Trade.com Review

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Trade.com is an online brokerage that gives you convenient access to a large selection of financial instruments across multiple asset classes for trading online. They are a regulated broker and provide you with a fully immersive trading experience with up-to-the minute platforms, that can be enjoyed through desktop, mobile and tablet devices. In addition to these powerful platforms that are packed with excellent tools for conducting in-depth market analysis, they also provide you with the brilliant Trading Central which can automatically scan the markets for customised trading signals. Despite the many positive, I did find them to be lacking in educational materials for beginners and the spreads are not the lowest when compared to other brokers. This is primarily because they do not charge a commission fee but instead add a spread mark-up. If you are not specifically looking for tight spreads and already have some trading experience, then they are certainly worth consideration.

Summary

Trade.com is a multi-asset brokerage firm that offers forex and CFD trading, investment and asset management services. The brand was founded in 2013 with headquarters in Nicosia, Cyprus. The broker offers a huge selection of over 100,000 assets for trading on its own robust proprietary platform as well as the popular MetaTrader 4 and professional IBKR platform. You can trade on the direction of the price movement of an asset with CFDs. This means you can speculate on prices without needing to physically own the underlying asset. The difference in price between when you open and close the trade, is your profit or loss minus any brokerage fees. Spread betting is provided on an execution only basis and it is available to UK residents.

In its client agreement and best execution policy documents, the broker asserts that it is the sole execution venue of all client orders. The company acts as principal and not as an agent on the client’s behalf. It also reserves the right to change the opening and closing prices of an order and acts as the sole counterparty to clients’ orders. This means that Trade.com operates the market maker brokerage model. I would always personally prefer to use a non-dealing desk broker such as IC Markets as I don’t really want the broker to take the opposite side of my trade. This could potentially lead to a conflict of interest but there are some benefits. For instance, market makers are useful because they are always ready to buy and sell as long as the investor is willing to pay a specific price. Without market making, there may be insufficient transactions and fewer investment activities.

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

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Regulation

When it comes to choosing a broker, regulation is one of the most important things to look at for. This is because a regulated broker must follow strict rules and procedures that have been put in place to protect investors. I am pleased to see that Trade.com is regulated and therefore I personally wouldn’t have any problems trusting them for my daily trading activities. Trade.com is a brand operated by Trade Capital Markets (TCM) Ltd, Trade Capital UK (TCUK) Ltd and Lead Capital Global Ltd.

Trade Capital Markets (TCM) Ltd is authorized and regulated in Cyprus by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and in South Africa by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). Trade Capital UK (TCUK) Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Lead Capital Global Ltd is authorized and regulated in Mauritius by the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius (FSC).

Funds

TCM is a member of the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF). Traders’ deposits are further insured by this scheme. Clients from the UK are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) which insures clients’ deposits in case the broker goes bankrupt.

When clients make deposits, it is safely kept in special segregated accounts which are not mixed up with the broker’s funds. Periodically, Trade.com accounts are audited in order to ensure full compliancy. These segregated accounts are not used by the broker no matter its financial position, even if it becomes insolvent, the funds in segregated accounts should not be used for bailout, rather they should be returned to the original depositors.

Security

Trade.com has also implemented the Secured Socket Layer (SSL) technology on its website, payment processing platforms as well as trading platforms. SSL ensures a safe communication channel between the servers and clients’ workstations.

Countries

Trade.com states that it does not establish trading account with residents of Japan, USA and Canada. You may find that the products and services offered can vary from country to country. if they do not accept resident of your country for whatever reason, please feel free to take a look at our broker ratings for an alternative option.

Platforms

WebTrader

This is a proprietary platform built by Trade.com for trading forex and CFDs. It is user friendly and suitable for beginners as well as expert traders. I think the platform is easy to navigate and like how you can customise it according to your preferred layout. It doesn’t have quite as many tools built-in as some other platforms, but there is still enough for conducting thorough market analysis across your favourite instruments. The platform runs on the web browser which is great as it can be accessed from any operating system and any device without needing to download or install additional software. It is also available on mobile; via Android and iOS apps downloadable from their respective app stores. This is handy for checking your account, managing your positions and following the markets from the comfort of your mobile phone.

