IG is an award-winning forex and CFD broker serving 175,000+ clients worldwide. Our IG Group review covers everything from spread betting and trading platforms to customer support and account fees. Find it all here, log in and trade today.
IG Overview
Formerly IG Index, the company is owned and operated by IG Markets Ltd and was established in 1974. The UK-based broker is best known for its CFD and financial spread betting trading, although in 2014, it also added stockbroking to its platform.
In 2000 IG was listed on the London Stock Exchange under IG Group plc. Today, IG is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index with offices in 16 countries and clients across five continents.
Brands under the IG umbrella also include Nadex and IG US, for US clients.
Trading Platforms
IG Markets offers its own trading platform and alternative third-party providers, ensuring there’s something for everyone.
IG Trading Platform
IG’s own platform has been recognized as the best in its class and has received immense praise from the industry, including our own Awards. The platform is available for spread betting and CFD trading. It’s user-friendly, allows for one-click trading, and deep-dive technical analysis, and comes with risk management tools. Traders also get access to:
- Streaming Reuters news
- Economic calendar
- IG analyst articles
- Trading signals
- IGTV
Progressive Web App
IG Markets offers a progressive web app (PWA) that’s accessible from any device and saves users from having to download software from a third-party app store.
The web-based platform offers an instant view of market prices and spreads while guaranteed stops and limits help keep a handle on profit and loss. The progressive web app is a solid, all-around alternative to the downloadable platform.
ProRealTime
ProRealTime is a piece of charting software integrated into IG’s Markets proprietary platform. It’s excellent for traders looking to conduct advanced technical analysis, with close to 100 volume and other indicators, plus a fully customizable user interface.
ProRealTime also allows for automated dealing. Users can build algorithms with the help of creative tools and backtest against 30 years of historical data. Alternatively, traders can use third-party strategies.
MetaTrader 4
IG Index’s clients can also use the third-party platform – MetaTrader 4 (MT4). The MT4 system is suitable for traders of all experience levels, comes with 18 bespoke app add-ons, and can be used to trade forex, indices, commodities, and more.
L2 Dealer
Free to download and use, L2 Dealer, is direct market access (DMA) share trading platform. The software has useful monitoring tools, including watchlists and price alerts. The L2 Dealer system also facilitates direct chart trading and comes with price-improvement technology.
Markets
Traders with IG Index are blessed with a wide array of over 17,000 tradeable financial instruments:
- Indices – Speculate on the world’s largest indices, including the US S&P 500, NASDAQ, and Dow Jones, Germany’s DAX 40, plus the UK’s FTSE 100
- Shares – Share dealing is available on some of the world’s largest companies, such as Tesla and Netflix
- Forex – 90+ FX pairs, including majors, minors, and exotics
- CFDs – CFDs are available in multiple markets
- Commodities – Trade precious metals, including gold and silver, plus energies, such as Brent Crude Oil
- Spread betting – The tax-free derivative allows you to speculate on forex, commodities, shares, and more
Also available to trade are ETFs, bonds, futures, and interest rates.
IG Smart Portfolios offer managed portfolios that provide a balance of income, growth, and risk to suit each trader’s need and combine a diverse asset allocation to achieve that. Ideal for traders with limited research time.
Spreads & Fees
Spreads at IG Index are competitive, starting at 0.6 pips on major forex pairs, such as the EUR/USD. On major indices, such as the FTSE 100, spreads start at 1 point, and on Spot Gold, spreads from 0.3 pips are available.
There are other trading costs to factor in, starting with overnight rollover charges. Details of rolling daily prices and rules are subject to change but are available on the broker’s website. An inactivity fee is also charged to dormant accounts.
Leverage
IG offers leveraged trading on shares, indices, and forex. For retail clients, 1:30 leverage is available on forex while leverage levels on indices and commodities are 1:20.
IG Markets is transparent about the margin call process and leveraged trading options. The website also has a useful margin calculator.
Mobile Apps
IG Index offers an award-winning mobile app for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, plus an Android app for devices with an operating system of 5.0 above. Total trade management is possible from the mobile app, along with 19 drawing tools, 30 technical indicators, plus an economic calendar and client sentiment indicators. Clients can also set up price alerts and signals by SMS and create personalized watchlists.
