Before you start trading in the FOREX markets you will need to set up an account with what is known as a Forex Broker. Once you start your search for the perfect broker, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of them who offer their services online. Deciding on a broker requires a little bit of research on your part, but the time spent will give you a much better idea of the services that are available and the fees charged by various of these brokers.
Strictly speaking, a forex broker is an individual or a company that buys and sells the orders placed by the trader according to his decisions. The way brokers earn money is by charging a commission or a fee for their services.
All serious brokers need to be associated with a large financial institution such as a bank in order to provide the amount of funds necessary for margin trading. In the United States a broker must be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and also with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). These credentials will ensure you have peace of mind, knowing that you have protection against any case of fraud and abusive trade practices.
What you’ll always want will be to find a broker who executes orders quickly and with minimum slippage. All reputable online brokers will offer automatic execution of orders and will let you know their policies regarding slippage. A good broker should be able to tell you how much slippage can be expected in both normal and volatile markets.
Margin accounts are the basis of Forex trading, so you better be sure you clearly understand the broker's margin terms before setting up your trading account. You also need to know the margin requirements and how margin is calculated. It may be the case that margin change according to the currency traded; or maybe the margin is the same every day of the week or maybe not; so you have to find out and have all this information pretty clear. Additionally some brokers may offer different margins depending on what kind of account you are trading, i.e. a mini or standard account.
One more thing that you should consider is that the trading station software available to you from your broker is very important for your success as an online forex trader. You should get a feel for the options that are available by trying out a demo account at a few of the available online brokers. Always keep in mind that above all, you are looking for reliability and the ability to perform well in fast-moving markets. A good trading software should offer automatic trading and may have special features such as trailing stops and trading from the chart, which is a great plus. Some features may only be available at an extra cost, so be sure you understand what your trading needs are and how much the broker charges to provide them. If you conclude those extras are necessary for your trading style and techniques it would be a good investment to have them in your arsenal.
Lastly, one more thing you should consider when choosing an online forex broker should be to find out whether trader’s funds are insured or not and what’s the extent of that insurance.