IG Review

Home » Reviews » IG Review

IG let you trade and invest in an impressive range of more than 18,000 markets including Forex, Stocks, Commodities and Cryptos. They have an excellent selection of user-friendly trading platforms for convenient market analysis, placing and managing trades. I find it an absolute pleasure to trade with IG and have never had any problems with them.

IG’s spreads are tight, the commission charges are low and trade execution speeds are fast due to the brokers deep liquidity pools that come from a variety of top liquidity providers. This is good if you plan on trading frequently and want to save as much on trading costs without compromising on quality. You also get some great trading tools and educational resources to assist you with your trading.

The broker is very well regulated in many countries including widely respected FCA, ASIC, BaFin, CFTC and NFA regulation. They are one of the most well-established brokerage firms you can find, providing top-class trading services since way back in 1974.

I put them at the top of my recommended brokers for anyone looking to trade online with minimal fuss and maximum security. They are one of the few trading brokers I have come across that actually accept clients from the USA which is worth considering if that’s where you are located.

Summary

IG are an award-winning and world-leading online trading broker and investments provider that give traders access to opportunities across thousands of financial markets through their intuitive trading platforms and apps.

Established in 1974 as one of the first trading brokerages, IG have since grown into an industry leader with more clients across the globe than most trading brokers. They serve clients all over the world, from offices in 15 countries, based across five continents. IG Group are one the biggest trading brokers in the world and are listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). It is actually quite rare to find a listed trading brokerage so that helps IG stand out from the crowd.

They help to empower informed and decisive traders with access to trade over 18,000 markets including forex, stocks, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies and more, all at competitive prices and fast trade execution speeds.

If safety is of paramount importance and you want to use a broker that has as many products and services available to you as possible, then look no further than IG. If you want to see what other options are out there, a broker that comes close to IG in terms of regulation and trading services offered is Oanda.

Awards

Their award-winning trading services have been recognised time and time again by the brokerage industry, both for the services and the innovative trading technologies that they provide. The awards they have won include the ADVFN International Finance Awards Best Multi-Platform Provider, the Online Personal Wealth Awards Best Trading Support and Best Overall Personal Wealth Provider, the Professional Trader Awards Best Overall Professional Trading Account and Best Trading App. I have no doubt that they will continue to win awards as an industry leader.

Trading Conditions

IG aim to offer you the best prices and the tightest spreads with deep liquidity and advanced dealing options. They are commitment to providing the best execution, a transparent policy and an automated process that allows puts client interests first. The broker implements symmetrical tolerance, stating that you will always get your desired price (or better) on limit and at-quote orders. They pass on positive slippage, and offer guaranteed stops to help you avoid negative slippage. Rejections are due to underlying market dynamics plus erroneous/excessive orders.

IG Order Flow

IG offer trading on leverage through contract for differences (CFDs) which are financial products that allow you to trade the markets with both long and short positions, speculating on price movements without actually physically owning the underlying asset.

Features

Some of the benefits you can get when trading online with IG include:

• Platforms: Easy to use, fast and powerful trading platforms so that you can quickly identify and respond to trading opportunities
• Markets: Vast market range of over 18,000 markets, including more 24-hour indices than any provider, out-of-hours US shares and over 80 forex markets
• Conditions: Fast trade execution speeds, tight spreads and competitive commissions. Some of the best you will find anywhere
• Tools: Cutting-edge trading tools to assist traders with conducting thorough technical and fundamental market analysis
• Education: Range of training resources and educational materials such as seminars to help you become a better trader by increasing your trading knowledge and improving your trading skills
• Support: Friendly, prompt and expert support team that are available around the clock to offer first-class customer service
• Guidance: Personal service to ensure that you’re comfortable with the products during your initial time trading with IG, they have a dedicated team on hand to offer one-to-one guidance
• Protection: Effective risk management to help traders protect their capital with a range of stop and limit orders. You can keep track of funds easily with an always-visible snapshot of their profit and loss
• Bespoke: Premium services for high volume traders who can qualify for a personal account manager and bespoke analysis from the IG team
• Community: IG community where you can share ideas, opportunities and advice online with like-minded traders
• Regulation: Multiple regulation helps to give you peace of mind and protection should things go wrong

IG Broker Features

Our #1 Broker 2023

AvaTrade is an award-winning and multi-regulated broker offering a great selection of trading instruments including Forex, Cryptos, Stocks and Commodities. You can trade on all of your devices via user-friendly platforms with excellent trading conditions and no commission fees.

Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

TradeTrade

Regulation

IG brokerage is trusted by many traders as one of the world’s largest brokers with top class services. They are regulated and authorised to offer online trading services in multiple jurisdictions spanning multiple continents, fully invested in the security and success of their clients.

When you deposit money into an IG account as a retail client, it’s protected in a number of ways. You can rest assured that when you deposit funds into an IG account, they are safeguarded by being held in segregated accounts at regulated banks under trustee arrangements. This ensures that the cash remains yours, rather than IG’s. It also means that it’s easily identifiable as client money, so IG and its creditors don’t have any charge, liens, or rights of set-off or retention over it.

They have a number of segregated bank accounts at a range of credit-worthy high street banks such as Barclays and Lloyds. They intentionally ensure that client money is split between a number of banks, and are not permitted to hold it all in one place.

The broker cannot use your money for their own business activities such as hedging trades with other counterparties (or as margin for our own hedging trades), operating costs and they are ring-fenced from their creditors.

The only clients whose money and assets aren’t treated like this are professional clients (such as other financial firms), or eligible counterparties who have signed a legal document explaining how their money and assets are held differently (this is known as ‘title transfer’).

In the unlikely event of IG going into liquidation, all clients would have their share of the segregated money or segregated assets returned, minus the administrators’ costs in handling and distributing these funds.

Any shortfall of funds up to a limit may be compensated for under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS is the compensation fund of last resort for customers of authorised financial services firms. It is designed by the UK government to act as a ‘safety net’, and usually covers private investors (retail clients) and small businesses if they have been clients of a financial services firm which becomes insolvent.

It should also be noted that segregated accounts and compensation may not apply to all countries. You should check with the branch of IG that you are considering open a trading account with and what protection you will have.

IG Broker Regulation

IG accept traders from most countries including the United States and United Kingdom. You may find that the products and services offered can vary from country to country.

It is your responsibility to choose which IG entity best meets your individual requirements. Please note that applying to a non-UK/non-European entity will mean that you are not subject to UK or European client protections, including those for the protection of retail clients (such as leverage caps and negative balance protection), although local protections will apply. This also means that your funds will not be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, although alternatives may still be available (see below for details).

IG Account Protection

IG have built their business around being on the client’s side as it is in their own interest for clients to be profitable so that they keep trading with the broker. As part of this commitment, the broker signed up to the FX Global Code of Conduct, which establishes a common set of guidelines for good practice in the markets.

Regulators

IG is a trading name of IG Markets Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 04008957) and IG Index Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 01190902). IG Markets Ltd (Register number 195355) and IG Index Ltd (Register number 114059) are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom.

The Financial Conduct Authority is a financial regulatory body in the United Kingdom, but operates independently of the UK Government, and is financed by charging fees to members of the financial services industry. The aim of the FCA is to secure an appropriate degree of protection for consumers, protect and enhance the integrity of the UK financial system and promote effective competition in the interests of consumers. The FCA have strict regulatory requirements, known as the client money and client assets rules (found in the Client Assets Sourcebook – CASS), which govern exactly what brokers can do and how they must do it.

FCA regulation is general considered by many to be one of the strictest regulators available and ensures that IG must abide by the rules and regulations put in place to protect investors. FCA regulations can give clients peace of mind they are trading online with a trusted brokerage and have protection in the unlikely scenario that something was to go wrong.

IG is also a trading name of IG US LLC (a company registered in Delaware under number 6570306). IG is a registered RFED and IB with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and member of the National Futures Association (NFA ID 0509630).

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is an independent agency of the US government created in 1974, that regulates the U.S. derivatives markets, which includes futures, swaps, and certain kinds of options. The mission of the CFTC is to promote the integrity, resilience, and vibrancy of the U.S. derivatives markets through sound regulation.

The National Futures Association (NFA) is the self-regulatory organization for the U.S. derivatives industry, including on-exchange traded futures, retail off-exchange foreign currency and OTC derivatives. Designated by the CFTC as a registered futures association, NFA strives every day to safeguard the integrity of the derivatives markets, protect investors and ensure Members meet their regulatory responsibilities.

