City Traders Imperium Review 2024

City Traders Imperium is a UK-headquartered prop trading firm with direct funding, an aggressive scaling plan, plus high profit splits.

City Traders Imperium (CTI) offers four funded trading accounts to UK investors. Prove your skills trading forex, indices, and commodities on the MT5 platform with up to 100% profit splits available. This City Traders Imperium review will cover assessment challenge rules, the scaling plan, and withdrawal terms. Our experts also explain how to get funded at City Traders Imperium.

Key Takeaways

  • City Traders Imperium offers an instant funded trading account
  • Funded traders can secure up to $4,000,000 in capital
  • Free retakes and discounts are available if traders fail the evaluation stages
  • CTI offers high-quality training materials and courses

What Is City Traders Imperium?

City Traders Imperium is a London-based prop firm that was established in 2018 by a team of professional traders. The meaning of the company name aligns with the firm’s mission to build an ‘empire’ of funded investors. The brand aims to become a one-stop solution for traders across the world through its educational platform and funded account programmes.

Available funded profiles range between $20,000 and $4,000,000, significantly higher than most competitors. On the downside, all account balances are in USD rather than GBP.

How It Works

There is one instant funded account and three alternative funded profiles with assessment requirements; Day Trading, Classic, and Standard.

Similar to other prop firms, City Traders Imperium has an evaluation process. However, unlike most alternatives, investors that sign up for the Direct Funding Account will receive a quarter of the funding amount up front with no assessment criteria.

For investors that do not follow the Direct Funding Account route, City Traders Imperium uses a one or two-step evaluation programme (varies by profile type) with one of the lowest targets in the industry at 9%.

The good news for UK investors is that all trading styles and strategies are accepted. This includes the ability to trade the news, keep positions open overnight, and trade using Expert Advisors (EAs).

What Can Be Traded?

Traders can invest capital via the MetaTrader 5 platform. The terminal can be downloaded to desktop devices or used as a web trader via all major browsers.

Available instruments include:

  • Commodities – Gold, silver and crude oil
  • Indices – 9 major stock indices such as the FTSE 100, CAC 40 and S&P 500
  • Major Forex Pairs – 7 major currency pairs including GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and EUR/USD
  • Minor Forex Pairs – 21 minor currency pairs including GBP/AUD, EUR/GBP, and GBP/JPY

Importantly, City Traders Imperium offers a better breadth of assets and markets than many alternative funded account providers. Some prop firms only allow futures trading, for example.

Spreads are sourced directly through top-tier liquidity providers. Average spreads include 0.9 pips on the GBP/USD and 0.1 pips on the EUR/GBP. Note, pricing will vary during times of significant volatility.

CTI Evaluation Process

Day Trading Account Evaluation

There are two parts to the evaluation process for a Day Trading funded profile. There is a maximum time limit of 45 days per stage to complete the ‘challenge’ whilst following the rules.

Once users have completed both phases and proven consistent results, access is granted to the live funded profile. The challenges are available with four profile balances; $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000.

A one-off fee applies to participate:

  • £109 fee for the $10,000 balance
  • £169 fee for the $25,000 balance
  • £289 fee for the $50,000 balance
  • £479 fee for the $100,000 balance

Rules

  • 4% maximum daily drawdown
  • Minimum 10-day time limit per phase
  • Maximum 45-day time limit per phase
  • 10% maximum absolute maximum drawdown
  • 10% profit target for phase one and a 5% profit target for phase two

A free retake is offered for traders that fail phase two. A 20% discount is also available for traders that fail in phase one. This makes City Traders Imperium competitive in terms of sign-up and retake fees.

Standard Account Evaluation

Similar to the Day Trading Account, there are two pathways as part of the assessment process for the Standard funded account. This time, however, it is a choice rather than a requirement to complete two parts. Customers can choose the standard evaluation challenge or choose the direct funding route.

