Reviewer
Steffen Droell
Engine Forex Founder & Chief Editor
15+ years experience
Steffen Droll is the chief editor of Engine Forex. He set the scoring methodology every broker on the site is measured against, and he signs off on each review before it publishes, including checking every licence number against the regulator's own public register.
Published by Steffen Droell
Broker review
iFOREX Review 2026: Commission-free pricing offset by wide spreads and a 67/100 trust scorePros: Zero commissions across all asset classes | CySEC regulation with up to €20,000 investor compensation | Low $10 minimum deposit via Visa/Mastercard
Sep 26, 2026
Broker review
Valutrades Review 2026: FCA-Regulated Broker, New Accounts ClosedValutrades is an FCA-authorised ECN broker (FRN 586541) operating since 2012, with a Trustpilot rating of 4.5/5 from 490 reviews. Raw spread pricing, MT4/MT5 support, and tier-1 regulation tick the right boxes. It is not accepting new clients at present.
Sep 24, 2026
Broker review
FxPro Review 2026: Strong Regulation, Weak Spread TransparencyFxPro holds licences from the FCA (FRN 509956) and CySEC (078/07) plus two offshore authorisations. The six-platform roster is strong. Where this FxPro review finds fault is cost transparency: the UK calculator pre-fills a 2.72-pip EUR/USD spread on MT5, and education is absent.
Sep 23, 2026
Guide
How to Start Forex Trading: A Step-by-Step Beginner's GuideLearning how to start forex trading follows a repeatable sequence: master core terminology, open a free demo account with a regulated broker, practice one strategy on one pair, then go live with 100 to 500 USD and strict risk rules. The forex market handles roughly 7.5 trillion USD in daily turnover, though retail trad
Sep 21, 2026
Guide
How Automated Trading Works: Strategies, Tools, Bots & What the Data ShowsYou have probably seen the pitch. "Set it and forget it. Let the bot trade for you." But the distance between that marketing line and what actually happens when software trades your money is worth understanding before you risk a single dollar.
Sep 18, 2026
Guide
What Is Copy Trading and How Does It Work?If you are asking what is copy trading and how does it work, here is the short version: copy trading automatically replicates a lead trader's buy and sell actions inside your own account, scaled proportionally to the capital you allocate. It is not a strategy or a profit guarantee. Your funds stay in your account under
Sep 17, 2026
Guide
What Are Forex Trading Signals and How Do They Work?If you have ever asked "what are forex trading signals and how do they work," the answer starts here: a forex trading signal is a structured trade plan. It tells you what currency pair to trade, which direction to take, where to enter, where to place your stop loss, and where to take profit. An analyst, algorithm, or s
Sep 16, 2026
Guide
Trading Psychology and Emotions Forex: How to Manage Your Mindset for Better ResultsIn short: Trading psychology and emotions forex traders face are the primary drivers of underperformance, not flawed strategies. Overconfidence costs roughly 6.5% per year, the disposition effect drains another 3.4 percentage points, and 70-80% of retail CFD accounts lose money. This guide identifies the specific biase
Sep 15, 2026
Guide
What Are Economic Indicators and How Do You Trade Them?Economic indicators are scheduled government and private-sector data releases, like CPI, NFP, and GDP, that measure economic health and routinely trigger sharp moves in forex, equity, and bond markets.
Sep 14, 2026
Guide
How to Read Candlestick Charts: A Beginner's Complete GuideIn short: Learning how to read candlestick charts starts with four numbers: open, high, low, and close. These map to a candle's colored body and thin wicks. A green or white body means the close finished above the open (bullish); a red or black body means it finished below (bearish). Master this structure and you can d
Sep 11, 2026
Guide
How to Use Support and Resistance Levels in Forex TradingYou have watched price fall to a certain area on the chart, bounce, and then return to that same area days later. Maybe it looked like a coincidence the first time. By the third visit, you started wondering what was going on.
Sep 10, 2026
Broker review
FXChoice Review 2026: Offshore Broker With Unverified Belize Licence and 27/100 Trust ScoreFXChoice is a high-risk broker. Its sole claimed FSC Belize licence could not be confirmed on the regulator's public register, earning it a trust score of just 27/100 (Grade F). The USD 10 minimum deposit and Pro account spreads from 0 pips look attractive, but no verifiable regulation, no investor compensation scheme,
Sep 8, 2026
Guide
What Is TradingView and How to Use It: A Complete Guide for Forex TradersIn short: TradingView is a charting and market analysis platform, not a broker. You use it to study price charts, layer on technical indicators, set alerts, and share trading ideas with a global community. To trade real money you must connect a separate, regulated broker account, though built-in paper trading lets begi
Sep 8, 2026
Broker review
TradeDirect365 Review 2026: Australian Fixed-Spread CFD Broker With Transparency GapsTradeDirect365 scores below average overall. Its weakest areas are platforms and research, both critically underdeveloped. Fee transparency is poor: no numeric spread figures or swap rates appear anywhere on the site. The parent group, Trade Nation, holds licences from ASIC (AFSL 422661), the FCA (FRN 525164), and the
Sep 7, 2026
Guide
Reasons Traders Fail Prop Firm Challenges: What the Data Actually ShowsThe biggest reasons traders fail prop firm challenges are not bad strategies or poor market reads. They are rule violations, especially daily drawdown breaches, which account for the largest share of failures across every available dataset. Multiple analyses report that over 80% of first-time challenge failures stem fr
Sep 7, 2026
Guide
Best Forex Trading Strategies: What Works, What Doesn't, and What the Data SaysNo peer-reviewed study or regulator report ranks the best forex trading strategies by risk-adjusted return, win rate, or profit factor. What does exist is a set of five widely used approaches, each suited to different market conditions, time commitments, and risk tolerances. This article breaks down those strategies, e
Sep 3, 2026
Guide
Best Time to Trade Forex: Sessions Explained and Optimal Trading HoursYou have probably heard that the forex market never sleeps. That is mostly true. It runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, cycling through four major trading sessions: Sydney, Tokyo, London, and New York. But "always open" does not mean "always worth trading."
