Economic Calendar

Why do prop traders need to watch the economic calendar?

High-impact news events like CPI, NFP and FOMC decisions can cause sudden, extreme price movements that trigger stop losses or daily drawdown limits within seconds. Many prop firms restrict or prohibit trading during high-impact news. Checking the calendar before each session is essential for account survival.

What is a high-impact economic event?

High-impact events are news releases that historically cause significant market volatility. The most important ones are Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP), Federal Reserve interest rate decisions (FOMC), Consumer Price Index (CPI), Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and central bank speeches. These are marked in red on most economic calendars.

Which prop firms allow trading during news events?

This varies significantly by firm. Some firms like MyForexFunds allow news trading while others like FTMO restrict it within a window around major announcements (typically 2 minutes before and after). Always check your specific firm's rules section on their website or on our firm comparison pages.

How far in advance should I check the economic calendar?

Check the calendar at the start of each trading week to plan around high-impact events, and again before each trading session. Events are announced with a date and time, so there is no reason to be caught off guard. Most events are known days or weeks in advance.