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Insights

Learn the rules. Pass the challenge.

Plain guides to prop trading challenges, risk management and payouts, plus the week's news windows.

Featured · Basics

Why Traders Fail Prop Challenges and How to Avoid It

The most avoidable reasons prop firm challenges end early: oversizing, floating losses, revenge trading, missed rules and copy-style trading.

5 min read
Basics

Why Traders Fail Prop Challenges and How to Avoid It

The most avoidable reasons prop firm challenges end early: oversizing, floating losses, revenge trading, missed rules and copy-style trading.

5 min read Basics

What Is a Prop Firm Challenge and How Does It Work?

A prop firm challenge is a paid evaluation on a simulated account. See the steps, loss limits, minimum trading days and what the funded stage means.

5 min read Rules

Two-Step vs One-Step Challenge: Which Suits You?

Compare the Two-Step and One-Step challenges: profit targets, daily and max loss, trading days, leverage and the kind of trader each route suits.

5 min read Payouts

Prop Firm Payouts Explained: Split, Timing, Verification

How payouts work on a simulated funded account: the 80/20 profit split, the gap between withdrawals, KYC checks, partial payouts and the payout limits.

4 min read Risk

Position Sizing for Prop Challenges: A Practical Guide

Learn position sizing for a prop challenge: turn a risk percentage into a trade size, check it against the daily and max loss limits, with worked examples.

5 min read Rules

News Trading Rule Explained: The 5-Minute Window

Learn how the news trading rule works: the 5 minutes before and after window, which events count, and how to plan your trading day around it.

5 min read Risk

How to Pass a Prop Firm Challenge: Risk Habits That Help

Practical risk habits for a prop firm challenge: fixed risk per trade, a personal daily stop and calm minimum trading days. Habits, not promises.

4 min read Rules

Daily Loss vs Max Loss: Equity-Based Limits Explained

Max daily loss caps how far equity can fall in a day, max loss caps the whole attempt. See both limits on each plan with a worked example in plain numbers.

5 min read

News windows

News windows, in your time

Orders placed within 5 minutes before or after covered news events aren't allowed. A position opened before the window and closed after it isn't a breach.

Main scheduled events from our calendar, not a complete list. Times can change and unscheduled events also count. Updated:
USDNon Farm Payrolls13:25–15:05
CADUnemployment Rate13:25–15:05
JPYBOJ Gov Ueda Speaks15:55–16:05
NZDParliamentary Elections21:40–21:50

General information only, not investment advice. All Sterling Pips accounts are simulated (demo) accounts.