Sameer Bhopale, Chief Marketing Officer at FXCM
Modern technology has made retail trading accessible to all – it is literally at the tip of our fingertips – but it wasn’t always this easy. It’s fair to say that the technology underpinning online retail trading has come a long way since the days of pagers and dial-up modems (look it up, kids…).
Today, the trading landscape for retail traders is set to enter a new era. Costs have reduced so substantially that the idea of ‘free’ trading has become mainstream.
While this marks a welcome change from the days when the cost of a single trade was in the double digits, these new models are not as simple or transparent as they may seem.
Look under the hood and you’ll notice a whole host of question marks, caveats, if and buts that make you wonder if trading really is ‘free’. As a result, where this leaves a retail trader in terms of execution quality can vary significantly.
Choosing your ‘commission-free’ trading provider
When choosing a broker to trade with, read the terms and conditions closely to make sure it’s right for you and take a closer look at the wider business model. If trading is ‘free’, how does the broker make money, and is this transparently communicated?
Don’t accept shortcuts. A trading provider needs to incorporate and connect to a whole host of liquidity providers, exchanges, tech providers and risk systems to provide a safe and secure operation.
Lastly, check that the company or broker you are trading with is regulated with the FCA or another reputable regulator or industry body. Some trading providers use e-money licences or passporting, so it’s important to be aware of these differences.
Award-winning, zero-commission CFD trading
As one of the most highly requested and anticipated products, FXCM added single stock (share) CFD trading to its retail offering one year ago. With FXCM, share CFD traders can go long or short with a simple click of a button, and speculate on both the gains and losses of a stock.
When trading share CFDs with FXCM, customers benefit from commission-free trading, only paying the bid/ask spread. In addition, trade sizes are low with the minimum trade size of 0.1 units of a share, therefore, for a low cost and small financial outlay, traders can test their strategies without a big commitment*.
Over the past year, FXCM has expanded its share CFD offering, with a recent update including shares from Hong Kong’s HKEX and an additional 50 NYSE and NASDAQ listed companies.
FXCM’s Share CFD offering is available on MetaTrader4, the Trading Station platform and NinjaTrader – allowing seamless trading for both new and existing customers according to their needs.
Enabling zero-commission trading is always a key focus for FXCM when expanding their offering, along with easing market access for retail investors during the unprecedented volatility brought by the global pandemic**.
Drawing on our market expertise
FXCM has a unique history when it comes to offering trading services to retail traders. It is already one of the world’s largest retail brokers and a leader in online trading. Whether it’s foreign exchange, commodities, metals, energy products or stock indices, we have a track record that has stood the test of time. Discover more about our offering here: www.FXCM.com/UK
*Please note that HK shares can only be traded in increments of 1 share.
** FXCM can be compensated in several ways, which includes but are not limited to adding a mark-up to the spreads it receives from its liquidity providers, adding a mark-up to rollover, etc. Commission-based pricing is applicable to Active Trader account types.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage.
73.42% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Forex Capital Markets Limited is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registration number 217689. Registered in England and Wales with Companies House company number 04072877. For more information about FXCM and the risks associated with trading, please visit www.FXCM.com/UK