NFP, CPI and FOMC move forex, gold and indices more than almost any other scheduled event.
Without the add-on, new FX and metals entries pause 2 minutes either side of big news.
Spreads widen and stops can slip at the release; plan size for the worse fill.
The events that move markets
| Event | When | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| NFP (US jobs report) | Usually the first Friday of the month, 08:30 New York time | Jobs added, unemployment, wages |
| CPI (US inflation) | Monthly, 08:30 New York time | Change in consumer prices |
| FOMC rate decision | Eight meetings a year, 14:00 New York time, then a press conference | US interest rates and guidance |
Other central banks, GDP and retail sales also matter, but these three move the US dollar, gold and stock indices the most. A surprise against the forecast matters more than the number itself. Check the consensus forecast next to each event in the calendar; the market has already priced it, and the move comes from the gap between forecast and actual, plus revisions to earlier months.
The news window on your account
On 1-Step, 2-Step and Instant Funded accounts bought from 7 October 2026, opening new FX and metals positions is blocked from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after high-impact news. Closing a position is always allowed. The News Trading add-on removes this restriction.
The add-on is a permission, not extra room. It does not widen the daily or maximum loss limits or change the consistency rule. Other programs have their own terms, so check the event, the instrument and the time zone, and ask support before you trade an unclear case. Choose add-ons before you pay; do not assume one can be added later.
Put each window into your calendar as a block, so you never try to open a trade inside it and get a rejected order at the worst moment.
What happens at the release
- Spreads widen. In the seconds around a release, the gap between bid and ask can be several times normal.
- Slippage. A stop can fill beyond its price when the market jumps. Size for the worse fill, not the planned one.
- Whipsaw. The first move is often reversed within minutes as the details are read.
Open losses count toward the daily limit the moment they happen, so a position you carry into a release is exposed to the whole jump. The US dollar pairs and gold usually react first and hardest to US data; indices react too, and crypto often follows.
A plan for news days
- Every Monday, list the week’s high-impact events and their times in your time zone.
- Into a release you are not set up to trade, reduce size or be flat before the window starts.
- If you trade the reaction, wait for the first move to settle and size from a wider stop.
- Never make news trading your only edge. Repeatedly opening large positions right before high-volatility releases is treated as excessive risk and can lead to a breach.
- After the release, note in your journal what the market did and how your plan held up. Over a few months you learn which events you trade well and which to sit out.
Quiz
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MyFundedCapital School
Market guides checklist
Rules as of 17 Oct 2026. Tick each line before your next session.
| Rule | 1-Step Challenge | 2-Step Challenge | Instant Funded | MFC Stocks | Prediction Markets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | 10% | 8% + 5% | — | 7% | 10% |
| Daily loss limit | 5% | 5% | 3% | 2% daily pause | 3% |
| Maximum loss | 10% · trailing | 10% · static | 6% · trailing | 5% · trailing | 6% · trailing |
| Consistency | 35% | 35% | 35% | 35% | 35% |
| First payout | after 7 days | after 14 days | after 14 days | after 14 days | after 7 days |
| Then every | 7 days | 14 days | 7 days | 14 days | 7 days |
| Profit split | 80% → 95% | 80% → 95% | 70% → 80% | 70% → 80% | 75% → 90% |
1. How do you trade forex on a funded account?
- Focus on two or three major pairs and learn their sessions instead of watching every chart.
- Lots = risk in dollars ÷ (stop in pips × pip value per lot). Leverage is a ceiling, not a target.
- New FX positions are blocked around high-impact news unless you bought the News Trading add-on.
2. How do you trade gold (XAUUSD) on a funded account?
- Gold reacts to the US dollar, real interest rates and risk-off moves.
- Read the contract size in the Terminal’s instrument details before you size a trade.
- Metals follow the same news window as forex on the 1-Step, 2-Step and Instant Funded.
3. How do stock indices like US30 and NAS100 move?
- US30 tracks 30 large US companies; NAS100 tracks the largest Nasdaq companies and leans to tech.
- Most index movement clusters around the US cash open and major US data.
- MyFundedCapital doesn’t offer index trading yet; MFC Stocks covers 1,500+ US stocks.
4. How do you trade crypto on a funded account?
- Bitcoin, Ether and Solana trade in the Terminal on the 1-Step, 2-Step and Instant Funded.
- Coins = risk in dollars ÷ stop distance in dollars. Wide stops mean small positions.
- Crypto never closes, but your daily limit still resets at 17:00 New York time.
5. How do you trade US stocks around earnings on a funded account?
- Earnings land outside the regular session, so the reaction shows up as a gap at the open.
- Shares = risk in dollars ÷ stop in dollars per share. Wide post-earnings stops mean fewer shares.
- One big earnings day can push your best-day share toward the evaluation cap.
6. How do you trade economic calendar events like NFP, CPI and FOMC?
- NFP, CPI and FOMC move forex, gold and indices more than almost any other scheduled event.
- Without the add-on, new FX and metals entries pause 2 minutes either side of big news.
- Spreads widen and stops can slip at the release; plan size for the worse fill.
myfundedcapital.com/learn/
Questions
Does the news window apply to crypto?
The published window covers new FX and metals positions on the 1-Step, 2-Step and Instant Funded. Crypto still reacts to US data, so plan size around releases anyway.
Which time zone should I use for the economic calendar?
Pick one and stick to it. Many traders set the calendar to New York time so it lines up with the daily reset at 17:00 New York time.
Related lessons
Tools and rules
Rules shown here come from the help center and the live rulebook; your program terms apply.
