Trader Lab · News
Economic calendar, read it without gambling the headline
A calendar lists scheduled data releases (CPI, jobs, rates). Traders watch impact labels and the gap between forecast and actual. Spreads and slippage can widen around prints, education only, not a strategy.
75%+ of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs.
Columns that matter
- Time, usually in a chosen timezone
- Currency, which FX pairs may react
- Impact, vendor tags (high/medium/low)
- Forecast / previous / actual, consensus vs print
Forecast vs actual
Markets often price the expected number in advance. Surprises (actual far from forecast) can move prices quickly. Quiet “as expected” prints can still chop if positioning was crowded.
Practical caution
Around major releases, some traders reduce size or stand aside. Others trade the volatility knowingly. Neither approach is advised here, know your platform’s gap and slippage behaviour on demo first.
Where to practise
Mark a high-impact event on a free calendar, watch a demo chart through the release, then journal what happened to spread and price. Link back to session hours for context.
FAQ
Which calendar should I use?
Many free calendars exist (broker-built or third-party). Prefer one that shows timezone clearly and cites the data source.
Do I need news trading to succeed?
No. Many people avoid event windows entirely. This page only explains the tool.