IG review
IG Review
Founded in 1974 as a pioneer company of its kind, IG (formerly IG Markets Ltd) has been at the forefront of the industry. It was actually responsible for inventing financial spread in forex betting, which started to be offered as an online service back in 1998.
Currently operating from 13 countries around the world and offering trading solutions through offices located all over, this broker is able to reach clients across borders and keep them at ease when it comes to investment opportunities available. The operations are headquartered in London (UK) but include US-based operations too; they are also registered among European countries and Singapore.
IG Pros and Cons
IG Stocks is on one of the most trusted companies in the world. It’s listed on stock markets and regulated, so it has more transparency than other brokers. IG offers excellent trading conditions as well- Forex are low cost with a selection of professional education courses, and there are also good research resources to use during your trades.
10 Points Summary
Headquarters
UK
Regulation and License
FCA, ASIC, CFTC, FINMA, MAS, JFSA, DIFC
Platforms
MT4, IG Proprietary
Customer Support
24/7
EUR/USD Spread
0.6 pips
Demo Account
Offered
Minimum deposit
GBP 250
Base currencies
Several base currencies
Education
IG Academy, Free trading courses, webinars
Instruments
Over 17,000 markets to trade based on CFDs currency pairs, commodities, indices, stocks, financial spread betting (available in the UK and Ireland)
Is IG trading a good broker?
There are many people who have opinions about what is better, the broker or a ig forex trading platform such as IG. That’s going to be up to personal preference and choice. What can’t be ignored though is that IG has been around for decades now, it operates globally with professionalism in financial business matters which makes it clear that IG is an excellent broker.
Further, you will see more of its proposal details on our review page and find out for yourself how great their current conditions like costs wise and technology are; good enough reasons why so many traders invest money on this forex company over others!
It is quite difficult to conclude whether or not this broker will be good for you, because it really depends on personal preference and what type of trader you are. IG Markets, who has existed in the financial business since a few decades ago has global coverage and professional conditions that make them seem like they would offer excellent trading possibilities- that’s why we recommend IG Markets. If you want more information about their proposal details please visit our review page at iglobexreviews.com
Awards
IG is the world’s No.1 CFD and financial spread betting retail provider, based on revenue excluding FX. IG has so many industry awards that it would just be better to list some of them here:
IG is ranked as the #1 broker in 2020, thanks to their CFDs and spreads offering. They were also given two awards for being best at providing stocks/shares ISAs (#1 overall broker) and having the best finance app as well!
Is IG safe or scam
IG is not a scam and is regulated by the proper authorities, just like other brokers. IG offers services around the world under financial licenses such as FCA, ASIC (learn about ASIC Regulated Blueberry Broker), CFTC, DFSA. It also has listed shares on a stock exchange which provides security in addition to all its other regulations!
Is IG Trading legit?
Yes, IG Trading is a fully legit. The IG group of companies is regulated by the appropriate bodies in the territory it operates due to its international presence and proper licenses from authorities worldwide.
As such, as principal office of the company based in UK, they are authorized by Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulation while their stocks and shares ISA accounts provided by IGMarkets Ltd or spread betting through registered IG Index Ltd.
In addition to this, these units under various regulatory bodies across countries with a strong establishment base that lists on stock exchanges which gives not only an extra layer of trust but ensures trading standards are high for them being considered safe broker according to enforced regulations’ set rules – making them legit and well-maintained firm .
For more details see table below where conclusion shows us as a safe broker accordingly present internationally within regulatory authorities’ imposed rules framework that have put forth clear guidelines.
Leverage
Leverage in forex is a trading term that describes the use of borrowed capital to engage in financial transactions. Under regulatory restrictions, which recently changed in Europe with an ESMA regulation, residents of Europe can trade with up to 1:30 leverage only.
However, other jurisdictions have their own limitations and vary from one another. For example Australian authorities allow a leverage up to 1:200 on Forex instruments while European traders are not allowed any more than 1:30 maximum leverages when it comes down to Cryptocurrency and Commodity markets or Options for Share or Index Instruments.
See below for details regarding these limits depending on the instrument being traded under this new restriction imposed by ESMA regulation..
What are IG trading fees?