The NFA is another very well-respected regulator that any trader from the United States would most likely look for before opening an online trading account with a brokerage such as IG. NFA regulation can also give traders the peace of mind that they are using an established and transparent broker that must follow strict rules and guidelines in order to help protect investors interest.

Impressively, in addition to FCA and NFA regulation, IG is also regulated by other regulators to operate in multiple jurisdictions. They have perhaps the most diverse regulation in place of any online broker, thus making them one of the most trusted online brokers in the industry.

Please see a list of IG regulators below:

• UK – Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
• USA – Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and National Futures Association (NFA)
• Europe – Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin)
• Switzerland – Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA)
• Australia – Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)
• New Zealand – Financial Markets Authority (FMA)
• Singapore – Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
• Japan – Japanese Financial Services Authority (JFSA)
• South Africa – Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)
• UAE – Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)

Each regulating body has its own set of rules and principles in place but their purpose remains relatively the same – to protect investors interests and to ensure that the broker operates with honesty, integrity and in a fully transparent manner. The vast amount of regulation IG incorporates gives us full confidence that they are a broker who we can trust.

Platforms

IG have a choice of fast, easy to use, reliable, fully customisable and flexible trading platforms that are compatible for desktop computers, laptops, web browsers and mobile devices (iOS & Android).

The platforms you can choose from are IG’s proprietary trading platform, ProRealTime (PRT), L2 Dealer or the ever popular MetaTrader 4 (MT4) trading platform. The broker also offers direct market access (DMA) for professional traders who would like to deal directly into the order books of major equity exchanges.

You should choose a platform that is compatible with your devices and offers the features and functionality that your trading strategies require. If you are already familiar with a particular trading platform then you may wish to stick with that option. If you are new to trading online then MetaTrader 4 is often a popular choice among new traders but the IG trading platform is also very powerful and full of useful features.

Don’t worry if you haven’t traded before, the platforms are easy to navigate and include tutorials to help you find your way around. From my experience, the best way to learn is by taking the hands-on approach. You can open a free demo account for each platform to get a feel for them and see which you prefer before making a commitment.

IG Trading Platform

IG Trading Platform

The IG web trading platform is available online for all users who are interested in spread betting (UK) or CFD trading. You can manage your account, register cards, make payments, withdraw your funds and more. This platform also offers browser-based research tools such as streaming news, economic calendar and trading signals. I like the simplicity of the IG platform and clean modern interface. It makes conducting trading activities such as scanning charts, placing and managing trades a breeze.

IG Mobile Trading Platform

IG Mobile Trading Platform

IG offer a tablet and mobile trading platform that has been optimised for iPhone and Android. It is suitable for spread betting in the UK, CFD traders and stock/share dealers. You have access to the same research and monitoring tools as on the web-based platform, and you can view IG’s mobile charts on the go.

I personally find the mobile app more convenient than the desktop platform, simply because I can use it on my phone anywhere at any time. The only disadvantage is that it doesn’t have all of the features of the desktop platform but is still capable of doing everything, from market analysis to managing trades.

IG Progressive Web App

IG Progressive Web App

IG has launched a progressive web app (PWA), that offers clients anywhere in the world a seamless trading platform on any device – without having to visit a third-party app store. The PWA is optimised to help you receive critical trading updates quickly and effortlessly, avoiding delays inherent in traditional app store review processes.

ProRealTime (PRT)

ProRealTime (PRT)

ProRealTime (PRT) is the leading advanced charting package on the web, offering powerful monitoring tools, flexible access and advanced analysis resources. PRT is suitable for technical chart users. PRT is free if you trade spread bets (UK) or CFDs at least four times a month. You can also trade via API through the PRT platform. You’d do this if you want to send IG trades from a custom interface you have built. This platform is for the more professional traders amongst you. Newcomers will probably be better off using the more user-friendly MetaTrader.

MetaTrader 4 (MT4)

MetaTrader 4 (MT4) Platform

MetaTrader 4 is a popular third-party platform for CFD trading and spread betting in the UK, with advanced analysis and automated trading tools. Plus, you can choose between 18 bespoke app add-ons. MT4 if free to download to trade forex, indices, commodities, energies, metals, cryptos and more.

