I’ve spent way too much time reading random FBS reviews online and they’re all over the place. One person says it’s amazing, another says they had a nightmare with customer support, and I can’t tell who’s telling the truth anymore.
Instead of just collecting opinions, I want to actually build my own pros and cons list by testing things myself. But I’m not sure what order to test things in or what metrics matter most. Should I focus on spreads first? Platform stability? Withdrawal speed? Customer support response time?
I’m also wondering how much GlobeGain rebates should factor into my evaluation. Like, does a broker with higher spreads actually become competitive once rebates are applied? Or should I be looking at base costs first and treating rebates as a bonus?
How did you actually approach this when you were deciding if FBS was worth your time? What did your own personal pros and cons list end up looking like?
Test execution first. Everything else follows from that.
Your pros list matters less than your cons list.
Check platform uptime during volatile market hours specifically.
Build your list in stages. Start with what you can measure objectively, then add subjective factors.
Week one: Document spreads on your main pairs during three different market sessions (Asian, London, New York). Note the best, worst, and average spread you see. This gives you baseline pricing.
Week two: Execute your actual trading strategy with a micro or cent account. Track execution quality (slippage on entries and exits), requotes, and any order rejections. This matters way more than quoted spreads.
Week three: Test customer support. Submit a question via email and live chat. Time the response. Request a small withdrawal and time the entire process from request to bank deposit.
Rebates factor in after you understand base costs. If FBS has 1.2 pip spreads and GlobeGain gives you 0.4 pip rebate, your real cost is 0.8 pip. But this only matters if execution quality is good. A slow broker with great rebates is still slow.
Your cons list should focus on dealbreakers for your specific trading style. For a scalper, platform downtime is critical. For a swing trader, it barely matters.
I started simple. I opened a demo account first and just performed my normal trades for a week. Checked if the platform felt responsive, if I could execute quickly, and if I hit my prices.
Then I funded a small amount and did a few real trades to see execution. That’s when you learn the most.
About rebates - treat them as a bonus that improves value over time, not the main decision factor. If the broker itself isn’t solid, rebates won’t save it.
My cons list ended up being pretty short because most issues weren’t dealbreakers for how I trade. My pros list matched - a few solid points but nothing revolutionary.
I got obsessed with this for a while. Made a spreadsheet comparing FBS, RoboForex, and Tickmill across execution quality, spreads, withdrawal methods, and platform stability. Tested each one during my actual trading hours.
Turned out execution quality was my real dealbreaker. FBS had some requotes during news events whereas Tickmill didn’t. That one factor almost made me switch, but then I realized I don’t trade through major news anymore, so it didn’t matter.
My actual pros list: reliable platform, fast withdrawals, decent support. My cons list: spreads widen more than competitors during low liquidity hours.
Rebates from GlobeGain covered about 20% of my actual trading costs, which pushed FBS ahead of RoboForex even though RoboForex’s base spreads were slightly tighter.
The point is your list should reflect YOUR trading hours and YOUR strategy, not what works for someone else.
One thing I almost missed - check what happens during platform maintenance windows. FBS has some downtime scheduled weekly and if that overlaps with your trading hours it’s a problem. Read their maintenance schedule before you commit.