There's no question that US-based Forex traders have fewer
brokerage options than their international counterparts. Nevertheless,
there are some fantastic choices available in the US, including
Forex.com and FXCM, two long-established, internationally acclaimed
brokerage houses. If you're looking for an NFA regulated Forex broker,
you'll want to evaluate these two choices among any other options, and
you can start your research with this top US Forex brokers comparison.
FXCM,
short for Forex Capital Markets, is a no dealing desk Forex broker that
offers two distinct services. DailyFX, a news service, provides regular
financial news to Forex traders worldwide, while FXCM itself offers
trade executions on multiple platforms with competitive spreads. For US
traders, leverage is restricted to 1:50 because of NFA regulations.
Specifically useful for new traders may be the company's free online
learning seminars that are offered on a regular basis. Experienced
traders will appreciatethe company's fractional pip pricing and
non-dealing desk nature, which ensures that the brokerage will not take
the other side of your trade. Partnerships with top banks enable FXCM to
have fast execution and respected trading conditions.
Like FXCM,
Forex.com offers a comprehensive education center for new traders,
though the company's focus is undoubtedly on its wide range of products
and services for intermediate to advanced traders. From premium market
research and analysis to advanced charting packages such as Trading
Central, Forex.com offers excellent options for those who enjoy trading
the news or technical Forex trading strategies. Like FXCM, this US Forex
broker offers both its own proprietary trading platform as well as the
popular MetaTrader4 platform, so that traders trade in a platform that
is entirely comfortable. Over 40 currency pairs can be traded at
Forex.com, to meet the needs of nearly every trader.
Forex.com is a
subsidiary of Gain Capital, a company that is publicly traded on the
New York Stock Exchange. FXCM is also a publicly traded corporation.
Both companies have offices worldwide and are regulated differently in
countries outside of the US. It should also be noted that both companies
have been fined by the NFA in recent years for slippage malpractice,
or, in other words, for not making price improvements available on all
orders. Both Forex.com and FXCM, however, did try to correct their poor
behavior and to atone for their wrongdoings.
The best way to
embark on a US Forex brokers comparison is to try each one and
experience it for yourself, and both FXCM and Forex.com offers a free
$50,000 practice account which is available for all of their trading
platforms.