Trade.com WebTrader

WebTrader Features:

• Supports multiple charts; even charts of different instruments can be displayed on the same window
• Real-time asset quotes with price alerts
• Easily switch between demo and real account
• Full account management including account deposits, withdrawals and live balances
• Access to the support team via multiple channels
• Charting is done with 5 chart styles; Candles, Line, Bars, Area, Heikin-Ashi
• Charts can be displayed over 10 timeframes from 1 minute to 1 month
• Tools such as ‘Trading Central’ analysis, economic calendar, etc are available
• Up to 90 technical indicators are available for analysis
• Multiple orders and risk management tools like ‘stop loss’ and ‘take profit’

MetaTrader 4 (MT4)

This is one of the best platforms for trading forex and CFDs in my opinion. It is loaded with technical indicators, drawing objects and other useful tools so that you can find trade opportunities across various chart types and timeframes. It is well known for its versatility, intuitive interface and trading capabilities. There are thousands of plugin apps such as trading robots, indicators and scripts, that have already been developed for MT4. This means that many traders continue to use the platform and you can expand its capabilities with plenty of add-ons to choose from. Many brokers have also adopted MT4 as the industry standard, so if you switch brokers down the line you might not need to learn a new platform from scratch. Trade.com presents the MT4 platform as a downloadable desktop application for MAC and Windows computers. It is also available for mobile devices running on iOS and Android.

MetaTrader (MT4) Platform

MT4 Features:

• Intuitive and customizable interface, charts and windows
• Ability to perform automated trading via Expert Advisors (EAs) which can be programmed using the MQL4
• Technical analysis via multiple charts which can be opened over 9 timeframes
• Up to 30 inbuilt technical indicators and 24 analytical tools
• Order management, risk management and account monitoring in real time
• Alert notifications can be set when a certain price is reached or event occurs

IBKR WebTrader

Trade.com has partnered with another brokerage firm ‘Interactive Brokers’ (IBKR) in order to give Direct Market Access (DMA) to its clients. As a result, you can get access to trade over 100,000 assets via the IBKR powered platform which is the IBKR WebTrader. This platform gives clients access to over 125 markets worldwide to trade stocks, options, futures, funds, forex and warrants. The WebTrader is a scaled-down version with a simplified interface that may better suit those who generally trade a single instrument or use more basic order types. The clean, intuitive interface makes it easy to access market data and transmit orders for your account.

IBKR WebTrader

IBKR WebTrader Features:

• Available in 11 languages
• Require no downloads and runs on all operating systems
• Advanced order management
• Fully customizable to display only favourable asset quotes
• Market depth shows market liquidity and different prices
• BookTrader gives access to order book data for selected assets
• Ability to participate in premarket and post market auctions
• News and data for each asset

Trade.com App

This is the mobile version of the proprietary WebTrader platform. The trading app features a user friendly interface that enables you to conveniently monitor the markets, open and close trade positions and manage all of your accounts while on the move. It is available as downloadable apps for iOS and Android and can be downloaded from the respective app stores.

Trade.com App

Here are some of the mobile trading apps features:

• Switch between real account and demo account with a few taps on the screen
• Account funding, withdrawal, identity verifications and live balances
• Traders’ trends tool which shows what other traders are buying and selling
• Customizable with price alerts
• Displays the charts of all assets in real time over 10 timeframes from 1 min to 1month
• Multiple order types including pending order and risk management tools

Tools

Economic Calendar

This calendar displays the time and dates of economic events and their estimated volatility and impact on the markets. It also shows the history and the currency affected. Clicking on the events displays further information like the charts, history and overview of the event. The economic calendar is customizable to display only the clients’ favourite event categories, importance, dates and event country. I think this is a vital tool and always like to check if there is any pending news before making any trade decision.

Trading Central

Trade.com’s Gold, Platinum and Exclusive account holders are given access to the superb Trading Central analysis software via an MT4 plugin app. Trading Central is a leading financial research firm that provides in-depth analysis and fintech solutions on a wide variety of tradable assets. You can receive automated trading ideas, alerts and expert fundamental and technical analysis on selected instruments. I think this is a great way to find trading signals and it can save you from hours of chart watching. You can even set alerts for when your preferred trade setup occurs for you to review and take action if necessary.

Trading Central

Thematic Portfolios

This is a basket of related assets grouped and traded as a product. Several portfolios are already created by Trade.com experts and offered to investors. Investors can view the portfolio directory and customize it to suit their favourites or style before activating the order. Some of the portfolios are Water tech, Robotics & AI, Global bonds, clean energy, etc. Clicking on the portfolio shows their details like charts and performance analysis. Also, the minimum investment amount, tenure and other stats are displayed. Entry fee of 2% (minimum $250), annual maintenance fee of 1.5% and financial redemption fees are charged. It should be strongly emphasised that their are no guarantees on how these portfolios will perform and past results are by no means any guarantee of future performance.

