GRADTRADERS UNITED STATES

US Traders: Free Tools, Research & More from GradTraders

Free tools and research for US traders, from stocks and listed futures to the Sunday-evening Nikkei 225 Challenge. Explore providers, build your workflow and follow Matthew’s public trading record.

Use Global Market Radar — Free Explore Trading Research

150+Research articles

24Brokers compared

50Comparison fields

How we research →

Matthew Jackson · GradTraders · United States guide · Content revised 8 October 2026

THE NIKKEI 225 CHALLENGE · SUNDAY AFTERNOON / EVENING IN THE US

Why follow the Nikkei 225 Challenge?

Every Monday in Tokyo, Matthew trades the Nikkei 225 on a one-minute chart, often in less-than-ideal market conditions. For US viewers, that session falls on Sunday afternoon or evening.

Follow him over weeks and months to see how he gets on when the market isn’t making things easy. The livestreams and public Trading Record let you follow the trades and results over time, including the difficult sessions.

The Challenge uses a demo account. Weekly results and replays are published in the Trading Record.

Watch Sunday Live View the Full Challenge

Matthew Jackson TradingWatch Episode 3, then follow subsequent sessions through the Challenge and public Trading Record.Click the image to play Episode 3 · English captions through YouTube CC

Tokyo Monday 09:00 JST corresponds to US Sunday 20:00 EDT and 17:00 PDT during daylight time, or 19:00 EST and 16:00 PST during standard time; stream times and holidays should be checked.

FREE GRADTRADERS TOOLS

Three free tools from GradTraders

Premium market tools. Free to use.

See what’s moving across global markets without constantly switching between charts. The GT Global Market Radar brings your chosen markets together on one screen, with candle-based price signals, market activity indicators and countdowns to market openings and closings.

Built by Matthew Jackson, it’s designed to stay open beside your charts throughout your trading session.

Price Action: candle-based volatility signals across eight timeframes, highlighting new closing highs and lows.
Participation: unusually high or low tick activity across four short-term timeframes.
Market countdowns: time to the next opening or closing event, shown in your timezone.
A global snapshot: keep your chosen markets in view together, with market status, holidays and alerts close at hand.

Open Global Market Radar — Free Read the Full Guide

Prop Firm Offer Finder

Filter more than 140,000 possible combinations by firm, programme, account size and conditions before comparing the final rules. Check the selected programme’s US eligibility and platform before purchase.

Open the Free Offer Finder

Compound Interest Calculator

Model starting capital, regular contributions, time and assumed returns directly in the browser. It is free and requires no email address or account.

Open the Free Calculator

US BROKER RESEARCH

Start with the US product and the company behind the account

Our broker research compares platforms, costs and account providers. For US traders, the first distinction is between an available US service and a global offering aimed at other countries.

GradTraders Partner · US listed futures

Plus500 US Futures

Explore listed index futures, including Nikkei and Micro Nikkei contracts, alongside major US markets. Plus500US Financial Services LLC is a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant and NFA member, NFA ID 0001398.

GradTraders is a commercial partner of Plus500. This is its US futures service, separate from the international CFD offering. Trading privileges require approval; futures and options carry substantial risk, and losses can exceed the original investment.

Read Plus500 Research Entity & Regulation Research

Compare the wider research

Explore the 24-broker research bank across 50 comparison fields, then investigate the US entity, product access, costs and platform behind your shortlist. Global scores do not establish US eligibility.

Compare 24 Brokers Costs & Execution

International partner research

IC Markets and FP Markets remain covered in our international research. These links provide background comparisons; they are not US account-opening offers.

IC Markets Research FP Markets Research

PROP-FIRM RESEARCH FOR US TRADERS

Compare the programme, platform and US eligibility

FTMO US offers a dedicated US route; E8 adds a simulated futures comparison. The5ers and Funded Trading Plus give you further programme choices, with US platform limitations to consider.

GradTraders Partner · dedicated US route

FTMO US

Compare its structured simulated evaluation and reward-account framework. The US service has its own eligibility, tax and banking requirements; check those before paying for a Challenge.

Visit FTMO US US Prop Research

GradTraders Partner · simulated futures

E8 Markets

Explore its simulated futures programmes and trading rules. Its futures instrument list includes Nikkei, S&P 500 and Nasdaq contracts, providing a link between the Sunday session and the US trading week.

Visit E8 Markets E8 Review

GradTraders Partner · progression & scaling

The5ers

Compare progression and scaling rules with the other evaluation approaches. The5ers’ terms prohibit MetaQuotes platforms for US residents; check the platform offered to you.

GradTraders code: UR06YMJ — check current purchase conditions.

Visit The5ers The5ers Review

GradTraders Partner · evaluation choices

Funded Trading Plus

Compare several simulated evaluation structures and their rules. FT+ states that MT5 is unavailable in the US, so confirm the current platform before purchase.

GradTraders code: GRADTRADERS10 — confirm current checkout applicability.

