Why this matters: If news spikes are part of your trading edge, choosing the wrong prop firm can kill your strategy. One accidental trade during a restricted window can void your profits or terminate your account. This guide covers the exact rules at every major futures prop firm so you can fund the right account the first time. Rules verified as of early 2026 — always confirm with the firm directly before purchasing. See how we review prop firms for our methodology.
News Trading Rules by Firm
| Firm | News Trading | Restriction Details | Applies To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topstep | Allowed | No news window, but purposefully trading max position size into major events is prohibited | Eval + Funded |
| Take Profit Trader | Varies | No restrictions on Test accounts; PRO/PRO+ restrict trading on specific major events | Test: allowed / PRO: restricted |
| MyFundedFutures | Varies | Evals + Flex Plans: allowed. Rapid/Pro Sim Funded: Tier 1 news restricted (must flatten 2 min before/after) | Depends on account type |
| Apex Trader Funding | Conditional | Normal strategy allowed during news; news-specific strategies (straddles, both-sides orders, chasing) prohibited | Eval + Funded |
| Tradeify | Restricted | No opening positions within 2 min of major news | Eval + Funded |
| Bulenox | Allowed (verify) | No explicit restriction found — confirm current policy with support before relying on this | Eval + Funded |
| TickTickTrader | Allowed (verify) | No restrictions found on scheduled events — confirm current policy before relying on this | Eval + Funded |
Key takeaway: If news trading is your primary strategy, Topstep is the safest default — no explicit news window, though max-size entries into major events are prohibited. The landscape is more nuanced than "allowed vs restricted" — most firms have account-type-specific rules. Always verify with the firm directly before relying on any policy listed here.
Apex News Policy: What's Actually Allowed
Apex's news policy has evolved and is more nuanced than a simple blanket ban. As of early 2026:
- Normal strategy during news: You can trade during economic releases using your normal strategy. Apex does not impose a blanket time-window ban on all trading around news
- What's prohibited: News-specific strategies — placing orders on both sides to gamble on the outcome, straddles/strangles around releases, and strategies that "chase the market" based on the news event itself
- Risk management required: All news trades must follow consistency and risk management rules. Trades must have stop losses and a well-defined risk plan
- Enforcement: Profits from trades that Apex determines were news-exploitation strategies may be voided. Repeated violations can result in account termination
- Where to check: Apex publishes prohibited activity rules that are updated periodically — always check their current help center before trading around a major release
The practical effect: if you normally trade ES and a CPI release happens during your session, you can continue trading your usual setups. But if your strategy is specifically designed to exploit the news spike — pre-positioning, straddles, max-size directional bets on the number — that's prohibited.
Important caveat: Apex's rules have changed multiple times. The historical 8-minute window rule was widely cited but the current policy focuses on strategy intent rather than a fixed time window. Always verify the latest rules on Apex's help center before any news-day trading.
Topstep: News Trading Allowed (With Limits)
Topstep does not require traders to flatten positions around news events and does not impose an explicit news-trading window. However, their prohibited strategies list explicitly bans "purposefully trading your Maximum Position Size into a major news event." Within that constraint, you can:
- Open positions at any time before, during, or after any economic release
- Hold existing positions through any event
- Build strategies that include news catalysts (at reasonable position sizes)
- Trade the initial spike, the fade, or the continuation — all allowed
This makes Topstep the default choice for news-based futures traders. Combined with their Combine pricing (list $165/mo for the $50K Small Combine, often discounted to ~$49/mo with promo codes), weekly payouts, and no consistency rule, it's the cleanest path to trading funded capital around economic events.
The only caveat: Topstep still enforces their daily loss limit and trailing max drawdown. News events create large, fast moves — if you're wrong, you can hit your daily limit in seconds. The freedom to trade news doesn't mean freedom from risk management.
Other Firms: Detailed News Policies
Take Profit Trader
News trading rules vary by account type. Test accounts have no restrictions — you can trade freely around all economic events. However, PRO and PRO+ accounts restrict trading on specific major news events, with the restricted events listed in their help documentation. If you plan to trade news as your primary strategy on a funded account, verify which events are restricted before relying on TPT.