Education

Unfortunately, I was disappointed to see that there is no training academy available. I would have liked to have seen some educational materials to help beginner traders such as tutorial videos, trading guides and webinars. If you are looking for a broker with lots of educational content, you might want to consider IronFX as they have a generous selection.

Markets

This is another area in which I feel the broker excels. You can choose from a large selection of financial instruments for trading across various asset classes. I feel there will be something for everyone with plenty of option for building a diverse portfolio, regardless of your interests.

• Forex
• Bonds
• Commodities
• Indices
• Stock CFDs
• ETFs
• Cryptocurrencies

Accounts

I was pleased to see that the broker also has a good variety of trading account types for different types of trader. They have up to 5 account types which gives traders the flexibility to choose from multiple options depending on your investment size and preferred conditions. You do need to make a larger deposit to get access to the lowest spreads possible. That would be the exclusive account which has a very large minimum requirement of $100,000 and even then, the spreads aren’t that low at 1.0 pips. However, there is no commission fee added on top as it is already included within the spread mark-up. Thus, the overall costs probably wouldn’t be that much different if spreads were lower and there was a commission fee added. If you are looking for the tightest spreads possible, XM Group have raw spreads from 0.0 pips and a smaller minimum deposit of just $5. This might make them more suitable for those of you who plan on using scalping strategies.

Micro Account

The minimum deposit required is $100 and the spread for the benchmark EURUSD is 3.0 pips.

Silver Account

The minimum opening balance is $1,000 and the EURUSD spread is 1.9 pips. Dedicated account managers are assigned from Silver account upwards.

Gold Account

The minimum opening balance is $10,000 while the EURUSD spread is 1.5 pips. Customers are provided with premium daily analysis and access to Trading Central services.

Platinum Account

The minimum deposit is $50,000 and the EURUSD spread starts from 1.2 pips. Premier customer support is provided to account holders in addition to other services.

Exclusive Account

The minimum deposit is $100,000 and the spread is 1.0 pip. This is the premium account with all the available services.

Demo Account

Risk free demo accounts are available to all clients. It comes preloaded with virtual funds up to $10,000. This can be a way to try out the different trading platforms and practice your trading strategies before making a commitment.

Support

The multilingual client support desk is always available 24/5 when the markets are open. They can be reached via instant web chat, email, telephone and on WhatsApp. An ‘enquiry’ form is also available for website visitors and prospective clients to fill the form in order to ask a quick question. The support team responds by email within 24 hours. I do feel like they could improve by extending support hours to 24/7.

Funding

I think Trade.com have a good selection of convenient payment options for making deposits and withdrawals. I especially like how they support digital wallets as I find this to be the quickest and easiest way for me to move funds between my trading accounts. I don’t want to wait around for days whilst a bank transfer clears if there is some market news that I need to try and capitalise on. In line with its Anti Money Laundering (AML) policy, the broker does not accept cash or cheques. The name on trading account must match the name on the source of funds. Third party deposits are prohibited which is pretty standard.

• Bank Transfer
• Credit/Debit Cards
• Online Payments

Conclusion

Trade.com has user-friendly platforms which are suitable for all types of traders and include a plethora of trading tools for your market analysis and trade management. Both platforms are available as mobile apps which is very convenient for those who need to trade whilst on the go. There is a generous selection of over 100,000 assets for self-directed trading or investing and there are investment portfolios for those who are looking for a more hands-off approach. One of my favourite features is the comprehensive analysis is provided by Trading Central. Multiple account types are provided so that clients can make a choice based on services desired or trading capital.

On the other hand, I found the spreads on Trade.com to be quite high especially on the micro and silver accounts. The account opening deposits are also high when compared to other brokers. It costs $100,000 to open the flagship account on this brokerage when some other brokers such as Libertex require $100 or less. There are no training resources to assist beginners with their trading knowledge but there are free demo accounts which can be a good way to get a feel for trading online and to build your confidence.

Overall, I think that Trade.com is a good broker for anyone looking to trade online in a regulated environment. I like how the broker is regulated in various jurisdictions and has put measures in place to help ensure the safety of clients’ fund and a secure trading environment.

$100

Trade.com is a regulated broker that has a huge range of over 100,000 financial instruments which you can trade on user-friendly platforms for web, desktop and mobile. There are plenty of superb tools to help with your market analysis including Trading Central. However, they do lack in educational content for beginners and don’t have the lowest spreads.

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

TradeTrade

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