As you look for a good day trading broker, you may ask, “Can you day trade on Robinhood?” The answer is yes. But you should know some risks and important things before you start or make any mistakes you regret. Hang around, and we’ll spell it all out below.
Day Trading Course
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Can You Day Trade on Robinhood?
Yes, you can day trade on Robinhood just like you would with any other broker. You will still have PDT restrictions if you don’t have at least $25,000 in your account. Also, Robinhood offers zero commissions when trading. There are some helpful tips you should know, though…
So even though you can, it has its challenges and disadvantages. Let’s start at the beginning of what day trading is all about. If you’re familiar with all the basics, scroll deeper to the million-dollar question, and we’ll cut to the chase.
Did you know RH charges zero commission for US stock, options, and cryptocurrency trading? You’d be hard-pressed to find that anywhere else. For the first-time trader with limited funds, that’s a big deal because commissions can quickly eat up your gains. It’s easier to grow a small account with a (truly) free commission broker.
Nonetheless, the pressing question is: can you day trade on Robinhood? Or better yet, should you day trade on it?
What Is Day Trading?
Day trading is a trading style that’s quite attractive to people, especially new traders. You get in and out of a trade on the same day.
It can be within seconds, minutes, or hours. But it has to be within the same trading day. Otherwise, it becomes a swing trade or an investment. When the markets are in turmoil, sometimes day trading is your best option, especially if you don’t trade options.
Those quick moves can be easier to find than long-term setups. However, don’t force trades just because. Only take the play that’s there. If there isn’t one, don’t trade.
Now, having the best brokers will help you effectively with day trading.
What Is Robinhood?
Founded in 2013, Robinhood is a discount US broker-dealer app that is best known for being a pioneer in offering $0 stock, ETF, options, and cryptocurrency trades to clients in the US and Australia.
With its easy-to-use website and mobile trading app, the brokerage appeals to the do-it-yourself investor.
Robinhood is geared mainly towards millennial investors who want a smartphone-based trading platform without bells and whistles.
It has been a smartphone-first brokerage, with Android and iPhone apps as the primary methods to log into your account and place trades.
Our stock trading service is a big fan of the Robinhood platform. It’s a platform we use, especially while on the go.
Making Money Day Trading on Robinhood
Yes, you can make money day trading or using any trading style with Robinhood, but it still requires you to know how to trade first. Robinhood isn’t any different than other brokers. Your trading skill set makes you money, not the broker itself.
When you sign up with Robinhood, you can choose between Cash, Standard, and Gold accounts. One main difference that sets the accounts apart is their day trading limitations.
You can do only three-day weekly trades with Robinhood Standard and Robinhood Gold accounts. If you want to trade more than that, you must have at least $25,000 in your account. Otherwise, your account’s blocked for 90 days.
You can day trade if you have a cash account with $25,000. A Robinhood Cash account allows you to place commission-free trades during regular and after-hours trading sessions.
You won’t have access to instant deposits or instant settlements. PDT restrictions don’t apply to users with Cash accounts; they only apply to Instant and Gold users.
Flagged as a Day Trader on Robinhood?
You’ve made a day trade when you buy and sell the same stock or options contract on the same trading day. As I mentioned above, your trading is restricted to unlimited day trades unless you have an equity balance of at least $25,000 in your account.
For Robinhood Instant or Robinhood Gold accounts, you’re limited to no more than three-day trades in a sliding five-day trading window. If this scenario applies to you, you fall under the Pattern Day Trading Rule.
Exceeding the three-day trade limit will restrict your account from placing further day trades for 90 days; however, having more can and will be detrimental if you can’t successfully place three trades a week.
A misconception is that being limited to three-day trades a week is bad. It’s not. Especially if you’re new, it helps keep you in check, and you can grow your account to $25,000 instead of blowing it up. However, if you have over 25k in your account and want to remove the PDT protection, you can “disable pattern day trade protection” in the mobile app.
Here are the steps:
- Tap the Account icon at the bottom right corner of the screen
- Tap on Account Summary
- Scroll down and tap > Day Trade Settings
- Toggle Pattern Day Trade Protection on or off (only accessible if you are above 25k)
Make sure to take our free online trading courses. We teach you not only options and swing trading but also how to day trade. So, can you day trade on Robinhood? Keep reading, and we’ll show you how
Understanding the PDT Rule
So you know you can only make three-day trades in a five-trading period unless you have at least $25,000 of equity in your Instant or Gold Account at the end of the previous day.
I know this sounds tricky, but it just means that to day trade today, you need to have had more than $25,000 in your Account at the end of the day yesterday.
Not surprisingly, the value of your portfolio may fluctuate above $25,000 at any point during the trading day. But what’s important is your closing balance of the previous trading day.
Robinhood makes verifying whether you are restricted from day trading easy by visiting your app’s Account—> Day Trades section.
Remember that this value doesn’t include your Gold Buying Power–only the cash and stocks in your Account.