IG does not have a minimum trade size and low spreads, making them popular for trading. IG’s jurisdiction will offer certain conditions for your trades such as the availability of CFD or MT4 accounts. Spread betting is available only to UK residents while Cryptocurrencies are restricted in Japan and the UK at all times. Other fees like deposit or withdrawal fees may apply too, so we recommend you check those before signing up!
| Asset/ Pair | IG Fees | Plus500 Fees | AvaTrade Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
|
EUR USD
|
0.6 pips |
0.6 pips |
1.3 pips |
|
Crude Oil WTI |
3 pips |
2 pips |
3 pips |
|
Gold |
30
|
29
|
40 |
|
BTC/USD |
65 |
0.35% |
0.75%
|
Non trading fees
Finally, there is an inactivity fee that will be paid if your trading account remains inactive for 6 months or longer. This fee may vary from jurisdiction to another, so you always better check conditions of the fees.
For example, you can compare general IG fees with eToro and other reputable brokers – they offer a variety of different services and options tailored to fit each trader’s needs!
IG Spread
Finally, there is an inactivity fee that will be paid if your trading account remains inactive for 6 months or longer. This fee may vary from jurisdiction to another, so you always better check conditions of the fees.
For example, you can compare general IG fees with eToro and other reputable brokers – they offer a variety of different services and options tailored to fit each trader’s needs!
Trading Fees of IG vs Similar Brokers
IG Trading does confirm that it has pleasant fees which is a plus for any trader. It may be good to check other industry offerings and see if IG is truly great in terms of its fees or not. What you will find below are informative examples, confirming that IG indeed offers excellent service with the lowest possible cost among all providers on this market today:
| Asset/ Pair | IG Fees | Plus500 Fees | AvaTrade Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
|
EUR USD
|
0.6 pips |
0.6 pips |
1.3 pips |
|
Crude Oil WTI |
3 pips |
2 pips |
3 pips |
|
Gold |
30
|
29
|
40 |
|
BTC/USD |
65 |
0.35% |
0.75%
|
Market Instruments
IG offers a range of products for online trading, with original offerings while focusing on CFD. With CFD, customers benefit from changes in the price of an asset without owning it themselves. What is interesting is IG was one of the first Australian providers to offer this service and they have many industry potentials as well.
In addition to its main concept, their brokers’ trading offers extensions into currencies pairs commodities indices stocks financial spread betting available in Ireland and UK) all including over 17000 markets you can trade within that time frame not forgetting cryptocurrencies through futures contracts based on bitcoin ethereum ripple and other popular coins too.
Account Types
Demo Account
You can also start a trial account, which will be treated as a demo account with € 30,000 in it. If you decide to invest your money into this account, then you are obligated to put or deposit funds and the virtual € 30 000 is gone.
How to open your account
It’s rather simple to sign up for IG trading accounts. All you need is a guided registration, an application form and your digital ID. Once these are submitted, the process continues smoothly with no interruptions: after all, IG allows you to verify your account through existing FB or Google accounts which makes it really easy to get access almost instantly also on Demo Account and in your trading account management area!
- Select and click on the IG Sign Up page (you may see a link above in our IG Review).
- Fill your registration personal data (Name, email, phone number etc.) by filling it out.
- Confirm your account through a link received at an email from them. Verify your identity and submit documentation for review: residential proof, ID or others that you have available to provide them with – these are needed to complete the verification process.
- Complete quiz to confirm trading experience once processing is completed! And lastly but not the least follow up with money deposit as soon as possible after activation of account which takes max 5 days post identification purposes if all requirements are fulfilled satisfactorily.
Deposits and Withdrawals
Another important topic is transferring money to and from your trading account, while IG has implemented a transparent method to transactions that are passing quickly. You can also choose the most suitable way for you to transfer funds.
IG Minimum deposit
They do not have a minimum deposit requirement, as well as there is no additional fee for you to transfer the money. However, please verify with particular jurisdiction deposit conditions and margin requirements before deciding on trading what instruments are necessary in order to cover all expenses.
Deposit Options
One of the good things about a trading account is that one can choose from various deposit options when it comes to initiating the trade and start trading almost instantly. There are also other online payment options available in your region, like major debit/credit cards, bank transfers or using PayPal system or Skrill.
IG Withdrawals
IG does not charge any commission for money withdrawals, meaning you can use plenty of withdrawal options including Bank transfer, Credit Debit cards, e-wallets and PayPal. $0 fees are applicable to minimum withdrawals of 150$ while funds usually arrive at your account within 3-5 business days.
How do I withdraw money from IG?
