TakeProfitTrader runs three account phases (Test, PRO, PRO+) with rule sets that change meaningfully across each — EOD trailing drawdown on Test and PRO+, intraday trailing drawdown on PRO, and the daily loss limit removed across all phases since January 2025. Full breakdown in my TakeProfitTrader rules guide, or read my complete TPT review. Sign up at TakeProfitTrader with code NOFEE40 or check the Help Center.
The news trading policy at TakeProfitTrader is phase-dependent. In the Test evaluation there are no restrictions: you can hold through any economic release. In the PRO live phase you must be fully flat 1 minute before and 1 minute after high-impact events including FOMC, NFP, CPI, and GDP. PRO+ eases that restriction. Understanding which phase you are in and which events trigger the window is the difference between a funded account that stays funded and one that gets flagged on a Monday morning.
Paul has traded TakeProfitTrader for ~3 years and withdrawn $20K+ in real payouts, including time on both PRO and PRO+ accounts. The news rule is one of the first things a trader needs to internalize when moving from Test to PRO, because the PRO phase introduces the intraday trailing drawdown and news spikes interact with that mechanic in ways that can blow an account in under two minutes. More on that below.
What is the news trading policy at TakeProfitTrader?
TakeProfitTrader splits its rules by account phase (Test, PRO, and PRO+) and the news policy follows that same structure.
The Test phase (the evaluation you purchase and trade before getting funded) has no news-trading restriction. You can enter, hold, or add to positions right through a CPI print or an FOMC announcement. The only rules in Test are the profit target, the EOD trailing drawdown, the 50% consistency cap on any single day's profit, and the 5-day minimum trading requirement. News is not on that list.
The PRO phase (the live funded account where TakeProfitTrader pays an 80/20 split) does carry a news restriction. You are required to have no open positions and no working orders during the restricted window around high-impact economic releases. The standard window is 1 minute before the release time and 1 minute after, two minutes total per event. Any position still open when that window begins is a rule violation.
The PRO+ phase (auto-promoted after TPT's performance review, 90/10 split, live Tradovate execution) eases the PRO restriction. Because PRO+ also reverts the drawdown mechanic from intraday back to EOD, the structural reason the restriction is most dangerous in PRO is reduced. Verify the exact PRO+ news window through TakeProfitTrader's help center before you trade a live event on that account.
A three-phase summary in table form:
| Phase | News Restriction | Drawdown Type | Profit Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test | None | EOD trailing | n/a (eval) |
| PRO | Flat 1 min before/after high-impact events | Intraday trailing | 80/20 |
| PRO+ | Eased (verify current rules) | EOD trailing | 90/10 |
For the full rules picture across all three phases, see the TakeProfitTrader rules overview and the TakeProfitTrader trailing drawdown guide.
Which news events trigger the restriction?
TakeProfitTrader's help center publishes the specific list of restricted events for PRO accounts. Based on available documentation as of May 2026, the confirmed high-impact events include:
- FOMC rate decision: Federal Open Market Committee interest rate announcement
- FOMC dot plot (projections summary): typically published with the rate decision at quarterly meetings
- FOMC press conference: the Chair's Q&A session following the rate decision
- Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP): first Friday of each month, 8:30 AM ET
- Consumer Price Index (CPI): monthly inflation print, 8:30 AM ET
- Core CPI: typically released on the same day and time as CPI
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP): advance, second, and final revisions
- Producer Price Index (PPI): monthly producer inflation data
- ISM Manufacturing PMI: monthly survey, market-moving on release
The rule of thumb: any event rated as high impact (red) on ForexFactory or the CME Group economic calendar should be treated as restricted on a PRO account. When in doubt, be flat. The cost of missing a two-minute window is zero. The cost of trading through a restricted event and getting flagged is your funded account.
Most of these events cluster on specific mornings. NFP is always the first Friday. FOMC decisions come eight times a year on pre-published dates. Checking the calendar on Sunday evening before the week starts is a five-minute habit that prevents the majority of accidental violations.
What is the exact restriction window?
The documented window for TakeProfitTrader PRO accounts is 1 minute before the release and 1 minute after, two minutes total per event. You must be fully flat going into that window: all open positions closed, all working orders cancelled.