However, the five-trading-day window doesn’t align with the calendar week. For example, Wednesday through Tuesday could be a five-trading-day period.
If you place your fourth-day trade in the five-day window, your Account is marked for pattern-day trading for ninety calendar days.
In short, you can’t place any day trades for ninety days unless you bring your Account above $25,000. Have proper stock market training to avoid blowing up your trading account. Don’t worry; Robinhood will remind you as you make day trades. A window will pop up and tell you, “You just made your second-day trade,” for example.
Instant Deposits Towards the $25,000 Minimum
Unfortunately no. If you want to day trade on Robinhood, your instant deposits won’t count towards meeting the $25,000 minimum. For example, you transferred $1,000 into your Robinhood account.
Even though your buying power immediately increases by $1,000, the funds that count towards your overall equity won’t change until the funds settle. Typically, this takes around five days.
Read more on how to get started in stocks if you’re new and looking to learn. Trading is exciting when properly trained!
COURSE |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Learn how to read penny stock charts, premarket preparation, target buy and sell zones, scan for stocks to trade, and get ready for live day trading action | Learn how to buy and sell options, assignment options, implement vertical spreads, and the most popular strategies, and prepare for live options trading | How to read futures charts, margin requirements, learn the COT report, indicators, and the most popular trading strategies, and prepare for live futures trading |
| INCLUDED | Daily watch lists • Trade rooms • Trading scanners • Discord • Live streaming Day Trading > | Daily watch lists • Trade rooms • Options scanners • Discord • Live streaming Options > | Futures target levels • Trade rooms • Real time teaching • Discord • Live streaming Futures > |
Day Trading With the Robinhood App
- Buying and selling stocks on Robinhood up is as simple as following these eight steps:
- Load the Robinhood App on your phone.
- Search for your favorite stock, ETF, or cryptocurrency.
- Tap the “Trade” button.
- The next page will give you the option to buy or sell.
- Tap the “Buy” button.
- Select your Order Type from the upper right order and the number of shares you want to buy.
- Confirm your order.
- Swipe up to submit the order.
Million Dollar Question
Now for the million-dollar question: can you day trade on Robinhood? Day trading on the go and inexperience can be a recipe for disaster.
This is one of the dangers the Robinhood app poses. The fills are not always the fastest. Furthermore, Robinhood lacks a full-service trading platform, not to mention hotkeys. Because of this, you won’t have access to in-depth charting options and the ability to execute trades rapidly.
Both of which are necessary for the active day trader. For these reasons, I recommend you not try to day trade on Robinhood alone. Pair it with a good charting service like Trendspider, and focus on stocks or options that are high volume, liquidity, high open interest, tight spreads, and a great pattern setup. Or maybe you want to check out dark pool charts using FlowTrade.
Avoid low-float stocks that are highly volatile. You’ll be disappointed with the fills with low float stocks with high volume.
On the other hand, Robinhood is suitable for people with less than $5k mostly and those who are long-term and hold investors with any portfolio balance. Cash account traders will be well served here because they can day trade options.
While it is not powerful enough to be your only platform, it’s a great way to get your feet wet investing or swing trading. However, this is my opinion.
Some people use it to day trade. As a result, if you do so, ensure you have a trading plan. And a plan that you stick to. Don’t let greed or fear rule your trades.
That can worsen exponentially, especially without access to rapid trade executions. Visit our trading room to see us trading during market hours.
Can You Short on Robinhood?
One important distinction about Robinhood is that you cannot short sell. If you’re looking to short stocks, Robinhood is not the broker. This may be their way of protecting their users from costly mistakes, as shorting is one of the riskier methods of making money. I recommend checking out these trading companies if you’re looking too short.
Final Thoughts: Can You Day Trade on Robinhood?
One of the main advantages Robinhood brings to the user is the ease at which it allows you to trade. Learning how to day trade on Robinhood is possible and should be approached carefully. Sadly, learning to use RH does not help you pick what to buy, a significant problem for inexperienced traders.
Day trading, in general, is not for the faint of heart. Because trades are free, the temptation to dive into day trading is real. Be cautious, but keep a positive mindset.
Not only is this risky, but you’re also guaranteed to fail without the proper tools and education. That is something we at Bullish Bears advise against; luckily, we provide many free resources to the new trader.
If you’re starting your trading journey, Bullish Bears can help you sort out which stocks you might want to pay attention to and teach you how to trade them.
From 24/7 live chatroom availability to coaching and courses, we will guide you every step of the way.
In March 2020, Robinhood went completely down. Then again in August 2020. You couldn’t see your statement, account, or anything. Even the main website is down. Because of this, if you are swing trading or an active trader, you may be upset. With this in mind, NEVER risk too much in one trade; that is how you blow up your trading account. Follow the one percent rule to protect your account.
You should ALWAYS have a second broker if you use Robinhood for trading. Do not hold options that could destroy your account if you can’t log into it. NEVER put all your eggs in one basket.
We hope this answers your questions on Robinhood Day trading. Remember, guys, patience equals profits!
