how to address datafeed differences?

I trade forex with MB Trading. I also have a Think Or Swim acct. I use for viewing purposes only. I feel Think Or Swim's platform is highly accurate. I notice many bars in my MB Trading/Metatrader platform is different than Think Or Swim's. Should I bother to contact MB Trading?

Hi,

I think you should at least ask them on an email or live chat.

I was demo trading on FXDD (After blowing an $100 account they had given me in 2008 christmas there) and decided to try Alpari UK by chance, and then I realised that although FXDD had added another digit to their pip measurements, it only moved in increments of 10 pips, while Alpari also had 5 pip decimal digits and moved through all of these 10 extra pip units (instead of going from 1.35600 to 1.35610, Alpari could go to 1.35602 or 1.35606 with no problems).

And Alpari also had a different volume info. The data seemed a lot more accurate there.

I'm going to research and try other brokers to know which ones are also accurate on MT4. It is harder but I think it's better for scalping, and seems more volatile too (can be good or bad I guess).

Cheers,
Scalpa

There is no inaccuracy because you are looking at apples and oranges. They should not match perfectly.

There is no central exchange for spot FX. If you were looking a an e-mini chart on MB and T or S, they will match perfectly, because that would be a chart of the exact same prices, on a central exchange. FX prices are made from pools of liquidity each seperate and distinct, but each aware of the prices in the other pools, so although they track very closely, each pool does not have exactly the same prices.

MB Trading has its pool of liquidity, where its exact prices are made up of other MB Trading clients entering their bids and offers, and the Banks MB has agreements w/ providing more liquidity.

Think or Swim has a different pool of liquidity, made up of different parties offering the liquidity. Their bids and offers are not going to match MB's exactly.

They will be very close, because arbitrage keeps them that way. But not exactly the same price, so not exactly the same candle, or chart.

MB is a very friendly place. Anytime you have a question just post it on the MB Trading thread.

Volume on Mt4 is actually the number of bid prices in that time period, not actual volume. from my understanding the higher the volume the more accurate as it is updating more.

As for a broker having 5 decimals, I prefer it, but why bother if the last digit is always a 0?

Hi,

Yes, I was demoing on FXDD and it was always 0, so I couldn't get it at all. Then went to try Alpari UK and it was a lot better.

I don't konw if FXDD Live is alright, I haven't logged in for a long time there, but I feel like they are kinda letting it slip. Two years ago I think their support was better and I think the website is kind of, you know, feels like they slacked out somehow.

On the Volume in MT4. You mean it is the volume of what the broker sees, and no the total volume?

Thanks,
Scalpa