Visit FT+FT+ Review

Compare Prop Firms Use the Free Offer Finder

Evaluation services differ from brokerage accounts. Check the chosen product’s residency, platform, KYC, payment and reward requirements. FTMO US also specifies restrictions for certain state-registered entities; its current eligibility policy is linked in Sources.

SOFTWARE & TOOLS FOR US TRADERS

Build a workflow for charts, trade review and testing

Research US stocks and futures, review your trades and test ideas across a larger sample. Hosting and automation tools fill specialist roles when your platform and account support them.

GradTraders Partner · US charts & futures research

TradingView

Follow US stocks, indices and futures with charts, watchlists and alerts. Keep your own charts open alongside Radar, then explore paper trading and replay tools.

Open TradingView TradingView Review

GradTraders Partner · stocks, options & futures journal

TraderSync

Bring trades, screenshots and recurring mistakes together. Its stock, options and futures journal helps you review decisions across a larger sample; check support for your broker and platform.

Visit TraderSync Software Research

GradTraders Partner · historical strategy testing

Forex Tester

Practise and test trading ideas across historical data, including available US market datasets. Check the exact instrument coverage before choosing your test.

Visit Forex Tester Backtesting Research

GradTraders Partner · specialist MetaTrader automation

EA Builder Pro

Turn defined trading rules into an Expert Advisor without hand-coding it. This is a specialist MetaTrader tool, not a general futures platform; check account and strategy compatibility.

Visit EA Builder Pro Automation Research

GradTraders Partner · New York & Chicago hosting

ForexVPS.net

Keep compatible trading software running when your computer is off. Its US locations include New York and Chicago; compare measured latency to your trading server.

Visit ForexVPS Latency Research

GradTraders Partner · futures VPS alternative

FXVM

A second US hosting choice, with New York and Chicago locations and a dedicated futures-VPS offering. Compare platform requirements, latency and current plans.

Visit FXVM Latency Research

Over 150 articles to help you find your next trading tool or provider

Explore over 150 articles covering brokers, prop firms, trading software, trading guides and more. The valuable GradTraders research bank brings these choices together, helping you compare costs, features and practical uses. Behind the broker research is a database of 24 providers and 50 comparison fields, covering platforms, support, deposits, withdrawals and more.

Broker reviews Prop firms Software & tools Trading guides Where traders invest

Compare 24 brokers How we research

THE CHALLENGE AND PUBLIC TRADING RECORD

Follow the trades beyond the final result

Review a trade from the open position to the final result, then connect the session to the weekly Trading Record.

For US viewers, Tokyo’s Monday 09:00 open arrives on Sunday: 20:00 ET / 17:00 PT during US daylight saving time, or 19:00 ET / 16:00 PT during standard time. Follow the livestream before the US cash-market week, or return to the replay later.

Three public checkpoints from the Trading Record evidenceOpen the same public replay at three points to review the trade while it is still developing, the open P/L changing, and the final result.

15:30

Position still developingReview the trade before the outcome is known instead of seeing only the finished result.

30:00

Open P/L changesSee how the position is managed while the result is still moving rather than jumping to the close.

38:00

Final resultReview the result near the end of the stream, then connect it to the weekly Trading Record entry.

The images are YouTube preview images from the same public replay rather than stills captured at each timestamp. Each card opens the exact 15:30, 30:00 or 38:00 point in context.

View the Full Challenge Open the Trading Record

UNITED STATES RESOURCES

15 useful local resources for US traders

Find exchange calendars, economic releases, company filings and registration checks when you need them.

Expand for 15 helpful sites for traders in the United States

Exchanges and futures

NYSE hours and holidaysUS cash-equity sessions, holidays and early closes.
Nasdaq market calendarExchange holidays and market-session information.
CME trading hoursProduct schedules and holiday changes for listed futures.
CME Micro Nikkei USDOfficial information for a smaller listed Nikkei contract.
CFTC Commitments of TradersPublished positioning reports and their explanatory notes.

US economy and interest rates

Federal Reserve meeting calendarFOMC dates, statements and meeting materials.
BLS economic release scheduleEmployment, inflation and other scheduled releases.
BEA release scheduleGDP, income and expenditure release dates.
FRED economic dataCompare US economic series and download historical data.
US Treasury yield curvesOfficial daily Treasury yield-curve data.

Registration, research and education

CFTC registration checksUnderstand which derivatives firms to check before funding.
NFA BASICRegistration and disciplinary information for derivatives firms.
FINRA BrokerCheckResearch securities brokers and brokerage firms.
SEC company filingsRead public-company filings behind the headlines.
Investor.gov investing guideSEC education on investing, products and common risks.

SUNDAY PREPARATION · THE US TRADING WEEK

From Tokyo’s open to your US market routine

The Tokyo open gives US viewers a Sunday session to follow before Monday’s cash-equity trading. Keep your next market’s calendar alongside the economic releases that matter to it.

