IG Review

IG

IG

www.ig.com

  • Leverage: 1:30

  • Regulation: FCA, ASIC, BaFin, FINMA, NFA, MAS, DFSA, FSCA, JFSA, FMA, BMA

  • Min. Deposit: $0

  • HQ: UK

  • Platforms: MT4, IG Proprietary

  • Found in: 1974

IG Licenses

  • IG Markets Ltd - authorized by FCA (UK) registration no. 195355 
  • IG Index Ltd - authorized by FCA (UK) registration no. 114059 
  • IG Europe GmbH - authorized by BaFin (Germany) registration no.
  • IG Markets Limited - authorized by ASIC (Australia) registration no.  220440
  • IG Bank SA - authorized by FINMA (Switzerland) 
  • IG Asia Pte Limited - authorized by MAS (Singapore) registration no. 200510021K
  • IG Limited - authorized by DFSA (Dubai) registration no. F001780
  • IG Markets South Africa Limited - authorized by FSCA
  • IG Securities Ltd - authorized by JFSA (Japan)
  • IGM - authorized by FMA (New Zealand)
  • IG US LLC - authorized by NFA (The US)
  • IG International Limited - authorized by BMA (Bermuda)

Top 3 Forex Brokers

  1. What is IG?
  2. IG Pros and Cons
  3. Awards
  4. Is IG Safe or a Scam?
  5. Leverage
  6. Fees
  7. Spreads
  8. Trading Instruments
  9. Account Types
  10. Deposits and Withdrawals
  11. Trading Platforms
  12. Customer Support
  13. Education
  14. Research
  15. Conclusion

Our Review Method

  • 55Brokers Financial Experts with over 10 years of experience in Forex Trading check all trading offerings, fees, and platforms, verified regulations, contacted customer service, and placed traders to see trading conditions and give expert opinions about IG.

What is IG?

IG is a large Forex and CFD Broker with almost worldwide presence and powerful trading technology. Founded in 1974 as a pioneer company of its kind IG, formally known as IG Markets ltd, IG has been at the industry forefront and actually built the concept of financial spread betting that introduced online deals as early as 1998.

Currently, the company features a global presence and provides trading solutions through offices in 13 countries located in the world’s key financial districts, which enables it to reach clients across the world. The broker is headquartered in London (UK) and includes operations in the USA, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand, registered among European countries and Singapore.

What Type of Broker is IG?

Based on our Expert research, IG is a Forex and CFD broker offering flexible access to more than 18,000 global markets, with reliable execution. The broker has over 45 years of experience offering a truly market-leading service.

IG Pros and Cons

IG is one of the most trusted brokers and companies worldwide. It is listed on Stock Exchange for extra transparency and is heavily regulated. IG trading conditions are excellent too, low costs for Forex, professional education section, selection of trading platforms, and research are very good.

For the Cons, there are some limitations in product offering, trading instruments are mainly Forex and CFDs, and there is no 24/7 customer support.

AdvantagesDisadvantages
Heavily regulated broker with a strong establishmentConditions vary based on the entity
Good reputationNo 24/7 support
Worldwide presence
Listed in Stock Exchange
Wide range of trading platforms and competitive trading conditions
Good quality educational materials, and excellent research
Quality customer support with live chat and fast response

IG Review - official website

IG Review Summary in 10 Points
🏢 HeadquartersUK
🗺️ RegulationFCA, ASIC, BaFin, CFTC, FINMA, MAS, DFSA, etc.
🖥 PlatformsMT4, IG Proprietary
📉 InstrumentsOver 18,000 markets to trade based on CFDs currency pairs, commodities, indices, stocks, financial spread betting (available in the UK and Ireland)
💰 EUR/USD Spread0.6 pips
🎮 Demo AccountOffered
💳 Minimum deposit$0
💰 Base currenciesSeveral base currencies
📚 EducationIG Academy, Free trading courses, webinars
☎ Customer Support24/5

Overall IG Ranking

Based on our findings, IG is considered a good broker with safe and very favorable trading conditions. The broker offers a range of trading services designed for both beginner traders and professionals with low initial deposit amounts. As one of the good advantages, IG covers almost the globe, so traders from various countries can sign in, also with the lowest spreads.

