Disliked{quote} Youre almost right. They actually do not make the price. They offer as competitive as possible a price/value for an instrument and the decision to accept their price is yours and yours alone. I absolutely advocate shopping around and speaking with your broker. I do however disagree that price is somehow manipulated to their ends. Spreads widen, liquidity thins and demand rises and falls, the broker needs to be one step ahead where price is heading to remain relevant/competitive and if they start to 'slip' they have little more option than...Ignored
You yourself don't trade with Oanda, and for that you're wiser than us.
Also, you don't need $100,000 dollars or pounds to access nearly interbank rates. InterActive Brokers is one such broker that charges a fixed commission. I don't know their minimum but I'd expect it to be 2K dollars.
As Profit Daily said: "if every broker charged a commission and provided raw interbank spreads", the fx landscape would be more safe for retail traders.