Developed by trading software company MetaQuotes, MT4 has a user-friendly interface and is the trading platform of choice for millions of traders across the globe. There is a large community where traders can share ideas, trading tools, trading signals and automated trading systems.

MT4 is a great choice for those who are looking for a simple trading platform that has automated trading capabilities. It can be used on your desktop or mobile phone, and comes packed with everything most users would need to start trading.

On the other hand, professional and institutional clients may feel somewhat limited and might want to consider one of the other IG platforms or even cTrader. Unfortunately, IG don’t provide cTrader but Pepperstone do if you need this platform.

L2 Dealer

L2 Dealer Platform

L2 Dealer is a free, downloadable share trading platform that offers direct market access (DMA). Users can trade CFDs or use the share dealing service supported by helpful monitoring tools such as watchlists, price alerts and orders. You can trade from charts and enjoy price-improvement technology at your fingertips.

IG FIX API

FIX API Trading

API stands for application programming interface. It is a program that connects two applications – for example, your IG trading account and your custom-built platform. Trading with APIs enables you to gain direct access to IG’s ecosystem, providing you with faster order execution and more control, which can enhance the experience of trading.

Trading with APIs is an easy way to get live market data, historical prices and execute trades from any of your IG trading accounts – without having to manually go through various exchanges and dark pools for data and prices. Instead, you can get the information delivered directly to you, ensuring speed and efficiency.

You can trade directly through IG’s API if you want to build your own trading platform. With IG’s trading API, you can either build your own or use pre-made solutions to place spread bets (UK) and trade CFDs. Automate your trading by connecting your front-end solutions to IG’s market-leading pricing and execution technology.

Trading APIs are popular among hedge funds and registered trading firms as they enable access to more advanced programs, but they are also widely used among private traders and investors. You just need to generate an API key and connect to the IG API using the provided Excel app or start coding.

Tools

IG also offer in-platform support that can help traders to make decisions in moments using the powerful tools built into the platforms. These tools can be used to help reinforce decisions with buy and sell signals, react to events with up-to-the-minute Reuters news and inform your trading with expert market analysis. If you need help with your trading, IG have got you covered.

Technical & Fundamental Indicators

The IG trading platforms have a vast array of built in indicators that can help to identify ranging and trending market conditions. You can place a technical indicator on the charts to help get a clearer picture of price movement whereas a fundamental indicator can help you to spot the market sentiment and movements caused by economic data releases.

IG Trading Alerts

You never have to miss out on market movements or financial events with IG’s free automated trading alerts. Trading alerts are free, automatic and customisable notifications can be sent to you whenever your specifications are triggered – like when economic events occur, prices move and technical conditions change. By having IG monitor the markets for you, you’ll be able to get on with your day and take advantage of opportunity when it arises.

These trading alerts have benefits including:

• Know exactly when to expect economic events and what their outcomes are. Set reminders to notify you of upcoming events, from 5-60 minutes before they occur
• Be alerted when target prices or price changes are hit
• Place and create customised indicator alerts using popular indicators such as: Moving Average, Exponential Moving Average, MACD, RSI, Standard Deviation, Stochastic, Bollinger Bands, Price and volume
• Saves you time by monitoring markets on your behalf
• React instantly to email, SMS or push notifications when on the move

IG Trading Signals

The IG trading signals can be used to help try to identify the right time to trade forex, indices and commodities with IG’s free trading signals. Trading signals are actionable ‘buy’ and ‘sell’ suggestions, based on technical or fundamental analysis. You can choose to have signals sent directly to you, as opportunities in selected markets arise, and use them to help you decide how to trade. It must be strongly emphasised that the signal service does not constitute and should not be regarded as investment advice. IG provides an execution only service. You act on the signals entirely at your own risk.

• Get free real-time trading ideas for your chosen markets
• Continuous market analysis done on your behalf
• Easy to access via your mobile device or desktop

The IG trading signals come directly from two third-party providers, Autochartist and PIA-First. Autochartist’s advanced pattern-recognition technology and PIA-First’s experienced analysts monitor the markets on your behalf, giving you the best of both worlds in terms of technical analysis software and professional expertise.