  • IG Overall Ranking is 8.9 out of 10 based on our testing and compared to over 500 brokers, see Our Ranking below compared to other industry Leading Brokers.
RankingIGXMPepperstone
Our Ranking⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
AdvantagesTrading ConditionsLow DepositPlatforms

IG Alternative Brokers

We learned that IG offers a range of trading instruments, good trading conditions, and also low trading spreads and fees. However, there are a number of other brokers that offer similar services. Here are some of the best alternatives to IG:

  • AvaTrade – Good Instruments and CopyTrading
  • Pepperstone – Low Spreads and Competitive Trading Conditions
  • XM – Wide Range of Trading Opportunities

Awards

The IG indeed achieved many of the progressive and industry goals while being recognized time and time for both the services and the technology they provide, as well as the working environment. The broker has so many multiple industry awards for its market-leading service.

IG Review Awards

Is IG Safe or Scam?

No, IG is not a scam. IG is a regulated and authorized broker with numerous entities around the world where it all respectively operates under necessary financial licenses like FCA, ASIC, CFTC, DFSA, etc. Also, the broker is listed on a Stock exchange which provides extra security.

Is IG legit?

We learned that IG trading is fully legit. The IG group of companies is heavily regulated by the top leading authorities worldwide due to its global presence by the appropriate bodies in the territory it operates. As the principal office of the IG is located in the UK, the broker respectively authorized by the FCA, while the stocks and shares ISA accounts are provided by IG Markets Ltd and spread betting by registered IG Index Ltd.

See our conclusion on IG Reliability:

  • Our Ranked IG Trust Score is 8.9 out of 10 for good reputation and service over the years, also reliable top-tier licenses, and serving regulated entities in each region it operates. The only point is that regulatory standards and protection vary based on the entity.
IG Strong PointsIG Weak Points
Regulated by top-tier authoritiesRegulatory standards and protection vary based on the entity Regulated by top-tier authorities
Negative balance protection
Compensation scheme
Listed on Sock Exchange
Audited financial service

How Are You Protected?

We found that the IG company units are regulated by the authorities in a number of countries and are listed on a Stock Exchange, which gives not only an extra layer of trust but ensures in strong establishment basis. For more details, see the table below, which in conclusion shows us IG is well-maintained by regulatory authorities’ set of rules firm that sets high trading standards by being fully legit and considered to be a safe broker.

IG Review licenses

Leverage

Under the regulatory restrictions, which took a recent change in Europe with an ESMA regulation, the residents of Europe will trade with the particular maximum level of leverage, or the multiplier. Other jurisdiction ratios are applicable to IG trading accounts according to the regulation impose limitations respectively and vary from one to another. See some of our finds below:

  • European resident traders are allowed to use a maximum leverage 1:30
  • Australian authority allows now only 1:30 too
  • Other entities may see a significant increase up to 1:200 on Forex instruments

IG Review leverage

Account Types

IG offers its own basic account, which can be settled into the trade in minutes. The broker also provides spread betting, and CFD accounts. A Demo account is available too while trading with IG.

ProsCons
Fast digital account openingAccount types and proposals may vary according to jurisdiction
Access to a wide range of financial instruments
Easy switch between Demo and Live Account
Low minimum deposit

How to Open IG Live Account?

Opening an account with IG is quite easy. You should follow the opening account or sign-in page and proceed with the guided steps:

  • Select and Click on the IG Sign-In page
  • Fill in your registration personal data (Name, email, phone number, etc.)
  • Confirm your account through a link received in your email (at this stage you will gain access to Demo Trading already)
  • Verify your identity and submit documentation for review (may include residential proof, ID, etc.)
  • Complete the quiz to confirm your trading experience and qualification
  • Once your account is activated, follow with the money deposit.

IG Review Account

Trading Instruments

IG offers over 18,000 markets for online trading including currency pairs, commodities, indices, stocks, financial spread betting, and more. And, of course, features current trend IG Cryptocurrencies trading through CFD bases as well for pairs on popular bitcoin, ethereum, ripple, and many more.

  • IG Markets Range Score is 8.5 out of 10 for wide trading instrument selection among Forex, Indices, Cryptos, and more.

IG Review Trading Instruments

How to Buy Shares on IG?

Based on our findings, traders can buy Shares easily with the following steps:

  • Open a share dealing account
  • Deposit funds
  • Pick your stock or ETF
  • Set how many shares you want to buy
  • Place your order

However, we recommend avoiding any kind of risk that could result in the loss of your capital.

