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Online trading platforms: How do you know if you’ve picked the absolute best of the lot?

When it comes to picking a platform to trade, it’s always simpler when you have a checklist on how to pick the right broker! This guide does just that, walking you through everything one should keep in mind.

Wondering how to choose an online trading platform that best suits your needs?
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When it comes to picking a platform to trade, it’s always simpler when you have a checklist on how to pick the right broker! This guide does just that, walking you through everything one should keep in mind.

Some investors are willing to pay higher trade commissions for a state-of-the-art platform; others count costs above all else. Irrespective of whichever criteria you fall into, you would want to know what your best option is.

Before we elaborate further with a checklist to help you find the best online broker for you, here is a brief reminder for investors in the UAE.

Quick reminder for UAE investors
A point to keep in mind is that not all international trading platforms, like TD Ameritrade and Interactive Brokers, can be used by investors in UAE. In the UAE, there is a list of licensed operators. Dubai Financial Market (DFM) offers an elaborate list of online brokers on their website.

DFM also provides a regularly-updated list ranking top brokers in the region. For users in the UAE, while ADSS does not charge a commission for buying and selling stocks, a number of platforms like Plus500, Forex.com and Oanda charges comparatively lower fees.

Brief checklist

Now let’s briefly go through a number of important factors to consider when picking an online trading brokerage and to know whether your preferred online brokers are reputed enough.

• Check if your online broker has a history of at least 2 years.

• Check whether your online broker has a reasonable sized customer support of at least 15

• Does the online broker fall under regulation from a jurisdiction that can hold a broker responsible for its misgivings; or at best play an arbitration role in case of bigger disputes?

• Check if your online broker has the ability to get deposits and withdrawals processed within 2 to 3 days. This is important when withdrawing funds.

• Does your online broker have an international presence in multiple countries. This includes local seminar presentations and training.

When deciding to trade and find a suitable United Arab Emirates-based broker, if you wish your broker to be located in your area, ensure they are governed and regulated by the relevant authority.

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• Make sure your online broker can hire people from various locations in the world who can better communicate in your local language.

• It is not essential that your brokerage is local but they must have regulation from a Tier 1 reputable country. Tier 1 corresponds to the World Bank’s list of high income nations

• In fact the broker’s international presence could be of more value than just their presence in your local region.

• When deciding to trade and find a suitable United Arab Emirates-based broker, if you wish your broker to be located in your area, they are governed and regulated by the below.

  1. The Dubai Financial Services Authority
  2. Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)
  3. Dubai Financial Market (DFM)
  4. Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates

Now that we have covered a quick and basic checklist, let’s go a bit further in detail of what you should check when choosing a broker.

Broadly speaking, to evaluate brokers, you should primarily look at account minimum, account fees, commissions, promotions and last but not the least – what is you trading style and what platform best suits your style.

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If your real-estate agent says you can afford
a particular house, don’t just take her word
for it. Run the numbers yourself. Set your
own budget for a mortgage, don’t just trust
the mortgage broker or the bank. Of course
they think you can afford more- they have
commissions riding on it!
Image Credit: Supplied

Know your commissions

Trading platforms or brokers generally offer a similar menu of investment options: individual stocks, options, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and bonds. Some will also offer access to futures trading and forex (currency) trading.

The investments offered by the brokerage will decide two things for you – whether your investment needs will be satisfied, and how much you’ll pay in commissions.

Pay close attention to commissions associated with your preferred investments

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Individual stocks: Although some brokers still charge a commission to buy and sell stocks, either per trade or per share, there are several US-based brokers that now charge no commission, like Interactive Brokers, TD Ameritrade and E-Trade. These have turned out to be popular options for investors on a global scale, but not accessible for traders in the UAE. Broker ADSS said it does not charge a commission.

Options: Options trades often incur the stock trade commission plus a per-contract fee, which usually runs between $0.15 to $1.50 (55 fils to Dh5.5). Some brokers charge only a commission or only a contract fee, and this largely depends on your trading volume.

