TD Ameritrade GBP/USD spread

Not really. The GBP/USD spread is average at TD Ameritrade.

The GBP/USD spread is 1.3 at TD Ameritrade while the average spread is 1.0 for the same currency pair at 60 brokers reviewed by BrokerChooser.

My key findings in a nutshell

My key findings in a nutshell

Adam Nasli

Forex • Algo Trading • Market Analysis

I am a seasoned forex trading expert, with nearly a decade of experience in both manual and algorithmic trading. I have personally tested more than 40 different forex brokers, developing an in-depth understanding of the most common platforms, products and fee structures offered by forex brokers.

Learn about our methodology

Adam Nasli

Forex • Algo Trading • Market Analysis

I've thoroughly tested TD Ameritrade services with our analyst team by opening a real-money account and these are my most important findings:

• Spreads are crucial when calculating trading costs and profitability
• Even if the spread is low/narrow or average, other fees may be high at a broker
• Some brokers offer narrow spreads but charge a commission on top
• Financing rate levels are also important on certain positions that are open for several days

Brokerage service highlights at TD Ameritrade

The spread is the difference between the best (highest) purchase and the best (lowest) sell price on the market. Also referred to as bid-ask spread or buy-sell spread), spreads are super important when calculating the costs of a forex transaction.

If you have a brokerage account at a forex broker and you open a position, you will need to pay a transaction cost (trading fee). Brokers also need to make money, right? Spreads are one way for brokers to make a pretty buck.

There are two distinct ways in which they do it:

1. They offer the market spread to their clients but add their own commissions/markups. This method typically involves lower/narrower spreads.
2. They offer their own spread, which includes their fees and they usually don't apply commissions. In this model, the spread tends to be higher/wider.

See the table below for forex spreads used by TD Ameritrade for major currency pairs.

Data updated on July 19, 2024

There are so-called 0 spread brokers, which claim to work with the lowest possible minimum spread: zero. Sounds great, right?

Except it’s often misleading because they actually charge higher spreads for the vast majority of the trades. The best way to ensure you trade forex at low costs is to check average spreads as those reflect the true costs charged by the broker.

Generally speaking, the lower/narrower the spread, the better for forex traders. But as explained above, you also need to consider whether your broker charges a commission. Brokers that charge a commission typically work with lower spreads but the final cost may still be higher. Do the math before making a decision.

Does TD Ameritrade charge a commission?

No, there is no FX commission at TD Ameritrade. All FX fees are built into the spread.

Make sure you check financing rates at your broker

The financing rate or overnight rate is a fee you will have to pay when you hold a leveraged position for more than a day. When you open a leveraged position, you are trading with money borrowed from your broker.

This doesn’t come free, you will need to pay an interest on this borrowed money. This interest is called the financing rate.

If you trade on a very short time horizon (i.e. scalping or intraday trading), the spread will be your most important consideration and you won’t need to worry about financing rates. If, however, you keep your forex position open for several days, the financing rate will become a more important cost factor than the spread on certain trades.

In general, financing rates at TD Ameritrade are Low.

The Cable: one of the most popular currency pairs in the world

The GBP/USD currency pair is often called “the Cable” in forex trading circles. It is one of the most traded currency pairs globally, which means high liquidity and relatively low spreads.

The best time for trading GBP/USD is when both the UK and US markets are open for trading. This is from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM GMT and from 12:00 pm to 15:00 PM GMT.

If you are looking for brokers with the lowest GBP/USD spread and FX fees, check our top list of the lowest GBP/USD spread brokers.

For more details on TD Ameritrade, read our comprehensive TD Ameritrade review for 2024.