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TakeProfitTrader High-Impact News Rules: What You Can (and Can't) Trade

Written by Paul

Published on

December 25, 2025

TakeProfitTrader has a split personality when it comes to news trading. In Test phase, you can trade FOMC, NFP, CPI, and every other major news event without restriction. The moment you activate PRO or PRO+, that freedom disappears. You're now under a 1-minute buffer rule for high-impact U.S. economic releases—and violations can get your account terminated.

Most traders don't discover this until they're already in PRO, have positions open during NFP, and get a warning email from support. This guide breaks down exactly what's allowed, what's restricted, and how to adapt your strategy without leaving money on the table.

The Rules By Account Phase

Test Phase: Trade Everything

What's allowed:

FOMC rate decisions and press conferences
Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Producer Price Index (PPI)
Jobless Claims
GDP releases
PMI data
Retail Sales
Every other economic event on the calendar

Restrictions: Zero. You can hold positions through news, enter during news, scalp the initial spike—no limitations.

Why TPT allows this: Test is about proving you can trade profitably. If news trading is your edge, TPT wants to see it. They're evaluating your skill, not limiting your toolbox.

Strategic advantage: If you're a news trader, use Test phase to capitalize on high-volatility setups. Hit your profit target fast using FOMC or NFP. Once you're in PRO, this edge gets neutered.

PRO & PRO+ Phase: The 1-Minute Buffer Rule

What's restricted:

FOMC rate decisions and press conferences
Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP)
Consumer Price Index (CPI)

The 1-minute buffer rule:You cannot have open positions 1 minute before, during, or 1 minute after these three events.

What this means in practice:

FOMC example (2 PM ET release):

1:59 PM: Must be completely flat (no open positions)
2:00 PM: News hits, market moves—you watch from sidelines
2:01 PM: Still cannot enter (buffer continues)
2:02 PM: You're allowed to trade again

The enforcement: TPT's system monitors your account during these windows. If you have an open position at 1:59 PM and the position is still open at 2:00 PM, you've violated the rule—even if you were trying to close it and got filled at 2:00:01 PM.

What about positions opened AFTER the release? Allowed, but only after the 1-minute buffer expires. If NFP hits at 8:30 AM, you can't enter until 8:31 AM or later.

Which News Events Are Actually Restricted?

TPT only restricts three events:

FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee)
- Rate decision announcements (8 per year, usually 2 PM ET)
- FOMC meeting minutes releases (3 weeks after rate decision, 2 PM ET)
- Fed Chair press conferences (following rate decisions, ~2:30 PM ET)
NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls)
- First Friday of every month, 8:30 AM ET
- Includes unemployment rate and average hourly earnings (same release time)
CPI (Consumer Price Index)
- Monthly release, typically mid-month, 8:30 AM ET
- Includes both headline CPI and Core CPI (same time)

Everything else is fair game in PRO/PRO+:

PPI (Producer Price Index)
Jobless Claims (weekly, Thursday 8:30 AM ET)
Retail Sales
GDP releases
PMI data (ISM Manufacturing, Services)
Fed speeches (Beige Book, regional Fed presidents, etc.)
Earnings reports (individual stocks don't affect ES/NQ rules)

Why only these three? Because FOMC, NFP, and CPI create the most violent, unpredictable ES/NQ moves. TPT views these as "lottery ticket" events where outcomes are too random—they don't want traders gambling prop capital on coin-flip setups.

What Happens If You Violate the Rule?

First violation:

Email warning from TPT compliance
Account flagged for review
No immediate termination (usually)

Second violation:

Formal warning, possible profit forfeiture from that trading session
Account placed on probation

Third violation:

Account termination, no payout of remaining balance
Possible ban from opening new TPT accounts

Why TPT enforces strictly: News trading violations suggest you're either not reading the rules or deliberately ignoring them. Both indicate risk TPT won't tolerate in funded accounts.

