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CHAPTER 6 - LESSON 1

Forex Broker Types and a Broker Assessment Checklist

Forex brokers are the intermediaries between traders and the forex market. They provide the trading platform, access to liquidity providers, and various other services required for traders to execute their trades.

There are several types of Forex brokers, each with their unique features and services. Understanding the differences between these broker types can help traders make informed decisions and choose the broker that best aligns with their trading goals.

Forex Broker Types:

Market Makers – Create a market for their clients by providing both buy and sell quotes for a currency pair, thus “making” the market. When a trader places a trade, the market maker takes the other side of the trade, essentially acting as a counterparty. This means that they can profit from the spread between the bid and ask prices.

• Typically offer lower minimum deposit requirements
• Can provide fixed spreads
• May offer guaranteed stop losses

• Potential for conflicts of interest as they trade against their clients
• May be subject to requotes

ECN (Electronic Communication Network) Brokers – Provide traders with direct access to the interbank market, where they can view real-time bid and ask prices from various liquidity providers. ECN brokers serve as a conduit between traders and the market, facilitating trades without taking the other side of the transactions.

• Access to real-time market prices
• Reduced risk of conflict of interest
• Faster trade execution speeds

• Generally higher minimum deposit requirements
• May charge a commission on trades
• Variable spreads, which can widen during periods of low liquidity or high market volatility

STP (Straight Through Processing) Brokers – Route client orders directly to liquidity providers, such as banks or other brokers, without any human intervention. They earn their revenue through the spread, which is often variable. Unlike market makers, STP brokers do not take the other side of the trade and do not create their own market. Offering variable spreads and lower fees than market makers, STP brokers are an attractive option for traders seeking more competitive pricing.

• No dealing desk intervention
• Reduced risk of conflict of interest
• Fast trade execution speeds

• Variable spreads, which can widen during periods of low liquidity or high market volatility

Hybrid Brokers – A combination of services, acting as both market makers and STP/ECN brokers. These hybrid brokers may offer clients the option to choose between market maker or STP/ECN trading accounts, allowing traders to select the model based on their trading style and preferences.

• Flexibility in choosing the account type that meets a trader's needs
• Can offer both fixed and variable spreads

• Potential for conflicts of interest in the market maker model
• May have varying commission structures and fees

Forex Broker Types and a Broker Assessment Checklist | Lesson 1

Forex Broker Assessment Checklist:

With this information in mind, we went ahead and created a simple broker checklist for you so that you can easily check if your trading broker aligns with your trading style and needs:

Check that your forex broker is regulated by a reputable financial authority, such as The Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB). This will help ensure that the broker operates in a transparent and fair manner and provides a safe and secure trading environment for their traders.

 It’s necessary that your broker offers a user-friendly, stable, and reliable trading platform such as the popular MetaTrader 5 (MT5), which offers a large range of features and tools for traders.

It’s important that your broker provide a range of financial instrument options for trading, including currency pairs, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies.

It’s also important that your broker offers competitive spreads and transparent commissions.

It’s crucial that your broker offers extended 24/5 support and multiple channels for reaching their customer service. This ensures reliable assistance when needed.

It’s vital that your broker offers a variety of payment methods, including bank transfers, credit/debit cards, and e-wallets.

It’s also just as important that your broker provides educational and research tools to help nurture your growth as a trader.

By using this forex broker checklist, you can get a good idea if your broker will be able to meet your trading needs.

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Need more trading tools? Explore our Forex Calculators below, dedicated to help traders make smarter trading decisions.