Permitted Trading Times
Summary: All positions must be closed by 4:45 PM Eastern Time each trading day. You cannot hold positions overnight or swing trade. This applies to ALL account types including Live.
Applies to: All Tradeify account types (Evaluation, Sim Funded, and Live)
Why This Rule Exists
Tradeify evaluates traders based on intraday trading performance. Overnight positions carry additional market risk that cannot be managed during closed hours. This rule ensures consistent risk management across all accounts.
Trading Hours
A Tradeify trading day follows CME futures market hours:
Market opens: 6:00 PM Eastern Time (Sunday through Thursday)
Market closes: 5:00 PM Eastern Time (Monday through Friday)
Daily maintenance break: 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM Eastern Time
Position Closing Deadline
All positions must be closed by 4:45 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday, before the daily maintenance break.
Regular days: Close all positions by 4:45 PM ET
Holiday shortened days: Close all positions by 12:59 PM ET
Important: Holiday market hours are announced in our Discord server. Check before trading on holidays.
What Happens If Positions Are Open at Close
If you have open positions when the market closes, Tradeify will automatically close them for you. This automatic closure will NOT result in account failure or loss of your account. However, you may experience slippage or unfavorable fills.
No Overnight or Swing Trading
You cannot hold positions overnight or across multiple trading days. Each trading day is independent:
Enter and exit all trades within the same trading day
Close all positions before 4:45 PM ET
Start fresh when the market reopens at 6:00 PM ET
Understanding Trading Days
A trading day at Tradeify spans from 6:00 PM ET to 5:00 PM ET the next calendar day. This is important for counting trading days:
Trades placed at 1:00 AM Tuesday and 7:00 PM Tuesday count as two separate trading days
The 1:00 AM trade is part of the Monday-Tuesday session (started 6 PM Monday)
The 7:00 PM trade is part of the Tuesday-Wednesday session (started 6 PM Tuesday)
Holiday trading days count as independent trading days, even with shortened hours
Rithmic accounts and holiday half-days: On the Rithmic broker, holiday half-day (shortened) sessions are recorded at the next full market close. The day still counts as a trading day, but the credit (and any payout based on it) may not post until the following full session closes. For example, a Friday holiday half-day is recorded at the following Monday's market close.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What time zone does Tradeify use?
A: Eastern Time (ET). This is Eastern Standard Time (EST) in winter and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) in summer.
Q: Can I hold positions through the 5-6 PM maintenance break?
A: No. All positions must be closed by 4:45 PM ET before the maintenance break.
Q: Will my account fail if I forget to close positions?
A: No. Tradeify will automatically close any open positions at market close. This does not fail your account, but you may experience unfavorable fills.
Q: Does this rule apply to Live accounts?
A: Yes. The no overnight positions rule applies to ALL Tradeify account types, including Live accounts.
Q: How do I know if a holiday has shortened hours?
A: Holiday market hour announcements are always posted in our Discord server. On shortened days, you must close all positions by 12:59 PM ET.
Q: I traded on Rithmic during a holiday half-day. Why can't I request a payout yet?
A: The day still counts as a trading day, but Rithmic records holiday half-day sessions at the next full market close. Your payout becomes available once that session is recorded. For a Friday holiday half-day, that is the following Monday's market close.
Q: Can I stay positioned overnight?
A: Yes, within a single trading session. A Tradeify trading session runs from 6:00 PM ET to 4:45 PM ET the next calendar day - that's nearly 23 hours. You can hold a position for the entire session. For example, opening a position at 8:00 PM Monday and closing it at 2:00 PM Tuesday is perfectly fine - that's one continuous session.
What you cannot do:
Hold through the daily close (positions must be closed by 4:45 PM ET)
Hold through the maintenance window (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM ET)
Hold over the weekend (Friday close to Sunday open)
Q: Can I hold positions over the weekend?
A: No. All positions must be closed before Friday's market close (4:45 PM ET). You cannot carry positions from Friday into the Sunday evening session.