MyFundedFutures
MyFundedFutures has tiered news trading rules. Evaluations and 25K/50K Flex Plans can trade through Tier 1 news events. However, Rapid Sim Funded and Pro Sim Funded accounts must flatten all positions at least 2 minutes before Tier 1 events (FOMC, employment, CPI, and sector-specific releases like EIA for energy traders). Positions can't be reopened until 2 minutes after. News burst strategies like straddles and strangles are prohibited across all account types. This is more restrictive than the article previously stated — verify which account type you're trading on before relying on news freedom.
Tradeify
Restricted — but less aggressively than Apex. Tradeify prohibits opening new positions within 2 minutes of major scheduled news events. The 2-minute window is much tighter than Apex's 8-minute window, so continuation trades after the initial spike are typically allowed. However, holding existing positions through news may also be restricted on some account types — verify before funding.
Bulenox
Currently no explicit news trading restriction. Bulenox is known for allowing EAs and automated strategies, and their rules don't single out news events. However, they reserve the right to flag trades that exploit extreme slippage conditions. If your strategy depends on news, confirm the current policy with their support before purchasing an account.
Which News Events Actually Matter
Not all economic releases create tradeable volatility. These are the events that move ES, NQ, and CL enough to matter for news strategies:
| Event | Typical Time (ET) | Impact Level | Best Instruments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP) | 8:30 AM, first Friday | Extreme | ES, NQ, bonds |
| CPI (Consumer Price Index) | 8:30 AM | High-Extreme | ES, NQ, bonds, gold |
| FOMC Rate Decision | 2:00 PM | Extreme | ES, NQ, bonds, gold |
| FOMC Minutes | 2:00 PM | High | ES, NQ, bonds |
| PPI (Producer Price Index) | 8:30 AM | High | ES, NQ, CL |
| GDP (advance estimate) | 8:30 AM | High | ES, NQ |
| Retail Sales | 8:30 AM | Moderate-High | ES, NQ |
| Jobless Claims | 8:30 AM, weekly | Moderate | ES, NQ |
| EIA Crude Inventory | 10:30 AM, weekly | High (for CL) | CL, NG |
NFP, CPI, and FOMC are the big three. If your strategy only trades these events, you need a firm that allows news trading — there's no workaround. For moderate-impact events like jobless claims or retail sales, even firms with news restrictions may allow trading (check whether their restricted events calendar includes the specific release).
News Trading Risk Management on Funded Accounts
Even at firms that allow news trading, the funded account rules still apply. Here's how to avoid blowing your account on a news event:
- Size down. Your normal position size is not your news trading size. A 30-point ES spike in 2 seconds will blow through any stop you set. Trade 25-50% of your normal size around events.
- Know your daily loss limit. If your daily limit is $1,500 and you're trading 2 ES contracts, a 15-point adverse move wipes your day. On NFP days, 15 points can happen in the first candle.
- Don't chase the spike. The first 60 seconds after a major release are pure noise. Slippage is at its worst, spreads blow out, and stop-runs are common. The tradeable move usually comes 5-15 minutes later.
- Pre-define your max loss. Before any news event, decide: "I will risk X dollars on this trade and no more." If you hit that number, walk away. News events trigger revenge trading faster than anything else.
The Bottom Line
If news trading is core to your strategy, your firm options are clear:
- Best choice: Topstep — no explicit news window, Combine from ~$49/mo with promos (list $165), weekly payouts
- Second choice: Take Profit Trader — no restrictions on Test accounts, but PRO/PRO+ restrict major events
- Also works (with caveats): MyFundedFutures (evals + Flex Plans only; funded Rapid/Pro Sim restricted), Bulenox, TickTickTrader (verify current policies)
- Restricted for news strategies: Apex (prohibits news-specific strategies), Tradeify (2-min window)
Don't try to work around news restrictions at firms that have them. Apex, Tradeify, and MFF (on restricted account types) actively monitor for violations, and the consequences range from profit voiding to account termination. Pick a firm that matches your strategy instead of trying to game one that doesn't.
Related reading: Apex vs Topstep · Topstep review · Apex review · prop firm rules cheatsheet
