The Franks Report

Phillip Franks

Welcome to The Franks Report—your deep-dive audio guide into modern micro futures trading, prop-firm mechanics, and systematic market execution. Whether you’re navigating prop-firm evaluation rules, scalping micro contracts (Micro E-mini S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, Dow), or refining your risk management and automated setups, this podcast breaks down the technical reality of today’s markets—no hype, no filler. Each episode delivers analytical breakdowns of price action mechanics, market structure, execution strategies, and trading psychology designed specifically for the modern prop-firm era. Hosted by Phillip Franks, author of The Funded Micro: Modern Futures Strategies for the Prop-Firm Era, this show provides actionable insights to help you protect capital, stay disciplined, and scale your trading business. Resources & Links: 🌐 Website & Recaps: https://www.franksreport.com/ 📖 Get the Book: The Funded Micro: Modern Futures Strategies for the Prop-Firm Era https://www.franksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 📩 Subscribe: Never miss an episode—hit follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

  1. 1d ago

    Stop Getting Crushed by News: How to Read the Economic Calendar Like a Pro

    Click my referral link for a $15 discount: https://t.co/XyZS6fLDVj Trading through high-impact macroeconomic releases without a plan is one of the fastest ways to blow an evaluation account. Instead of gambling on the immediate reaction or getting caught in sudden spread widening, professional traders treat the economic calendar as an operational risk map. Episode Summary In this episode of The Franks Report, we break down how to read and trade around high-impact economic prints, manage liquidity voids, and execute with discipline once the initial volatility stabilizes. Key Topics Covered: Mapping the Calendar as Risk Zones: Categorizing Tier-1 releases (CPI, NFP, FOMC) and establishing strict pre-market blackout windows.Why Market Orders Get Crushed: How order books thin out milliseconds before a release, causing severe slippage and blown stops.The Post-Release Reaction Playbook: Why waiting 5 to 15 minutes after the print lets false breakouts settle and reveals real institutional order flow.Protecting Trailing Drawdown: Tactical risk-management rules designed to keep your prop firm accounts safe during red-folder days.CONNECT WITH THE FRANKS REPORT: 🌐 Official Website: https://www.thefranksreport.com 📘 The Funded Micro Book: https://www.thefranksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 🎙️ Podcast Hub: https://franksreport.transistor.fm 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Z7gz0epNus091pFc9QE 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-franks-report/id6796770287 🔴 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFranksReport FOLLOW ALONG & COMMUNITY: 💬 Newsletter & Community: https://www.thefranksreport.com/newsletter

    Stop Getting Crushed by News: How to Read the Economic Calendar Like a Pro
  2. 2d ago

    Stop Trading CPI & NFP Spikes: Why Most Traders Get Crushed on News

    Click my referral link for a $15 discount: https://t.co/XyZS6fLDVj High-impact data prints like CPI and NFP create massive candle spikes, but for most retail traders, trying to trade the initial reaction is the fastest way to blow an account. In this episode of The Franks Report, we break down the underlying market mechanics behind red-folder news events and why the math heavily favors waiting for the dust to settle. In this episode, we cover: Liquidity Voids & Slippage: How order books thin out before major releases and why market orders get crushed on execution.The 8:30 AM Trap: Why the initial directional move is frequently a liquidity grab engineered to trap aggressive breakout traders.Institutional Positioning: How algorithms and institutional desks manage risk around macroeconomic prints versus retail speculation.Execution Rules for News Days: How to approach high-volatility sessions with structured risk parameters, protect prop firm drawdown limits, and identify high-probability setups after price discovery stabilizes.CONNECT WITH THE FRANKS REPORT: 🌐 Official Website: https://www.thefranksreport.com 📘 The Funded Micro Book: https://www.thefranksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 🎙️ Podcast Hub: https://franksreport.transistor.fm 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Z7gz0epNus091pFc9QE 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-franks-report/id6796770287 🔴 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFranksReport FOLLOW ALONG & COMMUNITY: 💬 Newsletter & Community: https://www.thefranksreport.com/newsletter

    Stop Trading CPI & NFP Spikes: Why Most Traders Get Crushed on News
  3. 2d ago

    The TRUTH About the Fed & Interest Rates (Market Mechanics Explained)

    Click my referral link for a $15 discount: https://t.co/XyZS6fLDVj When the Federal Reserve announces a rate decision, the financial headlines focus on consumer loans and mortgage rates—missing how global liquidity actually moves. In this episode of The Franks Report, we peel back the curtain on the real market mechanics driving central bank policy, balance sheet runoff, and institutional order flow. In this episode, we break down: The Global Liquidity Engine: How central bank policy dictates the flow of institutional capital across asset classes.The Fed Funds Rate vs. Real Mechanics: Why rate hikes and cuts rarely move markets the way retail expects.Balance Sheet Expansion & Contraction: Understanding Quantitative Tightening (QT), the reverse repo facility (RRP), and net liquidity metrics.Actionable Market Takeaways: How to interpret FOMC statements and Fed liquidity shifts to frame your macro trade setups.CONNECT WITH THE FRANKS REPORT: 🌐 Official Website: https://www.thefranksreport.com 📘 The Funded Micro Book: https://www.thefranksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 🎙️ Podcast Hub: https://franksreport.transistor.fm 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Z7gz0epNus091pFc9QE 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-franks-report/id6796770287 🔴 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFranksReport FOLLOW ALONG & COMMUNITY: 💬 Newsletter & Community: https://www.thefranksreport.com/newsletter