Practical timing for an 8:30 AM ET release:
| Time (ET) | Action required |
|---|---|
| 8:28:00 AM | Deadline to be fully flat (positions closed, orders cancelled) |
| 8:28:00–8:30:00 AM | Restriction active: no entries, no open positions |
| 8:30:00 AM | Release time |
| 8:30:00–8:31:00 AM | Restriction still active: no entries, no open positions |
| 8:31:01 AM | Earliest permitted re-entry |
Two additional points worth noting:
First, on FOMC days with a press conference, the safest interpretation is to remain flat through the press conference itself, not just the initial rate-decision release. The press conference starts 30 minutes after the decision and is its own source of volatility.
Second, "flat" means fully flat. A position you entered before the window begins but left open into the window is a violation. Partial closes that leave residual size are a violation. Set your platform alerts for the event times and treat the deadline seriously.
How does this differ between Test, PRO, and PRO+?
The short version: Test is unrestricted. PRO is fully restricted. PRO+ eases that restriction.
The reason the difference matters most in PRO comes down to the intraday trailing drawdown. In the Test phase, the drawdown updates once per day at 5 PM ET on your closing balance. A news spike that runs against you before reversing is annoying but survivable, because the drawdown floor only moves on closes, not intraday peaks.
In the PRO phase, the drawdown follows your real-time peak balance including unrealized gains. If you are long ES and CPI comes in hot, the spread may gap you to a point where the drawdown floor (which locked at your new equity high during the spike) is now at or above your current equity. You can be technically breached before you even close the position. This is the mechanical reason the news restriction exists in PRO and not in Test.
The "easy to pass, hard to keep" sentiment that runs through Reddit and Trustpilot for TakeProfitTrader is almost entirely about this dynamic. The Test evaluation uses forgiving EOD mechanics. The PRO account uses intraday mechanics that are more sensitive to volatility. News events are the most concentrated source of that volatility.
PRO+ reverts to EOD trailing drawdown, which meaningfully reduces the risk profile of holding through a release. That is why the restriction can be eased at the PRO+ level without the same catastrophic downside. For full context on how the drawdown mechanics interact with news events, the TakeProfitTrader trailing drawdown guide covers the intraday vs EOD difference in detail. The TakeProfitTrader PRO vs PRO+ comparison covers what changes when you move between phases.
What happens if you trade through restricted news?
Trading through a restricted high-impact window on a PRO account is a rule violation. TakeProfitTrader's risk team reviews flagged accounts and the outcome ranges from a warning on first occurrence to an immediate breach ruling depending on the severity and intent.
The factors that typically determine severity:
- Clear intent vs. accidental: A single trade seconds before a release with a tight stop may be reviewed differently from a position that spans the full window on an FOMC day
- Profit from the violation: Accounts that generated significant profit by trading through a restricted window are more likely to be breached outright than accounts that took a small loss
- Repeat pattern: Multiple violations across time suggest a systematic approach that the risk team is unlikely to excuse
The practical consequence is account closure. You lose the funded account. You can purchase a new Test account and start the evaluation process again, but the PRO account and any accumulated balance in it are gone. For a $100K PRO account that required a $330/month Test subscription to reach, that is a material loss.
There is no formal appeal process documented in the public help center for news-violation breaches. The ruling is generally final.
The TakeProfitTrader rules overview covers all rule violations and breach outcomes in a single reference. The TakeProfitTrader payout rules guide covers how breaches interact with the withdrawal buffer requirement.
How do you trade around news at TakeProfitTrader?
Three approaches work in practice for PRO accounts:
Approach 1: Be flat for the window, re-enter after
This is the standard approach for traders who use news as a trade trigger. Check your calendar the night before or morning of. Set a platform alert for T-2 minutes before any restricted release. At the alert, close all positions and cancel all working orders. Wait 60 seconds after the release before re-entering. Your first entry after the window captures the post-release momentum without the restriction risk.
For FOMC days, add a second flat window during the press conference. The Chair's comments frequently generate a second volatility event 30 minutes after the initial release.
