Broker Performance Comparison

Hi Traders:

EurChf and EurAud. These 2 pairs are notorious with brokers who push up spreads during the scalping hours to get rid of scalpers.
Different spreads will lead to different fills and different results.

Different fills can even affect performance between 2 accounts with the same broker! 
This is normal since they are actually buying and selling us currency contracts, it's not just a number, like it is in a Demo account (hence the difference in performance between Demos and Live accounts) 
Once two accounts are off sync, the results may vary for the rest of the day. 

This happens in all kinds of trading: If, for example, we both put a buy order for a stock, at the same time and with the same broker, we are also going to get slightly different fills. That's trading, buying and selling at a price that changes constantly.

In the case of Forex, and particularly of scalping, which is rather high frequency trading, that may happen relatively often. 
You may get into a trade that I did not get into, because the market reversed at just that point. 
From that moment on, our two accounts are out of sync. 

If we are with the same broker this may happen because I did not get filled and the EA's signal went away on the reversal, sort of missed the chance for the trade. This often happens with variable spreads, like in ECN brokers. The funny thing is that occasionally you could actually benefit (even with worse spreads) because you are not hooked with that order. If the trading session ends, you will not enter more trades that day. So even though I got my order filled, I may be stuck with a losing position and you got spared: I may be facing a Stop Loss, which may account for the different results you are seeing.

This is a rare case, since usually worse spreads mean worse performance overall.

If you have a different broker who never had that price available, then you don't get to place the order at all. This is how it works:
Let's say that the price is 1.00000 and my broker has a 2 pips spread. My broker will sell at 1.00020 and my EA will be able to enter a "buy" order at that price. Your broker, who may have a 4 pips spread, will not even offer the chance to buy at my price: they will offer you a 1.00040 price, because of the higher 4 pips spread. Your EA won't send that "buy" order because it does not want that price, since it is not a good "buy" according to the strategy. The EA would like to buy at 1.00020, but not 1.00040. 
If the price reverses at that point, I am now in a trade and you are not. And so it begins.

If I am busy with my trade when you are not, you could enter a trade the next time a signal comes along, which may in opposite directions than mine.
If the price action remains normal and the price keeps bouncing up and down, both you and I will make money in time, even though we are out of sync. However, if the price takes off in one direction, your position may clear at a win and mine at a loss, or vice-versa. Luck of the draw, it could benefit you or me, but it will not be the same.
That's Forex!

Guest post - by Robert

The Best Scalping Strategies - Part 2 - EUR/GBP

When it comes to a successful Forex Scalping strategy we need a currency pair that is reliably range bound and lends it self well to scalping. As we have seen in part 1 of this series- not all currencies are automatically scalp-able. As a matter of fact most are not. Most of the Majors: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/CHF are too wild a ride to take the risk. The notable exception is the USD/JPY - which even though it is a major currency pair is still scalpable - why that is so and what the advantages are, we will discuss in Part 3 of our Scalping Strategy series.

But back to the EUR/GBP - the currencies involved are of course the Euro and the British Pound. Since we are again talking about two currencies from the same Economic region there is stability built into the relationship that is one of the main characteristics of this currency pair.
Even though the British Pound was affected heavily by the economic crisis worldwide and in some ways more so apparently than the more stable Euro from a Forex scalping strategy point of view the EUR/GBP is one of our most trusted allies and together with the EUR/CHF the backbone of any successful scalping strategy.
In scalping we are looking for three things:

1. Rangebound - so the losses and risk stay small
2. but not dead - so we do get many daily small entries
3. Stable economies behind the currencies - so geopolitical news don't blow up in our faces

The EUR/GBP offers all three and is therefore a "two-thumbs-way-up" trade recommendation for an automatic Forex scalping trading system.

The Best Scalping Strategies - Part 1 - EUR/CHF

Even the best scalping strategies will only work with a few currency pairs. Many currency pairs will never yield - try as hard as you may - to scalping - ever.

What is scalping really: according to Investopedia Forex Scalping is: "A Forex Trading Strategy that attempts to make many profits on small price changes. The main goal is to buy/sell a currency pair at the bid/ask price and then quickly sell it a few pips higher/lower for a small profit. Many small profits can easily compound into large gains if a strict exit strategy is used."

Of course scalping is much easier and safer with a currency pair that is range bound. A currency pair that is extremely volatile will cause too many wild fluctuations and cause too many stop losses.

The EUR/CHF Cross is one the best currencies for a forex scalping strategy.

Why does the EUR/CHF lend itself to scalping so well?

1. It is a tightly range bound currency pair.
2. The EUR/CHF is a currency cross - since it does not have the USD as part of its pairing. The main global currency fluctuations are in regards to the US Dollar, the world's "Reserve" currency.
3. Since both currencies share the same economic region they are strongly related and keep a tight equilibrium. It is really hard to think that the Swiss economy would prosper when the rest of Europe goes through an economic downturn and vice versa. This tight knit relationship leads to extra stability in this pair - something we really appreciate in a forex scalping strategy.
4. Interest rates are not very different between Switzerland and the Euro zone, also contributing to a tight range year in, year out. Even though the days of wild and uninhibited carry trade may be over, a big difference in interest rates in a currency pair creates an overall trend and enlarges daily, monthly and yearly ranges. The GBP/JPY, for example, is a wild ride on most trading days, while the EUR/CHF, in comparison, is almost sleep inducing.
5. The one thing that WILL move the Swiss Franc is geopolitical turmoil. More than any other currency the Swiss Franc is knows as a safe haven - or the gold currency. Most investors when fearing wild market swings will run to the Swiss Franc for cover. This currency was backed by gold to 40% at one time and between the Swiss neutrality and general status as a beacon of fiscal prudence this is where people will turn at times of instability and fear.

The EUR/CHF has been a reliable profit maker with our forex expert advisor scalping programs. The losses are very rare, the gains are steady and reliable, as maybe only the Swiss can produce?

This should be a permanent part of anybody's portfolio of automated trading strategies .