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Spread Betting Platforms |
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At the last count there are now more than twenty different spread betting companies active in the UK market alone. The spread betting platforms and accompanying services provided by these companies are not all the same. In what follows we will attempt to provide you with relevant information to enable you to choose the right firm for your particular needs.
Spread Betting Platforms
The needs of an experienced trader are often different from those of a less experienced investor. For those starting out in spread betting, there are a few useful tools to look out for when picking a trading platform
Free demo accounts will allow you to get to know the inner workings of the marketplace without risking your hard-earned savings.
In order to establish and enhance your spread betting strategy certain spread betting companies offer free training courses and seminars.
A number of providers also offer trade sizes as low as 50p per point. This means that less experienced traders can try their hand at trading with real money using smaller stakes.
It is important to be able to react quickly to any market developments, which is why a wide range of spread betting firms offer mobile trading apps across different formats such as the iPhone, BlackBerry and iPad.
Finally, stop losses and guaranteed stop losses enable spread traders to minimise risk exposure by selecting levels at which losing trades will be closed. Note that normal stop losses do not always close a trade at the specified level if the market ‘gaps’ across the level of the stop loss. In contrast, guaranteed stop losses do always close a trade at the specified level but these will often incur a small premium.
Spread Betting Platforms: Charts and Live Prices
As time goes by, you will learn how to interpret a variety of different charts and these could well become a crucial part of your trading arsenal.
It’s therefore important that the trading platform provided by your spread betting company also provides you with different charting instruments.
Spread Betting Platforms: Indicators
As your trading skills improve, you may want to use technical analysis and make use of indicators. You may find that over time you will develop certain preferences regarding these. Some traders prefer to use one or two indicators, while others use a combination of different indicators.
If you are keen to use technical analysis then look for a trading platform that gives you access to a large number of different technical indicators. It is also important to know that certain platforms enable you to create and customise your own indicators using built-in programmes. Companies like InterTrader will also let you add price alerts for when a given market hits a certain level.
Spread Betting Platforms: Spreads, Regulations and Support
When studying the larger spread betting platforms, you will notice that they also have other attributes in common.
In the first place, most tend to offer users tight spreads, which means lower trading costs.
Secondly, in the UK, firms need to be regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). It may make sense to use one of these regulated firms.
Last but not least, the various firms all have customer support that you can contact via email but also over the phone during trading hours.
Spread Betting Platform Comparison
For a quick comparison see the table below, for a full comparison see: spread betting companies comparison.
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| Candlestick Charts |
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| 24 Hour Trading |
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| Typical Minimum Stake |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
£1 |
£0.50 |
£1 |
£1 |
| Min Account Opening Deposit |
£0 |
£150 |
£0 |
£0 |
£100 |
£0 |
£0 |
| Stop Loss |
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| Guaranteed Stops |
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| Demo Account |
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| Web Platform |
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| Online Application |
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| Deposit Account |
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| Credit Account |
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| FSA - Authorised and Regulated |
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Spread betting may also be available with other companies - notes.
With financial spread betting you can lose more than your original stake or investment. Spread betting carries a high level of risk to your capital. Please familiarise yourself with the risks that are involved and before trading, ensure that financial spread betting matches your investment objectives. Seek independent advice where necessary.
Spread Betting Platforms - edited by MJ, 04 January 2012.
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With another 12 months of a probably contracting economy, I would look with a pretty jaundiced eye at a small business that required money to survive right at the beginning of the down turn. I might ask ...more: UK Banking and Business Lending in 2009.
A Courageous Market Decision - Feature last updated: 17 January 2009
The huge injections of liquidity will keep the edifice lurching on a bit longer. Nevertheless the more we try to prop it up, the bigger will be the eventual fall. It will be many, many months before growth starts to ...more: A Courageous Market Decision.
European Banks in 2009 - Feature last updated: 17 January 2009
Spain's economy in the last 15 years has been built on property and the activity over the last year has taken its toll. Many of the developments now stand half built and many of those will have to be ...more: European Banks in 2009.
OPEC and the Control of Crude Oil Prices - Feature last updated: 21 November 2008
OPEC and the Control of Crude Oil Prices: OPEC recently inspired such a rally when it announced a production cut. However that rally was both muted and short lived. Whilst many fear the cartel, the world has seen past evidence of poor attempts by OPEC to ...more: OPEC and the Control of Crude Oil Prices.
