Some slippage is normal, and the key test is direction. In fast markets and around news, your fill can differ from the quote, and on a fair model it should sometimes go in your favour and sometimes against you. What is worth investigating is slippage that is consistently one-directional, always against you, especially on a dealing-desk or B-book model. Test it, log it, and compare.
Normal slippage
- Occurs in fast or thin markets and around news
- Goes both ways: sometimes for you, sometimes against
- Is small relative to the move and the spread
- Is consistent with how other brokers fill the same conditions
Worth investigating
- Slippage that is always against you, never in your favour
- Large, repeated slippage on normal liquidity
- Requotes or rejections at the moment you try to enter or exit
- A documented one-directional pattern across many trades
Stay calm, stay factual
One bad fill is variance. A logged, one-directional pattern across dozens of trades is a signal. If your execution is consistently working against you, route your next account to a broker with cleaner, more neutral execution.
FAQ
Is slippage normal in forex?
Yes, some slippage is normal, especially in fast markets and around news, and it should occur in both directions, sometimes for you and sometimes against you. What is worth investigating is consistent, one-directional slippage that always works against you, particularly on a dealing-desk model.
How do I test broker slippage?
Place small orders around scheduled news and compare your fill price to the quoted price. Log the results over many trades. If slippage is always against you and never in your favour, that is a pattern worth acting on.
Education only, not legal or financial advice. This page does not accuse any broker of wrongdoing; many issues are routine process steps. If a problem is unresolved and your broker is regulated, you can use the regulator’s complaints process. Always confirm your account terms and the regulated entity for your country. CFDs are leveraged and most retail accounts lose money. KenMacro may earn commission on broker referrals at no extra cost to you.