Prop firm news restrictions change what a scalper can do
Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2026 9:22 am
Many funded account programs ban trading within a window around high-impact news, commonly two to five minutes either side. Some also prohibit holding positions through the release.
For a scalper who likes the volatility, those rules cut out a big slice of opportunity. For one who dislikes it, they remove a risk.
The details matter, and they're often buried. Does the window apply to opening trades, closing trades, or pending orders? Does a position opened before the window and still open count? Which events qualify as high-impact, and who decides?
A stop-out inside the window may be treated as a violation or may not. The rule text rarely says.
Different firms define "news" differently. Some use a fixed list, and others use a calendar's impact rating. The same event can be restricted at one firm and allowed at another.
Before signing up, it helps to read the rules twice and ask support for written answers on the ambiguous cases. A verbal answer in a chat window isn't much protection when an account is closed.
Another consideration is how pending orders get handled. A stop order left from before the window that triggers during it can count as a breach, even though no decision was made.
Which restrictions have caused the most trouble on a funded account, and were they spelled out clearly?
For a scalper who likes the volatility, those rules cut out a big slice of opportunity. For one who dislikes it, they remove a risk.
The details matter, and they're often buried. Does the window apply to opening trades, closing trades, or pending orders? Does a position opened before the window and still open count? Which events qualify as high-impact, and who decides?
A stop-out inside the window may be treated as a violation or may not. The rule text rarely says.
Different firms define "news" differently. Some use a fixed list, and others use a calendar's impact rating. The same event can be restricted at one firm and allowed at another.
Before signing up, it helps to read the rules twice and ask support for written answers on the ambiguous cases. A verbal answer in a chat window isn't much protection when an account is closed.
Another consideration is how pending orders get handled. A stop order left from before the window that triggers during it can count as a breach, even though no decision was made.
Which restrictions have caused the most trouble on a funded account, and were they spelled out clearly?