Know when to watch

Daylight saving time: Sunday 20:00 ET · 19:00 CT · 18:00 MT · 17:00 PT.

Standard time: Sunday 19:00 ET · 18:00 CT · 17:00 MT · 16:00 PT.

These are Tokyo’s 09:00 cash-open equivalents; the stream begins shortly beforehand. Check the announcement for holiday changes. Arizona, Hawaii and US territories can follow different clock rules.

Match the research to your market

Use CME’s product schedule for futures and the NYSE or Nasdaq calendar for cash shares. Federal Reserve meetings, jobs releases and inflation data give you a practical preparation calendar.

The local-resource dropdown gathers those sources. Our regulation research explains the entity and protections behind an account; a simulated prop evaluation remains a separate service.

Entity & Regulation Research

DISCLOSURE & RISK

Important risk information

GradTraders provides general education and research only. Nothing on this page is personal financial, investment, tax or legal advice, or a recommendation to use a particular provider. Some links on this page are commercial partner links, and GradTraders may earn a commission from an eligible account opening or purchase at no additional cost to the reader. Commercial relationships do not determine our editorial conclusions.

Futures, options and other leveraged products carry substantial risk and may not suit every investor. Losses can exceed the initial investment. Prop-firm evaluations have separate fees, simulated account structures and eligibility requirements; evaluation fees can be lost. Verify current product, account and programme terms before paying or funding.

The GradTraders Research Bank

GradTraders was built from the research outward. Before the website and its articles, I developed a comprehensive broker research bank examining 24 brokers across six interconnected layers of detailed evidence, covering trading platforms, real costs and execution, international regulation, account reliability, withdrawals, reputation, investor protections and market access.

That foundation has grown into an extensive library of original comparisons, investigations and practical trading resources, supported by an ongoing commitment to verify, challenge and expand the underlying research — uncovering meaningful differences, exposing overlooked limitations and producing insights that go well beyond conventional trading reviews.

Last updated: 16 October 2026

Explore the GradTraders Research LibraryFive categories · All published articles

Broker Reviews & Comparisons Prop Firm Reviews Trading Software & Tools Trading Guides Where Traders Invest

Select a category, then scroll through its published research. Articles update automatically as the library grows.

GradTraders United States FAQs

What time does the Nikkei 225 Challenge start for US viewers?

The stream begins shortly before Tokyo’s Monday 09:00 cash open. In the US this is Sunday 20:00 ET / 17:00 PT during daylight saving time, or 19:00 ET / 16:00 PT during standard time. Check the announcement for holiday changes and your local timezone.

Why follow the Challenge over weeks and months?

Matthew takes positions on a one-minute chart every Monday in Tokyo, often in less-than-ideal conditions. The livestreams and public Trading Record let you follow his decisions and results across winning and losing sessions.

Is the Global Market Radar free?

Yes. It brings global market views, candle-based price signals, market activity indicators and session countdowns together on one screen. The full guide explains how the indicators work.

Where can US traders find GradTraders research?

Use the research-library section to explore over 150 articles covering brokers, prop firms, trading software, trading guides and more, alongside the 24-broker comparison.

Is Plus500 US the same as its international CFD service?

No. The service discussed here is offered through Plus500US Financial Services LLC, a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant and NFA member. It is a US listed-futures service, separate from the international CFD offering.

Which FTMO affiliate route does this page use?

The supplied FTMO US route is used for this US-focused page. Check the current product and eligibility information: FTMO Challenges and FTMO Futures have different purchase routes and terms.

Can I assume every prop firm offers the same US platforms?

No. The5ers prohibits MetaQuotes platforms for US residents, and Funded Trading Plus states that MT5 is unavailable in the US. Check the platform offered for your exact programme before paying.

Do I need a US trading VPS?

Many manual traders do not need a VPS. ForexVPS and FXVM publish US hosting locations for compatible remote or automated workflows; compare your platform requirements and measured latency before choosing.

Does the £200 Nikkei Challenge use real money?

No. It uses a demo trading account with a defined £200 simulated risk budget. Results are published through the livestream archive and Matthew Jackson Trading Record.

Does GradTraders provide personal investment advice?

No. GradTraders provides education, research and general information. Broker accounts, evaluation programmes and software have different terms, risks and eligibility requirements.

Sources and references

Local market and economic references are listed in the US resources dropdown. Provider sources used for country and product checks are below.

Plus500 US Terms · Plus500 US Index Futures · CFTC Check · NFA BASIC · FTMO US · The5ers Terms · FT+ Countries · FT+ Platforms · E8 About · E8 Futures Instruments · TradingView Futures · TraderSync Futures Journal · Forex Tester Markets · ForexVPS Locations · FXVM Futures VPS · FTMO US eligibility · FTMO regional affiliate routes · IC Markets entity restrictions · FP Markets client agreement

GradTraders International · How We Review · GradTraders Explained