For any problems, customer support is available from the app.
Payment Methods
Deposit
Making deposits is very simple, as it should be. Traders can deposit funds via credit cards (VISA, MasterCard, debit), bank wire transfers, and PayPal. Credit card payments are processed immediately while bank wire transfers can take up to three days. The minimum deposit required is £250 while the maximum deposit per day is £20,000.
Withdrawal
Withdrawals can be made via credit cards, bank transfers, and PayPal. In terms of how to withdraw funds, navigate to the ‘live accounts’ tab, and then select ‘withdraw’ funds.
Withdrawals to a card take between two and five working days. Withdrawals to PayPal are usually instant while bank transfers are often the same day if processed before midday, but may take up to three days, depending on bank processing details. The minimum withdrawal is £100.
Demo Account
IG does offer a practice account. The virtual account lets you test the platform in simulated market conditions. So once you have your login details for the demo account, you can trade on multiple markets, including forex and CFDs with £10,000 in virtual cash.
Bonuses & Promotions
IG Index does offer the occasional welcome bonus. Sign-up offers have included free trading capital for making your first deposit.
Currently, there is a just a refer a friend bonus scheme, which could see your account credited with £100 when the friend referred makes five qualifying trades.
Note, that bonuses at IG Markets usually come with specific requirements around minimum deposits and maximum bet sizes, so check bonus terms and conditions first.
Regulation & Reputation
Regulation and reputation are of the utmost importance when choosing an online broker to deal with. IG Markets Ltd is licensed and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom.
Also, each regional office, they are licensed and registered by the country in which it resides. IG US for example is fully compliant in the United States.
As for IG’s reputation, it is excellent. The company has proven itself a top competitor for over 40 years – shaping the world of online trading as we know it today.
The brokerage has won numerous awards for its trading platforms, technology, outstanding customer support, and more. IG Trading analysts are regularly quoted in the news as a trusted source of market analysis.
Additional Features
IG Index customer reviews often point to the excellent suite of research tools. For traders that deposit $500+, Real Vision TV is available and deposit over $5,000, and you also get access to Real Vision research.
Users also benefit from in-house tools, including an economic calendar and video content. In addition, the broker offers a customizable screener for different assets, plus trading signals based on pattern recognition technology.
Finally, IG Markets supports DailyFX, a blog-based news website that provides trend insights, amongst other features.
With a broker of this size, IG client sentiment is a strong market indicator – so the sentiment gauge on each asset is a powerful feature, even for contrarians.
Overall, traders have a wealth of learning resources to help increase revenues and minimize losses.
Trading Accounts
IG Markets offers different retail trading accounts depending on the markets you want to trade:
- CFD trading account
- Spread betting account
- CFD trading & spread betting account
- Share dealing & CFD trading account
IG Smart Portfolios also offer traders a route into simplified managed funds.
The minimum trade or bet size is $1. Each account comes with full access to trading platforms, plus free market data, learning resources, and around-the-clock support.
There is also a professional account that allows for greater levels of leverage in exchange for less regulatory protection.
To qualify for a professional account, you must have placed 10 significantly leveraged trades per quarter for the last four quarters, have a portfolio exceeding £50,000, plus have a minimum of one year of professional derivatives trading experience.
Benefits
There are several good reasons to trade with IG:
- Education – The website offers various educational materials such as an extensive library of training and support on how to day trade successfully. This makes it an excellent broker for beginners.
- Trading tools – Traders have access to a comprehensive range of charts, market news, client sentiment, and data and analysis tools. As well, traders have access to over 100 technical indicators.
- Range of assets – There are over 17,000 assets to choose from, which makes this brokerage great for day traders who are just beginning or seasoned veterans.
- Established – IG Group is an LSE-listed company with a transparent financial history and a great deal of experience providing high-class trading services.