IG Trading Signals

Autochartist

Established in 2004, Autochartist is a market leader in automated technical analysis.

• Scans the markets and analyses data across multiple timeframes
• Provides objective information to help guide your trading decisions
• Eliminates the subjectivity and guesswork from chart analysis

Autochartist

PIA-First

Trading strategy service provided by two market professionals with over 45 years’ combined experience.

• Award-winning analysis
• Easy-to-implement trading strategies
• Expert commentary on market movements

PIA-First Signals

Automated Trading

Automated Trading

You can trade around the clock and never miss an opportunity with fully automated trading, now available on a range of platforms provided by IG such as ProRealTime and MetaTrader 4 (MT4), as well as with their native APIs. Create and refine your own trading algorithms, or use off-the-shelf solutions, to speculate on the brokers range of over 18,000 markets. They also offer advanced technical analysis and charting tools to make algorithmic trading easy for you, whether you want to build and fully customise your own algorithms or use off-the-shelf solutions.

Automated trading uses computer code with chart and technical analysis to enter and exit trades according to set parameters such as price movements or volatility levels. Once the current market conditions match any predetermined criteria, trading algorithms can execute a buy or sell order on your behalf. They can also set stop and profit levels on your behalf. This can save you time scanning the markets, and it means that your trades are executed almost instantly.

Education

Whether you’re new to the markets or just looking to brush up on your skills, IG offer a range of resources to help you find opportunities – and take your trading to the next level. The IG academy helps you to develop your trading skills and knowledge. The IG Academy is a free resource designed to help you become a more successful trader. Choose from a wide variety of courses and webinars.

I feel like the material is geared more towards beginners. I had a browse around but didn’t really learn anything I haven’t already experienced during my time as a trader. However, the frequently updated market analysis is great to help inspire trade ideas and the IG community lets you connect with like minded traders. I have found some answers in their forum to some specific questions I had about the signal service for example. If you have a particular question and want feedback from other users, the community is worth a visit.

Interactive Education

This helps you get to grips with the essentials of trading, with infographics, video explainers and end-of-course quizzes.

Webinars & Seminars

IG host regular webinars and seminars where you can put your questions to market experts, as they cover everything from spotting trade opportunities to using trading platforms.

Practice Trading

You can practice trading risk free by using your IG Academy login to access a demo account, and trade on live markets with $10,000 of virtual funds. Practice accounts can provide a convenient way to try the different platforms available and test your trading strategies.

IG Academy App

IG Academy App

Learn about trading online whilst on the move using the free IG Academy app. You will be able to access all of the interactive courses and quizzes as normal, as well as join webinars and watch video explainers.

News & Analysis

Stay up to date with the latest news affecting the markets, and read IG expert analysis on the latest market movements.

Trading Strategies

Clients can get specialist insight into the trading techniques and strategies that can help them to capitalise on global markets.

Financial Events

You can explore the upcoming economic and political events which you can add to your trading calendar to ensure you are keeping up with the latest fundamental market analysis.

Trading Glossary

IG provide an extensive trading glossary with frequently used terminologies and clear explanations to help familiarise yourself with some of the common trading jargon.

IG Community

There is a trading discussion forum where clients can benefit from shared knowledge with the IG community. The forum is an online space for IG clients to chat with each other and the expert support team. Traders can talk strategies and share trading tips, have questions answered by traders and staff and get a preview of upcoming products.

IG Community

Markets

You have three routes to the financial markets with IG – spread betting (UK), CFD trading and investing. Each offers you a unique set of advantages. Spread betting and CFDs are derivative products, so you can take a position on a market’s price without owning any assets. You do not need to put up the full value of your position when you open a trade, as spread betting and CFDs are leveraged. You should have a clear understand of what leverage is and the risks involved with trading leverage products. With leverage, losses, as well as profits, are magnified.

Unlike traditional investing, spread betting and CFDs allow you to take advantage of both falling and rising market prices. If your account balance goes negative, IG will bring it back to zero, whether you’re spread betting or trading CFDs. This applies to trading-related debt only, and is not available to professional traders.

