's CFTC registration and NFA ID (0567079). Its Terms state clearly and repeatedly that all fees are final and non-refundable, including if you cancel or do not meet the programme conditions. We found no payout records, totals or payout page on the firm's pages we read; its homepage describes the payout process but shows no records. The earliest Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) copy of thefuturesdesk.com is from 6 Dec 2004, and its pages state no founding year.
Its Transparency Index score is 49/100 (Mixed); the score is provisional, based on limited public information. We do not verify payouts or test accounts; this is what the firm’s own pages show.
Check the current rules and prices on the firm's own website before you buy.
We have no commercial relationship with The Futures Desk. Links to its website are not affiliate links.
The Futures Desk runs a one-step simulated evaluation. Its homepage says traders then move to live brokerage accounts with daily payout requests, no consistency rule once funded, and a $0 activation fee after passing, though the terms say funding after graduation is at the firm's sole discretion. Its public pages did not show prices, targets, drawdown figures or a profit split, all fees are non-refundable, and the firm itself estimates a 25% pass rate. The homepage allows 2 accounts per trader while the terms say the firm may suspend ordering for holding multiple Intern or Assessment Desk accounts, so check the rules page and confirm with support before paying.
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No. Its FAQ says "we are not a broker" and that it uses regulated FCMs, naming Dorman and Plus500. Its terms say TS TFD Buyer, LLC is not a broker-dealer.
The Intern Desk and Assessment Desk are simulated, and the terms say the funds in them are fictitious. The homepage says that after the assessment and a short sim-brokerage period, traders move to live brokerage accounts where the capital is real. The terms say any funding after graduation is offered at the firm's sole discretion under a separate agreement.
The homepage says payouts come only from live accounts, not simulated funds, and are made using Riseworks. It says they can usually be processed the same day if requested before 11AM, Monday to Friday.
The homepage FAQ says a maximum of 2 per trader. The terms say the firm may suspend your ability to order for having multiple Intern or Assessment Desk accounts; their single-account requirement applies to your registered profile. Confirm with support.
The terms say all fees are final, non-cancellable and non-refundable, including if you cancel or fail the programme conditions.
The terms say all positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT or the market close, whichever is first, unless the account has Swing Trading enabled.