A protocol for testing a new broker

[Amanhasnoname]

Choosing a broker by advertised spreads is like choosing a car by the brochure. A short, structured test reveals what the marketing does not.

Start with a small live account. Over two weeks, collect data on a few things: spread by hour for the pairs traded, fill quality measured by slippage on market orders, latency from send to confirmation, and rejection rate.

Add situational tests: behavior at rollover, around a major news release, and at the Sunday open. Place small trades in those windows and record what happens.

Test the support, too. Ask a technical question and see how long it takes to get a useful answer.

Try a withdrawal of a small sum.

Compare the numbers with the current broker, using identical conditions. A table with the results makes the decision clearer.

The process takes effort, but the cost of a bad choice is paid on every trade for as long as the account is open.

What does your broker testing routine include?