Approach 2: Avoid news days entirely
Traders who do not rely on news-driven moves find it simpler to not trade at all on heavy release days. FOMC days, NFP Fridays, and CPI mornings tend to see compressed price action before the release and chaotic price action after. If your strategy is trend-following or relies on structured market-open patterns, the news-day price behavior often disrupts those patterns anyway.
Approach 3: Adjust position sizing before news windows
If you have a swing position you want to maintain through a macro environment shift (e.g., holding a position overnight ahead of a CPI that will confirm or deny a trend), reduce size to a level where even a maximum-adverse spike cannot trigger the drawdown floor. Then flatten before the restricted window and re-open after. This is a position-management approach rather than a restriction-avoidance approach.
For practical calendar tools: ForexFactory's weekly calendar is the most widely used in the retail futures community. The CME Group economic calendar is the primary source. TradingView's built-in economic calendar works if you are running Tradovate + TradingView as your platform setup.
For a full look at how to manage the PRO account mechanics day-to-day, see TakeProfitTrader strategies and trading approaches.
How does this compare to other firms?
News trading policies across prop firms vary significantly. TakeProfitTrader's PRO restriction is in the middle of the industry spectrum.
| Firm | News Trading Policy (Funded Phase) |
|---|---|
| TakeProfitTrader PRO | Flat 1 min before/after high-impact events (FOMC, NFP, CPI, GDP, PPI, ISM) |
| Topstep Funded | Similar restriction: flat during high-impact news; window comparable to TPT |
| Lucid Trading | Stricter: wider restriction window and broader list of restricted events |
| Apex Trader Funding | Looser: news trading generally permitted on funded accounts |
| TradeDay | News restrictions apply on funded accounts; specific window details vary by account type |
vs. Topstep: The most commonly compared firm in the news-restriction context. Topstep's Funded Trader rules run a similar 1-minute restriction window around high-impact events. Traders coming from Topstep to TakeProfitTrader will find the policy familiar. See the TakeProfitTrader vs Topstep comparison for a full side-by-side. Topstep's broader rule structure is covered at /prop-firms/topstep.
vs. Lucid Trading: Lucid runs a stricter news policy. The restriction window is wider and the list of monitored events is broader. If you have been trading Lucid and are moving to TakeProfitTrader, the TPT PRO restriction will feel more permissive by comparison. Lucid's full rule set is at /prop-firms/lucid-trading.
vs. Apex Trader Funding: Apex takes a looser approach to news trading on funded accounts. This is one area where TPT is more restrictive than Apex. If news-event trading is a significant part of your edge, Apex may be a better fit for your strategy. Apex's structure is detailed at /prop-firms/apex-trader-funding. The TakeProfitTrader vs Apex comparison covers the full trade-off.
vs. TradeDay: TradeDay funded accounts carry news restrictions, with timing that varies by account type. The TradeDay prop firm page has the current rule details.
For context on TakeProfitTrader's full rule set beyond the news policy, the TakeProfitTrader accounts overview covers how Test, PRO, and PRO+ differ across every rule dimension.
The bottom line
TakeProfitTrader's news trading policy is straightforward once you know which phase you are in. Test is unrestricted. PRO requires flat positions 1 minute before and 1 minute after high-impact releases, and the restriction interacts with the intraday trailing drawdown in ways that can end an account in a single volatile moment. PRO+ eases the restriction as part of a broader mechanical shift back to EOD drawdown.
The practical answer for PRO traders is simple: check the calendar every morning, build a pre-release flat habit, and treat the two-minute window as non-negotiable. The events that trigger the restriction are predictable and pre-scheduled. There is no good reason to be caught holding a position when FOMC drops at 2 PM ET.
Paul has run both PRO and PRO+ live accounts at TakeProfitTrader over ~3 years. The news rule is one of the cleaner policies in the funded-futures space: the restriction is narrow, the events are well-defined, and the logic behind it is sound given how the intraday drawdown works. It is not a reason to avoid TakeProfitTrader, but it is a reason to have a calendar open before every trading session.
Use code NOFEE40 when signing up for a Test account to get 40% off the monthly subscription for the life of the account and to waive the $130 PRO activation fee. That offer has been rolling forward consistently through 2026 and functions as a near-permanent standing discount.
