C-17: No funds sitting on the market outside an active order

What escrow does not cover

Escrow protects a payment attached to an order. A balance sitting outside one is not protected by anything, and it is exposed to whatever happens to the market, including endings that have nothing to do with anyone acting badly.

Why this item is graded critical

Because it is the only measure that makes the worst case survivable. Every other item reduces the chance of something going wrong. This one determines what it costs when something does, and it is entirely within your control.

A schedule rather than an intention

Withdrawing when the balance feels large does not work, because the threshold moves. Withdraw after each completed order, or on a fixed schedule. The habit is what matters, not the amount.

The convenience argument

Keeping a balance saves a deposit wait on the next order. That is a real saving of perhaps twenty minutes, weighed against the entire balance in the event of an ending. People who lost funds in past market endings were overwhelmingly making that same trade deliberately.