Yes I was slapped by SEC for doing more than the 3 day trades in a week rule.  I already had a margin account with $150k cash.  I was learning the ropes and wanted to sell out of a stock before the weekend and my sell order was only getting partially filled as the stock kept dropping.  So I kept modifying my sell order as the pps was dropping.  The next day they said you are a pattern day trader.  And they switched me to being a day trader.  Scottrade kept trying to sell me on how wounderful it was to be a day trader.  I could buy & sell unlimited # times all day long but I could only use the cash that I made from the day before.  And they gave me a big fat margin to go with it - 4 times the amount of cash I had I could use for trading.  That is how people get into trouble.