Swap even if you scalp: the cost of an accidental hold

[FXS London Scalper]

Scalpers rarely think about swap because positions close long before rollover. But accidental holds happen: a trade forgotten on a second account, a partial close that leaves a sliver open, an EA that didn't close at session end.

What it can cost:
- Swap is charged at rollover (around 22:00 UK) on any open position.
- Wednesday rollover usually charges three days to cover the weekend.
- On pairs with large interest rate differentials, or on gold, the charge on the "wrong" side can be noticeable.
- On top of swap, the position is exposed to overnight moves, which is usually the bigger risk.

Simple safeguards:
- An end-of-session check: positions tab empty on all accounts.
- A small script or EA that alerts (or closes) any position still open at a set time, e.g. 21:30 UK.
- Avoid leaving tiny residual positions after partial closes. Check the lot size remaining.

If you do end up holding by accident, decide calmly: close at the next good opportunity, not at the worst spread right at rollover.

Has an accidental overnight hold ever surprised you?

[Shadow Trader]

Swap-free accounts exist mainly for religious reasons, and brokers still have to cover the financing cost of holding positions somehow. For scalpers who rarely hold overnight the swap barely matters, but the replacement charges can still touch intraday trading. Things worth checking in the account terms:

- Administration or holding fee. Often a flat daily amount per lot after a set number of days, sometimes starting from day one. Check whether it counts calendar days or rollovers.

- Wider spreads or higher commission on the swap-free version of the same account type. The cost is absorbed up front instead of at rollover.

- Different treatment of the triple-charge day. Some fee schedules still apply a multiple on Wednesday, some do not.

- Which instruments qualify. Gold, indices and exotics often carry their own rules, and a pair that is swap-free on one account type may not be on another.

- Conditions tied to the status, where a broker reserves the right to review accounts that look like they are exploiting the absence of swap.

- Conversion of fees into the account currency, which adds a small spread of its own.

The main takeaway is that "no swap" does not mean "no cost for holding". For trades closed within the same session, most of these fees never trigger, which makes the real difference the spread and commission rather than the headline.

Which of these have shown up on a swap-free account, and was the charge disclosed upfront or did it appear in the statement first?