    The TRUTH About the Fed & Interest Rates (Market Mechanics Explained)
  4. 2d ago

    Why You’re Losing Money on "Winning" Trades (Spread & Slippage Explained)

    Click my referral link for a $15 discount: https://t.co/XyZS6fLDVj Ever close a green trade on your chart only to look at your account balance and realize you barely broke even—or took a loss? Friction destroys more trading accounts than flawed strategies, driven primarily by two hidden execution factors: the bid-ask spread and slippage. In this episode, we break down how execution drag works against you, why market orders silently drain your edge, and how to protect your capital from the invisible taxes on every trade. In This Episode, We Cover: The Mechanics of the Spread: How the bid-ask spread functions, what liquidity depth means for fills, and how market makers profit from the gap.Slippage Demystified: Why your actual fill price diverges from your chart during fast markets, economic releases, and breakout attempts.Market Orders vs. Limit Orders: When to pay up for immediate execution versus when to control your price and avoid chasing momentum.The Impact on Micro & Prop Accounts: How fixed ticks, platform routing fees, and tight targets amplify friction on smaller position sizes.Tactical Execution Rules: Practical adjustments to order routing, entry timing, and volatility management to stop bleeding gains.CONNECT WITH THE FRANKS REPORT: 🌐 Official Website: https://www.thefranksreport.com 📘 The Funded Micro Book: https://www.thefranksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 🎙️ Podcast Hub: https://franksreport.transistor.fm 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Z7gz0epNus091pFc9QE 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-franks-report/id6796770287 🔴 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFranksReport FOLLOW ALONG & COMMUNITY: 💬 Newsletter & Community: https://www.thefranksreport.com/newsletter

    Why You’re Losing Money on "Winning" Trades (Spread & Slippage Explained)
  5. 2d ago

    How to Read Candlestick Price Action Like a Pro (Beginner Guide)

    Click my referral link for a $15 discount: https://t.co/XyZS6fLDVj Episode Description & Show Notes Candlesticks are more than just colored bars on a chart—they are a real-time reflection of buyer-seller dynamics, liquidity battles, and market psychology. In this episode, we strip away lagging indicators to focus on the raw tape, breaking down foundational price action principles so you can read chart structure with clarity and confidence. In This Episode, We Cover: Candle Anatomy Decoded: What open, high, low, and close levels truly signal about institutional intent and session momentum.Bodies vs. Wicks: How to identify real buyer/seller conviction versus liquidity grabs and price absorption.High-Probability Patterns: Recognizing key reversal and continuation setups—such as engulfing bars and pin bars/hammers—in active market conditions.The Psychology of Trapped Traders: Spotting where stop-loss orders cluster and understanding how market sentiment shifts at key levels.Execution Frameworks: Simple, rule-based techniques for defining risk, timing entries, and avoiding false breakouts.CONNECT WITH THE FRANKS REPORT: 🌐 Official Website: https://www.thefranksreport.com 📘 The Funded Micro Book: https://www.thefranksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 🎙️ Podcast Hub: https://franksreport.transistor.fm 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Z7gz0epNus091pFc9QE 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-franks-report/id6796770287 🔴 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFranksReport FOLLOW ALONG & COMMUNITY: 💬 Newsletter & Community: https://www.thefranksreport.com/newsletter

    How to Read Candlestick Price Action Like a Pro (Beginner Guide)
  6. 3d ago

    Why You Can’t Stop Revenge Trading (And How to Fix It)

    Click my referral link for a $15 discount: https://t.co/XyZS6fLDVj Have you ever taken a bad loss, felt an instant surge of frustration, and immediately jumped back into the market—only to blow through your risk rules and dig a deeper hole? You aren't alone, and it’s not just a lack of discipline. It’s an amygdala hijack. In this episode of The Franks Report, host Phillip Franks breaks down the neurobiology and trading psychology behind revenge trading. Learn why your brain tricks you into high-risk decisions after a loss and get practical, rule-based mechanics to stop emotional trading before it wrecks your account. In this episode, you’ll discover: The Neuroscience of Tilt: What happens to your brain and decision-making during an "amygdala hijack."The Revenge Trading Trap: Why the urge to "get your money back" immediately leads to outsized risk and broken trade plans.Early Warning Indicators: How to recognize physiological and emotional triggers before entering a bad trade.The Reset Protocol: Concrete, actionable rules and cooldown routines to protect your capital and regain objectivity.Risk Mechanics: Setting hard stops and daily loss limits to enforce discipline automatically.CONNECT WITH THE FRANKS REPORT: 🌐 Official Website: https://www.thefranksreport.com 📘 The Funded Micro Book: https://www.thefranksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 🎙️ Podcast Hub: https://franksreport.transistor.fm 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Z7gz0epNus091pFc9QE 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-franks-report/id6796770287 🔴 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFranksReport FOLLOW ALONG & COMMUNITY: 💬 Newsletter & Community: https://www.thefranksreport.com/newsletter