Sep 3, 2026
Broker review
TMGM Review 2026: ASIC-Regulated Broker With Competitive SpreadsTMGM is an Australian-headquartered forex and CFD broker regulated by ASIC (AFSL 436416). Australian clients benefit from segregated funds at National Australia Bank, Professional Indemnity insurance up to AUD 10 million per claim, and leverage capped at 1:30 (AU). Spreads start from 0.0 pips on the Edge account with e
Sep 3, 2026
Broker review
XM Broker Review 2026: Twelve regulators across four continents, but uneven investor protectionXM holds licences from CySEC (120/10), the FCA (FRN 705428), and ASIC (AFSL 443670). Zero Account spreads from 0.0 pips; $5 minimum deposit. Offshore entities offer weaker protection. EngineForex trust score: 70/100 (Grade B).
Sep 2, 2026
Broker review
Blueberry Markets Review 2026: Raw Spreads From 0.0 Pips With ASIC RegulationBlueberry Markets is an ASIC-regulated Australian broker offering Raw account spreads from 0.0 pips with a $7 round-turn commission. Its claimed FSC Mauritius licence could not be register-verified, and Australia lacks a statutory investor-compensation scheme for OTC derivatives. With roughly 11 years of operation, Blu
Aug 31, 2026
Guide
Common Forex Trading Mistakes Beginners Make: What the Data Actually ShowsUnderstanding the common forex trading mistakes beginners make is the first step toward avoiding them. Here is what the comparison sites will not say: the odds are stacked against you before you place your first trade. Regulatory data from ESMA, the CFTC, and India's SEBI confirms that 70 to over 90 percent of retail f
Aug 31, 2026
Guide
How Do Prop Traders Get Paid? Profit Splits, Payout Rules, and What You Actually Take HomeHow do prop traders get paid? Prop traders get paid through profit splits on funded accounts provided by a proprietary trading firm. You trade the firm's capital, generate profit, and keep a percentage, typically 80% to 90% at most reputable firms. The formula is straightforward: your share equals your eligible net pro
Aug 30, 2026
Guide
How Does an Economic Calendar Work and Why Do Forex Traders Use It?You have a trade open on EUR/USD. Everything looks clean on the chart. Then, without warning, price drops 80 pips in under a minute. You check the news. The US Federal Reserve just announced an interest rate hold that nobody expected. The information was scheduled, publicly available, and free to access. You just did n
Aug 29, 2026
Guide
What Is CFD Trading and How Does It Work?So what is CFD trading and how does it work? A CFD, or Contract for Difference, is a derivative contract between you and a broker. You never own the underlying asset. You agree to exchange the difference in price from when you open the position to when you close it.
