How & Why I Trade FOMC
🎙️ How & Why I Trade FOMC — A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Risk, Reward & Real Strategy
In the latest Market Mamas episode, I (Becky, host of Market Mamas) pull back the curtain on one of the most volatile trading days on the calendar: FOMC Day.
Even though Market Mamas doesn’t focus on technical analysis or trading signals predominately, I felt inspired and compelled to share my journey of trading FOMC because of the lessons, risks, and patterns I’ve uncovered over years of careful study and backtesting.
This isn’t a “how-to.” It’s a “here’s what I’ve learned the hard way.”
Here are the key takeaways from the episode “How and Why I Trade FOMC” — and why you need to watch the full breakdown in the above episode if you’ve ever been curious (or nervous) about trading FOMC.
📈 What Is FOMC — and Why Should Traders Care?
United States FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) meetings happen 8 times a year, roughly every 6 weeks. These sessions are pivotal because they involve announcements about federal interest rates — which can shake up global markets in a matter of seconds.
Most mentors advise staying away from trading during FOMC due to the extreme volatility and unpredictable price swings. And I agree — for most traders, especially beginners, it's best to observe, not participate.
But I have always been a curious one.
🧠 From Caution through Curiosity: My Trading Evolution with it
I started with paper trading and then eval accounts — low risk / simulated environments — to test the waters.
Studied every session religiously — documenting context, pre-market sentiment, intraday moves, and price reactions.
Built a large Google Doc (plus handwritten notes!) of patterns, commonalities, and timing-based insights.
Refined my strategy over YEARS, only risking real capital once a consistent pattern emerged.
⏰ My Golden Window: The FOMC Pivot Time
Through backtesting, I discovered a high-probability window between 11:35 and 11:45 a.m. PST, where a key price pivot often occurs — leading to large, quick moves often in the opposite direction of the initial FOMC spike.
“I found that between 11:35 and 11:45, there’s almost always a retest and rejection… and I can often get a sick entry if I’ve done the pre-work.”
Chasing the initial 11:00 a.m. move was too inconsistent for my strategy. Instead, waiting for a retest rejection around 11:40 gave me a much more reliable setup — especially when tied to larger timeframe context.
⚠️ Risk Management Is Non-Negotiable
Despite the excitement of the FOMC “pump,” Defined risk is king.
I never trade without a stop — usually placing it just outside the pivot wick I am trading against.
My leverage is appropriate to my account size and my entries and exits scale in and out based on the price action and confirmations from the market data — not on emotion or greed.
This allows me to maintain discipline, even in fast-moving, high-stakes setups.
“You can’t just throw money at this with wide-open stops… that’s not how I behave as a trader.”
🎯 From Curiosity to Confidence
I do not claim to be a guru or signal caller — and Market Mamas isn’t primarily about teaching technical setups. But this episode is a powerful example of what focused curiosity + repetition + data-driven refinement can lead to as a trader.
I’ve taken FOMC — one of the market’s riskiest events — and turned it into a personal high-conviction setup, backed by years of work and study.
“We all have to find the setups that speak to us. And when you do, you dig deep. You do the work. You get better.”
📺 Why You Should Watch the Full Episode Linked Above
If you’re looking for:
A raw, honest account of how one trader more safely approaches high-volatility days
A detailed breakdown of risk management in fast-moving markets
Inspiration to refine your own system — not follow someone else’s blindly
👉 This episode is a must-watch.
Within the episode, I even screen shares two of my real FOMC trades — including annotated charts, entry points, stop placements, and how I scaled in and out.
Whether you’re curious about FOMC or just want to see how a trader thinks critically, adapts over time, and owns their process — this one’s for you.
🎥 Watch the full episode now: "How and Why I Trade FOMC"
Be inspired to trade smarter, not riskier.
(And remember: Do your own due diligence!)
Thank you to everyone who is subscribing to the podcast, reading the blogs, and providing me with feedback! I am truly grateful to be growing this Market Mamas podcast and community with you all! I love talking about my favorite subject - trading! Miss Market is abundant for those of us that embrace a growth mindset and pursue deliberate practice in learning her tells and our own tendencies. And trading absolutely can be an avenue for the wildest success. But not without diligent work for many many months and years. But to those who show up for the effort and dedication, you are my people and I would love to get to know you better! Please take a moment to shoot me a comment on https://www.market-mamas.com/contact!
Happy trading and I wish you focus with your process and clarity in your next trade. Let’s go!