    Why You Can’t Stop Revenge Trading (And How to Fix It)
  7. 3d ago

    The Brutal Math of Trading Drawdowns (And Why Most Never Recover)

    Click my referral link for a $15 discount: https://t.co/XyZS6fLDVj A 10% loss requires an 11% gain to break even, but a 50% loss requires a massive 100% return just to get back to zero. In this episode of The Franks Report, we break down the brutal, non-linear mathematics behind trading drawdowns and examine why most traders never manage to dig themselves out of a steep hole. Understanding this mathematical asymmetry is the difference between surviving long-term in the futures and prop firm arena and blowing up your account. In this episode, we cover: The Asymmetry of Losses: Why linear thinking kills accounts and how the math compounds exponentially against you as drawdown deepens.The Psychological Spiral: How severe drawdowns trigger revenge trading, overleveraging, and the breakdown of execution discipline.Prop Firm Drawdown Traps: The critical differences between trailing max drawdowns and static thresholds, and how to size trades accordingly.Capital Preservation Protocols: Concrete rules for position sizing, hard daily stops, and step-down sizing to halt drawdowns before the recovery math becomes insurmountable.CONNECT WITH THE FRANKS REPORT: 🌐 Official Website: https://www.thefranksreport.com 📘 The Funded Micro Book: https://www.thefranksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 🎙️ Podcast Hub: https://franksreport.transistor.fm 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Z7gz0epNus091pFc9QE 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-franks-report/id6796770287 🔴 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFranksReport FOLLOW ALONG & COMMUNITY: 💬 Newsletter & Community: https://www.thefranksreport.com/newsletter

    The Brutal Math of Trading Drawdowns (And Why Most Never Recover)
  8. 3d ago

    The #1 Rule for Trading Survival

    Click my referral link for a $15 discount: https://t.co/XyZS6fLDVj In Episode 7 of The Franks Report, host Phillip Franks breaks down the cornerstone of long-term trading longevity: capital preservation and the 1% risk rule. Discover why protecting your downside is far more critical than chasing oversized gains, how the mathematics of drawdowns can cripple an unprepared account, and how to systematically size every trade to stay in the game. What we cover in this episode: The Reality of Drawdown Math: Why losing 50% of your account requires a 100% gain just to break even, and how shallow losses protect your recovery curve.The 1% Rule Deconstructed: What the rule actually dictates—capping maximum account risk per trade rather than arbitrary contract or position sizing.Systematic Position Sizing: How to work backward from your technical stop-loss to calculate exact lot sizes and point values.Defending Against Losing Streaks: How strict risk limits remove emotional tilt, FOMO, and revenge trading during unavoidable market drawdown cycles.Asymmetric Risk-to-Reward: Pairing the 1% rule with disciplined profit targets to maintain positive expectancy even with sub-50% win rates.CONNECT WITH THE FRANKS REPORT: 🌐 Official Website: https://www.thefranksreport.com 📘 The Funded Micro Book: https://www.thefranksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 🎙️ Podcast Hub: https://franksreport.transistor.fm 🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Z7gz0epNus091pFc9QE 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-franks-report/id6796770287 🔴 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFranksReport FOLLOW ALONG & COMMUNITY: 💬 Newsletter & Community: https://www.thefranksreport.com/newsletter

    The #1 Rule for Trading Survival

About

Welcome to The Franks Report—your deep-dive audio guide into modern micro futures trading, prop-firm mechanics, and systematic market execution. Whether you’re navigating prop-firm evaluation rules, scalping micro contracts (Micro E-mini S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, Dow), or refining your risk management and automated setups, this podcast breaks down the technical reality of today’s markets—no hype, no filler. Each episode delivers analytical breakdowns of price action mechanics, market structure, execution strategies, and trading psychology designed specifically for the modern prop-firm era. Hosted by Phillip Franks, author of The Funded Micro: Modern Futures Strategies for the Prop-Firm Era, this show provides actionable insights to help you protect capital, stay disciplined, and scale your trading business. Resources & Links: 🌐 Website & Recaps: https://www.franksreport.com/ 📖 Get the Book: The Funded Micro: Modern Futures Strategies for the Prop-Firm Era https://www.franksreport.com/product-page/the-funded-micro-modern-futures-strategies-for-the-prop-firm-era-5 📩 Subscribe: Never miss an episode—hit follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.