Liquidity Bridge Providers play a crucial role in enabling retail brokers to access the market and provide their clients with competitive pricing and execution. To establish a successful relationship for all involved, we suggest you keep the following considerations in mind. 

1.Reliability

Liquidity providers expect retail forex brokers to use a reliable liquidity bridge provider that can (at minimum):

• establish a secure connection to Liquidity provider FIX API.
• process price streaming/execution without any network-related delays.
• support all standard order types (FOK, IOC, Limits, etc.).

The bridge provider’s reliability can impact not just the quality of pricing and execution, but the overall reputation of a Liquidity provider, and can be directly correlated with the quality of service to the end client – i.e. the retail trader.

2.Risk Management Capabilities

Liquidity providers want retail forex brokers to use a bridge provider that has robust risk management capabilities. Even if a Liquidity Provider provides its own Risk Management Suit (Advanced Markets provides one), passive risk management features should be a given (daily reports, alerts set up, P&L monitoring). Active risk management tools, in the form of trading platforms attached to the Bridge and Retail FX broker FIX API accounts, are less common but nice to have. A bridge provider that can manage risks effectively can help prevent potential losses for both the broker and the liquidity provider.

3.Fast Trade Execution

Liquidity providers expect retail forex brokers to ensure that the liquidity bridge provider can facilitate fast trade execution. This is essential in the fast-paced forex market, to avoid slippage and missed opportunities. Complex multi-level infrastructures and non-standard workarounds will create additional points of failure and should be avoided at any cost.

4.Transparency and Communication

Liquidity providers expect retail forex brokers to maintain transparency and open communication with the liquidity bridge provider regarding their clients’ trading activity. A good bridge provider should be transparent about their own mistakes and take appropriate steps to address them promptly.

5.Technological Innovation and Updates Monitoring

Liquidity bridge providers must stay ahead of the latest developments and client requests to continue innovating their solutions. A good technology company must also monitor any updates made by the platforms they are connecting to and stay on top of them. Ideally, any new platform update must be QA’ed by the bridge provider before release. Retail brokers should also be made aware of any new releases ahead of time. Education must be provided as it is a key element of any positive experience with Bridge Providers. Over the years, we have seen many cases where failure to provide proper training on a brand-new Liquidity Bridge caused retail brokers to lose thousands of dollars.

6.Customer Support

The importance of customer support for retail forex brokers cannot be overstated, especially in the current landscape where technology and connectivity to liquidity providers involve numerous moving components, such as trading platforms, bridges, aggregation engines, and FIX APIs. Effective support services ensure seamless integration and operation, allowing retail FX brokers and their clients to navigate the complex trading environment with confidence. Prompt and knowledgeable support not only minimizes disruptions but also contributes to building trust and long-lasting relationships between brokers and their technology & liquidity partners. Therefore, it is essential to work with a bridge provider that offers responsive customer support (via Teams, Slack, Skype, WhatsApp), to address any questions or concerns that may arise.

In conclusion, selecting the right Liquidity Bridge Provider is crucial for Retail Forex Brokers. Their ability to access pricing and execute trades seamlessly helps them stay ahead of their competition, meeting the ever-evolving needs of the market.