Instruments
Index instruments can be traded on every GFN programme where they are available, at leverage up to 1:50 that can be lower on indices. Unlike forex they keep session hours, so the cash open, overnight gaps and US data releases are where the 3% and 5% daily loss limits are most often reached.
What GFN offers
GFN confirms indices can be traded where supported instruments are available. Hours follow the underlying market and leverage can be lower than on forex.
Source: Can I trade indices? The live instrument list and each instrument’s specification belong to your account.
A ceiling. Index instruments can carry lower leverage than forex.
$3.50 per side, $7 per lot round turn, charged on the simulated account.
Every trade, every programme, evaluation and funded stages.
Instant / 1 Step / 2 Step. The same figure whatever you trade.
Login details issued on purchase.
The rules that bite
The limits are the same on every instrument. What changes is which of them an instrument reaches first.
An index cash open prices hours of overnight news in minutes. Floating losses count immediately, so an entry in the first minutes can use a large share of the $5,000 daily allowance on a $100,000 1 Step account.
The rule in full →News trading is permitted during evaluations. On a simulated funded account, profits from trades opened or closed within 3 minutes before or after a relevant high-impact release may be removed. Instant starts at the funded stage, so the funded rule applies from day one. Inflation, payrolls and rate decisions move US indices hardest.
The rule in full →Overnight and weekend holding are permitted where the account type and the underlying market allow. Weekend gaps, spread changes and market closures remain the trader's risk, and a gap can trigger a drawdown breach. Indices close between sessions, so the gap is part of every multi-day hold.
The rule in full →There is no GFN schedule: index hours follow the underlying exchange and its holidays, which can bring late opens, early closes or closures.
The rule in full →Programme
Daily loss limit
Max drawdown
Instant
3% ($3,000 on $100,000)
5%, trailing
1 Step
5% ($5,000 on $100,000)
8%, trailing, locks at starting balance
2 Step
5% ($5,000 on $100,000)
8%, non-trailing
Sessions and hours
Index instruments trade around their home market's session, with a daily break. Check the instrument information on your account for the current schedule.
The first hour of the underlying market's session carries the widest range and the widest spreads of the day.
A public holiday in the index's own country can close it or shorten the session even while forex stays open.
Risk considerations
The same number of points means very different dollar risk across indices. Size each one from its own specification.
Technology-heavy benchmarks can move on a single company's results, outside the economic calendar.
A stop offers no protection across a closed market. The next price is wherever the index reopens.
Worked example
A $100,000 2 Step account and an index instrument worth $10 per point per lot - check your own account's specification.
5% of $100,000.
A plausible opening swing on a volatile index.
Before commission.
The 3% limit is $3,000.
Indices reward sizing for the open you are trading, not the quiet hour you planned in.
Can I trade indices?
Yes, where supported instruments are available.
What are the GFN trading hours?
Trading hours depend on the instrument and the liquidity available for that market.
Do trading hours change on public holidays?
They can. Major holidays can result in markets opening late, closing early or remaining closed.
Is leverage the same for every instrument?
No. Forex, metals, indices, commodities and cryptocurrencies can have different leverage requirements.
Can I hold trades overnight?
Where permitted by your specific account rules and where the underlying market remains available, yes.
Indices
Instruments tracking a basket of shares - the Dow, the S&P 500, the Nasdaq 100 and their international equivalents. Traded as contracts for difference, they give index exposure without owning any share.
US30
The common symbol for an instrument tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average, a price-weighted index of 30 large US companies. It is quoted in index points, each worth a fixed amount per contract.
NAS100
The common symbol for an instrument tracking the Nasdaq 100, an index of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq. It is the most volatile of the major US index instruments.
SPX500
The common symbol for an instrument tracking the S&P 500, a market-cap weighted index of 500 large US companies. It is the standard benchmark for the US equity market.
Contract for difference
An agreement to exchange the difference in an instrument's price between opening and closing a position. It gives exposure to the move without ownership of the underlying asset.
Market open
The moment an instrument begins trading for a session. Opens concentrate order flow that built up while the market was closed, which is why volatility spikes and spreads take time to settle.
Tick value
What one minimum price increment is worth per contract. It is the futures and index equivalent of pip value, and it converts a stop distance directly into a dollar figure.
CPI release
The monthly consumer price index, the headline measure of inflation. It drives interest rate expectations more directly than almost any other release, which is why it moves currencies, metals and index instruments simultaneously.
Forex
Forex on a simulated GFN account at up to 1:50, $7 per lot round turn. The news, hold-time and daily-limit rules that matter most for FX.
Gold and metals
Gold and metals on a simulated GFN account: leverage up to 1:50, $7 per lot round turn, and the rules that bite hardest on XAUUSD.
Commodities and oil
Oil and other commodities on a simulated GFN account, where available: leverage up to 1:50, $7 per lot round turn, gap and news rules.
Crypto
Crypto CFDs on a simulated GFN account, where offered: hours and leverage that differ, $7 per lot round turn, and how to size for volatility.
Ready when you are
One evaluation fee, no time limits and up to 90% of simulated profits. Pick an account size and your credentials arrive by email within minutes.
No subscriptions or hidden fees
Payouts every 14 days
$400,000 max total allocation