IG Fees

Based on our findings, IG trading costs are considered low and are a reference to the minimum CFD or MT4 account fee and the Spread Bet minimum size, which also varies under the IG entity you trade with. Also, IG entities in one jurisdiction or another will offer particular conditions for your trading. Alike spread betting is available only for UK residents, while Cryptocurrencies are not available for trade-in Japan and UK at all. There is also an inactivity fee, which will be paid in case your trading account remains inactive for a period of 6 months or longer.

  • IG Fees are ranked average with an overall rating of 9.2 out of 10 based on our testing and compared to over 500 other brokers. Fees might be different based on entity offering, see our findings of fees and pricing in the table below, however, IG overall fees are considered good
FeesIG FeesPepperstone FeesAvaTrade Fees
Deposit FeeNoNoNo
Withdrawal feeNoNoNo
Inactivity feeYesNoYes
Fee rankingLowLowAverage

Spreads

IG builds its costs into the spread-only basis that is based on variable IG spread. Spread will be paid on every spread bet or non-share CFD, with an average of about 0.6 pips on Forex, and with a commission on every share CFD or share dealing trade executed. Generally, IG margins are among the lowest in the industry and very comfortable to use even for beginning traders, since there are no additional fees.

  • IG Spreads are ranked low with an overall rating of 8.3 out of 10 based on our testing comparison to other brokers. We found Forex spread much lower than the industry average, and spreads for other instruments are very attractive too.
Asset/ PairIG SpreadPepperstone SpreadAvaTrade Spread
EUR USD Spread0.6 pips0.77 pips0.9 pips
Crude Oil WTI Spread3 pips2.3 pips88
Gold Spread300.131.65
BTC USD Spread6531.3920.5

Deposits and Withdrawals

We found that the money management and funding methods at IG are quick and simple, which is very pleasant and important for your account management convenience. IG withdrawal options offer popular bank transfers, credit cards, and some electronic wallets.

  • IG Funding Methods we ranked good with an overall rating of 8.2 out of 10. The minimum deposit is among average in the industry, yet fees are either none or very small also allowing to benefit from various account-based currencies, yet deposit options vary on each entity.

Here are some good and negative points for IG funding methods found:

IG AdvantageIG Disadvantage
Fast digital deposits, including PayPal, HK FPS, and Credit CardsDeposit and withdrawal options vary in different jurisdictions
$0 is a first deposit amount
No internal fees for deposits and withdrawals
Withdrawal requests take up to 3 days

Deposit Options

In terms of funding methods, IG offers numerous payment methods which are a very good plus, yet check according to its regulation whether the method is available or not.

  • Credit/Debit cards
  • Bank Wire
  • PayPal
  • FPS Hong Kong Dollars

IG Review Deposits

IG Minimum Deposit

There is no requirement for a minimum deposit, as well as no additional fee for you to transfer the money. Yet, you should verify with particular jurisdiction deposit conditions, as well as margin requirements for the instruments you’ll be trading in order to cover necessary expenses.

IG minimum deposit vs other brokers

IG Most Other Brokers
Minimum Deposit $0 $500

IG Withdrawals

IG does not charge any commission for money withdrawals, traders can use wide withdrawal options including Bank transfer, Credit Debit cards, e-wallets, PayPal, etc. $0 fee is applicable on minimum withdrawal of $150, while funds usually arrive at your account within 3-5 business days.

How Withdraw Money from IG Step by Step:

  1. Select and Click on Withdraw Funds’ at the menu through your account area
  2. Fill in the required data and the withdrawn amount
  3. Choose the withdrawal method available in your region
  4. Complete the electronic withdrawal with the requirements
  5. Confirm withdrawal request and Submit
  6. Typically it will be confirmed within 3 days. You may check the current status through your account, as well as allow additional 3-5 days for your payment provider to process the transaction.

Trading Platforms

All IG platforms have been designed for the traders’ convenience with a choice of which device to use and almost unlimited capabilities. The broker aimed to create an easy-to-use platform while its technical development would take one of the primary roles, and indeed, IG made its job perfectly. IG platform received many industry rewards and traders’ compliments for its well-designed core and variety of capabilities.

