Economic News Trading Restrictions
To maintain a fair and realistic environment, strict restrictions apply around high-impact economic releases. These windows often create extreme volatility, thin order books, and slippage—conditions that are not suitable for simulated performance evaluation or risk-aligned funding.
What Are Economic Releases?
Scheduled announcements from central banks, statistical agencies, or government institutions that can cause sharp market reactions—especially in equity index, rates, energy, and metals futures.
- Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
- CPI / Core CPI
- FOMC statements & rate decisions
- GDP (advance / prelim / final)
- Initial Jobless Claims
- Retail Sales
- Core PCE Price Index
- ISM Manufacturing / Services PMI
You can view upcoming events in the Dashboard → Resources → Economic Calendar. All times are displayed in Central Time (CT).
⛔️ Trading Restriction Rule
- All positions must be closed at least 5 minutes before a scheduled high-impact release.
- No opening, closing, or holding trades from 5 minutes before the release until 2 minutes after.
– Funded: the account may be flagged for audit and suspended pending review.
Event Timing Examples (CT)
| Economic Event | Typical Release | Restriction Window |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Farm Payrolls | 7:30 AM (Monthly) | 7:25 AM → 7:32 AM |
| CPI / Core CPI | 7:30 AM (Monthly) | 7:25 AM → 7:32 AM |
| FOMC Rate Decision | 1:00 PM (8×/year) | 12:55 PM → 1:02 PM |
| Retail Sales | 7:30 AM | 7:25 AM → 7:32 AM |
| Initial Jobless Claims | 7:30 AM (Weekly) | 7:25 AM → 7:32 AM |
Times above are examples; always follow the live calendar in your dashboard. If an event is rescheduled or delayed, the restriction moves with the official time.
✅ How to Stay Compliant
- Check the Economic Calendar daily and mark high-impact (red) events.
- Convert times only if needed—dashboard shows CT by default to avoid confusion.
- Flatten all positions at least 5 minutes before the release.
- Wait at least 2 minutes after the release before re-entering.
Notes
- Restrictions apply to both opening and holding positions.
- These rules are enforced in both Evaluation and Funded stages (with different consequences).
- Traders are fully responsible for knowing the schedule and managing positions accordingly.
- No exceptions for missed deadlines or partial closes.