Lost $1260 to a prop firm that vanished 6 months after I funded. Never again.


Since then I built a proper research routine before touching any firm. Sharing it here because I see too many new traders just Googling "best prop firms" and clicking the first affiliate site they find. That's not research, that's gambling.


Here's what I actually do now:


1. Trustpilot — but read it properly


Don't look at the star rating. Look at the 1-star reviews and how the firm responds to them.


A firm with 4.8 stars but 200 one-star reviews saying "payout denied" is a red flag. A firm with 4.5 stars that actually responds to every complaint and resolves them publicly? That's a good sign.


Also check when the reviews were written. Some firms have great early reviews and terrible recent ones — means something changed. Filter by "Most Recent" not "Most Relevant."


2. Myforexfirms.com — PropTrust Index


This one I found recently and it's become my first stop now.


They score every firm from 0 to 10 using something called the PropTrust Index — based on verified payout data, complaint history, rule fairness, and what they call a "Penalty Impact Layer" (the hidden rules that get your account closed).


What makes it different from other review sites: they have a Verified Complaints System where real trader complaints are tracked through stages — Open, Under Review, Firm Responded, Resolved. You can see which firms have unresolved complaints sitting there for months.


No affiliate deals. Firms can't pay to rank higher. I checked a firm I was considering — it had 3 open unresolved complaints from 60+ days ago. Didn't touch them. You can check on https://www.myforexfirms.com/complaints


3. Prop Firm Discord servers


Every major prop firm has a Discord. Join it and go straight to the complaints or support channel — not the general chat.


The general chat is full of people celebrating passes. The support channel shows you what actually goes wrong. Look for patterns:


Are payout delays being reported repeatedly?


Are support responses slow or copy-paste?


Is anyone from the firm actively in there or is it crickets?


Also join independent prop firm Discord communities, not just the firm's own server. You'll get unfiltered opinions from traders who have no reason to sugarcoat.


4. X (Twitter) — search the firm name honestly


Go to X and search the firm's name. Then filter by "Latest" not "Top."


Top results will usually be their own marketing posts and paid promo content. Latest shows you what real traders said in the last 7 days.


Search variations:


"[Firm name]" payout


"[Firm name]" denied


"[Firm name]" scam


"[Firm name]" review 2025


Takes 5 minutes and has saved me from 2 firms that looked clean everywhere else but had a wave of payout complaints on X that hadn't hit Google yet.


5. Check how long the firm has actually existed


Use WHOIS to check the domain registration date. A firm marketing themselves as "established" with a domain registered 8 months ago is lying. Seen this multiple times.


Also check if there's a real company registration. Most legit firms will have a company number you can verify in Companies House (UK), SEC (US), or equivalent. If the "About" page has no verifiable legal entity — walk away.


6. Ask one direct question to their support before buying


My test question: "If I pass the challenge and request a payout, what exact method will the funds be sent by, and what is the maximum processing time before you consider it a delay?"


A legit firm answers this in plain English immediately. A sketchy firm gives you a vague non-answer or points you to the FAQ.


How they answer tells you everything about how they'll treat you when actual money is involved.


Bottom line:


No single source is enough. A firm can have clean Trustpilot reviews, a dead Discord, and a wave of complaints on X at the same time. Cross-reference everything.


The 15 minutes you spend researching is worth infinitely more than losing your challenge fee to a firm that was always going to find a reason not to pay you.


What methods do you guys use? Anything I'm missing from my checklist?

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