Same number, two different screens
October 14, 8:30 AM ET. CPI prints 3.7% against a 3.6% forecast.
On Forex Factory, that's what you get.
Now you have to answer the real questions yourself, in the worst possible second to be thinking:
- Is a one-tenth beat a big deal or noise?
- How bullish is this for the dollar, exactly?
- What does it mean for gold, NQ, BTC?
By the time you've worked it out, the first candle has done the move. You're chasing or you're frozen.
On MRKT, the same 3.7% lands inside a playbook that already answered those questions before the release. That's the whole comparison.
Forex Factory: the number
The Forex Factory row for CPI gives you three value, open the detail and you get:
- the source (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- what the index measures
- the release schedule
- a note on why the Fed watches core over headline, and the last six prints.
The only line that tries to tell you what the number means sits under Usual Effect: "'Actual' greater than 'Forecast' is good for currency."
That's the full interpretation. The same generic rule for most releases. It doesn't say:
- how strong the reaction should be
- whether the beat matters more or less given the prior
- what happens if the number comes in exactly on forecast
- what it means for anything other than the currency
Forex Factory is an excellent record of what printed. It is not a plan for what to do about it.
MRKT: the number plus the playbook
On the MRKT economic calendar, the Core CPI row shows the same data but there are a couple of things that matters once you click for the details:
Key points. Why this release matters right now: core inflation as the cleaner read on the trend, and how a hot print feeds rate-hike expectations.
The playbook. Written before the release, every outcome mapped against both forecast and prior:
- Above forecast (3.7%) → very bullish USD
- At forecast (3.6%) → neutral USD
- Below forecast (3.5%) → bearish USD
CPI data printed above forecast, so the playbook calls it very bullish. That's a real distinction for sizing and for how hard you lean on the move. On Forex Factory, this is not shown.
Before the print vs after the print
This is where the difference actually pays.
At 8:29 on Forex Factory you know the time, the forecast and the previous value. The plan is in your head, if you made one.
At 8:29 on MRKT you already know what 3.5%, 3.6% and 3.7% each mean for the dollar. The scenarios are mapped. The release becomes a confirmation, not a puzzle.
At 8:30:01 on Forex Factory you see 3.7% and start thinking.
At 8:30:01 on MRKT you see which branch printed, and you're already on The Read.
Gold dropped 800 pips. If you had the right playbook ready, you could’ve captured a serious chunk of that move.
The data, compared
Actual, forecast, previous: both calendars. Identical numbers.
Release background and history: both. Forex Factory has more text on each release; MRKT charts two years of actual vs forecast.
What the number means: Forex Factory, one generic usual-effect line. MRKT, a full above/on/below playbook for every release.
Which one should you use?
Forex Factory if you only need to know when releases happen and what printed, and you already have your own playbook for each one.
MRKT if you've ever watched a number print and frozen for ten seconds working out what it means. If you want every outcome mapped before the release, measured against forecast and prior, so the print confirms a plan instead of starting one.
The edge isn't knowing CPI is at 8:30. Everyone knows that. The edge is knowing what you'll do at 8:30:01.
Try it on the next release
Open the MRKT economic calendar, pick the next high-impact release, and read the playbook before it prints. Then watch which branch lights up.
Want the playbook for gold, NQ, ES and BTC, plus the bank forecast range on every release? That's what full MRKT access unlocks.
FAQ
What's the difference between the Forex Factory and MRKT economic calendars? Both show the same actual, forecast and previous values. Forex Factory stops at the number and a generic "usual effect" line. MRKT adds a playbook on every release: what an above, on or below-forecast print means, measured against both forecast and prior, written before the release and marked with the branch that printed.
What is an economic calendar playbook? A set of pre-written scenarios for a release: what it means if the number comes in above, on or below forecast, and above the prior. When the data prints, you see which scenario hit instead of interpreting the number from scratch.
Is the MRKT economic calendar free? Yes. The calendar, consensus forecasts, real-time actuals and the USD playbook for each release are free with no account. Bank forecasts from 100+ institutions, the min/max range and playbooks for other markets are part of full MRKT access.
What's the best Forex Factory alternative for traders who want more than the number? MRKT's free economic calendar shows the same data plus a playbook on every release, so you get the read alongside the print.