I’ve been trading FBS for a few weeks and I’m starting to notice something annoying. When major economic data comes out, the spreads seem to jump way more than I expected. I’m trying to figure out if this is just how FBS works or if other brokers handle news better.
My actual question is: how much is spread widening actually costing you? And is there a way to calculate whether FBS is still worth it after rebates cover some of the extra cost?
I want to know the real numbers from people here. What does a typical spread blowout look like for you when you’re trading FBS during major events, and how does the GlobeGain rebate actually factor into whether those trades stay profitable?
News spreads on FBS go from one to four pips.
Rebates cover about third of extra cost.
Just trade after volatility settles down.
Spread widening during news is standard across all brokers. FBS isn’t unique there. The question is how much wider and how fast they tighten back up.
For EUR/USD on FBS, I’ve specifically tracked this. Normal spread sits around 1.2 pips. During major releases like NFP, I’ve seen it hit 2.5 to 3.5 pips for a few seconds, then settle back within 30 seconds.
With GlobeGain rebates, you’re getting back roughly 0.5 to 0.7 pips per trade depending on your volume. That covers some of the temporary blowout cost, but not all of it.
If you’re scalping through releases, you’ll pay more. If you avoid trading the 30 seconds around the actual data point, you avoid most of it. Plan your entry and exit strategy around that timing.
I struggled with this at first too. Noticed the same thing you’re seeing with spreads expanding right around data releases.
After tracking it for a couple weeks, I realized it’s not worth fighting against. I just plan my trading to avoid the high-impact releases if I’m in a position.
The rebates do help offset some of the cost if you get caught in wider spreads, but the best strategy is timing. Plan around it rather than trading through it.
Spreads definitely widen during news. Costs more but that’s normal.
I don’t trade during major releases anyway so it doesn’t affect me much.
I spent a month deliberately tracking spread behavior on FBS during news and non-news periods. Here’s what the math actually looks like:
On EUR/USD and GBP/USD, spreads stay between 1.1 and 1.3 pips during calm markets. During NFP, they hit 2.8 to 3.5 pips for about 20 to 40 seconds, then tighten back down.
If you’re swing trading, this is basically irrelevant. If you’re day trading, it depends on your entry timing. If you’re trying to scalp through the release, you’re going to lose money unless you’re betting on direction.
GlobeGain rebates added up to about 0.6 pips per trade for me that month. So on a normal trade, you’re getting that back. On a news trade with 2.5 pip wider spreads, the rebate helps but doesn’t fully cover the extra cost.
My practical approach: I place orders before releases and let them execute after the volatility settles. Costs me maybe a couple pips of slippage, but that’s cheaper than fighting the spread directly.
Compared FBS directly against IC Markets for news trading. FBS spreads spike higher and take slightly longer to tighten back to normal.
IC Markets was tighter, but the commission fees on their ECN accounts offset that advantage. After rebates, FBS worked out cheaper overall for my volume.
The real answer is: don’t trade through major releases if you’re on any broker with standard accounts. Upgrade to ECN if you specifically want tighter news spreads, but that costs more in commissions. Most traders are better off just adjusting their schedule.