Mutual funds: Some brokers charge a fee to purchase mutual funds. Transaction costs are typically charged as a flat fee that can range from $10 to $75 (Dh37 to Dh275). You can limit mutual fund transaction costs or avoid them completely by selecting a broker that offers no-transaction-fee mutual funds like Vanguard or TD Ameritrade, but check if you can avail those platforms. (Mutual funds also carry internal fees called expense ratios. These are charged not by the broker, but by the fund itself. The funds will state that clearly, which can be at the most 0.7 per cent of your investment. Anything more than that would be considered high.)

#TIP
You can limit mutual fund transaction costs or avoid them completely by selecting a broker that offers no-transaction-fee mutual funds like Vanguard or TD Ameritrade, but check if you can avail those platforms.

ETFs: ETFs trade like a stock and are purchased for a share price, so they are often subject to the broker’s stock trade commission. But many brokers also offer a list of commission-free ETFs. If you plan to invest in ETFs, you should look for one of these brokers. Vanguard’s VWRD stock exchange-traded fund (ETF) and iShares IGLO bond ETF could be all you need, diversifying your money across 2,900 global stocks and 700 global bonds through just two products.

Bonds: You can purchase bond mutual funds and ETFs at no charge by using no-transaction-fee mutual funds and commission-free ETFs. Brokers may charge a fee to purchase individual bonds, with a minimum and maximum charge.

Beware of account fees
You may not be able to avoid account fees completely, but you can certainly minimise them. Most brokers will charge a fee for transferring out funds or closing your account. If you’re transferring to another broker, that new company may offer to reimburse your transfer fees, at least up to a limit.

Most other fees can be sidestepped by simply choosing a broker that doesn’t charge them, or by opting out of services that cost extra. Common fees to watch out for include annual fees, inactivity fees, trading platform subscriptions and extra charges for research or data.

Close eye on account minimums

You can find highly ranked brokers with no account minimum on the DFM website, as indicated above. But some brokers do require a minimum initial investment, and it can skew toward $500 (Dh1,836) or more. Some funds providing lower minimum options were Forex.com, XM.com, FXTM, eToro, with minimums varying between from $50 (Dh183.65), $100 (Dh367.30) and $200 (Dh734.60).

Many mutual funds require minimum investments, which means even if you’re able to open a brokerage account with a small amount of money, it could be a struggle to actually invest it.

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Many mutual funds also require similar minimum investments, which means even if you’re able to open a brokerage account with a small amount of money, it could be a struggle to actually invest it.

Promotions can help you decide

Online brokers frequently entice new customers with deals, offering a number of commission-free trades or a cash bonus on certain deposit amounts. It isn’t wise to choose a broker solely on its promotional offer — a high commission over the long term could easily wipe out any initial bonus or savings — but if you’re stuck between two options, a promotion may sway you one way or the other.

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Businessman giving bribe money in brown envelope to partner in a corruption scam
Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Personalised trading style, tech needs

If you’re a beginner investor, you probably won’t need an advanced trading platform. But you may want an education and a little hand-holding. This could include videos and tutorials on the broker’s website, or in-person seminars at branches. Many brokers offer these services free to account holders. Many brokers offer educational resources for new investors.

Active traders, on the other hand, will want to look for a brokerage that supports that kind of frequency. That includes studying a broker’s trading platforms, analysis tools, research and data offerings in addition to commissions — including discounts for high-volume traders — and fees. Plenty of high-quality online brokers offer access to trading platforms, tools and research for free, so beware of brokers that nickel and dime each feature; those costs can add up quickly.

Plenty of high-quality online brokers offer access to trading platforms, tools and research for free, so beware of brokers that nickel and dime each feature; those costs can add up quickly.

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Some tips before starting!