Gray area: Accidental holds through news

You enter a position at 1:45 PM, planning to close before 2 PM FOMC. Market moves against you, you're managing the stop, and suddenly it's 1:59 PM and you're still in. You frantically close at 1:59:30 PM, but your exit fills at 2:00:02 PM (during the buffer).

Outcome: Likely a warning, not immediate termination—IF it's your first violation and you can show you tried to close before 2 PM (order timestamps prove intent). But don't count on leniency. TPT's rule is "flat before the buffer starts," not "trying to get flat."

The safe approach: Be completely flat by 1:55 PM (5 minutes before FOMC) or 8:25 AM (5 minutes before NFP/CPI). This gives you margin for error if your exit order has slippage or the market freezes up.

How to Trade Around the Restrictions (Practical Strategies)

Strategy #1: Fade the Post-News Move (After 1-Minute Buffer)

You can't trade the initial spike, but you can trade the retracement once the buffer expires.

Setup:

NFP hits at 8:30 AM, ES spikes 25 points in 30 seconds
Wait until 8:31 AM (buffer expires)
Look for exhaustion signals (volume declining, wicks forming, momentum divergence)
Enter fade setup at 8:32-8:35 AM targeting a 10-15 point retracement

Why this works: Initial news reactions are often overextended. The "smart money" fades the retail panic. You're not gambling on the number—you're trading the technical reaction.

Risk: Sometimes the initial move IS the trend and doesn't retrace (NFP beats expectations, ES rallies 40 points and keeps going). Use tight stops.

Strategy #2: Pre-Position Before the Buffer (Exit Early)

Enter setups 30-60 minutes before news based on technical levels, then exit 5-10 minutes before the buffer starts.

Example:

FOMC at 2 PM
Enter long ES at 1:15 PM based on breakout above VWAP
Target +8 points, hit by 1:45 PM
Close position at 1:50 PM (10 minutes before buffer)
Profit locked, zero news risk

Why this works: Pre-news positioning often follows technical setups (traders front-running expected moves). You capture the setup, exit before chaos.

Risk: You miss the big move if your direction was correct (ES rips 30 points post-FOMC and you're already flat). But you also avoid the 50/50 gamble.

Strategy #3: Trade Other Sessions (Avoid U.S. News Entirely)

FOMC, NFP, CPI are all U.S. session events (8:30 AM - 4 PM ET). Trade Asia or London sessions where these restrictions don't apply.

London session (3 AM - 11 AM ET): ES/NQ still active, different volatility profile, zero TPT news restrictions.

Advantage: No buffer rules. You can trade UK CPI, ECB announcements, BOE rate decisions without restrictions (TPT only restricts U.S. news).

Disadvantage: Lower liquidity in ES/NQ during Asia hours. Spreads widen, slippage increases.

Strategy #4: Build a Non-News Trading System

If you relied on news trading to pass Test, PRO is forcing you to evolve.

Develop setups that work in non-news conditions:

VWAP bounces
Order flow imbalances (using footprint/delta)
Opening range breakouts (first 30 minutes)
Market profile value area violations
Time-based patterns (reversal at London close, etc.)

Why this is essential: You'll have 250+ trading days per year. Only ~20-25 are FOMC/NFP/CPI days. If you can only trade those 20 days, you're leaving 230 days (92% of the year) on the table.

Mindset shift: News restrictions aren't killing your edge—they're forcing you to build a complete trading system that works in ALL conditions.

What About Fed Speeches, Beige Book, Other Events?

Not restricted. You can trade through:

Fed Chair Powell speeches (unless during FOMC press conference)
FOMC meeting minutes
Beige Book releases
Regional Fed president speeches
Treasury auctions
Geopolitical events (elections, wars, etc.)

Why the distinction? These events create volatility, but not the same "instant 40-point spike in 10 seconds" chaos that FOMC/NFP/CPI produce. TPT views them as tradeable volatility, not gambling.

Practical example: Jerome Powell speaks at a banking conference at 1 PM ET (not FOMC). ES moves 15 points on his comments about inflation. You can hold positions through this, enter during the speech, scalp the moves—totally allowed in PRO.

