General Information

IG is a UK-registered company and regulated by multiple international financial bodies, including the ASIC, FCA, FSA, FMA, MAS, and DFSA. It offers access to a 17,000+ markets, including forex, indices, shares, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. The company provides multiple trading platforms, including L2 dealer, ProRealTime, MT4, and TradingView.

What Type of Broker Is IG?

IG is a Market Making (MM) broker, which means that it acts as a counterparty to its clients in trading operations. That is, instead of connecting directly to the market, IG acts as an intermediary and takes the opposite position to its clients. As such, it can offer faster order execution speed, tighter spreads and greater flexibility in terms of offering leverage.

However, this also means that IG has a certain conflict of interest with their clients, as their profits come from the difference between the bid and ask price of assets, which could lead to them making decisions that are not necessarily in the best interest of their clients. It is important for traders to be aware of this dynamic when trading with IG or any other MM broker.

Pros and Cons of IG

Pros:

• Wide variety of markets and instrument options
• Intuitive and customizable trading platforms
• Access to advanced technical analysis and charting tools
• Multilingual, multi-channel customer service
• Demo account with virtual financing of $20,000
• No minimum deposit requirement for real accounts
• Leverage up to 1:400

Cons:

• Fees and costs may not be clearly specified
• Withdrawal of funds is not clearly specified
• The minimum transaction amount is high for some markets
• Credit card deposit fees are high compared to other brokers

Is IG Legit?

Yes. IG is currently regulated by multiple regulatory authorities, including ASIC (Australia), FCA (UK), FSA (Japan), FMA (New Zealand), MAS (Singapore), and DFSA (UAE).

Regulated Country	Regulator	Regulated Entity	License Type	License No.
	Australia Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC)	IG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD	Market Making (MM)	515106
	Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)	IG MARKETS LIMITED	Market Making (MM)	195355
	Financial Services Agency (FSA)	ＩＧ証券株式会社	Retail Forex License	関東財務局長（金商）第255号
	Financial Markets Authority (FMA)	IG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD	Straight Through Processing (STP)	684191
	Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)	IG ASIA PTE LTD	Retail Forex License	Unreleased
	Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)	United Arab Emirates	Retail Forex License	F001780

Market Instruments

IG offers access to 17,000+ markets, covering forex, indices, shares, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

Account Type

IG offers a single live account withno minimum deposit required. Aside from live accounts, demo accounts are also available.

IG's demo account is a very useful tool for beginner traders, as it allows them to trade in a safe and risk-free environment. With IG's virtual funding of $20,000, traders can practice and hone their trading skills without risking their capital. In addition, the IG demo account provides access to the trading platform and all the instruments and tools available in the live account, allowing traders to familiarize themselves with the platform and test different trading strategies.

Leverage

As for the maximum leverage dimension at IG, the company offers a maximum leverage of up to 1:400. This means that traders can open positions that are 400 times larger than their available capital. Leverage can be a powerful tool for experienced traders, as it allows them to earn higher profits with limited capital. However, it can also significantly increase the risk of loss and it is important that traders fully understand the risks and limitations of leverage before using it.

Spread and Commission

In terms of costs, IG offers competitive, with EUR/USD spread starting from 0.6 pips. However, there is not much information available on commissions, which may create uncertainty for some traders. In addition, it is important to note that costs may be higher in less liquid markets or with lower trading volume.

Trading Platform

IG offers various trading platforms to meet the needs of different types of traders.

The web-based platform is intuitive and easy to use, although it may be less customizable than other platforms.

They also offer MetaTrader 4, a popular and well-known platform in the forex industry.

For experienced traders, L2 Dealer offers a wide range of advanced tools and functionalities. However, this platform can be more complicated for beginner traders.

Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android, allowing traders to trade on the go.

Deposit and Withdrawal

The minimum deposit for card payment is $50, and no minimum deposit required for Bank Transfer.

Deposit options including immediate credit/debit card transactions upon card registration, with up to five cards permissible per account.

For Hong Kong clients, cost-free FPS transfers in HKD are available and usually clear within one business day.

Bank transfers are also supported. Always include your account ID as a reference to ensure prompt and accurate allocation of funds.

However, fees of 1% are charged on Visa deposits and 0.5% on Mastercard deposits.

Unfortunately, there is no detailed information on withdrawal of funds, which may be a drawback for some customers.

IG Markets enables convenient funding through its mobile app, accessible under the 'add funds' section for both iPhone and Android users. Additionally, transfers can be made via Wise (formerly TransferWise), though users should check for any associated fees as IG Markets is not affiliated with Wise. For Wise transfers, proof of transaction and account details may be required.

Conclusion

In conclusion, IG is a well-established and regulated trading platform that offers a wide variety of financial instruments, an intuitive web platform and access to MetaTrader 4 and L2 Dealer. Although its demo account offers generous virtual funding, information on live accounts is limited. Multilingual customer service is available through multiple channels. However, there is very limited information on deposit and withdrawal.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the minimum deposit required to open an account with IG?

No minimum deposit requirement.

What deposit methods are accepted on IG?

IG accepts deposits through credit/debit cards and bank transfers.

What is the maximum leverage offered by IG?

1:400.

What trading platforms does IG offer?

IG offers L2 dealer, ProRealTime, MT4, and TradingView.

Risk Warning

Trading online carries inherent risks, including the potential loss of invested capital. It may not be suitable for all traders or investors. It's essential to understand and acknowledge these risks before engaging in online trading.

Alpari Information

Founded in 2002, Alpari is regulated by the NBRB in Belarus and has eight global offices with operations on three continents. Alpari does not offer services for the residents from the USA, Japan, Canada, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Korea, European Union, United Kingdom, Syria, Sudan and Cuba.

Pros and Cons

Is Alpari Legit?

Yes. Alpari is regulated by National Bank of the Republic of Belarus (NBRB).

Regulated Country	Regulated by	Regulated Entity	License Type	License Number
	NBRB	Alpari Evrasia Limited Liability Company	Retail Forex License	УНП192637625

Market Instruments

Alpari offers trading in Forex, Metals, Commodities, Indices, Cryptos, and Stocks.

Account Types/Fees

Demo Account: Alpari provides a demo account that allows you to try out the financial markets without the risk of losing money.

Live Account: there are in total 3 types of live account: Pro ECN, ECN, and Standard. In the table below you can see the details. The minimum deposit ranges from $/€50 to $/€500, and other conditions such as leverage, spread, and commissions are also different.

Leverage

Alpari offers a maximum leverage of up to 1:3000 for the Pro ECN and ECN accounts, while 1:1000 for the Standard accounts. However, since leverage can magnify your profits, it can also result in a loss of capital, especially for inexperienced traders. Therefore, traders must choose the right amount according to their risk tolerance.

Trading Platforms

Alpari uses MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, which offer great flexibility, extensive charting tools and a user-friendly interface. Besides, Alpari offers a proprietary platform, which is available on desktop and mobile devices.

Deposit and Withdrawal

Alpari accepts deposits and withdrawals via credit/debit cards, e-wallets, bank wire transfers, and local payment solutions.

The minimum deposit amount depends on the trading account you choose, and can vary between $20 and $500. There's no maximum deposit restriction on Alpari.

You can withdraw as much as you like, as long as you use the same payment method that you used to deposit with. If you still have open positions, youll need to leave enough free margin in your account to cover the withdrawal and any extra fees that may occur.