Find what suits just you: Don’t choose a platform only because it is recommended by others. Always choose a platform basing on your personal needs. Evaluate the information, talk to your broker, consider his/her experience, and pick the most suitable for you platform.

Choose user-friendly interface: Find out whether the chosen platform is comfortable enough to work with it daily. All features and functions must be easy and understandable for you. For example, look at the platform and decide whether you like it at first sight or not. If the answer is ‘No’, then definitely check something else. Of course, in the future, you will have to learn the details of any platform to work with it professionally. But basic buttons and options should be understandable for you immediately after opening a board. Don’t forget to check the graphics too.

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Platform stability: Make sure that the platform works well and is stable and does not show frequent ‘technical glitches’ or ‘errors’ when you trade. You have to be sure that a performance of a platform will be stable and smooth. This is one of the most important things in trading. As it’s told, time is money and every moment you lose could prove expensive. This can be achieved by trying it out, or using a ‘demo account ‘ – a service provided by most accounts where you can learn by trading fake money.

Core functionalities/features: A platform should assist your current trading strategy. You don’t need to care about a lot of features, when you are starting out. If you are going to upgrade it in the future, you will be able to do it anytime. A sophisticated platform is a good choice for those traders, who use all the features of that platform in real time. Otherwise, it will only complicate your trading experience. If you are not sure whether a chosen platform is too sophisticated or not, test how many functions you are going to use daily. The answer should be 80 per cent at least. For beginners, it is always better to start with something simpler to learn faster. Thus, you will show better progress in less time.

Equipped to help: While keeping the above points in mind, you need to also keep in mind that your broker should be equipped to work with a platform which you are going to choose. It’s not just you but also the backend team that should know the platform well.

Now you’re ready to pick a new trading platform!

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Broker Reviews

Buycryptomarkets Review – top 75 Broker?

Buycryptomarket for trading crypto

Buycryptomarkets Review

buycryptomarkets is a global forex and CFD broker with trading platforms that is suitable and fully functional for all devices.

This is a good option for all levels of traders, although the product portfolio is average, and there is an inactivity fee to be aware of.

Initially formulated in 2023 to provide a robust forex trading platform, buycryptomarkets offers to include CFDs, indices, shares, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

buycryptomarkets has several trading tools and features designed to make your trading experience as smooth as possible. The trading platform has been heralded as a simple and convenient platform without losing the functionality you would find at MetaTrader 4. Some education is also available through the trading platform, and highly responsive customer service is available 24 hours a day.

Please read my full buycryptomarkets review for further details of this forex broker so you can decide whether buycryptomarkets can meet your needs.

Who is buycryptomarkets?

buycryptomarkets is a global forex, spread betting, and CFD online broker. buycryptomarkets is an online Crypto and Forex Broker providing traders across the globe with cutting-edge technology to trade the world’s markets. In a continuous effort to give their traders a more comfortable and safe trading experience, their experts have been improving their service and solutions ensuring traders have the freedom to trade whenever and wherever they like.

 

buycryptomarkets product range overview

The product range at buycryptomarkets is average compared to other brokers. They offer a solid selection of currency pairs and CFDs, no futures CFDs, and an average number of commodity and stock index CFDs. additionally, they do offer leverage trading on the main cryptocurrencies.

Forex trading

More than 50 Forex pairs are available at buycryptomarkets with no commission and some of the tightest spreads in the industry.

Indices and Financial Trading

Indices and financial CFDs have flexible margin requirements and low spreads, representing some of the industry’s best spreads. There are no overnight or hidden fees of any description to worry about.

Commodities Trading

At buycryptomarkets, there are several commodity CFDs, including metals and energies.

Share CFDs Trading

Trade more than 100 company shares without ever owning the underlying security. At buycryptomarkets, you can access global stock exchanges with the option to go long and short and benefit from leverage. For non-leverage trading, there is zero commission.

