Unexpected headline protocol: flatten first, analyse later
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2026 10:03 am
Something unscheduled lands on the news feed while you're in a trade. Price is moving fast. The instinct is to read the headline, decide what it means, then act. By then, the move has happened.
A simpler protocol:
1. If the headline could plausibly affect any open position, close it. Immediately.
2. Cancel pending orders in affected instruments.
3. Then read the headline and the reactions.
4. Wait at least five minutes before considering any new trade.
Why flatten first? Because the first reaction is often wrong, and slippage on a stop during a headline spike can be several times the planned loss. A market exit at a known price is better than a stop fill at an unknown one.
Objections:
- "I'll miss the move." Probably, on a few occasions. Over many headlines, the avoided losses are larger.
- "My position was in the right direction." Then you closed a winner. That's not a disaster.
The protocol is about removing decision-making under stress. Make the decision now, while calm.
How do you handle unexpected headlines? Do you have a rule or do you decide in the moment?
A simpler protocol:
1. If the headline could plausibly affect any open position, close it. Immediately.
2. Cancel pending orders in affected instruments.
3. Then read the headline and the reactions.
4. Wait at least five minutes before considering any new trade.
Why flatten first? Because the first reaction is often wrong, and slippage on a stop during a headline spike can be several times the planned loss. A market exit at a known price is better than a stop fill at an unknown one.
Objections:
- "I'll miss the move." Probably, on a few occasions. Over many headlines, the avoided losses are larger.
- "My position was in the right direction." Then you closed a winner. That's not a disaster.
The protocol is about removing decision-making under stress. Make the decision now, while calm.
How do you handle unexpected headlines? Do you have a rule or do you decide in the moment?