IG have one of the most impressive choice of markets for trading online via their user-friendly and intuitive trading platforms including:

• Forex: 80+ Forex Currency Pairs (major, minor and exotic FX crosses)
• Indices: 38+ Indices (baskets of different blue-chip stocks)
• Stocks: 6,000+ Stocks/Shares (Based on shares of AU, US, UK, EU, Canadian, South African and Asian companies)
• Commodities: 30+ Commodities (Cocoa, Coffee, Corn, Cotton, Wheat, Oats, Orange Juice, Rapeseed, Rough Rice, Soyabeans, Soyabean Meal, Soyabean Oil, Sugar, Lumber, Cattle, Lean hogs, etc)
• Bonds: 10+ Bonds (Based on US, UK, EU and JP government securities)
• ETFs: 1,500+ ETFs (Based on exchange-traded funds containing various tradable assets)
• Metals: 10+ Metals (Gold, Silver, Palladium, Platinum, Copper, Aluminium, Lead, Nickel, Zinc, Iron Ore, etc)
• Energies: 7+ Energies (Crude Oil (WTI, Brent), Heating Oil, Gas Oil, Carbon Emissions, Gasoline, Natural Gas, etc)
• Futures: 8 Interest Rate Futures (Based on Euribor, Eurodollar, Euroswiss, Euroyen, Deposit Stg, Short Stg, US 30-day Fed Funds Rate, Aus 30-day Interbank Rate)
• Cryptos: Popular Cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum

In addition to CFD trading, you can complement your trading with more traditional non-leveraged investing and stockbroking products such as share dealing, savings accounts and fully managed diversified portfolios designed to suit your individual goals and risk profile.

IG cannot really be compared to any other broker in terms of instruments as they really are in a league of their own. It is actually impressive for them to be able to offer us so many instruments whilst being regulated in so many jurisdictions. If you want regulation and choice, Markets.com could also be worth consideration.

Accounts

IG Broker Account Types

IG have a range of account types with different features to suit different investor requirements. Some accounts are only available to certain countries. You can choose to trade via one of the international offices, based on your personal trading needs. It is possible to open multiple accounts and trade with more than one IG office.

IG Trading Accounts

• IG trading account
• IG professional account
• IG options trading account
• IG turbo24 trading account
• Limited risk account
• Share dealing account
• Exchange account (NADEX)

Deposit

The minimum deposit to open a trading account is $250 or the equivalent in your account currency. This is typical of most brokers, although if it is out of your budget, Admirals require a deposit of just $1 to open an account.

Leverage

The max leverage IG offer goes up to 1:200 (1:30 for EU and some non-EU clients). If you require more, the XM Group leverage goes all the way up to 1:888 for qualifying clients.

Spreads & Costs

IG makes its money primarily from the spread and thus there is no conflict of interest as they are usually not acting as a counterparty to client trades. IG do not typically benefit from trading losses that an unsuccessful client may experience. Sometimes you’ll also need to pay other fees when trading with any brokerage such as IG including:

• Stock/Share CFD commission
• FX conversion
• Overnight fees
• Inactivity fees

For stocks/share dealing, you’ll pay commission when you buy or sell stocks or ETFs. There’s also a quarterly custody fee depending on your trading activity. Share prices are offered in local denominations, and the fee to convert to your chosen base currency is just 0.5%.

Demo Accounts

Demo trading accounts are available if you wish to try IG’s award-winning platform for free and develop your trading skills. You can practise trading online with $10,000 in virtual funds, gain access to exclusive educational content on IG Academy and test strategies on the go with the free mobile trading apps. Traders will often choose to use a demo account as it enables them to get to grips with a trading platform, build their trading strategy and grow in confidence, without having to risk any real money.

Demo account are not just for newcomers though. Experienced traders often like to use demo accounts to try out new strategies, tools or ideas, safe in the knowledge that they won’t result in any loss of real funds. I always like to try out a new trading system on a demo account at first to see how good or bad it performs.

Professional Trading

Professional clients can gain access to account features that are not available to retail clients, but in turn they do lose certain investor protections. As an IG professional client, you’ll be responsible for ensuring that your account doesn’t fall into a negative balance. If it does, you’ll need to make additional payments to bring your balance back above zero. If you answer ‘yes’ to two or more of the following, you could be eligible to be classified as a professional trader.

