There is no common rule: the same trade on the CPI release can be allowed at one firm, cost you the account at another and get "frozen" for a minute at a third.
Why it matters
Macro releases (CPI, payrolls, FOMC) move the Nasdaq dozens of points in seconds. Many prop firms limit how you can trade them, especially with straddles (a buy order above and a sell order below the price, waiting for the whipsaw) and with bots. Breaking these rules rarely gets you a warning: it usually costs you the account and what you made.
What each firm allows (read in their help centers on October 14, 2026)
| Firm | News | Bots | Copying other traders | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APEX Trader Funding | No orders on both sides of price around news and no directionless brackets | Prohibited (no automation or algorithms) | Copying trades with other traders is prohibited | Prohibited activities |
| Lucid Trading | Prohibited on LucidDaily (flat 1 minute before and after); allowed on Flex, Pro and Direct | Allowed | Trade copiers allowed; hedging between users or between firms is prohibited | Other trading activities |
| Tradeify | No news rules | Only if you are the sole owner, with video verification and not used at other firms | Copying from or to other people's accounts is prohibited | News trading |
| Bulenox | CPI, FOMC and payrolls allowed, no blackout window | Only your own bots, for personal use | Only your own tools, for personal use | FAQ |
| MyFundedFutures | Straddles prohibited on all accounts; Rapid and Pro funded: flat 2 minutes before and after Tier 1 releases | Check with the firm | Check with the firm | News trading policy |
| Earn2Trade | Allowed in evaluation and funded accounts | Policy not found: ask support | Check with the firm | Help center |
Rules change often and depend on the account type. This summary doesn't replace each firm's terms: read them before you trade.
Three traps the table doesn't show
- A pending order counts too. At firms that require you to be flat around the release, having a live stop or limit order inside the window can be considered a violation, even if it doesn't fill until later.
- Execution on the release isn't your backtest's. In the first seconds slippage can be dozens of points, and some platforms hold orders during the restricted window and fill them when it reopens, at a very different price.
- The evaluation and the funded account can have different rules. Something allowed in the evaluation isn't necessarily allowed when you want to get paid.
What to do
- Before buying an evaluation to trade news or run a bot, search the firm's help center for news, straddle, automation and copy.
- If your firm restricts news, cancel pending orders before the window, not just your positions.
- Save a dated screenshot of the rules: if they change, you'll know which rules you traded under.
Educational content based on our own experience. Not investment advice. Firm rules change: check them on each firm's website. This article contains no affiliate links.