Forex Trading Help | ECN Broker

What regulatory body is the firm regulated by?

ATC BROKERS LTD (KY) is regulated by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA). For additional information, please visit our Regulation section.

Does the firm provide ECN pricing?

Yes, our market prices are derived from our aggregation engine that is integrated to top-tier banks and non-bank institutions.

What methods are available for deposit and withdrawal of funds?

The method currently available is through bank wire.

How do I request a demo trading account?

Please visit our Demo Request section.

What is the minimum account size to open a trading account?

The minimum account balance to open is 2,000 USD or the amount equivalent in EUR.

What are your spreads?

As we provide ECN pricing, the spreads are variable and not fixed. In order to view live market spreads, you can request a demo account.

Do you charge a commission?

Yes, as we provide competitive spreads, our commission is set to 0.60 USD round turn for a mini contract (10,000 lot size) and 6.00 USD round turn for a standard contract (100,000 lot size). The commission is on a USD basis, if you are trading pairs that are non-USD, the commission will vary depending on the market conversion rate.

What is the minimum and maximum lot size that I can trade?

Our minimum lot size to trade is 0.01 (1,000) with no maximum trade size. If there are enough funds in the account to cover the margin required, the account has the ability to trade larger lot sizes.

What is the leverage that is offered?

The trading leverage is set to:

200:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes below 100,000.
100:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes above 100,000.

For additional information, please visit our margins section.

Is the firm a market maker?

No, our firm is not a market maker. We do not have a dealing desk, we only provide Straight Through Processing (STP) order execution.

Are stop losses and take profits guaranteed?

Stop losses and Take profits are not guaranteed to fill at your specified price. As these types of orders are sent as a market order, depending on market volatility, you may incur positive or negative slippage.

Can slippage occur on trades?

Yes, negative or positive slippage can occur depending on market conditions.

Are there any trading restrictions?

No, there are no set trading restrictions in place.

Do you offer VPS services?

We can provide you with a recommendation to a VPS company that has a direct connection to our servers, please visit our VPS section.

How do I apply for a trading account?

You can simply complete our online application, please visit our Online Application section.

Do I need to open a separate account to trade the CFD products?

No, you will have access to the Forex, CFD and Metal markets with one trading account.

How long does it take for the application to get processed?

Depending on the account type and the necessary documents obtained, on average an individual and joint account takes 1-2 business days and a corporate account takes 3-5 business days.

What documents are required to process the application?

To view the documents required to open an account, please visit our Account Application section.

Once my live account is approved, what is the next step?

Once you have received our welcome email with the approval notice, you now have the ability to fund your account by bank wire.

I have the MT4 terminal on my computer, can I login with my live account credentials?

Yes, if you have previously used the MT4 during your demo trial, you can simply go to “File” and select “Login to Trade Account”. Once the login window appears, you will need to input your live account credentials and select the live server and click on Login.

How do I access my Back Office?

From our homepage, you can click on “MyAccount”, once the back office login window appears, type in your live account credentials and click Sign On.

What is the minimum account size to open a trading account?

The minimum account balance to open is 2,000 USD or the amount equivalent in EUR.

What types of trading accounts are available?

You can open an individual, joint or corporate trading account.

How can I apply for a trading account?

You can simply complete our online application, please visit our Online Application section.

How long does it take for the application to get processed?

Depending on the account type and the necessary documents obtained, on average an individual and joint account takes 1-2 business days and a corporate account takes 3-5 business days.

What documents are required to process the application?

An individual and joint application will require a photo identification and proof of residence. Acceptable forms of ID verification include government issued passports, driver’s licenses and national ID cards. All documents should be valid (not expired), show your full name and date of birth as indicated on the Customer Agreement as well a photograph. Acceptable forms of proof of residence include but are not limited to utility bills and bank or credit card statements. Documents must be received in its entirety showing your name and home address as indicated on the Customer Agreement. The document must be dated within the last three months. A company application will require the picture ID and proof of residence for all the directors and shareholders who have a minimum 25% stake in the company. The company certificate of incorporation, articles of organization and other relevant document that identify the structure of the company, directors, shareholder and authorised persons.

What type of documents are accepted for photo identification?

Acceptable forms of ID verification include government issued passports, driver’s licenses and national ID cards. All documents should be valid (not expired), show your full name and date of birth as indicated on the Customer Agreement as well as a photograph.

What type of documents are accepted as proof of residence?

Acceptable forms of proof of residence include but are not limited to utility bills and bank or credit card statements. Documents must be received in its entirety showing your name and home address as indicated on the Customer Agreement. The document must be dated within the last three months. Confidential information such as account number(s) may be removed at your discretion. PO Box addresses are not acceptable.

What if the documents are not in English?

If any of the documents provided are in a different language other than English, you will need to have the document certified with an English translation. A certified copy is a copy of an original document that has on it an endorsement or certificate from a lawyer, bank manager, or notary public that it is a true copy of the original document. It must include the stamp, full name address, telephone number, date and signature of the person performing the certification.

How can I apply for a demo trading account?

Please visit our Demo Request section.

How long will the demo trading account remain active?

