Trading 212 Review

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Trading 212 is a popular mobile trading platform that gives you easy access to zero commission trading on a great choice of 2,000+ instruments including stocks, forex and cryptos. They provide a powerful and user-friendly platform suitable for traders of all skill levels. I also like that they have a good selection of convenient deposit and withdrawal methods for quick and convenient account funding. The minimum deposit is only $1 or you can open a free demo account if you want to test the platform before making a financial commitment.

Summary

Trading 212 is a fintech company based out of London, United Kingdom. The Trading 212 platform is one of the most popular free trading apps in the world with millions of downloads since its release. It has been the United Kingdoms and Germanys #1 trading and investing app according to the number of downloads, with a very high rating from thousands of user reviews.

Trading 212 Mobile Application

I found the Trading 212 platform to be powerful and user friendly, making it easy to use regardless of your prior experience when it comes to trading online. One of the key features is the no hassle commission free trading and investing they offer. Through the one intuitive app, you can trade and invest multiple markets with minimal fuss.

Trading 212 have been recognised in the press for offering zero commission trading on over 2,000+ instruments across multiple asset classes including stock, forex, cryptos and more. They have been featured in respected publications such as Forbes, Financial Times, The Telegraph and The Independent. I think this is testament to the top-class trading and investment services that they can offer.

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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.

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Regulation

Trading 212 is regulated in multiple jurisdictions which gives me confidence that they can be trusted with my funds. When you trade with a regulated broker, they must follow certain rules and procedures to ensure your account is secure. I would always prefer to trade with a broker who is regulated by a top-tier regulator such as the FCA.

Trading 212 is a trading name of Trading 212 UK Ltd. and Trading 212 Ltd. Trading 212 is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) in the United Kingdom with register number 609146. Trading 212 Ltd. is authorised and regulated by the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) in Bulgaria with register number RG-03-0237.

Funds

In order to ensure safety and comply with regulations, Trading 212 keep client funds in segregated bank accounts. They are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, FSCS (Trading 212 UK Ltd.) and the Investors Compensation Fund, ICF Bulgaria (Trading 212 Ltd).

Security

Trading 212 keep your information protected by implementing the industry’s best practices. They perform regular security metric tests and scans of their applications and infrastructure to ensure your data remains secure.

The company governance, financial, business, and IT processes and systems are audited by Grant Thornton. They have a dedicated 24/7 security operations centre which monitors and analyses the traffic and alerts to protect clients in real-time. They also participate in a bug bounty program which rewards researchers for submitted reports. Top execution venues and quality of execution reports are readily available to the public from the Trading 212 website. This really helps to set them apart from competitors as they go above and beyond to ensure the highest of security standards.

Countries

Whilst Trading 212 welcome clients from most countries, they are unable to provide services to residents of the United States or any other countries and jurisdictions where there are certain restrictions in place. For an alternative option, you can have a look at our trading broker reviews.

Platforms

Trading 212 App

Trading 212 provides mobile trading apps for iOS and Android devices. To access the mobile apps on your device, you just need to download them from the relevant app stores. The app is actually free to use, you just pay a spread depending on the instrument that you are trading.

Trading 212 #1 Trading Stocks & CFDs

You can also trade via the Trading 212 web app that runs directly in most modern web browsers without needing to download or install any additional software. I like this as it means you can access your account from any device at any time and the web platform is always up to date.

Trading 212 Web App

I like that the Trading 212 platform is powerful yet it has an intuitive and fully customisable interface. I find it has smooth and easy to use charts for conducting your technical analysis, with an abundance of handy built-in trading tools. You can make your strategies as simple or complicated as you need them. You can view any instrument and place or manage trades at the click of a button. There are tutorial videos and demo practice accounts to help you familiarise yourself with the platform.

Trading 212 Web Platform

Some of the main platform features include the following:

• Real time price feeds
• Watchlists for your favourite trading instruments
• 10 timeframes ranging from 1 minute to 1 month
• 5 chart types (bar, candlestick, line, area & heikin-ashi)
• Technical analysis tools (indicators & graphical objects)
• Sentiment analysis
• Price alerts
• Latest market news & analysis
• Economic calendar
• Video tutorials
• Pro Quant (automated trading strategies)

Tools

You will notice that most of the trading tools are built directly into the impressive platform and accessible from the mobile or web app. In terms of standalone trading tools, the website has an economic calendar to stay up to date with the latest market happenings as well as sections dedicated to news releases and market analysis. I think that most traders will be able to get by with the tools already implemented into the platform. If you do require more complex tools, then you will probably want to consider another trading platform.

Education

When it comes to education, there is the Trading 212 YouTube channel. This is great for those of you who are visual learners. However, if you want alternative content, then you may consider Admirals who have a plethora of educational resources, with more than just videos to peruse in your own time.

YouTube Channel

The popular Trading 212 YouTube channel has hundreds of frequently updated educational videos to help increase your trading knowledge. The videos are fun and easy to digest, covering a wide range of topics from the different types of markets, trading strategies, technical analysis, fundamental analysis, how to guides and much more. I really enjoyed watching some of the videos and got some useful tips that I will implement into my own trading.

The Trading 212 website also contains a section dedicated to learning materials. There are trading guides for all levels of traders including an explanation of the different trading modes available, how to use charts, glossary and economic indicators. Whatever your prior experience, I am sure you will find something useful.