Comparison: TPT vs Competitors on News Trading

TakeProfitTrader (PRO/PRO+):

FOMC, NFP, CPI = 1-minute buffer, cannot hold positions
Everything else = unrestricted

Apex Trader Funding (All phases):

Zero news restrictions
Trade FOMC, NFP, CPI, everything
No buffers, no blackout windows

TopOne Futures (All phases):

Zero news restrictions
Explicitly markets "no news trading restrictions" as competitive advantage

Bulenox (Funded accounts):

Similar to TPT: FOMC, NFP restricted
5-minute buffer (stricter than TPT's 1-minute)

Topstep (Funded accounts):

Restricts news trading during major events
Specific buffer times vary by event

Verdict: TPT is middle-of-the-road. Stricter than Apex/TopOne (which allow everything), but more lenient than firms with 5-10 minute buffers or blanket "no news trading" policies.

If you're a pure news trader: Apex or TopOne are better fits. TPT's PRO restrictions will frustrate you.

If you're a hybrid trader (news + technical): TPT's restrictions are manageable. You trade news in Test to pass fast, then shift to technical setups in PRO.

The Calendar: Mark These Dates

2025 FOMC Meeting Dates (8 per year):

January 28-29 (2 PM ET Jan 29)
March 18-19 (2 PM ET Mar 19)
April 29-30 (2 PM ET Apr 30)
June 17-18 (2 PM ET Jun 18)
July 29-30 (2 PM ET Jul 30)
September 16-17 (2 PM ET Sep 17)
October 28-29 (2 PM ET Oct 29)
December 9-10 (2 PM ET Dec 10)

NFP (First Friday of every month, 8:30 AM ET):

12 releases per year
Occasionally delayed if first Friday is a holiday (shifts to second Friday)

CPI (Mid-month, usually 8:30 AM ET):

12 releases per year
Typical dates: 10th-15th of each month
Check economic calendar for exact times

Best practice: Add these to your trading calendar with alerts for "T-10 minutes" (reminder to be flat before buffer starts).

Common Mistakes That Trigger Violations

Mistake #1: "I'll close right before 2 PM."

You place your exit order at 1:59:45 PM. It fills at 2:00:03 PM due to slippage. Violation. Always be flat by T-5 minutes minimum.

Mistake #2: "The news already released, I can trade now."

NFP hits at 8:30:00 AM. You enter at 8:30:15 AM. Violation—the buffer extends to 8:31 AM. You must wait the full minute AFTER the release.

Mistake #3: "I'm hedged, so it's okay."

You're long 2 ES and short 2 NQ during FOMC, thinking the hedge makes it safe. Doesn't matter—you have open positions during the buffer. Violation.

Mistake #4: "I forgot FOMC was today."

Not checking the economic calendar isn't an excuse. TPT's rules apply whether you knew or not. Use a calendar app with push notifications.

Mistake #5: "PPI is high-impact too, so I avoided it."

PPI, Jobless Claims, Retail Sales—none are restricted. You're leaving tradeable volatility on the table by over-interpreting the rules.

The Bottom Line

TakeProfitTrader's news trading rules are simple: Test = trade everything, PRO/PRO+ = avoid FOMC/NFP/CPI 1-minute buffers, everything else is fair game.

If you're a news trader, use Test phase to capitalize on volatility and pass fast. Once in PRO, either adapt to non-news setups or trade the post-news retracements after the buffer expires.

The 1-minute buffer is less restrictive than some competitors (Bulenox uses 5 minutes), but stricter than others (Apex has zero restrictions). It's a middle-ground policy designed to prevent "lottery ticket" gambling on the three most volatile U.S. releases.

Mark FOMC/NFP/CPI dates on your calendar, set T-5 minute alerts to close positions, and build a trading system that doesn't depend on these 20-25 days per year. Do that, and TPT's news restrictions won't hurt your profitability—they'll just force you to become a more complete trader.