 

Buycryptomarkets Accounts

There are a few trading account options at buycryptomarkets.  there is not a lot of info concerning this till you are actually in the registration process.

the only thing you should know is that the minimum deposit for opening an account is only $250.

Variety of Trading Accounts

No matter your trading exposure, you deserve an opportunity to trade in CFDs. With access to multiple trading account types, you can choose the right account for yourself and start performing trades in multiple CFDs.

The more experience you gain in the online trading market, the higher trading account you can adopt to trade in more challenging environments. If you are a beginner, start by making a minimum deposit of $250 to trade with a basic account.

Buycryptomarkets  web trading platform

The web platform allows you to place trades directly from your web browser in an easy-to-use interface that is customisable and available in several languages. The web trading platform falls short because of its lack of social trading; however, it is well-designed with several useful features.

There is a two-step login for additional security, and you can search for an asset using its name or by category. Order types include:

I was impressed with both the portfolio and fee reports which were comprehensive and easy to use, with clear information on commission, swap fees, and performance.

There are also the following useful features available on the trading platform:

Trailing stop

Trailing the position of a current price can then trigger a stop order as the price reaches a predetermined distance from a stop order. It works similarly to a stop order but in a more controlled way that aligns with movements in the market.

Market Sentiment

This allows you to closely monitor movements in the market using data from other traders concerning a specific instrument.

Hedging

This allows you to mitigate risks by investing in the same product in a different direction.

Charts

Real-time charts provide up-to-the-moment information, including historical trends, forecasts, and current trends.

Buycryptomarkets mobile trading platform

The mobile trading platform is in keeping with the web trading platform, with much of the same functionality. 

The actual design is well laid out and easy to use with customizability. I found the mobile app fast with personalised watch lists and the ability to open positions directly from real-time charts.

There are price alerts that include statistical alerts, which can be monthly or yearly for currency pairs, indices, etc. Clicking on the alert will automatically open the app on the instrument.

 

buycryptomarkets customer service review

Customer service is excellent at buycryptomarkets, with immediate response times across multiple channels.

There are several channels for contacting customer support, including phone and email. When I tested their service, my query was dealt with immediately without even the intervention of a chatbot. The service provided via email and phone was similar, with fast, relevant responses to my queries. Customer service is provided 24/5, which is above average.

buycryptomarkets is opening an account.

The account opening process is straightforward, fully digital and quick. You will need your ID.

To open your account, you should first decide on the account type you wish to open

Then you can follow these quick and easy steps:

  • Select your country of residence
  • Add personal information, including name and email address
  • Choose a password
  • Enter your home address and tax residency
  • Complete some simple questions relating to your trading experience
  • Fill in information about your personal finances, such as income savings and employment status
  • Select your base currency
  • Upload your ID documentation and proof of address, such as a utility bill or bank statement.

buycryptomarkets Deposit and Withdrawal

Deposits and withdrawals and essentially free, and the minimum deposit is high compared to what you would find at other brokers.

Before making your first deposit, you will need to choose between the following base currencies:

EUR, USD, GBP

Deposit options include:

  1. Bank transfer
  2. Credit and debit card
  3. Cryptocurrency

The minimum deposit is $5000, which is higher than other brokers. There are no fees should you choose to deposit via bank transfer from your bank account.

Bank transfers take several business days.

Withdrawals can be made using the same methods accepted for deposits, and there are no withdrawal fees for electronic wallets and credit/debit cards. 

buycryptomarkets safety

buycryptomarkets is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) but is performing full due diligence to comply with AML regulations.

In addition, all client funds are held in segregated bank accounts to protect those funds should buycryptomarkets go bust.

The buycryptomarkets negative balance protection protects client funds should their balance go negative.

buycryptomarkets fees

buycryptomarkets has low CFD and forex fees and average non-trading fees.

Fees can be separated into two main categories for a CFD and forex broker: trading and non-trading fees.