• Has your trading averaged 10 significantly sized leverage transactions per quarter over the last 4 quarters?
• Do you have a financial instrument portfolio, including cash deposits, exceeding €500,000?
• Have you worked in the financial sector in a professional position, requiring knowledge of derivatives trading, for at least a year?

Account Signup

You can start trading online with IG today. There is a short and fully online easy account opening process that only takes a few minutes to complete. They will ask you a few simple questions about your trading experience on the online account registration form that you can open by clicking the “create live account” button on the IG website. Once complete the broker can usually verify your identity immediately although you will need to provide proof of identification and address to use certain services. Once your account has been verified, you will then be able to fund your account whenever you like and start investing with IG.

Support

IG Customer Support

IG customer support is available to contact by email, telephone, Twitter and perhaps most conveniently via online chat. The knowledgeable support team are on hand 24 hours a day, from 8am Saturday to 10pm Friday. The large and friendly team will be happy to answer any general, account or technical questions that you may have, in a prompt and efficient manner. Support is offered in a wide range of languages.

IG Group’s Offices Worldwide

You can get instant answers to your questions about trading with IG, using the help and support site. From there you can search for specifics from a huge data bank, or browse a range of topics.

Honestly, there is so much that I love about IG, but I wouldn’t say email support is one of them. It is not that I find the support bad by any stretch of the imagination. I was just slightly frustrated that it took a few days and follow-ups for me to hear back when I asked a few questions that would have taken a few minutes to answer. But don’t let that put you off, the live chat support is much superior and responds almost instantly. However, they could still improve by offering 24/7 support like Plus500.

Funding

IG Account Deposits & Withdrawals

IG have a variety of convenient methods that make it as quick and easy as possible for you to deposit and withdraw funds to and from your trading account. This includes bank wire, credit/debit card and online payment systems such as PayPal. Please note that some methods may only be available to specific countries and not all are available for both deposit and withdrawal.

Some fees may be charged when using certain payment methods and vary by country of residence. Withdrawal requests are processed within the same day or next if outside working hours. The withdrawal time can vary depending on the payment provider and method. Bank transfers may take a few business days to clear whilst some methods can be instant. You can upload a proof of payment if you’d like to trade with the funds from a bank transfer straight away.

The quickest way to fund your account is by credit or debit card, as successful payments are deposited immediately. Before funding you will need to register your chosen card. You may have up to five cards listed on your account at a time, but each card must be in your name and registered to the address you use for your IG account.

Some payment systems may have transaction limits, restrictions, and requirements which are indicated on their respective websites. You may need to verify your account to remove limits on particular methods in some countries. IG do not accept third-party payments. All funds deposited into your trading account must be under the same name as your IG trading account.

Accounts can be opened in multiple currencies. The different currency options are beneficial as currency conversion fees do not apply when using an account in your own currency.

I would like to see a broker of IG’s stature provide more options when it comes to funding. I feel like they are quite limited compared to brokers like FP Markets who have a lot more choice for making deposits and withdrawals.

Conclusion

IG have a huge range of assets to trade on a range of powerful and user-friendly trading platforms, including MetaTrader and direct market access with FIX API. They offer an abundance of trading tools and educational resources suitable for traders of all experience levels. We found the customer support to be excellent, very prompt and efficient in their responses.

Account types are flexible and they have a choice of convenient deposit/withdrawal options, albeit slightly limited in terms of digital wallets. Traders around the globe can take advantage of IG Groups superior trading conditions including tight spreads, low commissions and fast trade execution speeds. It doesn’t matter how much you want to trade with or what you want to trade, the broker can cater to everyone.

In addition to a complete offering of trading products and services, they are regulated in multiple countries and are therefore considered a trusted broker with client’s best interests in mind. IG are certainly a brokerage that many traders are happy to trade with and its not hard to see why.

$250

IG have an impressive selection of 18,000+ instruments including Forex, Stocks, Cryptos and Commodities. You can trade via easy to use platforms for desktop and mobile apps, with low trading costs and the peace of mind that you are using one of the most well-known brokers in the industry.

70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider.

TradeTrade

About the Author

Trading Brokers
Trading Brokers is dedicated to bringing you unbiased broker reviews, the latest broker news and trading guides to help you along your trading journey. We have over 20 years of experience when it comes to trading online so we know what to look for.