Day-Trading Restraints to Be Loosened Under Proposed Rule Change

US regulators are finalizing plans to replace a controversial rule that would dramatically lower a threshold for retail investors to trade equities and options more often.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is looking to rework the “pattern day trading” rule that limits investors with less than $25,000 in their margin account from borrowing to trade four or more times in a five-day period. In a proposal being prepared for Finra’s board to eventually vote on, retail investors would need to have only $2,000 in their accounts for such trades.

Currently, when an investor with less than $25,000 exceeds the $2,000 ...