NAS100 is one of the most popular instruments for prop firm traders — and one of the most dangerous. The Nasdaq 100 can move 150–300 points in a single session, which means position sizing, session timing, and strict journaling aren't optional. They're what separates funded traders from traders who repeatedly blow their daily loss limit.
Why NAS100 Is Different From Forex
Most trading journals are built around forex pairs. NAS100 operates on different dynamics:
Volatility spikes around specific events: US CPI, FOMC meetings, NFP, and earnings from Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Meta, and Amazon can all cause 200–500 point NAS100 moves in minutes.
Session timing matters enormously: The best NAS100 setups come in two windows — the pre-market/open (13:30–15:30 UTC) and the close (20:00–21:00 UTC). Trading NAS100 during the European session is a different game entirely.
Gap risk is real: NAS100 can gap 100–300 points at the Monday open or after major after-hours earnings. Overnight positions carry significant risk on FTMO accounts where daily loss limits are hard rules.
Pip value vs. lot size: On NAS100, 1 lot = $1 per point move on most brokers. A 200-point move against you on 1 lot is -$200. On FTMO's $10K challenge, that's -2% from a single trade.
What to Track in Your NAS100 Journal
A proper NAS100 journal entry should include:
After journaling 100 NAS100 trades, you might discover you're consistently profitable on trend continuations during NY Open but lose 73% of your reversal attempts. That's the kind of insight that changes how you trade.
FTMO-Specific NAS100 Rules to Track
FTMO's daily loss limit of 5% is measured in dollars. On a $100K FTMO account, you have a $5,000 daily loss buffer. A 5-lot position during a 300-point FOMC reaction can wipe 30% of your daily limit in minutes. Your journal must track lot size relative to account balance, not just trade outcome.
Key FTMO rules for NAS100 traders:
Building a NAS100 Performance Breakdown
After 30–50 trades, your journal should answer:
TMI's analytics dashboard breaks all of this down automatically once you've imported your trade history.
The Most Common NAS100 Mistakes
1. Trading during news without a plan — Spreads widen, slippage increases, and moves can be violent and instantly reversed. Always journal whether news was a factor.
2. Oversizing relative to NAS100 volatility — NAS100's average daily range means traders often use larger position sizes and experience larger losses than expected. Your journal reveals this pattern clearly.
3. No session filter — NAS100 during the Asian session (00:00–07:00 UTC) is low volume and choppy. Most TMI users who filter out Asian session trades improve their overall P&L immediately.
4. Ignoring the higher timeframe trend — Traders who fight the 4H trend on NAS100 show significantly worse outcomes than those who trade with it.
Setting Up Your NAS100 Journal in TMI
1. Import your MT4/MT5 history — TMI identifies NAS100/US30 trades automatically
2. Tag your sessions — Apply NY Open, London, or Overlap tags to trades
3. Set NAS100-specific rules — "No trading 30 minutes before/after high-impact US news"
4. Review the Instruments tab — See your NAS100 performance broken out from other instruments
5. Use the AI Mentor — Ask it what your worst NAS100 patterns are and get specific answers
Indices trading on prop firm accounts is high-reward and high-risk. The traders who stay funded know which sessions to trade, which setups to avoid, and how much NAS100 volatility their daily limit can absorb. That knowledge comes from journaling.
[Track your NAS100 trades with TMI →](/register)