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Inactivity rules and the pressure to place a trade just to keep an account alive

many firms have a rule about how long an account can sit without any trades before it's closed. It's reasonable on their side, but it creates an odd pressure for traders who are patient by nature.

I've caught myself thinking that I'd better place a trade soon because of the inactivity period. That's exactly the kind of thought that leads to a bad trade. The rule exists to stop people parking accounts, not to make you trade without a setup.

My approach is to know the exact period for each account and put a date in my calendar well before the limit. Then if I've had no setups by that point, I take the smallest possible trade that follows my plan, or if nothing does, a minimum size trade in a quiet but normal condition, to register activity. The risk is tiny, so it's about the cost of the spread, not the result.

I don't let the clock change my normal criteria. If I'm approaching the limit, I make the decision to take a token trade on purpose, with the minimum size, and not let myself drift into a normal sized one.

Agree on the calendar reminder. I set mine for a week before the inactivity limit, which gives me time to wait for a genuine setup instead of rushing. If one appears, I take it at normal risk and the problem is solved. If not, the small trade in a calm market works. What I avoid is placing a trade on the last day in whatever conditions happen to be there, because that is when it turns into a real loss.

Worth checking what counts as activity with your firm. For some, any opened and closed position counts, for others it has to be held for a minimum time or reach a certain size. I once placed a tiny trade to register activity and found out later it did not count because it was closed too quickly. Asking support and getting the answer in writing is the safest approach. It is a five minute question that can save an account, and the answer is often not what you would guess from the rules page.