Demo accounts are valid for 60 days. Clients with a live trading account can request to have an ongoing demo for the duration of the live account.

How do I logon to the MT4 software?

On the MT4, you can go to File > Login to access the login window screen. Here you can type in the username and password that was emailed to you when you completed the demo request form from our website.

Is the demo prices the same as the live prices?

Yes, ATC is feeding the data for the demo straight from the live market pricing. However, please be advised that the orders placed on the demo account are executed within our demo server environment. The orders placed on a live account are executed within our live server environment and trades are routed to the liquidity providers. Depending on market volatility and liquidity, execution price on the live may vary from the demo environment.

What prices are plotted on the MT4 charts?

The bars on the charts are only made up of the Bid Prices (sell prices).

What time zone are the charts plotting?

The charts are set to GMT+2. (5:00 PM EST is 00:00 on the charts).

Can I add an expert advisor or an indicator on the MT4?

Yes, you can add EA’s and indicators on the MT4. Testing of an EA or Indicator can be done using a demo account.

How do I install an expert advisor or an indicator on the MT4?

Place the EA or indicator files inside of the MQL4 folder. Open the data folder within the platform by going to File > Open Data Folder. You will then find an Experts and Indicators folder inside of the MQL4 folder.

What currencies are available for depositing funds?

We accept USD and EUR.

What methods are available for depositing funds?

The method currently available is through bank wire.

What are the fees for depositing and withdrawing funds?

To view the deposit/withdrawal fees, please visit the Rate Schedule section.

What happens if I send funds in a currency that is different from my trading account?

If funds are sent in a currency other than the denomination of that of your trading account, the bank will automatically convert it to the denominated currency at an exchange rate specified by them, which may not necessarily be favourable.

What is the next step once the funds are deposited to my account?

Once the trading account has been created and funded, the accounts department will email the login credentials to the email address on file.

How can I withdraw my funds?

To request a withdrawal of funds, visit your MyAccount page and click on "Withdraw Funds". Your request will be processed within one to two business days.

What is the difference between an agency model and a market maker model?

As an agency model, trades are executed by the liquidity providers through the aggregation engine. The company does not have an interest nor does it benefit if the trading account is not profitable, as the counter party to the trade is not the brokerage firm. In a market maker model, the brokerage firm is the counter party to the trade, they decide whether to take on the exposure of their client trades or transfer the exposure to their liquidity providers. If the brokerage firm is taking on the exposure, it would be in their best interest for their client trading accounts not to be profitable.

What are the market hours for the Forex?

The Forex market is open from Sunday at 5:05 PM EST to Friday at 4:59 PM EST. This time may change due to holiday schedules. For additional information, please visit our Contract Specs.

What are the market hours for the Metals?

The Metals market is open from Sunday at 6:00 PM EST and closes each day at 5:00 PM EST and re-opens at 6:00 PM EST. On Friday the market closes at 5:00 PM EST and re-opens on Sunday. For additional information, please visit our Contract Specs.

What are the margins needed for trading?

Margin requirements vary by currency pair. Please visit our margins section.

What is the minimum and maximum lot size that I can trade?

Our minimum lot size to trade is 0.01 (1,000) with no maximum trade size. If there are enough funds in the account to cover the margin required, the account has the ability to trade larger lot sizes.

What is the leverage that is offered?

The trading leverage is set to:

200:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes below 100,000.
100:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes above 100,000.

For additional information, please visit our margins section.

Do you offer the MT4 software on mobile?

Yes, we offer the MT4 mobile for live accounts.

Do you offer the MT4 software for MAC?

Yes, we offer the MT4 for MAC.

Do you allow news trading?

Yes, we allow news trading. However, during news announcements, markets will be volatile, and positive or negative slippage will occur depending on market movement and the direction of your open position(s).

Can I add an expert advisor or an indicator on the MT4?

Yes, you can add EA’s and indicators on the MT4. Testing of an EA or Indicator can be done using a demo account.

What are your spreads?

As we provide ECN pricing, the spreads are variable and not fixed. In order to view live market spreads, you can request a demo account.

Do you charge a commission?

Yes, as we provide competitive spreads, our commission is set to 0.60 USD round turn for a mini contract (10,000 lot size) and 6.00 USD round turn for a standard contract (100,000 lot size). The commission is on a USD basis, if you are trading pairs that are non-USD, the commission will vary depending on the market conversion rate.

Are stop losses and take profits guaranteed?

Stop losses and Take profits are not guaranteed to fill at your specified price. As these types of orders are sent as a market order, depending on market volatility, you may incur positive or negative slippage.

Can slippage occur on trades?

Yes, negative or positive slippage can occur depending on market conditions.

Are there any trading restrictions?

No, there are no set trading restrictions in place.

Do you offer VPS services?

We can provide you with a recommendation to a VPS company that has a direct connection to our servers to provide minimal latency, please visit our VPS section.

When is the trade desk available?

Our Trade Desk is available 24 hours a day via live chat or over the phone, service is available during standard market hours.

What are roll-over fees?

