I’m getting nervous about trading during major news events with HFM. I’ve heard that spreads blow up during volatility, and if that’s true, my rebates might not be enough to offset the extra cost.
I want to understand what actually happens during something like NFP or central bank announcements. Does HFM’s spread on majors really double or triple? And if it does, how much can GlobeGain rebates actually recover?
I’m trying to figure out whether I should just avoid news trading altogether on HFM or whether the rebate system is designed to handle those spikes. Some people online say rebates are worthless during vol, others say they’re the whole point.
What’s been your actual experience trading HFM around major economic events with rebates? Does the rebate help enough to make it worth trading, or should I sit out those sessions?
Spreads on HFM do widen significantly during news, but the pattern is predictable. EUR/USD might go from 0.9 pips to 2.5 to 3.0 pips for a brief window during NFP.
Here’s what matters: GlobeGain rebates are paid on your executed trades regardless of spread size. So yes, if you trade during a 3 pip spread, the rebate is smaller in absolute terms than during normal conditions. But the rebate percentage usually stays consistent.
My strategy is simple. I avoid entering during the initial spike but trade the 5 to 10 minute window after the number when the market moves but spreads start normalizing. That way I get movement without extreme spreads. The rebate then covers a decent portion of what I do pay.
If you’re scalping news releases directly, costs eat everything. If you’re taking measured positions after the initial chaos settles, rebates help enough to matter.
Volatility is where a lot of traders get burned, and I’ve been there. Last year during FOMC I watched EUR/USD spread jump from 1.0 to 4.5 pips in seconds on HFM.
The rebate still applied, but on that trade it was maybe worth 15 dollars instead of the usual 30 to 40. Not nothing, but it hurt.
What I learned is that rebates help most when you’re trading normal conditions. During extreme news, the spread is so wide that rebates can’t really offset it meaningfully. That’s why I plan around it now—I either skip those trades or I size down during volatility.
HFM’s platform handles the volume fine technically, but the cost is real.
I’ve traded through a few NFP releases on HFM and yeah, the spread does widen. It’s noticeable but not as bad as some other brokers I’ve used.
The rebate is still applied to your trade, so it does help reduce the damage. I wouldn’t count on it as your main insurance against volatility though. The smarter move is just being selective about which news you trade and maybe reducing your size when spreads are wide.
If you’re comfortable with the risk and you’re planning around the costs, HFM works okay for news trades. Just don’t expect rebates to fully protect you from vol spreads.
Spreads definitely widen during news. Rebates help a bit but aren’t magic.
Skip news trades or accept wider spreads.