For a full picture of all TPT rules in one place, start with the TakeProfitTrader complete rules guide. If you are comparing accounts before choosing a size, the TakeProfitTrader accounts overview breaks down every size from $25K to $150K across all three phases. The TakeProfitTrader FAQ covers the most common questions across all topics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does TakeProfitTrader allow news trading?
It depends on your phase. The Test evaluation phase has no news-trading restrictions at all. The PRO live phase requires flat positions during high-impact economic releases (the restriction window is typically 1 minute before and 1 minute after the release). PRO+ is understood to ease PRO-phase restrictions.
Which news events trigger the restriction at TakeProfitTrader?
High-impact events confirmed to trigger the PRO-phase restriction include: FOMC rate decisions, FOMC dot plot projections, Non-Farm Payrolls, CPI, Core CPI, GDP (advance and revision), PPI, and ISM Manufacturing. TPT's help center lists the full schedule; treat any red-rated release on a major economic calendar as restricted.
What is the exact news-trading window at TakeProfitTrader?
The restriction window in the PRO phase is 1 minute before the release and 1 minute after. You must be fully flat (no open positions, no working orders) during that window. Two minutes total per event is the working rule.
Can I trade news during my TakeProfitTrader Test evaluation?
Yes. The Test phase has no news-trading policy. You can hold positions through any economic release without restriction. That changes the moment you reach PRO status.
What happens if I trade through a restricted news window on my PRO account?
Your account can be flagged for rule review and, in clear-cut cases, ruled as a breach. TPT's terms treat trading through restricted windows the same as other rule violations. The account is reviewed by the risk team, and you risk losing the funded account.
Why does TakeProfitTrader restrict news trading in PRO?
The PRO phase uses an intraday trailing drawdown that follows real-time peak balance including unrealized gains. A sharp news spike can push unrealized PnL into territory that moves the drawdown floor before the position is closed, wiping an account in seconds even if the position eventually recovers. The restriction protects both the trader and the firm from slippage-driven account destruction.
Does PRO+ have the same news-trading restriction as PRO?
PRO+ is understood to ease the restriction compared to PRO. Because PRO+ also reverts from intraday to EOD trailing drawdown, the mechanics that make news spikes most dangerous are reduced. Confirm the exact PRO+ news rules via TakeProfitTrader's help center before you trade a live event.
How should I manage news days on my TakeProfitTrader PRO account?
Check an economic calendar like ForexFactory or the CME Group economic calendar each morning. Note any red-rated releases. Be fully flat, positions closed and orders cancelled, at least 60 seconds before the release. Wait at least 60 seconds after the release before re-entering. On FOMC days with press conferences, stay flat through the press conference as well.
How does TakeProfitTrader's news policy compare to Topstep?
Both firms run a similar 1-minute-before, 1-minute-after restriction on high-impact events for funded/live accounts. Topstep's Funded Trader rules mirror the same core logic. Lucid Trading is stricter with a wider restriction window, while Apex Trader Funding takes a looser stance on news trading in general.
Is there a list of restricted news events at TakeProfitTrader?
TakeProfitTrader's help center publishes the full list of restricted events. As of May 2026 the confirmed high-impact events include FOMC rate decisions, FOMC dot plot, NFP, CPI, Core CPI, GDP, PPI, and ISM Manufacturing. Any event rated as high impact on CME's or ForexFactory's calendar should be treated as potentially restricted.
Can I use automated strategies or bots during news at TakeProfitTrader?
TakeProfitTrader prohibits coordinated trading and certain bot configurations regardless of news timing. Automated strategies are not exempt from the news-trading restriction on PRO accounts. If your bot cannot be configured to flatten positions before restricted windows, you should disable it on news days or use a strategy that explicitly avoids those windows.
What economic calendar should I use to track TPT-restricted events?
The CME Group economic calendar and ForexFactory are the most widely used in the futures prop firm community. Both flag FOMC, NFP, CPI, GDP, and PPI as high-impact. Cross-reference with TPT's own help-center list if you are uncertain about a specific release.