Forex Brokers

It's Important to Find the Right Regulated Forex Broker

When selecting a forex broker it is important to do some research to find an efficient and reliable online broker. Care must be taken to avoid any dishonest and fraudulent brokers. A good forex broker must be regulated so choose a broker that has been approved by a government authority in a strong regulated country.

Forex Brokers

Countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia have their own regulatory authorities that stipulate the regulations that forex brokers must abide by. In the United States regulated forex brokers are governed by the National Futures Association (NFA) and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Ensure that you verify the registration of the forex broker before opening an account. You can visit the NFA's website at www.nfa.futures.org to confirm the registration of the broker.

There are several important criteria to consider before registering with a forex broker. Competition between forex brokers is fierce so ensure you take advantage of that by shopping around for the best broker. Take the time to select the right broker for all of your needs so you will be able to use their experience to your benefit. It is beneficial to check their services and any optional extras they provide such as:

* Training material: There are some Forex firms that help new traders in becoming more skilled in Forex trading by giving free demos, guidance, and helpful Forex news. Brokers can help you in developing trading strategies or in finding efficient trading systems. Aside from that, a good broker can also help you with fundamental and technical analysis of relevant data.

* Platform: Each broker has a different trading platform and most are provided for free. Does the platform contain charts, prices and news? You need to make sure that it has charting software with the ability to plot the indicators used in your trading strategies. Trial a few different platforms and find out which one is more comfortable for you to use. Check the reliability of the trading platform by opening a demo account first. An incorrect trading platform can cost you time and money.

* Guaranteed stop loss and limit orders.

* Minimum slippage. Slippage is the difference between your quoted price, and what your order is filled at. You can test the platform with your free demo account to determine how quickly the forex broker will execute your orders after you have pressed the buy or sell buttons. Look for automatic execution.

* Are there any minimums? This is something that tends to be set by the brokers themselves. Ask about their policies on minimum account balances or minimum trading contract sizes. You should always talk to the brokers in order to find someone that will fit your budget and needs. Knowing that you can reasonably afford the minimum is critical. If the minimum that you are told at first is not suitable, always feel free to look for a different broker who can fit all or your needs.

* How competitive are their fees? This is based on the spread width, (the difference between the buy and sell price) is it fixed or variable? Competitive fixed spreads are normally between 2 to 5 pips per currency pair, check whether mini accounts get charged more. The lower the fees the lower your trading costs will be. It's less crucial for swing trading.

* How much leverage is provided? It is best not to use more than 100:1 leverage for a regular (100k) account and 200:1 leverage for a mini (10k) account. Firms offering much higher leverage may not be acting in your best interest.

* What are the forex broker's policies on margin lending and interest payments on account balances, and do the margin requirements change under certain circumstances?

* Check for transparency of the transactions and make sure the forex brokers do not overcharge you.

* Does the brokerage firm have financial backing? In the event of bankruptcy how secure will your funds be?

* Service: This should be high quality. You want the forex broker to have good 24-hour customer support and enough staff to provide you with prompt support that you need.