Aug 29, 2026
Guide
How Does Gold Trading Work for Beginners?Gold trading means buying and selling gold as a financial instrument, profiting from price movements without necessarily owning a single bar. You can trade spot gold (XAU/USD) on forex platforms, gold futures on COMEX, or gold ETFs on stock exchanges. In 2026, this market moves US$356 billion per day, prices have swung
Aug 28, 2026
Guide
How to Choose a Prop Firm: What to Look for Before You Sign UpLearning how to choose a prop firm starts with verifying the firm's legal entity, understanding its revenue model, and matching its rules to your trading style. Check drawdown type, daily loss limits, payout terms, and total costs before paying any challenge fee, because a study of over 300,000 accounts found that only
Aug 27, 2026
Guide
How Prop Firm Challenges Work: What Beginners Need to KnowIn short: A prop firm challenge is a paid evaluation where you trade a simulated account and must hit a profit target, typically 8 to 10% in Phase 1 and 4 to 5% in Phase 2, without breaching strict drawdown limits. If you pass, the firm gives you a funded account and you split profits. However, roughly 7% of all challe
Aug 26, 2026
Guide
What Is Slippage in Forex and How Does It Affect Your Trades?Slippage is the difference between the price you expect when you place a trade and the price at which it actually fills. Sounds minor. It is not. An FXNX analysis of 50,000 real forex fills across multiple sessions and order sizes found the average slippage was -0.28 pips, and the distribution skewed negative. Bad fill
Aug 25, 2026
Guide
Risk Management for Beginners: The Rules That Keep Forex & CFD Traders in the GameRisk management for beginners starts with a system of rules that caps how much you can lose on any single trade, across all open positions, and on your total portfolio. Its purpose is blunt: no single mistake ends your trading career. The classic baseline is the 1-2% rule, meaning you never risk more than 1-2% of accou
Aug 24, 2026
Guide
How to Use MetaTrader 4 for Beginners: What MT4 Is, How It Works, and Whether It Still Makes SenseYou have just opened a trading account. The broker is asking you to pick a platform, and one of the options is something called MetaTrader 4. If you are wondering how to use MetaTrader 4 for beginners, you are not alone: the name keeps showing up in YouTube tutorials, trading forums, and prop-firm listings. But what ac
Aug 24, 2026
Guide
cTrader Guide: What It Is, How It Works, and Whether It Fits Your TradingcTrader is a free forex and CFD trading platform built by Spotware, available via web, desktop, and mobile through 300+ brokers. This cTrader guide covers setup, charting, automated cBots, copy trading, prop firm restrictions for US traders, and an honest cTrader vs MT5 comparison, including 2026 AI integration updates
Aug 24, 2026
Guide
Technical Analysis Guide for Beginners: How to Read Charts and Build a StrategyYou have been staring at a stock or forex chart for twenty minutes, and it looks like an EKG readout from a nervous patient. Green candles, red candles, squiggly lines, acronyms you have never seen before. Where do you even start?
Aug 24, 2026
Guide
Currency Pairs Explained: How to Read, Compare, and Choose Forex PairsEvery forex trade involves two currencies. You buy one, you sell the other. That combination is called a currency pair, and having currency pairs explained clearly is the single most foundational step in forex trading. A currency pair quotes one currency against another, with the base currency listed first and the quot
Aug 24, 2026
Broker review
ThinkMarkets Review 2026: Six Verified Licences but Unverified Offshore Claims Lower the Trust CeilingThinkMarkets holds verified licences from the FCA (FRN 629628) and ASIC (AFSL 424700), earning a Trust Score of 70/100 (Grade B). Standard-account spreads start from 0.4 pips with zero commission; the ThinkZero account charges $7 round-turn on raw spreads. Not every claimed licence could be fully confirmed o
Aug 13, 2026
Guide
How the Forex Market Works: A Plain-Language Guide for BeginnersForex, short for foreign exchange, is the global marketplace where currencies are bought and sold. Understanding how the forex market works comes down to one core idea: you exchange one currency for another, hoping the value shifts in your favor. There is no central building or single exchange. Trading happens electron
Aug 7, 2026
Guide
What Is Leverage in Forex? The Real Numbers on Risk and RewardWhat if you could control $100,000 in the currency market with just $1,000 in your account? That is exactly what borrowed trading capital offers. It is also why this mechanism destroys accounts that are not prepared for it.
Aug 6, 2026
Broker review
AvaTrade Review 2026: Broad Regulation and Free Platforms for Multi-Asset TradersAvaTrade is a well-regulated broker headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Irish and EEA traders onboard under AVA Trade EU Limited, regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (C53877), with ICCL investor compensation, negative balance protection, and segregated client funds. The main caveat: spread data is not prominently pu
Aug 3, 2026
Guide
MT5 Guide for Beginners: How to Trade on MetaTrader 5You just signed up with a broker. They handed you a login and told you to download something called MetaTrader 5. Now you are staring at a screen full of charts, numbers, and buttons you have never seen before. Sound familiar?
Jul 28, 2026
Broker review
IC Markets Review 2026: Raw spreads and fast execution for serious tradersIC Markets is an ASIC-regulated broker delivering tight raw spreads (from 0.0 pips, averaging 0.1 pips on EUR/USD), sub-40ms execution, and four platform choices. The trade-off? A USD $200 minimum deposit, leverage capped at 1:30 (AU), and minimal education. If you already know how to trade, IC Markets belongs on y
Jul 28, 2026
Broker review
Fusion Markets Review 2026: Low-Cost Trading With a Regulatory Catch Worth UnderstandingFusion Markets has built its entire identity around one promise: cheaper trading. The numbers back it up. A $4.50 round-turn commission on the Zero account, spreads starting from 0.0 pips, and no minimum deposit make this broker genuinely hard to beat on cost. Fusion Markets Pty Ltd is an authorised representative (AR 001275590) of FMGP Trading Group Pty Ltd, which holds AFSL 385620 (status: Current); the Seychelles and Vanuatu entities serving international clients sit in a lower regulatory tier.
Jul 26, 2026
Broker review
Tickmill Review 2026: Strong multi-regulation with raw spreads from 0.0 pips- FCA, CySEC, DFSA, and Seychelles FSA licences all verified on official registers.
Jun 25, 2026