  • IG Platform is ranked Excellent with an overall rating of 8.9 out of 10 compared to over 500 other brokers. We mark it as good being one of the best proposals we saw in the industry, suitable for professional trading. Also, all are provided with good research and excellent tools.
Trading Platform Comparison to Other Brokers:
PlatformsIG PlatformsPepperstone PlatformsXM Platforms
MT4YesYesYes
MT5NoYesYes
cTraderNoYesNo
Own PlatformYesYesYes
Mobile AppsYesYesYes

Web Trading Platform

A proprietary platform is a web-based trading software that doesn’t require a download, along with trading applications optimized for most smartphones and tablets. The advanced platform features include direct market access throughout its NDD connectivity, APIs, and the possibility to transform it into a Specialist platform with flexible access and professional resources.

IG Review Trading Platfrom

Desktop Platform

However, you still can choose the famous MetaTrader4 to execute your orders along with its advanced chartings and tools, in case it is a better option for you. MT4 supports various versions as well including WebVersion, Desktop Platform, and Apps.

Mobile Trading Platform

The mobile trader is a necessary part of the modern trader as well, and IG integrates its platform feature into a great Mobile Application where both Android and iOS devices are supported.

Mobile IG trading is almost as powerful as its regular version, so whether you want to check real-time feeds, copy other traders, or perform any research it is all available. As well, trading apps enable spread bets and CFDs as a simplified process, which provides a great benefit to the trader and a leverage advantage.

IG Review EurUsd trade

Customer Support

We learned that IG provides help through Live chats, and social media, as well as it is available on the Phone 24/5 and supports clients with reliable and quality answers.

  • Customer Support in IG is ranked good with an overall rating of 8.5 out of 10 based on our testing. We got fast and knowledgeable responses, also quite easy to reach during the working days.

See our find and ranking on Customer Service Quality:

ProsCons
Quick responses and relevant answersNo 24/7 customer support
Supporting numerous languages
Availability of Live Chat
Social media support and updates

IG Education

Another great point of IG as a customer-friendly broker is its professional Interactive education which is performed via IG Academy and offers Free trading courses, webinars, and numerous materials. Its truly comprehensive educational materials enhance trading potential and allow traders to improve their skills supporting them in the first steps.

  • IG Education ranked with an overall rating of 9.5 out of 10 based on our research. The broker provides very good quality educational materials, and excellent research also cooperates with market-leading providers of data.

IG Academy

Actually, IG Academy is one of the important cores in its global offering as also being one of the biggest worldwide companies it invests heavily in the education of the traders and those who are interested in it. IG organizes regularly Live Seminars with leading experts in the industry and engages with multiple quizzes and interactive exercises so traders get a great education.

IG Review Education

IG Research

We found that despite education, IG provides excellent research tools alongside its comprehensive platform features. You may choose between the research materials provided by the IG team, or also get to know premium research from third providers that includes even Real Vision Research.

You will find streaming News, Economic Calendars, and video content that is smartly organized according to the category you need, of course, across numerous instruments or asset classes. Also, there are integrated trading signals, AutoTrading capabilities, and numerous signals providers which exclusively available for IG Traders. IG also runs its Blog featuring news releases and deeper analytics outlooks.

IG Review Conclusion

Concluding the IG review, we admit a safe broker to trade with reliable trading solutions. IG provides expanded trading strategies and a certain way of dealing with markets and traders that gained a reliable and respected reputation.

We learned that IG’s flexibility in terms of platforms, currency pairs, and a number of provided solutions is another key advantage to its positive side. The broker offers competitive costs and excellent education material and research suitable for traders of different levels.

Based on Our findings and Financial Expert Opinions IG is Good for:

  • Beginners
  • Advanced traders
  • Traders who prefer MT4
  • Currency and CFD trading
  • Variety of trading strategies
  • Algorithmic or API traders
  • Supportive customer support
  • Excellent educational materials and research
  • IG Group has announced the launch of IG US

    UK online trading leader IG Group Holdings plc has just announced the launch of IG US, its US-based subsidiary offering foreign exchange (forex) services. Through trading with IG US, clients will be able to trade on over 80 currency pairs with lower spreads vs the top two US forex brokers and zero commission. IG Group...

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  • IG Group appoints Mike McTighe as Chairman of the Board

    UK online trading leader IG Group Holdings plc has announced the appointment of Robert Michael McTighe as Chairman of the Board. Mike is the Chairman of Openreach Limited, Together Financial Services Limited, and Arran Isle Limited. McTighe will officially take up the role on 3 February 2020, replacing Jonathan Moulds who is currently serving as...