There are five funded account challenges that vary by profile balance. Each evaluation challenge is loaded with a quarter of the live account balance requested. For example, to get access to the $70,000 live-funded account, the evaluation profile is loaded with $17,500 in virtual funds.

One-off fees apply:

  • £119 for the $2500 evaluation balance
  • £209 for the $5000 evaluation balance
  • £389 for the $10,000 evaluation balance
  • £459 for the $12,500 evaluation balance
  • £659 for the $17,500 evaluation balance

Rules

  • 5% absolute drawdown
  • Minimum 30 active trading days
  • Maximum six months trading time
  • Maximum 1.5% stop loss of the initial account balance per position

A 20% discount is available for traders that fail the evaluation programme if a retake is booked within 24 hours.

Classic Account Evaluation

The evaluation programme for the Classic profile offers a longer period to reach the requirements. As a result, this assessment is better suited to newer traders.

The fees are slightly cheaper vs the Standard Account assessment, but profile balances and live funded capital amounts are the same:

  • £109 for the $2500 evaluation balance
  • £199 for the $5000 evaluation balance
  • £379 for the $10,000 evaluation balance
  • £449 for the $12,500 evaluation balance
  • £649 for the $17,500 evaluation balance

Each evaluation challenge is loaded with a quarter of the live profile balance requested. The rules are the same as the Standard Account requirements listed above.

Direct Funding Route

For experienced traders with a proven track record of successful investing, the Direct Funding account is the best option. There is no evaluation process meaning capital is provided immediately.

A higher one-off payment applies, though this is more of a joining fee rather than an attempt at getting funded:

  • £1059 for a $20,000 live balance
  • £2099 for a $40,000 live balance
  • £2599 for a $50,000 live balance
  • £3649 for a $70,000 live balance

CTI Live Funded Accounts

Day Trading

Once the evaluation stage is complete, investors with a City Traders Imperium Day Trading account will be eligible for a 70% profit split on the first 15% net profit made. Traders also have the opportunity to earn up to 100% of the profit share following proven success. There are two tiers to complete to be eligible for this:

  • Tier One – Make 10% profit over four months with an average 2.5% profit per month and two out of four months in net profit
  • Tier Two – Make 10% profit over four months with an average of 2.5% profit per month and two out of four months in net profit. These must be repeated three times

Standard & Classic

The Standard Account and Classic Account funded programmes are geared towards everyday traders seeking clear and simple rules. All trading strategies and styles are permitted. This includes weekend and overnight positions.

Monthly payouts are available for profile holders with up to 100% profit splits which is competitive vs alternative prop firms.

Direct Funding

The Direct Funding programme is for experienced traders.

City Traders Imperium offers up to a 100% profit share with weekly payouts available from day one. This is competitive vs FTMO, for example, which offers monthly payouts only.

Rules

  • 10% profit target
  • 5% maximum absolute drawdown
  • No minimum or maximum time limits
  • Forex, commodities and indices trading
  • Maximum 1.5% stop loss of the initial account balance per position
City Traders Imperium scaling plan

Scaling Plan – $50K

How To Withdraw From City Traders Imperium

Withdrawal requests can be made via email (funding@citytradersimperium.com) along with the following details:

  1. Amount to withdraw
  2. Amount to be left in the account
  3. City Traders Imperium profile number

City Traders Imperium processes all withdrawal requests within 24 hours, which is fast vs most prop firms.

For UK investors, withdrawals can be made via wire transfer, PayPal, or Revolut.

Client Safety

City Traders Imperium Limited is a registered company in England & Wales, registration number 11463147.

The organisation is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This is similar to other funded trading firms like Earn2Trade as broker-dealer status is not needed.

Remember, fund prop trading firms do not guarantee returns.

Customer Support

City Traders Imperium offers several customer support options for UK traders. This includes an email address, live chat service, and postal address.

