2 Step Pro V2 - News Trading Rule
Trading around major news events carries increased risk due to volatility, slippage, delayed execution, and market gaps.
The News Trading Rule is designed to protect funded accounts from excessive risk during high-impact news events.
Where the News Rule Applies
Stage | News Trading |
Phase 1 Challenge | Allowed |
Phase 2 Challenge | Allowed |
Funded Account | Restricted |
During all challenge phases, traders may trade during news events without restrictions.
Once funded, news trading restrictions apply.
Funded News Restriction Window
On funded 2 Step Pro V2 accounts, traders may not execute or close trades within the restricted news window.
The restricted window is:
5 minutes before a high-impact news event
5 minutes after a high-impact news event
Total restricted window:
10 minutes
What Counts as Executing a Trade?
The following actions are not allowed during the restricted news window:
Opening a new trade
Closing an existing trade
Executing a market order
Opening or closing a pending order
Placing buy stop or sell stop orders
Placing limit orders
Modifying a stop loss
Modifying a take profit
Any of these actions during the restricted window may be considered a violation.
Holding Trades During News
You are allowed to hold trades during a high-impact news event if the trade was opened before the restricted window begins.
However, unless the news trading exception applies:
If your trade is closed during the restricted window, it is a violation
If your stop loss is triggered during the restricted window, it is a violation
If your take profit is triggered during the restricted window, it is a violation
If you manually close the trade during the restricted window, it is a violation
News Trading Exception
If a trade was opened at least 5 hours before the high-impact news event, the trade may remain open during the restricted window.
In this case:
Stop Loss may be triggered during the restricted window without violating the rule
Take Profit may be triggered during the restricted window without violating the rule
However, manual trade actions are still not allowed during the restricted window.
This means you may not manually close, open, or modify trades during the 5 minutes before or 5 minutes after the news event.
High-Impact News Events
Only high-impact news events that directly affect the instrument being traded are restricted.
You may trade during:
Low-impact news
Medium-impact news
High-impact news that does not directly affect the instrument being traded
However, all major U.S. high-impact news events affect all trading instruments.
Examples include:
Federal Reserve Interest Rate Decisions
FOMC Statements and Meetings
Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Any other high-impact U.S. news event
In general, if it is a high-impact U.S. news event, it applies across all trading pairs and instruments.
News Calendars Used
To determine whether an event is high-impact, traders should refer to the official calendars used by Top One Trader:
If either calendar marks an event as high-impact, it falls under the News Trading Rule.
What Happens If the Rule Is Violated?
A first news trading violation is generally treated as a soft breach.
This means:
The account may remain open
Profits from the violating trade may be deducted
The payout request may be affected
The violation may be recorded on the account
Repeated violations may result in stricter action, including account termination or hard breach.
Disclaimer
By holding trades during a major news event, traders acknowledge and accept the risks involved.
These risks include:
Slippage
Market gaps
Delayed execution
Increased volatility
Wider spreads
Top One Trader is not responsible for losses caused by volatility, slippage, or execution issues during news events.
Traders remain responsible for managing their own risk at all times.