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13 responses to “IG”

  1. their platfom is total scam they make it very defecult to manage your trade and you get stop out with or without stop lost yes i can go on the leverage are highier on the loosing trade

  2. Thanks guys I was almost convince to open a Live account with them. Thanks your comments I wont
    Thanks

  3. I totally agree with Matt, IG is a disrespectful co. they did the same to me, once I learned more and I became successfully earning money by spending plenty of hours to learn and do strategy, then they unable me to do any transaction and started requesting from me additional information to very account (which wasn’t the case when I was loosing and depositing!
    Then they delay and avoid replying.
    They have a strategy for the non active account which they withdraw charges of 18 USD each month of non active account (no transaction during the month), which I have complained of as they are the one which they didn’t activate my account even after I provided all the unnecessary documents one more time.

    Stay away and find worthy & respectful one.

    Thanks

  4. I have been trading on IG Singapore for almost 10 years. Unfortunately they started to become more disappointing since about 2 years ago. This gives me the feeling that they have shifted their focus onto how to scoop more money from things from their clients, e.g. readjusting the spreads, the interests, etc. instead of growing with clients through better customer support.

    Since the system upgrade, they have been displaying the figures incorrectly on their app – fristly, they are unable to self-examine/test; secondly, half a year after i sent in feedback with screenshots of such display on their app, they are still unable to rectify it.

    Things like this would you make you doubt your confidence in their other capabilities in serving their clients. And such worries are proven. For example, i called their helpline for 3 days and was unable to speak to anyone. I subsequently sent them a number of emails, but received ZERO reply! I then called and texted one of their managers and was told that he felt sorry to hear that but could not do much about it either.

    Some of the configurations on the app are confusing too. Such confusions are like traps that make you make COSTLY mistakes easily.

    In short, IG is deteriorating over the recent years. I was a satisfied client for many years. I am turned away by their poor system upgrade and deteriorated customer support.

    IG fees are certainly on the high side compared to other platforms in the market. If they provide better customer support, I would feel it’s worthy. However, in the past two years, IG has been taking more money from their clients while customer support has been reducing.

  5. Thank you so much for those comments, I am looking to start trading, I am searching for a no scam platform and a broker, and that has Europe regulations. Please can someone put the no scam platform?

  6. I also was considering IG. These reviews here are an eye opener indeed. Many of the forex reviews sites are just glorified IBs making commissions from these referrals.

    We need sites where only actual clients can state their honest experience with these so called “good brokers”. Too many frauds out there even with so called oversight by “regulators”. This means nothing to the client at the end it seems.

    Thank you for sharing your experiences here. I will not use IG.

    Please report them to the authorities if they are doing this. It just is not acceptable.
    Thanks

  7. I agree with MAtt!
    I also am profitable, but they refuse to let me withdraw my funds from my account.
    They are happy to let you deposit and loose, but withdraw is close to impossible.
    I say stay away from IG. Choose another broker, and as soon as possible test to do a withdrawal so you know all is ok.
    IG switzerland is a scam.

  8. IG Markets in Australia are criminal. I was a premium client with them until in 2016 they suspended my trading purely because I was profitable. I was profitable trading CFD’s and Binaries. They take the other side of clients so if a client is profitable they aren’t making money (don’t give me the nonsense they make the spread).
    I have since traded profitably for a friend and my mother, but they quickly restricted that trading then suspended it.
    They are a scam if they only take clients who lose money, which is what they do. They are happy to let inexperienced traders lose entire life savings, yet suspend legitimate traders who are using their service for the reason (they claim) to provide it.
    ASIC and the Ombudsman are pathetic, almost corrupt, so it would be helpful to get numbers and form a group to take on these clowns. I can detail and support my claims too. I am not a sour grapes trader who’s lost money.

    • Hey Matt, I traded with IG Aus, and they did the same to me based on the bogus ‘can’t prove proof of income documents’ that they didn’t ask me to show. They are crooks. Mayweathers of Sydney have a class action on and I’d like to build a large group to shut their Australian operations and also target other countries. All I asked them for was my $272,000 back, and they said they wouldn’t refund me after suspending my trading account without any warning while I was hedging. They did it when I was hedging, not when I wasn’t!

      • You can get your lost funds recovered Dank. I was also in your shoes months back, but I could get back my funds with the help of a recovery agency.

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