  • Email – ctisupport@citytradersimperium.com
  • Live Chat – Icon found in the bottom right of the company’s website
  • Address – 124 City Road, London, United Kingdom, EC1V 2NX

Additionally, the prop firm’s website hosts a comprehensive FAQ area, plus detailed terms and conditions for each funded account. Topics include leverage, profit split withdrawal terms, and trading rules.

The company is also active on social media and communication channels including Discord, YouTube, and Facebook.

Pros Of City Traders Imperium

  • No monthly subscription fees
  • Up to 100% profit split available
  • Forex, indices and commodities trading
  • Educational materials and training courses
  • Instant funded trading accounts are available
  • Trade activities hosted on the popular MT5 platform

Cons Of City Traders Imperium

  • No free trial
  • No proprietary mobile app
  • Additional requirements for 100% payouts

Additional Tools

Education

Alongside funded trading accounts, City Traders Imperium offers a wealth of educational resources and training. There are various online and in-person courses designed for retail traders of all experience and knowledge levels.

For beginners, our experts recommend ‘Forex For Beginners’, a five-day intensive course taught on a one-to-one basis. Topics include how to manage risk, how to interpret graphs, and how to use technical indicators. There is a one-time fee of £2499 to participate.

For more experienced investors, consider the ‘Bank Level Trading’ course. This offers high-risk-high-reward trade set-up guidance and tips on maintaining discipline.

Rewards

City Traders Imperium occasionally offers rewards and incentives to new or prospective clients.

A ‘monthly salary’ reward is available to the top three funded Day Trading account investors. Participation is automatic though users can opt out. Another competition includes a World Cup-style contest with prizes available to traders with the most profit at the end of a set time frame.

Always check the terms and conditions before signing up for any bonus, promotion or competition.

Fundamental Analysis

The prop firm offers fundamental analysis. Investors can opt-in for £19 per month, with a 14-day free trial. The information is suitable for retail traders of all experience levels with simple language and limited technical jargon.

Included:

  • Data reports
  • Weekly trade ideas
  • Market activity updates
  • Weekly market recap videos
  • World events and opportunities highlighted

Should You Apply For A Funded Account With CTI?

CTI is a well-respected prop trading firm based in the United Kingdom. While testing City Traders Imperium, our experts were impressed with the multiple accounts and routes to securing funding. The range of educational content and market analysis will also appeal to both novice traders and experienced investors. Finally, profit splits of up to 100% are also noticeably higher than most competitors.

FAQ

Is City Traders Imperium A Good Prop Trading Firm?

City Traders Imperium is a good prop firm for UK investors. The company offers a range of funded trading accounts, alongside educational materials and training courses. There is something for retail investors of all experience levels with competitive entry fees and withdrawal terms. Other user reviews are also generally positive.

Is It Easy To Get A Funded Trading Account At City Traders Imperium?

There are several ways to secure a funded profile at City Traders Imperium. The Direct Funding account is the most suitable for investors with plenty of experience. There is no evaluation process, just a one-off fee. For beginners, consider the Classic profile which has a more flexible schedule to complete the evaluation assessment and competitive payout returns.

Is City Traders Imperium Regulated In The UK?

City Traders Imperium is not regulated by any financial authority, including the FCA in the UK. As a funded account provider, it does not need to be registered as a broker-dealer. This is standard practice amongst prop trading firms.

Does City Traders Imperium Offer A Good Range Of Trading Instruments?

City Traders Imperium offers a decent range of assets compared to alternatives. This includes major and minor forex pairs, commodities, and indices. With that said, cryptos are not available.

Does City Traders Imperium Offer Reliable Customer Support?

City Traders Imperium offers a range of support options. This includes an email address, live chat and FAQ portal.

When our experts tested the live chat function, we received a response within five minutes. Although this isn’t the best, the FAQ portal is comprehensive and provides plenty of information and guidance.

City Traders Imperium is a UK-headquartered prop trading firm with direct funding, an aggressive scaling plan, plus high profit splits.