I listened to some of the "Options Alpha" podcasts this morning, and the host discussed spreads in options trading. The term "slippage" was used in regards to the costs of doing a round trip (open and close) trade. These expenses are clearly seen when it comes to options.
On the MetaTrader platform, when you open a position, it starts out negative because of the spread. If you buy 1 lot with a spread of 30 pips, using leverage of say 1:100, that's like -$30.00 or something. Remember, lots in forex are $100,000, while lots in options are 100 shares.
Oh, regarding the terms associated in the MetaTrader platform! Here's a good link to explaining what I'm talking about right now: luckscout
Margin Level is (Equity/Margin)*100%. It basically gives you an idea of how close you are to "maxing" out your leverage. The demo brokerages on MetaTrader4 are all a little different. Some charge fees for each spread in addition to the fees for the spread. Others don't charge anything for the transaction, but only for the spread. It's official, small spreads = huge liquidity, which is what we want.
I learned about how some forex platforms don't charge commissions, and others do, so it literally pays to do your research before throwing money into one. I started an article on investopedia about how to shop around.
Right now I'm working on the players in the forex market, so more on that tomorrow probably. Terms for MetaTrader, check. I'm still in a trade, and I have yet to do more on RobinHood. We're getting there!