I’ve been trading HFM for a few months now and I’m noticing something that’s starting to frustrate me. During major news events like Fed announcements or job reports, HFM’s spreads seem to balloon. I get it, liquidity dries up and brokers widen spreads. But here’s what I’m trying to figure out: are GlobeGain rebates actually meaningful enough to offset this extra cost when volatility hits?
Let me be specific. On a normal EUR/USD trade, I’m looking at maybe 0.9 pips spread. But during news, I’ve seen it jump to 2-3 pips easily. That’s a significant chunk of my potential profit gone before I even enter the trade. I’m using GlobeGain to get cashback on my spreads, which helps, but I want to know if I’m calculating the real impact correctly.
Here’s my question for the community: when you factor in rebates from GlobeGain, does the net cost during volatile sessions actually stay competitive with other brokers? Or am I better off looking for a broker that doesn’t widen spreads as aggressively during news? I’m trying to decide if HFM still makes sense for my swing trading strategy once I factor in these reality-check costs.
This is a real issue and worth paying attention to.
First, calculate your actual cost per trade during volatile periods. Take the widened spread, subtract your GlobeGain rebate, then compare to other brokers during the same event. You might find HFM is still competitive, or you might not.
Here’s the practical angle: most brokers widen spreads during news. The difference is usually 1-2 pips at most between quality brokers. If HFM’s rebates cover that gap, stick with it. If they don’t, test another broker during high volatility before you switch.
Track 20-30 trades during news events on both before deciding. The spreadsheet matters more than your gut feeling.
The rebate only helps if it’s larger than the spread difference between brokers during volatility.
Example: HFM spreads to 2.5 pips during news. Your GlobeGain rebate is 0.5 pips. Real cost is 2.0 pips. Compare that to FXCM at 1.8 pips with no rebate. HFM loses.
But if another broker goes to 2.8 pips, HFM wins. Get the actual numbers during real news events, not theoretical spreads. That’s your only honest comparison.
Rebates help but volatility spreads matter more honestly.
I’ve dealt with this exact situation. During news events, the spread widening is real and it definitely impacts your profitability.The good news is that GlobeGain rebates do help reduce the sting, but they’re usually not enough to completely offset a 2-3 pip jump.
What I’ve found works is adjusting my strategy during high volatility. I either avoid trading right around major news releases, or I size down my positions to account for the wider spreads. The rebate is like a small cushion, not a full protection.
Try tracking a few volatile sessions alongside a competitor broker to see where you actually stand cost-wise.
HFM spreads do get wider. Rebates help a little but not always enough during really volatile times.
I’ve tested HFM during news events pretty thoroughly. The spreads do widen, usually to 2-3 pips on majors like EUR/USD.
Here’s what I found in practice: GlobeGain rebates typically cover about 20-30% of that extra cost, sometimes a bit more depending on your rebate tier. So if the spread jumps 2 pips, the rebate might offset 0.4-0.6 pips. Better than nothing, but not game-changing.
The real question is whether HFM’s base execution and support justify staying. For swing trading, you’re not hitting news volatility as hard as a scalper would, so I’d say HFM still makes sense if the rebates lean in your favor overall. Just don’t expect them to fully cover the volatility impact.