Markets

Trading 212 have a great choice of trading instruments, offering 2,000+ stocks and ETFs with 1,800+ instruments available as CFDs. They cover multiple asset classes including stock, forex, cryptos and commodities.

You can choose from popular global stocks such as Lloyds, Apple, Amazon, Tesla Motors, Facebook and many more. Commodities including gold, oil, silver and more are available for trading. Cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin and Ethereum. There are also more than 30 global indices in major and niche markets available to trade.

I think there should be more than enough financial instruments for the average retail trader. However, industry leading IG have more than 17,000 instruments to help put things into perspective.

Accounts

Trading 212 let you choose between a CFD trading or investing account which you can easily switch between at any time using the click of a button. They also provide a free lifetime practice account with virtual money which you can use to familiarise yourself with the platform and trade risk free. I always think it is a good idea to practice your trading strategies on a demo account until you feel confident enough to make an investment. A demo is also a great way to make sure the broker meets your expectations.

Trading 212 Invest

Trading 212 provide investing in 2,000+ stocks and ETFs with no commission, no inactivity fees, no maintenance charges and no limits. They deliver immediate execution on leading exchanges, delivering the best possible prices via direct execution and smart routing. These are some of the best trading conditions that you can find anywhere. I found spreads and fees to be in line with the industry standard and on par with competitors such as AvaTrade.

The minimum deposit amount for this account type is very low at just €1 / $1 / £1. There is no charge for leaving an open position for the next day and no depositing fees. This is better than some brokers who charge you a swap for holding positions overnight, something worth considering. The minimum trade quantity is 1 share which should be achievable for most traders.

Trading 212 CFDs

Trading 212 offer CFD (contract for difference) trading on 1,800+ instruments across major markets including stocks, forex, cryptos, commodities and more. There are no commissions or hidden fees on CFDs and spreads are competitively tight on more than 150+ pairs. You can set your stop loss and take profit. I found the trading conditions to be transparent with instant execution and negative balance protection on accounts. This is important for me as it means my account balance should not drop below my initial deposit.

The minimum deposit amount for this account type is €29 / $29 / £29 and there are no depositing fees. For your open positions, margin requirements will vary depending on the instrument and Trading 212 will credit or debit your account on a daily basis with an interest swap.

Leverage of up to 1:300 for CFD trading is available for those who qualify as professional clients. To qualify as a professional client you must meet 2 out of the 3 following criteria:

• Personal portfolio of greater than £500k (not including property or cash)
• Verified history of trading significant volumes (down to broker discretion)
• Work experience in a professional financial position

Trading 212 ISA

Trading 212 also enable clients to invest tax-free in a zero commission stocks and shares ISA. The minimum deposit amount for this account type is £1. There is no charge for leaving an open position for the next day and no depositing fees. The minimum trade quantity is 1 share which again, should not be an issue for most investors.

Account Signup

I found opening an account with Trading 212 was quick and easy. There is a short online form to complete and you will need to upload some form of identification (e.g. passport or drivers license) and proof of address (e.g. utility bill no older than 3 months). Once your documents have been approved and you have passed the KYC checks, you will be able to fund your account and commence trading. This doesn’t take long and you can browse the platform whilst waiting.

Support

Trading 212 have a 24/7 customer service team who I found very rapid to respond, usually within seconds. They can be reached via phone, online chat and email. There is also a frequently asked question (FAQ) section on the website that covers many of the most commonly asked questions along with detailed answers. I think it is great that support is available around the clock as the markets never sleep.

Funding

Trading 212 accept a range of convenient funding methods including bank transfers, credit/debit card payments, Skrill, Dotpay, Giropay, SafetyPay, Carte Bleue, Mister Cash, Direct eBanking, CashU and UnionPay. You should find a payment option that works for you as they have a good variety. They do not accept cash payments paid directly into their bank account.

Please note that some methods may only be available to specific countries and not all are available for both deposit and withdrawal.

If you are using credit or debit card, your account will usually be funded within 10 minutes after approval. If you fund via bank transfer it can take up to 2-3 business days.

Withdrawals usually take 2-3 business days for you to receive money on your bank account or credit/debit card. Some withdrawal methods such as online payment processors can be instant.

Trading 212 do not charge any fees or commissions for withdrawals although some fees may be charged when using certain payment methods. Be aware that some banks may charge you a bank transfer fee and Trading 212’s bank applies a fee of €5 or the equivalent in other currency. This is a really low fee as I have seen other brokers who charge a lot more.

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

For security reasons, you will need to use the same payment method for withdrawal that you have originally used for your deposit. Trading 212 strictly does not accept third-party payments. All funds deposited into your trading account must be under the same name as your trading account.

Conclusion

Overall, I think that the Trading 212 app is an excellent platform for anyone who wants to invest in and trade the markets. You can get convenient access to an excellent range of trading instruments across multiple asset classes without any hassle. They offer you flexible zero commission trading on a powerful and clean platform that is easy to use for traders of all skill levels. It is a breeze to browse charts, analyse markets, place and manage trades. I like that the company has strict regulation and security in place to give us peace of mind we are trading with a reputable provider in an industry where this is often a concern. The customer support is also prompt, friendly and available 24/7. I think that they could improve by providing educational content other than videos and some more trading tools.

$1

Trading 212 is a popular mobile trading platform offering flexible zero commission trading on 2,000+ instruments including stocks, forex and cryptos. They provide a powerful and user-friendly platform suitable for traders of all skill levels.

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

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