Barack Obama and the Credit Crunch - Feature last updated: 20 November 2008
Barack Obama and the Credit Crunch: It is a moot point as to how long the current banking crisis will take to build itself up to the level where financial institutions feel strong enough to begin large scale lending again. With major manufacturers in the US ...more: Barack Obama and the Credit Crunch.
The Negative Financial Markets - Feature last updated: 31 October 2008
The Negative Financial Markets: The markets are at their lows as investors shun trading equities and bank liquidity stubbornly refuses to move Libor back into more reasonable territory. 3 month Libor is still high whilst base rates are falling. That shows that ...more: The Negative Financial Markets.
Liquid Financial Markets - Feature last updated: 19 October 2008
Liquid Financial Markets: Irish banks which were virtually the first recipients of State support are now pretty much at their lowest levels. They are even under the prices that triggered the intervention in the first place. With no shorting of financial shares ...more: Liquid Financial Markets.
Is it Finally Time to Invest? - Feature last updated: 17 October 2008
Is it Finally Time to Invest? The wild swings in share markets over the past month have not been conducive to sensible decision taking. It is all very well for the Sage of Omaha to be entering the market but not many people can afford his time scale. Nearly all hedge funds ...more: Is it Finally Time to Invest?.
Is it Time to Buy into the Banking Sector? - Feature last updated: 03 October 2008
Is it Time to Buy into the Banking Sector?: If I was sitting at my desk and was asked which bank in the world would I buy into, with any spare $5bn I happened to have lying around, I think that ...more: Is it Time to Buy into the Banking Sector?.
Will Commodities Prices Collapse? - Feature last updated: 03 October 2008
Will Commodities Prices Collapse? Commodity markets are falling again but for how long? Is this just a correction? There is clearly some profit taking from traders and anyone who spread bet on commodities. Naturally many companies that benefit from ...more: Will Commodities Prices Collapse?.
Oil and Mining Sector Broker Recommendations - Feature last updated: 23 July 2008
Oil and Mining Sector...But why? Far East growth may simply still outstrip any downturn in the West. That and the Supply / Demand equation often fails to work quickly with commodities. Supply is very difficult to increase and demand is almost impossible to decrease ...more: Oil and Mining Sector Broker Recommendations.
Far East Banking Lesson - Teachings from Japan - Feature last updated: 23 July 2008
If the large private financial institutions have helped cause many of the credit crunch problems through excessive risk taking should they be bailed out? If they were largely the sole beneficiary of the risks should they be bailed out by the tax payer? In a black and white world ...more: Far East Banking Lesson - Teachings from Japan.
Which Central Bank is Correct? - Feature last updated: 23 July 2008
But which of these three policies will work and which will be taught in schools? Personally I believe that, within reason, all three will probably end up with pretty much the same result as the influences on all the Western nations are ...more: Which Central Bank is Correct?.
Spread Betting Markets Overview - Feature last updated: 16 October 2009
Spread Betting Markets Overview: Foreign exchange markets are often extremely volatile as a result of the fact that they are heavily influenced by economic and political pressures, especially relating to specific ...more: Spread Betting Markets Overview.
Financial Spread Bets - Feature last updated: 16 October 2009
Financial Spread Bets: Financial Spread Betting is a rapidly growing area of investment that does not require the parties involved to exchange, or even own, the assets they are speculating on. It is generally easiest to think of as ...more: Financial Spread Bets.
UK Shares Trades - Feature last updated: 05 October 2010
UK Shares Trades: UK Shares News - a look at the Top 10 UK shares that have been bought and sold over the last week plus commentary from CEO of TD ...more: UK Shares Trades.
UK Share Trading Index - Feature last updated: 21 October 2010
UK Share Trading Index: Index of UK shares trading articles with the weekly UK share Top Ten Buys and Sells from TD Waterhouse ...more: UK Share Trading Index.
Spread Trading Strategy - Feature last updated: 17 May 2013
Spread Trading Strategy: A range of trading strategies on a variety of markets from banking to coffee, from crude oil to trading the FTSE 100 ...more: Spread Trading Strategy.
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With spread betting you can lose more than your original stake or investment. Spread betting carries a high level of risk to your capital so please familiarise yourself with the risks that are involved and, before trading, ensure that spread betting matches your investment objectives. Seek independent advice where necessary.
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* Based on current UK tax law. Tax law may change and can differ depending on your personal circumstances.
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