Mar 18, 2007

Trading with brokers

Foreign exchange brokers, unlike others financial brokers, do not take commission from customer; they only work for banks. Their roles are to bring together buyers and sellers in the market, to optimize the price they show to their customers and quickly, accurately, and authentically executing the traders' orders. The majority of the foreign exchange brokers execute business via phone using an open box system— there is a microphone with the broker that let him communication on the direct phone lines to the speaker boxes in the banks. By using this way, all banks can hear all the deals which are being executed. Due to the open box system, a trader is also able to hear all prices quoted; whether the bid was hit or the offer taken; and the following price. What the trader will not be able to hear is the amounts of particular bids and offers and the names of the banks showing the prices. Prices are unidentified. Sometimes brokers charge a commission that is paid equally by the buyer and the seller. The fees are negotiated on an individual basis by the bank and the brokerage firm. Brokers show their customers the prices made by other customers either two-way ( bid and offer ) prices or one way ( bid or offer ) prices from his or her customers. Traders show different prices because they "read" the market in a different way; they have different opportunity and different interests. A broker who has more than one price on one or both parties will automatically optimize the price.That means, the broker will always show the highest bid and the lowest offer. Therefore, the market has right of entry to an optimal spread possible. Fundamental and technical analyses are used for predicting the future direction of the currency. A trader might analyze the market by hitting a bid for a small amount to see if there is any response. Another advantage is that brokers might provide a broader selection of banks to their clients. Some European and Asian banks have overnight desks for 24 hours optimization dealing with counterparts in American banks, adding to the liquidity of the market.

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