Trading fees

The trading fees will vary depending on the financial instruments you are trading within each asset class. Trading fees can be charged as a spread, a commission, or a financing rate.

Spreads differ between the bid and ask price for a foreign currency price. Here’s how buycryptomarkets spreads compare against some other forex brokers:

Non-trading fees

buycryptomarkets has low non-trading fees as they do not charge deposit and withdrawal fees, and there is no account fee.

Inactivity fees are charged. There are inactivity fees to be aware of. However, these will only kick in once your account has been inactive for several months and you have a positive balance.

Who is buycryptomarkets suitable for?

buycryptomarkets is suitable for all levels of traders looking for a solid trading platform and very competitive spreads.

The selection of account types is aimed at both retail and professional investors.

Forex Risk Disclaimer

There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. Concerning margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection, and market volatility that may substantially affect the price or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that these products’ methods, techniques, or indicators will be profitable or will not result in losses.

 

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Broker Reviews

Exallt Review – Demo Account – top 75 Broker ?

exallt review

Introduction to Exallt Review 

Let us start from the beginning. People should remember that Exallt offers many investment tools in the capital markets. Creating a portfolio with cryptocurrencies, stocks, commodities, ETFs, and more is possible.

It is a new brokerage that has just opened its door. That said, Exallt Live can offer exemplary services and products.

To get more details, proceed with Exallt review. The next sections will provide a detailed professional analysis of the broker and its offerings.

Broker Name:Exallt
Broker Type:CFD broker
Operating since year:2023
Regulation:Only KYC/AML
Broker status:Independent Broker
Customer Service
Phone:+44 2086382873
Email:[email protected]
Languages:English, Spanish
Availability:phone, email, Social Media
Trading
Trading platforms: Desktop, Mobile and Webtrader
The Trading platform Time zone:
Demo account:Yes
Mobile trading:yes
Web-based trading:yes
Bonuses:yes
Other trading instruments:Forex, CFD, crypto, commodities, indices, stocks
Account
Minimum deposit ($):$5000
Maximal leverage:1:400

 

Exallt Trading Products and Interesting Details

Commodities

Explore top commodities, trade what you want, when you want.

Explore trending commodities such as gold, silver, oil, and others, use innovative tools and make informed trading decisions at Exallt. Benefit from advanced charting and analysis as well as ultra-fast transaction processing. Exallt delivers a trading environment that helps investors to grow.

Interestingly, it is possible to trade different types of commodities. For example, oil and natural gas. Moreover, precious metals such as gold and silver.

Forex

Forex trading is made simple by Exallt.

Forex is the most traded market in the world. It is a decentralised global market for the trading of currencies. The most popular FX pairs involve major international currencies and experience the highest trading volumes and liquidity. This market determines foreign exchange rates for every currency.

Indices

Expand your trading opportunities. Trade the most popular indices at Exallt!

Indices are another in-demand trading asset. An index measures the performance of a group of stocks, bonds, or other assets. By trading indices, you can gain exposure to a wide range of assets without buying them individually. Most index trading is done with financial derivatives like CFDs. This makes it an ideal way to diversify your portfolio and manage risk.

Stocks

Trade stocks at Exallt.

Exallt is about making stock trading easier. Get real-time access to stocks from top exchanges of the world. Diversify your portfolio with a large variety of leading global stocks. Stock trading ensures two ways of earnings: through capital appreciation or dividend payments. This market features the potential for the highest returns.

Cryptocurrencies

Exalt – the easiest and the most secure way to trade cryptocurrencies.

If you can time the market right, trading cryptocurrencies gives you much higher returns than traditional investments. It minimizes risk as you speculate on the rise and fall of the market without owning the asset. Being decentralised, cryptocurrencies allow for more freedom in trading, as there are no restrictions on how much can be traded or how often.

range of markets

range of markets

Exallt and its Trading Platform

It is hard not to mention its platform. Hopefully, it is quite easy to use the platform. 

