FTMO
- Evaluation
- No restriction
- Funded
- Standard: restricted
- Window
- ±2 min
Breaking it may end the account.
By Volodymyr Kravchenko Rules read from each firm's own pages
News trading rules
Prop Firm News Trading Rules: FTMO vs FundingPips
Can you trade CPI, NFP or FOMC on a funded account?
Both firms allow holding trades during news in the evaluation, with a caveat at FundingPips, which prohibits purposely trading news in every phase. The rules bite on funded accounts: FTMO bans opening or closing trades 2 minutes either side of restricted events on Standard FTMO Accounts (not on Swing), and FundingPips may deduct profits from trades within 5 minutes of high-impact news (10 around speeches) on master accounts. Read from each firm's own pages on 23 Sep 2026.
Important risks
Prices can gap and spreads can widen sharply around releases, so a stop may fill far from its level. Evaluations carry fees, trading is simulated, and passing is not guaranteed. This page summarises rules; it is not advice to trade news.
The window around a release
Release
±2 min
FTMO Standard
±5 min
FundingPips master · ±10 min around speeches
Funded accounts only (FTMO Standard, FundingPips master). Read 23 Sep 2026. VERIFY CURRENT DATA.
Rule by firm, at a glance
FundingPips
- Evaluation
- No purposeful news trading
- Funded
- Master: restricted
- Window
- ±5 min
Profits in the window may be deducted.
Key takeaways in full
- The evaluation phase is mostly unrestricted; the funded phase is where news rules apply.
- Windows differ: 2 minutes (FTMO Standard), 5 minutes (most FundingPips models), 10 minutes (FundingPips speeches and Zero).
- Consequences differ: a possible account termination (FTMO), possible profit deductions (FundingPips).
- Stops and targets that trigger inside the window count as trades at FTMO.
- Each firm's own calendar decides which events count. VERIFY CURRENT DATA before a release.
Every rule in one table
| Rule | FTMO | FundingPips |
|---|---|---|
| During the evaluation | No news restriction during the Evaluation Process (FTMO Challenge and Verification), for Standard and Swing account types, as long as no forbidden trading practice is used. | No restriction on holding trades during news in the evaluation, but FundingPips states that purposely trading news is prohibited in both the evaluation and the master phase and can lead to account closure. |
| On the funded account | Standard FTMO Account: restricted around selected news. Swing account type: no news restriction. | Master accounts: restricted windows around high-impact news and speeches. |
| Restricted window | 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after the release. | 1 Step Flex, 2 Step Standard, 2 Step Flex and 2 Step Pro: 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after a high-impact news event, and 10 minutes before a speech starts to 10 minutes after it ends. FundingPips Zero: 10 minutes before and after. |
| What happens | No opening or closing trades, including pending orders, stop loss or take profit executions, in the window on the affected instruments. Positions opened earlier may stay open, but a stop or target triggered inside the window is a violation. Breaking the rule may lead to termination of the FTMO Account. | Profits from trades opened or closed in the window may be deducted. |
| Which events count | Announcements marked "Restricted event" in FTMO's economic calendar. FTMO's FAQ gives examples: US Non-Farm Employment, the Federal Funds Rate, CPI, GDP, the UK Official Bank Rate, the ECB main refinancing rate, equivalent releases for other currencies, and Crude Oil Inventories. | High-impact events in the FundingPips Economic Calendar on the trader dashboard. |
| Exceptions | Instruments not affected by the announcement can be traded normally. | Trades opened 5 hours or more before the event are excluded from the restriction. Separately, weekend holding on master accounts is temporarily not allowed (effective 29 Jan 2026). |
Summarised from the pages listed under Sources. Account types and rules change: VERIFY CURRENT DATA on the firm's own page before a release.
To see how much room you have left before the daily and maximum loss limits, use the prop firm drawdown calculator. The lot size calculator counts down to the next CPI, NFP or FOMC and shows the window for the firm you pick.
Three things to remember
Short is not always easier
Read the detail
A short window is not automatically easier. FTMO's 2-minute window comes with the harshest consequence we saw (a possible termination), while FundingPips may deduct profits instead.
Pending orders are the trap
Read the detail
A stop or target sitting near price can trigger inside the window without you touching the platform.
Their calendar decides
Read the detail
The firm's calendar, not a public one, decides what counts. Check it in the morning of a release day, together with the official release times.
Analysis, not a trading signal. Release times: official calendar.
Check the current rules
Read our review, then the rules on the official site. MarlinFx may earn a commission if you sign up through these links, at no extra cost to you. It does not affect what we write. See the affiliate disclosure.
Related
Frequently asked questions
Can I trade NFP or CPI during a prop firm challenge?
At FTMO, yes: its news restrictions apply to funded accounts, not the evaluation. FundingPips has no restriction on holding trades during news in the evaluation but prohibits purposely trading news in every phase. Rules change, so check the firm's page first.
Does a stop loss hit during the news window count?
At FTMO, yes: a stop loss or take profit executed inside the window on a Standard FTMO Account is a violation. FundingPips applies its window to trades opened or closed in it.
Which events are restricted?
Each firm's own calendar decides. FTMO's FAQ gives examples such as US Non-Farm Employment, the Federal Funds Rate, CPI, GDP and Crude Oil Inventories. FundingPips uses the economic calendar on its dashboard.
Is there a prop firm with no news rule?
Of the two compared here, FTMO's Swing account type has no news restriction on the FTMO Account. We have not compared other firms.
Where can I see the dates of CPI, NFP and FOMC?
On our economic calendar, which lists the official dates and times from the BLS, BEA, Federal Reserve and EIA schedules.
Does MarlinFx earn a commission?
MarlinFx may earn a commission if you sign up through some links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not decide what we write. See the affiliate disclosure.
How this comparison was prepared
We read each firm's own help or FAQ pages on 23 Sep 2026 and kept the wording close to theirs. Where a page did not say something (for example which calendar applies), we say so rather than guess. We did not compare fees, payouts, platforms or countries. See the methodology.
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MarlinFx may earn a commission if you sign up through this banner, at no extra cost to you. Evaluation programmes carry fees and outcomes are not guaranteed. See our affiliate disclosure.
Sources (2)
ShowHide
Official or primary sources used for the facts above. Figures and terms change, so check the source before acting on them.
- FTMO — Can I trade news?Page shows last update 3 Sep 2026.Accessed
- FundingPips — News Trading & Weekend HoldingAccessed
Written by
Volodymyr KravchenkoFounder · Market Research
Independent market researcher focused on Forex, Gold, commodities, macroeconomic data and AI-powered financial intelligence.
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Educational research, not personal advice. See our editorial policy and methodology.
This content is provided for educational purposes only and is not investment advice. Trading involves risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Affiliate relationships may exist. Always conduct your own independent research before making financial decisions.