How the PFM Score is calculated.
The PFM Score is a single number from 0–10 that's computed, not assigned. Every input is an objective fact you can read on the firm's own official website — fees, profit split, drawdown model, payout speed, platforms, account sizes, rules. A firm's commercial relationship with TradeMoneta has zero weight. You could recompute every score yourself from the same public facts.
The formula
Each pillar is scored 0–10 from its sub-metrics, then combined by weight:
PFM = Payout Integrity × 47%
+ Rule Clarity × 29%
+ Trading Conditions × 24%
Payout Integrity
47%- · Payout speed — typical processing time in days (faster scores higher).
- · Profit split — the share of profit the trader keeps (higher scores higher).
Rule Clarity
29%- · Drawdown model — static is clearest, end-of-day next, intraday trailing hardest.
- · Trader-favourable rules — news trading, weekend holding and scaling allowed.
Trading Conditions
24%- · Platforms supported — more choice scores higher.
- · Account sizes offered — more flexibility scores higher.
- · Evaluation-fee value — lower entry cost scores higher.
Why Trader Feedback isn't in the score (yet)
A fourth pillar, Trader Feedback, was originally worth 15% of the score. We deferred it: we have no verified trader reviews yet, and we won't invent them. The three objective pillars above are renormalised to 100% until our verified-review system ships. We'd rather a smaller honest score than a bigger fake one.
Verified vs provisional
A score is only as good as its inputs. A firm is marked Verified once a human has confirmed its facts against the official site — and only while that check is recent (within 45 days). After that it automatically reverts to Provisional, so the badge can never overstate how fresh the data is. Firms we haven't confirmed yet are Provisional too. We show the date of last verification, and link the source, on each firm's page.