How to choose a Forex broker - 5 things above all

What's most important when deciding between Broker #1 and Broker #2?
Leverage? Spreads? Trading platforms or ability to use automated systems? No.
There are more important factors which decide if your trading experience is going to be successful at all:

1. Withdrawals, withdrawals, withdrawals!
Nothing is more important than flawless withdrawals.
If a broker doesn't offer speedy honest withdrawals - there is nothing to talk about. Anything you deposit with a broker is at risk of never being returned again.

2. Recognition of your earned profits
It's important that your profits are recognized & payed out to you.
If a broker doesn't recognize your profits, and instead, on the first withdrawal request sends you a letter explaining "why your profits are not valid" - that's totally wrong & often suggests that a broker isn't going to pay you anything at all, you've wasted your time trading there.

3. Honoring your trades
It's important that your trades are being honored.
If your trades entirely disappear from the history book, are being cancelled or in any other way edited without your participation - your brokers is carrying out a dishonest business. This broker won't let you profit in the long run.

4. Respecting your trading style
It's important that a broker respects your trading style: be it scalping, grid trading, hedging, using EAs, trading news, long term trading etc. You should always try to receive a clear answer/confirmation from the broker that your trading style is fully accepted and allowed.

5. Transparency of broker's trading policy
There is nothing simpler than following a clear trading policy. Unfortunately, not all brokers explain trading rules in a transparent and user-friendly way.
If you can't find all necessary information in the trading agreement & can't get a clear answer from the broker of your choice, think twice about doing business with this company; you're risking to encounter problems listed in P. 1-4 above.

More tips from: HOW to choose a Forex broker in 5 steps?

Idigo December 18, 2011

What about slow execution? If you can't place an order fast or close it on time - you lose money!

Tim - LFB December 21, 2011

Slow execution makes it difficult to trade, but only if you're a short term trader. You can still work it out with longer trades. So, yes, it's important, but not as crucial as withdrawal problems and cancelled profits or trades.

Same can be said about regulation: it's not good if a broker you trade with is not regulated, because you're not protected in case of a dispute, but, there are brokers which operate without regulation yet honor withdrawal requests much better than regulated brokers...
Thus again, we always return to the very base of it all - withdrawals - which will determine the final outcome of all your trading efforts.

How to choose a Forex broker - 5 things above all

In few years: What markets will be the most popular among new traders?