1. Qualification and Experience: It is possibly the most important aspect to see through while selecting a Forex Trading Broker. A well experienced and qualified Forex Trading Broker should be registered as FCM (Futures Commission Merchant) with the Commodities Future Trading Commission. This FCM essentially handles the dealings of the forex market and protects all the investors in the forex trading against any abuses or scams and thus ensures coherence to Forex Guidelines.
The Forex Broker could be of 3 types - Market Maker/Dealer, Broker, ECN Brokerage
Market Maker/Dealer - The dealing desk is the most conventional means of trade used by banks and private financial institutions. Dealers provide two way pricing.The prices offered could be fixed (prices do not fluctuate over the trade day) or a dynamic spread that follows the currency graph.The dealers interact with other dealers to manage their global positions and risks.Each dealer offers a slightly different pricing than the other based on their global exchange book value.
Broker - The broker is a bridge between the customer and the market maker/dealer.Broker charge a commission/brokerage fee for the spreads that the customer receives and routing the customer to the dealer.
ECN Brokerage - An ECN is a broker that caters to multiple market makers/dealers.
2. Regulated Forex broker: It is very essential to observe that the Forex Trading Broker is very well synchronized and follows Forex Guidelines, so that if any internal fraud occurs, you have full protection and security. Apart from this all your finances and money should be reserved and take apart from the operating finances of the broker.Not all countries have the same regulations,Forex Guidelines and principles of financial registration, thus it becomes imperative that while selecting a foreign broker,that institution/organization is strictly monitored and governed by a certified regulatory agency of that country.
3. Spreads offered: Spread is nothing but the divergence between bid prices and ask prices of the currencies being traded. Lesser the spread larger shall be the profit.
4. Slippage: The amount of slippage forex brokers look forward to on any active moves in the market.
5. Margin call policy: For beginning a trade the amount of asset that a broker requires and at what time the broker shall make margin calls, apart from that, at what time you are required to react to the margin calls, all these facts are required to be checked before deciding any Forex Trading Broker.
Some companies follow the First In First Out policy to close trades when margin requirements are not met by current equity,while others follow the Last In First Out process.
6. Cost of Trading: The customer must be aware the cost of trading with a particular broker than the other.Costs include PIP spread, overnight interest and transaction fees. It is important to know the turn over policy that the broker follows and the lower margin needs that the broker has for earning interest on overnights and rollovers.Also to note the broker's stop-loss and limit policy.
7. Superiority of trading platform used by the Broker: Broker should follow the forex trading strategies of successful forex traders.As trading in forex market is carried out on internet these days, it is very important to see what forex trading platform the forex broker is using to trade.It is important to make sure that the trading platform.product/software does not hang during critical times or global events.Thus stability and reliability of the trading system is very important for the aggressive trader.
The trading platform or the trading system should be user friendly.This means placing an order or closing a trade should be performed simultaneously by the system.Everything should be a click away.If the system provides additional charts,calculators or decision guides,they should be easy to understand and act with.
The trading platform should also provide value adds such as real time news, real time charts and economic events.
8. Customer Support: 24 hours and 7 days support offered by broker in forex trading. A customer will always depend on immediate help and guidance from a broker while on critical trades and this calls for a anywhere,anytime basis support from the broker.
9. Amount of influence offered by Broker in Forex trading
10. Last but not the least the market reputation of the broker
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