Drawbacks
While IG doesn’t fall short in many areas, there are a few drawbacks:
- Inactivity charge
- No live chat support
- No social copy trading platform
Trading Hours
IG Index trading hours run 24 hours a day from 23:00 GMT Sunday (21:00 for forex) until 22:00 GMT on a Friday. For opening and closing times for markets that don’t operate around the clock, such as shares and indices, see the ‘market info’ tab in the deal ticket.
IG opening hours are reduced over UK and US bank holidays. The broker is not open on Christmas, New Year’s Day, Easter Good Friday. Also, if these bank holidays fall on a Monday, IG may not open the Sunday night prior.
Note, that IG has a good track record of keeping users up to date with any change to their trading hours on their website.
Customer Support
IG Index’s customer support team is available around the clock from 08:00 GMT Saturday to 22:00 GMT Friday. Help is available in multiple languages via:
- Telephone contact number – 0800 195 3100
- Email address – [email protected]
Twitter – @IGClientHelp
There is also excellent peer support accessible via the Community portal. Users will find forums, blogs, tutorial videos, and webinars. IG’s online trading community is among the most extensive we’ve seen, with help available on a whole host of issues, including if the website is down or if charts are not working/experience an outage. Information on how to close an account and key terms and conditions are explained too. There is also a clear complaints process to ensure users can get issues resolved properly.
Keep up with the latest IG news through the broker’s social media channels:
IG Index’s London headquarters address is Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London, United Kingdom, EC4R 2YA.
Security
IG uses industry-standard security protocols to keep client information safe, including 256-bit SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption. There is also the option for two-factor authentication at the login stage. Combined with robust regulatory oversight, we’re comfortable that IG is a secure and trustworthy broker.
Are IG Index Best For Day Trading?
IG is certainly one of the best online brokers on the market. With over 17,000 assets, superb customer support, and a comprehensive suite of trading tools, IG is an excellent option for both beginners and experienced traders.
Accepted Countries
IG Group accepts traders from Australia, Thailand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Qatar, and most other countries.
Traders can not use IG Group from Canada, Belgium, United States.
Alternatives to IG Group
If you are looking for alternatives to IG Group we have compiled a list of the top 5 brokers that are similar to IG Group below. This list of brokers like IG Group is in order of similarity and only includes companies that accept traders from your location.
- Pepperstone – Pepperstone offers CFD trading to both retail and professional traders. Clients can trade FX, indices, commodities, and shares on MT4, MT5, and cTrader platforms.
- AvaTrade – Leading forex and CFD broker regulated in Ireland, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. Avatrade is particularly strong in integration, including MT4
- eToro – eToro is a multi-asset platform that offers both investing in stocks and Cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs.
- Forex.com – Forex.com boast a global reputation. Regulated in the UK, EU, US, and Canada they offer a huge range of markets, not just forex, and offer very tight spreads and a cutting-edge platform.
- FXTM – FXTM is a leading forex and CFD broker. Offering a huge range of markets and 6 account types, they cater to all levels of trader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is IG regulated?
IG is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In addition, the broker is regulated in various other jurisdictions across the world, including by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC).
What payment methods are available at IG?
Traders can make deposits and withdrawals via credit card, bank transfer, and PayPal. IG does not charge any payment fees, but there is a minimum deposit requirement of £250 or currency equivalent.
Is IG a good online broker?
IG is one of the top online brokers. Their retail trading offering is extensive, with various trading tools, intuitive platforms, low trading fees, and excellent customer support.
Does IG offer mobile trading?
IG offers a downloadable mobile app for iOS and Android devices. The mobile trading experience is on a similar par to the desktop platform and makes trading on the move straightforward.
Does IG offer stockbroking?
Yes – IG introduced stockbroking for its retail clients in 2014. Over 4,500 stocks and shares are available on IG’s trading platform.
We hope this IG review helped you learn more about the broker. You may also want to see our step-by-step guide on how to open an IG trading account and our ultimate guide on how Login to IG.
Editorial Staff at Chweya is a team of financial experts led by Vincent Nyagaka, with over 9 years of experience in finance, commerce, forex, crypto, and marketing. Started in 2014, Chweya is now among the largest free financial resource sites in the industry and is often referred to as Wikipedia for business.
