Forex Trading Brokers – Choosing One That Suits You

Posted on July 29, 2010
Filed Under Forex Currency Trading | Leave a Comment

An account with a forex trading broker is something that you must have when you are beginning currency trading. You need access to the markets to be able to trade, and the software provided by the top brokers will allow you to have this access. These brokers will also allow you to trade larger sums of money than you have in your account, using margin trading. Depending on the brokers’ software, you may be able to use a trading robot, like the Forex Megadroid robot on your account.

There are several things to take into account when choosing a forex broker. Here are some of the most important points to consider:

1. Reliability

Finding a broker that you can trust is not as straightforward as you might think. The forex market operates worldwide and there is no global regulatory body, so some brokers are unregulated. Check where their business is based and what registrations and memberships they have. In the US brokers are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CTFC) and/or the National Futures Association (NFA). Other countries have other associations.

Go to online forums and search for the name of a broker, to see if people have had problems with them. However, be sure to get several views. Do not accept one person’s point of view as fact. That person may have personal or financial reasons for praising or criticizing a broker.

2. Services provided

Because the forex markets operate 24 hours a day on weekdays, make sure the bokers service is available all through this time. You may also want to check if they have 24 hour customer support Monday through Friday.

Check that they cover all of the major currency pairs, that is USD against EUR, JPY, GBP, CHF, CAD, AUD. The should also allow some currency pairs that do not involve the USD, such as GBP/EUR.

Check that the broker not only offers charts, but offers ones that you will find useful. You will also want to check whether they offer instant execution of orders at the displayed price without slippage.

3. Charges

Forex trading brokers generally do not charge a fee or commission. Instead they make money from the spread, which is the difference between the bid and ask prices of a currency pair. Spread is usually in the range of 1-3 pips, depending on the broker and the currency pair, but it can vary at times of volatility. This spread can make a difference in your gains, the bigger the spread the more it will eat into your profit.

4. Minimum account and lot size

Brokers usually have a minimum investment for your account. Brokers that only have standard accounts may require $10,000 or more to be deposited. Mini forex trading accounts have a much lower minimum account balance, often$250-$1,000. These are better for almost all beginners.

5. Leverage

Using margin trading, you can control much more money than you actually have in your account. It is possible to control up 100 times the money you deposited, the rest your broker will guarantee for you. There are brokers that will allow control over even greater amounts, but be careful because this does increase the risk factor.

Whether a broker will allow you to trade with a robot such as the Forex Megadroid download is another point you may want to consider. However, the 5 points mentioned above are those that should be your primary concerns when deciding which broker is right for you.

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