As a reminder, trading is simple. The first step is to select an asset. All users have to do is click on the “asset” tab on the platform. They need to choose a preferred asset from the extensive tradable asset selection offered by the firm.

The next step is deciding on the amount a trader wants to invest in any trade. Unsurprisingly, the higher the investment, the higher the potential rewards.

Moreover, deciding whether to go short or long on their preferred asset is important. Advanced charts, graphical trading tools, technical indicators, and live analysis help to make an informed decision on probable future price movements.

It is important to remember about risk factors. When a trade position opens, customers should protect their positions from market risks. Customers should use Stop Loss and Take Profit orders. Thanks to Stop Loss orders, it is possible to reduce potential losses. Moreover, Take Profit orders allows users to lock in their profits.

Users should remember that Stop Loss and Take Profit orders will automatically close their positions when triggered.

Exallt trading platform for all devices

Exallt trading platform for all devices

Exallt and Education

Hopefully, Exallt Live offers interesting information. It is desirable to read every chapter of the guide. Moreover, people will find this guide brimming with information for their financial education. Furthermore, Exallt ’s goal is to educate investors and bring transparent investing to anyone who wants it, not just the elite.

Security Of Funds

RISK MANAGEMENT

Exallt continually detects, assesses, monitors, and controls each risk associated with platform users’ trading transactions, operations, and actions. This means that they continuously evaluate the effectiveness and compliance of the policies, approaches, and procedures. Such a system approach allows Exallt to cover its financial needs and capital requirements quickly.

SEGREGATED ACCOUNTS

Exallt is incredibly proud of ensuring the ultimate protection of clients’ funds. They apply a model that keeps our clients’ funds separate from the company funds. In the unlikely event that Exallt would ever enter liquidation, the clients’ funds are wholly segregated off the balance sheet and cannot be used to cover the company’s debts and pay back creditors.

REACHING THE TOP EU BANKING INSTITUTIONS

Exallt attentively chooses the financial services to partner with. Exalt needs additional facilities to support and conduct transactions. They partnered with payment service providers to work with numerous banks worldwide, including central tier-one banks such as Barclays, HSBC & Deutsche Bank. Rest assured, the security of Clients’ funds, alongside Execution and Customer support, forms the essential focus of Exallt’s activity.

Exallt Review: Conclusion

As can be seen from the review of Exallt , it makes sense to cooperate with this firm. . Moreover, its website provides many interesting details, and it is desirable to have a look through their website to see how well Exallt suits you.

We strongly hope that this Exallt review will give you accurate information about the broker enabling you to make the right decision of choosing this broker.

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Broker Reviews

Trading 212 review

Trading 212 Trading 212 deals View Similar Amazon US Trading 212 is a London-based brokerage platform that aims to democratize trading by making it accessible to the masses. Founded in 2006, Trading 212 allows users to trade in a variety of assets including Forex and currencies, gold, commodities, crypto, and stocks, etc.

Trading 212 is a London-based brokerage platform that aims to democratize trading by making it accessible to the masses. Founded in 2006, Trading 212 allows users to trade in a variety of assets including Forex and currencies, gold, commodities, crypto, and stocks, etc.

Trading 212 got the license to operate in the UK in 2013 and is approved by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority of England and Wales). It has a freemium model offering the basic services without any charge hoping that the users opt for other paid services or transact on the CFD area of the platform.

As a user, you can use their web-based trading suite or download the application on your computer. There is even a mobile app available for both iOS and Android phones, in case you want to transact on the go.

What to expect

Trading 212 offers an easy DIY platform and allows over 1,800 instruments to trade, offering enough options to traders to decide where and how they want to invest their money. These instruments include major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ripple, LiteCoin, Ethereum, Monero, EOS, Dash, Neo and more. Traditional assets like stocks, commodities and indices can also be traded on the platform. The diverse list of assets and choices available to trade on the platform should be attractive to many users.

