What is Slippage in Forex
What Exactly is Slippage in Forex?
Slippage occurs when a market order is executed at a different price than initially quoted. This happens because prices move rapidly between the time you click 'buy' or 'sell' and the time the broker fills your order. In retail forex trading, slippage is common during high volatility or low liquidity periods. For example, if you place a market order to buy EUR/USD at 1.1050, but by the time the order reaches the broker, the price has moved to 1.1055. You will be filled at 1.1055, resulting in a 5-pip negative slippage.
How Does Slippage Work?
Slippage works through the order execution process. When you place a market order, your broker sends it to a liquidity provider or the interbank market. The final price depends on the current bid/ask spread and available liquidity. If there is a sudden price jump due to news or low liquidity, the next available price may differ from your requested price. For Czech traders, this often happens during the release of US Non-Farm Payrolls or ECB interest rate decisions. Most brokers offer 'no slippage' guarantees only for limit orders, not market orders.
Why Does Slippage Matter for Czech Republic Traders?
Czech Republic traders often trade with smaller retail accounts, so even a few pips of slippage can significantly impact profitability. For instance, if you are scalping with a 10-pip target, a 2-pip slippage can reduce your profit by 20%. Additionally, Czech traders using payment methods like Bank Transfer may face delays in funding, which can cause missed entries and slippage. Understanding slippage helps you choose the right order type, broker, and trading hours to minimize its effect.
Practical Example with USD
Imagine you are a Czech trader with a USD account. You decide to sell EUR/USD at market price expecting 1.1000, but due to a sudden US dollar strengthening, the price jumps to 1.0995. Your sell order is filled at 1.0995, giving you a 5-pip positive slippage. Conversely, if the price moves to 1.1005, you get negative slippage. This shows that slippage can work both ways, but negative slippage is more common during fast markets.