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IG Markets is an online forex trading and CFDs broker, founded in 1974 as a spread betting business. It serves more than 239,000 clients across the world, offering access to more than 17,000 markets. The company comprises of around 1500 staff, based in 17 sales offices across 5 continents, including in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, Japan and Australia.
IG Markets has relatively low fees for trading forex and stock index CFDs, with a transparent list of all the fees being available on the broker’s website. They also do not charge fees for withdrawals, while an inactivity fee is charged after 2 years. In terms of deposit fees, all deposits to a CFD trading account is free, except for credit cards.
IG charges share dealing and CFD commission fees, depending on the market that is being traded and the trading method used. The commissions and fees also depend on the account type.
IG Markets offer CFD trading, spread betting, and share dealing accounts, each with their own features and conditions.
Through opening a CFD account, IG Markets’ clients can trade forex, indices, shares, commodities, cryptocurrencies and a range of other markets.
Meanwhile, traders can access more than 17,000 markets with the spread betting account, going long or short, and opening positions on margin.
Traders who open the share dealing account can buy and sell US shares commission-free, and trade UK shares from £3 per trade. With this account, traders can invest in over 12,000 shares, funds, and investment trusts, while there is a foreign exchange fee of 0.5%.
Like many other brokers, traders can test the different trading platforms and conditions by opening a free demo account.
IG Markets offer several different trading platforms, including the industry standard MetaTrader 4, along with ProRealTime, L2 Dealer and their own IG trading platform.
Traders also have the option to download the IG trading app on from the App Store and Google Play Store, with functionality for a range of devices, including Apple iPhone, Apple iPad and Android tablets and phones.
Meanwhile, IG has also launched an in-house progressive web app (PWA), offering clients the ability to trade on any device, without having to visit a third-party app store.
IG Markets currently provide a good range of educational tools through the IG Academy – an extensive trader’s library that is suitable for beginner and advanced traders. There is also a good range of online seminars available, which cover various topics from platform walkthroughs to potential trading opportunities.
Originally founded as a spread betting firm by Stuart Wheeler and known as IG Index, the company has expanded and rebranded in the decades since its formation.
At the turn of the century, shares in the newly named IG Group PLC were first listed on the London Stock Exchange, in July 2000. Its headquarters are currently based in London, but the Group has offices in multiple countries across 5 continents.
Over the years, IG Group has entered into a number of high-profile sponsorship deals, including partnerships with major football, rugby union and cycling teams from across the globe.
IG Markets Limited is authorised and regulated in the UK by the FCA (license number 195355) and in Germany with the Frankfurt Trade Register (license number HRB 115624), while the Swedish branches of IG Markets Limited and IG Europe GmbH are regulated by the Finansinspektionen. IG is a trading name of IG Markets Limited.
IG Markets offer a range of educational tools for traders willing to learn more about trading and the markets. Deposits and withdrawals are usually swift and there are multiple payment method options available. In addition to this, the IG Markets online trading platform is user-friendly and relatively easy to navigate.
However, the client support response time is somewhat slow in comparison to some of its near competitors, which is always an important point to factor in when choosing a broker. There is also a rather limited product portfolio on offer and some of the trading fees are higher than other brokers currently operating on the market.
