IG
Published: Updated:
- Trust score
- 8/10
- Legal simplicity
- 1/10
- Min. deposit
- 0
- Trading platforms
- Payment systems
- Instruments
- Forex, Indices, Commodities, Metals, Energies, Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Options, Cryptocurrencies
- Legal entity
- IG Group Holdings plc
- Jurisdiction
- United Kingdom
- Fees
- IG prices forex on marked-up spreads with no commission on CFD accounts, and charges commission on share dealing. Spread betting is available to UK and Irish clients with profits outside capital gains tax under current rules. Overnight funding applies to leveraged positions and is published as a formula rather than a flat rate.
- Withdrawals
- Withdrawals go to the original funding method, usually processed the same business day when requested before the daily cut-off. Card returns are capped at the deposited amount; the balance is paid by bank transfer.
Features
- Seminars and training
- Daily market analysis
- Low initial deposit
- Islamic accounts
- Segregated accounts
- Affiliate program
- Wide range of trading instruments
Pros
- One of the largest international forex brokers
Cons
- High commissions on CFD share trades
- Slow customer support response times
IG, founded in the United Kingdom in 1974, is one of the world's leading CFD and forex brokers, with offices in 13 countries including the UK, the US, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore. It is regulated by top-tier authorities such as the FCA, BaFin, FINMA, ASIC, and the CFTC/NFA, and offers its own proprietary platform alongside MetaTrader 4 on web, desktop, and mobile. IG has no minimum deposit requirement and charges no fees for money transfers.
IG offers seminars and training, daily market analysis, a low initial deposit, Islamic accounts, segregated accounts, an affiliate program, and a wide range of trading instruments.
IG, founded in the United Kingdom in 1974, is a leading global CFD and forex broker with offices in 13 countries, including the United Kingdom (headquartered in London), the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Singapore.
Regulation and safety
IG is listed on a stock exchange, publishes transparent financial reports, and is regulated by top-tier authorities in each jurisdiction it operates:
- United Kingdom: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) — investor protection up to £85,000.
- Germany: Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) — protection up to €20,000.
- Switzerland: Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) — protection up to CHF 100,000.
- United States: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and National Futures Association (NFA) — no funds protection scheme.
- Australia: Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
- New Zealand: Financial Markets Authority (FMA).
- Singapore: Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
- Japan: Financial Services Agency (FSA).
- South Africa: Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).
- UAE: Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
- International: Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA).
Leverage
Leverage follows regional rules: under ESMA guidelines in Europe, maximum leverage is capped at 1:30. Outside Europe, forex leverage can reach up to 1:200.
Account opening
Account setup is a fast, streamlined process, and IG offers a free demo account for practice.
Trading instruments
IG was the first Australian provider of CFD contracts and offers currency pairs, commodities, indices, stocks, and cryptocurrencies.
Trading platform
IG's proprietary platform features an intuitive design and advanced forecasting tools for professional traders. MetaTrader 4 (MT4) is also available on web, desktop, and mobile. The platforms include 18 free add-ons and indicators, Autochartist, technical analysis tools, and a free VPS for expert advisors.
Minimum deposit and fees
IG has no minimum deposit requirement and charges no fees for money transfers. Trading conditions and margin requirements vary by jurisdiction and should be checked before opening an account.
Trading conditions
IG is one of the largest listed CFD and spread betting providers, with a history going back to 1974 and a place in the FTSE index. Scale shows up in the instrument list — thousands of markets including shares, indices, forex, commodities and options — and in the depth of its own charting and research.
UK clients can trade through spread betting as well as CFDs. Under current UK rules spread betting profits fall outside capital gains tax, which changes the after-tax arithmetic of a strategy materially; tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and can change.
Retail leverage under FCA rules is capped at 30:1 on major currency pairs with negative balance protection and margin close-out at 50%. Professional classification is available to clients who meet the FCA criteria and raises the cap at the cost of those protections.
Verification
Onboarding follows UK standards: identity and address verification, financial information, and an appropriateness assessment for leveraged products. Most UK applicants are verified electronically within minutes; clients whose records cannot be matched electronically supply documents instead.
Client money is held in segregated accounts under FCA client asset rules, and eligible claims fall under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £85,000 per person per firm — a protection no offshore broker offers.
