News Trading Policy
At AFT Funded, we recognize that high-impact economic releases create major opportunities in global markets. Our policy is designed to provide maximum flexibility during evaluation while applying institutional-grade safeguards once you are managing funded capital.
During the Evaluation Phase
Policy: Full Freedom to Trade News
There are no news-trading restrictions during challenge stages (Sprint, Bridge, or Ascent).
- Open and Close Anytime: You may open or close positions at any time, including during major economic releases, as long as the instrument's market is open.
- Strategy Flexibility: You are free to trade volatility around events such as NFP, CPI, and central bank decisions based on your own method.
For Funded Accounts
Policy: 5-Minute Risk Management Window
Once you transition to a Funded Account, priority shifts to live-capital protection and mitigation of execution risks such as slippage and gap pricing during extreme volatility.
- The Restriction: For high-impact major news events, a restricted window applies from 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after release time.
- Opening and Closing: During this 10-minute total window, you may not open new positions or close existing positions on affected instruments.
- Purpose: This safeguard helps ensure execution in a more stable environment and protects funded status from abnormal spread expansion and pricing instability around key releases.
What Is Considered a Major News Event?
Major events typically include:
- Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
- Consumer Price Index (CPI / Inflation)
- Interest Rate Decisions (FOMC, ECB, and similar central bank announcements)
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP) releases
Note for Funded Traders: Review your economic calendar at the start of each week. Dashboard alerts can also help you plan entries and exits around restricted news windows.
Summary
Evaluation accounts allow unrestricted news trading so you can demonstrate your edge. Funded accounts apply a short 5-minute buffer before and after major releases to support professional risk control and capital preservation.