A swap charge of a credit or debit for each position open at 5 pm EST is applied directly to your trading account balance. To account for Saturday and Sunday, the forex market books three days of swap rate on Wednesdays, which makes a typical Wednesday rollover three times the amount from another weekday. The Roll Over Swap rates can be viewed from accessing your MyAccount section.

Can my account incur a negative balance?

Yes, a trading account can incur a negative balance that may be caused by market volatility and/or market gap.

What are your margins?

The trading leverage is set to:

200:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes below 100,000.
100:1 for major currency pairs for account sizes above 100,000.

The following is a set of examples that provide an explanation on the margin based on different base currency pairs.

USD Base Currency

Lot Size / Leverage = Margin
10,000 / 100 = 100 USD (100:1 leverage)

USD Non-Base Currency
(Current Market Quote × Lot Size) / Leverage = Margin
(1.12262 x 10,000) / 100 = 112.26 USD (100:1 leverage)

Non-USD Cross Currency
Current Market Quote × Lot Size) = Currency Quote

The sample below is based on a market quote of 134.745 for EURJPY.

We also obtained the market quote for USDJPY (119.721) and EURUSD (1.13548).
134.745 x 10,000 = 1,347,450 JPY

JPY Currency Quote / USDJPY market quote = USD Currency Quote
1,347,450 / 119.721 = 11,254.91 USD

EURUSD market quote x Lot Size = 2nd USD Currency Quote
1.13548 x 10,000 = 11,354.80 USD

Largest USD Currency Quote / Leverage = Margin
11,354.80 / 100 = 113.54 USD (100:1 leverage)

What is your notification level on the MT4 platform?

The notification level is set to 120% on the MetaTrader 4 software. If you margin reaches 120%, the software will show a red banner indication which provides a visual notification.

What is your liquidation level on the MT4 platform?

The liquidation level is set to 100% on the MetaTrader 4 software. If your margin reaches 100%, the software will begin to liquidate the position that has the highest losing amount.

Why are the charts not populating on the MT4 window?

If you cannot view the charts, first make sure you are connected to the MT4. If you are connected, you can first try to update the charts by right clicking in the chart window and selecting “Refresh”. You can also drag the desired currency pair on the chart window to load the data.

What does “Invalid Account” mean on the MT4?

This means that the username or password was entered incorrectly, or the incorrect server was selected for the account.

What does “No connection” mean on the MT4?

This can mean the account was logged out and will need to be logged back in or that something is blocking the connection to the server, such as a firewall or antivirus.

What does “No Money” mean on the MT4?

This means that there isn’t sufficient funds in the trading account to place the lot size specified as the margin required exceeds the contract size placed.

What does “SO” mean in the comment field of the MT4 on the MT4?

This means Stop Out, this will occur when the margin level reaches 100% and the open position(s) get liquidated.

Do you offer VPS services?

We can provide you with a recommendation to a VPS company that has a direct connection to our servers to provide minimal latency, please visit our VPS section.

What are the requirements to setup as a money manager?

The manager must have a total sum of 50,000 USD under management.

What software is available to distribute my signals?

The PAMM and PAMM Plus software provides the ability to manage multiple accounts from the MT4 or via FIX.

Do I have to complete an application?

Yes, you must complete our online application and provide the necessary documents for approval.

What types of fees can I apply to the account?

You have the ability to setup five types of fee structures.

Commission
Mark-up
Performance
Management
Monthly Subscription

When is the performance fee distributed?

The distribution of performance fees are automatically done on the last day of the trading month.

What are the requirements to setup as an Introducing Broker?

In order to be considered as an Introducing Broker, you must either have an existing clientele base or you must have introduced business with a total sum of 50,000 USD to our firm. You must also have an ongoing flow of clients introduced to ATC as an IB. We have these requirements in place as we have noticed that many individuals are requesting a partnership and are only referring a couple of clients. As the partnership setup is involved, we need to pre-qualify any individual that is interested in this type of service.

Do I have to complete an application?

Yes, you must complete our online application and provide the necessary documents for approval.

How do I monitor my introducing broker business?

We will provide you with our back office software that allows you to monitor the referral activity and compensation in real time.

Can I introduce sub introducing brokers?

Yes, our back office allows for maintaining sub-IB hierarchy.

As an introducing broker, can I manage my clients account?

Yes, you can manage accounts by obtaining a limited power of attorney from the client. If you are in a jurisdiction that requires you to be licensed, you may need to obtain the appropriate permission from your regulator to conduct this type of activity.

What are the requirements to setup as a Brokerage (Omnibus) solution?

If you are properly licensed with the regulator in your jurisdiction, we will allow the setup of the Brokerage (Omnibus) with proof of your registration.

What back office software is provided with this type of setup?

We will provide a complete back office solution for you to operate your business. Please visit our Brokerage section to see what’s included with the back office.

Do you offer the MT4 white label package?

Yes, we have the complete MT4 package that is a turn-key solution.

Can I connect additional trading platforms to your back office?

Yes, we can provide you with the FIX API credentials for further software integration.

Do you provide liquidity?

Yes, we will provide you with our aggregation engine, which is connected to top-tier banks and non-bank institutions to bring competitive market pricing.

FAQs

USD Base Currency