TradingPLUS News Trading Rule: What You Can and Cannot Do

Whether you can trade news events on TradingPLUS is one of the most searched questions among traders considering the platform. The answer is not a simple yes or no — it depends on which type of account you're on.

This article uses the confirmed rules from TradingPLUS's FAQ pages. No guesswork.

The Short Answer by Account Type

STANDARD EVALUATION (Step 1 and Step 2)

News Trading:  Allowed  You may trade freely during all news releases

FUNDED ACCOUNT (Standard Evaluation Route)

News Trading:  Allowed  No specific news restriction on standard funded accounts

FAST TRACK FUNDED ACCOUNT

News Trading:  Not Allowed  Cannot trade within ±2 minutes of high-impact news events

Standard Evaluation: Trade News Freely

This is one of TradingPLUS's clearer rules. During Step 1 and Step 2 of the standard evaluation, there is no restriction on news trading. You can place trades before, during, and after high-impact news events without any rule violation.

This is notably more flexible than some other prop firms that prohibit news trading entirely during the evaluation phase. For traders whose strategy involves news-driven setups — trading the initial move, fading the spike, or positioning ahead of scheduled events — the standard TradingPLUS evaluation is compatible with that approach.

The same applies to the standard funded account. Once you've passed the evaluation and received your funded account through the standard route, news trading remains permitted.

Important context: While news trading is technically permitted during the evaluation, high-impact news events can create volatility that moves price sharply against open positions. If a news event causes your account to breach the daily loss limit or maximum drawdown, the breach stands regardless of the news being the trigger. The rules protect the firm's capital — external events don't override them.

Fast Track: The ±2 Minute Rule

Fast Track funded accounts operate under a stricter news trading rule. You cannot place trades within two minutes before or after any high-impact news event.

This means if a major event such as Non-Farm Payrolls, a Fed rate decision, or a CPI release is scheduled at 2:30 PM, you cannot enter any new position between 2:28 PM and 2:32 PM. Any open positions you already hold can remain open through the event, but no new entries are permitted in that four-minute window.

The practical implication for Fast Track traders is that you need to know the economic calendar for each session before you start trading. Missing the timing on a major release and placing an order inside the restricted window constitutes a rule violation.

What Counts as High-Impact News

TradingPLUS's restriction covers high-impact events — those labelled with a red icon on most economic calendars. These typically include:

• Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) — first Friday of each month
• Federal Reserve interest rate decisions and FOMC statements
• Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) releases
• GDP readings for major economies
• Central bank rate decisions from the ECB, Bank of England, Bank of Japan, and other major central banks
• Major employment and retail sales figures from the US, UK, EU, and Australia

Medium and low-impact events are generally not covered by the restriction, though the line between medium and high impact can shift depending on market conditions and expectations.

The 3% Symbol Lock: A Related Rule to Know

TradingPLUS has a separate rule that's relevant to news trading. If you lose 3% on a single symbol in a single day, that symbol is locked for 24 hours. This is called the Symbol Lock.

News events are one of the most common triggers for large single-symbol losses. A sharp adverse move following a surprise reading can push a gold or EUR/USD position through a stop loss into a 3% symbol loss territory faster than normal market conditions. If that happens, you cannot trade that symbol again until the following session, regardless of the account type or how the loss occurred.

This applies to both standard evaluation accounts and funded accounts. Knowing your symbol exposure before a major news release is part of managing this risk.

How to Use the Economic Calendar

TradingPLUS has a built-in Economic Calendar at plus.tradingpro.com/trading/economic-calendar. This is the most reliable reference for scheduled event timing, impact level, and affected currencies. Check it at the start of each session, especially if you're on a Fast Track account where the ±2 minute rule applies.

For Fast Track traders, making the economic calendar part of your pre-session routine is not optional. A missed high-impact event can result in a news trading violation on an account where the access fee was non-refundable.

Practical Guidance by Account Type

If you're on a standard evaluation or standard funded account:

• News trading is permitted — no specific timing restriction applies
• Manage your position sizing around news events to protect your daily loss limit and drawdown
• Use the Symbol Lock awareness — a news-driven 3% loss on one symbol locks it for 24 hours

If you're on a Fast Track funded account:

• Check the economic calendar before every session
• Mark the ±2 minute windows around high-impact events and do not place new orders in those windows
• Close or reduce existing positions before major events if exposure feels too large
• The restriction is on new entries only — existing open positions can remain through the event

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you trade news on TradingPLUS?

Yes, on standard evaluation and funded accounts. News trading is freely permitted during Step 1, Step 2, and on standard funded accounts. Fast Track funded accounts have a ±2 minute restriction around high-impact news events — no new positions can be opened within that window.

What is the TradingPLUS news trading rule on Fast Track?

Fast Track funded traders cannot place new trades within two minutes before or after any high-impact news event. Existing open positions may remain through the event. The restriction applies to new entries only.

What happens if I accidentally trade during a news event on Fast Track?

Placing a new trade within the ±2 minute restricted window around a high-impact news event constitutes a rule violation on a Fast Track account. This can result in the trade being flagged or the account being reviewed. Check your account terms and contact TradingPLUS support if you believe an error occurred.

What is the TradingPLUS 3% Symbol Lock?

If you lose 3% of your account balance on a single trading symbol in one day, that symbol is locked and cannot be traded for the next 24 hours. This applies to all account types and is designed to prevent revenge trading on a single instrument after a large loss.

Where can I find the economic calendar for TradingPLUS?

TradingPLUS has a built-in economic calendar at plus.tradingpro.com/trading/economic-calendar. This shows scheduled events by impact level, timing, and affected currency. Fast Track traders should check this before every session.