Trading 212 2

(Image credit: Trading 212)

For first-timers, Trading 212 offers a demo account which lets you try out the platform and perform test transactions without registration. This demo account gives you a real-time experience of how the platform works on your computer and mobile applications. In case you decide to sign up, you do need to provide some official documents to verify your identity and address. These documents include:

  • ID Proof: a scanned color copy of passport, driving license or national ID
  • Address Proof: a utility bill or bank statement from the past three months carrying your address

These are simply standard requirements as part of anti-money laundering legislation.

Trading 212 3

(Image credit: Trading 212)

There is a set of questions which you need to answer for the company to understand your experience level as a trader. Trading 212 might reject your application on sign up, if the firm feels that it might be too risky for you to transact on such a platform. The entire signup process may take a good 10-15 minutes, so keep that much time handy.

Trading 212 offers you three different types of account: Trading 212 Invest, Trading 212 CFD and Trading 212 ISA.

Trading 212 Invest is best suited for traders who like to invest and trade in equities. However, the platform does not allow short-selling of equities, so in case you’re only interested in this type of trading then Trading 212 is not the right platform for you. Trading 212 ISA is only for UK-based traders who want to benefit from tax-free trading up to a certain amount, while Trading 212 CFD is open for all international traders.

In terms of deposit and withdrawal options, Trading 212 offers multiple choices like bank transfers, credit and debit card payments, Skrill, PayPal, Dotpay, Giropay, and Direct eBanking. Note that it only accepts payments in currencies like GBP, EUR and USD.

Trading 212 4

(Image credit: Trading 212)

The web platform is very easy to use and it offers an organized layout. On the extreme left, you have the instruments you follow by adding them to your watch-list. All your pending orders or previous purchases show right next to the watch-list. In case you want to modify your transaction after looking at the live trends, this can be done here as well.

The center part of the screen displays a detailed graph of any instrument that you want to follow. Useful tips and videos can be found on the bar on the right side. Various reports can be found grouped right under the login section.

Mobile app

The Trading 212 mobile application is also fairly easy to use and shows information in an easy to understand graphical format. Simple swipe gestures help you switch between different sections and instruments. You can set price alerts, access forum, reports, or training videos right from the menu. There is a demo account available for the mobile app too that allows you to transact in all the instruments.

Charges

Trading 212 is one of the few platforms that does not charge you for transactions and is transparent about the costs applicable with paid-for services. While withdrawing funds, there is a fee applicable on the wire transfers. Third-party transfer fees may also be levied, if applicable. The platform wants you to remain active and charges you for inactivity, if inactive for over 180 days consecutively.

Support

Customer support is one of the most important features of any trading platform. Support is available by calling in, email or even through the contact page on the site. The website also has a live chat option in case you want to chat with a representative.

Trading 212 offers support in a wide range of languages including English, German, Dutch, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Serbian, Norwegian, Swedish, Czech, Russian, Romanian, Turkish, Arabic, and Chinese.

Regulations and credibility

Trading 212 is a trusted broker registered in England and Wales, and is authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is also registered in Bulgaria and is regulated by the local Financial Supervision Commission.

The company keeps the clients’ funds separate from the company funds and are protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) which offers a security of up to £85,000. In Bulgaria, 90% of deposits with a limit of €20,000 are secured by the Investors Compensation Fund or ICF Bulgaria.

Trading 212 allows users from across the globe to sign up, though regulations prohibit sign up from regions like American Samoa, Belgium, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Guam, Northern Cyprus, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Turkey, United States of America, and United States Virgin Islands.

Final verdict

Trading 212 is a very user-friendly trading platform, especially for beginners. The fact that you can try out the platform both on mobile and web before taking the plunge is a big advantage. Limitations like no short-selling may be a turn off for traders. However, the fact that Trading 212 offers over 1,800 assets and is very transparent about charges makes it one of the easiest recommendations for us.

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