Withdrawing funds from your account is easy. Select “Withdraw Funds” at the main menu of your account. Fill in all the necessary information for withdrawal and choose an acceptable payment method, then confirm and submit to complete this transaction. It usually confirms within 3 days but you may need additional time if you use a third party funding company like PayPal or Western Union to transfer money into their bank accounts.
Platforms
All IG platforms have been designed for traders’ convenience, with a choice of device to use and almost unlimited capabilities. The broker aimed to create an easy-to-use platform while its technical development would take one of the primary roles, and indeed, IG did it right! IG’s platform received many industry awards as well as compliments from traders for its well-designed core and variety of features.
- Great proprietary trading platform
- MT4 available
- User friendly interface
- This offering supports Web, Desktop and Mobile trading.
- Clean charts packed with powerful tools
- Easy to navigate
- Fee Report
vailable in a variety of languages, including Dutch, English and Thai.
- No negative balance protection for clients of U.S.
Web Trading
A proprietary ig trading platform is a web-based software that doesn’t require downloading, along with apps optimized for most smartphones and tablets. The advanced features include direct market access (DMA) throughout its NDD connectivity, APIs and the possibility to transform it into the Specialist platform with flexible access and professional resources.
Look and feel
One of the things we really like about this software is that it’s simple to use and easy to understand. Once you access a secure login, you’ll be able to see an interface with watch lists and options for managing your account, searching or Portfolio settings. There are also reports on fees which are necessary – not just at first but throughout the life cycle of your investment. Charts in this platform are clean and intuitive too; they’re very useful for beginners who want some help getting started as well as pros who ‘need good features’.
Desktop Trading Platform
In contrast, even though MetaTrader4 can be a great option for you as well and it comes with advanced charting tools and more, there are other options. For example, if MT4 is not your choice because of the previous reasons or some others that are said to be better suited for you- then look at them!
Mobile Trading Platform
Modern traders have the IG mobile app integrated into their best forex trading platforms, which not only allows for Android or iOS devices but also has a feature available to be used in the same manner as its regular version. Mobile ig trading apps offer both spread bets and CFDs, which are simplified processes that provide great benefits to traders and leverage advantages for them.
Trading tools
All IG’s platforms are now enhanced with 18 free add-ons and indicators, Autochartist, technical analysis tools, a VPS for an expert advisor – as well as a range of detailed settings that enhances traders’ experience.
Order Types
In addition, as a smart trading process requires effective risk management tools that help to protect capital, IG rewards traders with its wide range of stop and limit orders. This makes it easy for you to keep track of your funds by always having an up-to-date snapshot of profits and losses. Ultimately the IG platform is one the best offerings among industry players when it comes to using technology in order reduce stress levels without worrying about loss potentials.
Customer Support
As a reflection of IG’s popularity, it provides excellent customer support. You can be sure to get prompt responses from people in different languages because this platform is available 24/7 with offices around the world that represent many nationalities and countries.
It also offers live chats on social media channels, as well as phone service through which you can get reliable answers for any queries you have about quality assurance or anything else related to IG’s services.
Education
IG has a comprehensive platform that features excellent research tools. You can either choose the IG team’s research materials, or any premium third-party providers like Real Vision Research.
You will find an array of different content across numerous instruments and asset classes on their streaming News and video pages as well. Integrated trading signals are also available for traders on IG’s AutoTrading capabilities page, which contains many signals from various brokers exclusively to this website. The IG Blog provides news releases and deep analytics outlooks as well.
IG Academy
IG’s customer-friendly broker is another great point, with its interactive education that allows you to have a free trading course and various materials. With their truly comprehensive educational material which can help improve your skills if you already have one and support at the first steps, IG trade will be all in order for you.
Research
IG has a comprehensive platform that features excellent research tools. You can either choose the IG team’s research materials, or any premium third-party providers like Real Vision Research.
You will find an array of different content across numerous instruments and asset classes on their streaming News and video pages as well. Integrated trading signals are also available for traders on IG’s AutoTrading capabilities page, which contains many signals from various brokers exclusively to this website. The IG Blog provides news releases and deep analytics outlooks as well.
Conclusion
IG is a large international broker that has 40 years of experience and offers great services because they are well-organized, regulated, and very reliable. With IG’s competitive trading conditions you get excellent products in addition to the advantage of using leverage positions.
In addition to this, their technical support as well as customer service are also superb! One more thing about them is the courses for online trading which are taught via IG Academy; these courses make it easy for beginners or those just starting out in order to become successful traders quickly!
