IG review Australia (CFDs)

IG background

Established in 1974 as IG Index, the company now has offices across 17 countries and boasts more than 239,000 clients worldwide. IG is one of the world's largest providers of CFDs. The company's size and reach is reflected in its parent company, IG Group's, listing on the London Stock Exchange.

IG is a CFD and forex industry stalwart, with a famous claim of being the first company of its type. This history and experience just adds to IG's level of trust that clients can expect if you choose to open an account.

What are the key features of IG's CFD trading account?

Let's take a look at some of the key features that are likely to influence your final decision around whether an IG CFD account is right for you. Take the time to consider the forex trading account features that are most useful to your own trading and go from there.

Ability to trade shares and CFDs

One of IG's biggest drawcards is the fact that you're able to trade both CFD and stock markets within the same trading platform. Some MT4 brokers only allow you to trade CFDs, but through IG's online trading platform, you're able to buy and sell shares directly (or via CFDs). This means, you could trade forex, commodities and shares from the same platform.

MetaTrader 4 (MT4) supported

If trading forex on MT4 is a deciding factor for you, IG customers can also choose to use the world's most popular CFD/forex trading platform instead. Switching between platforms is simple and as you'll see in the trading platforms section of this review, depending on whether you're at home or on the go, IG offers a number of platforms to choose between.

Fast execution and out of hours trading

IG guarantees the fast and reliable execution of all trades. Its systems are engineered to cope with a large number of trades in a short period of time, while its trading platforms are designed to cope with large volumes of traffic. Plus, you can also trade outside of standard trading hours on some CFD markets including US shares and key index and forex markets.

Account access

In addition to downloadable software and its web-based platform, you can download the IG trading app to your Apple, Android or Windows smartphone or tablet. The popularity of mobile trading apps shows that this is the future of the industry. Traders want to be able to access markets whenever they see opportunity, no matter where they are. IG's mobile access is seamless across all platforms.

Low spreads

IG offers competitive spreads across all forex currency pairs. AUD/USD has a minimum spread of 0.7 and an average spread of 1.07, while EUR/USD has a minimum spread of 0.6 and an average spread of 0.86. If you're looking to trade some more exotic markets, then download a demo account from IG and further your research into their spreads in live market conditions.

Flexible leverage

IG are flexible with the amount of leverage that you can access on your trading account. They offer the ability for you to make the choice of leverage you'd like, all the way up to a maximum leverage level when trading forex, of 30:1.

Regulated in Australia

IG is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). With more traders trusting IG with their money than any other broker, IG are regarded as a safe and trusted option for Australian forex and CFD traders.

What markets can I trade with an IG forex and CFD account?

An IG CFD account opens access to a whole raft of different markets, including forex, commodities, indices or stocks. It's worth noting that you're using CFDs to trade, so you're not actually buying the underlying asset.

If you're looking to directly buy and sell shares, you can check out the IG Share Trading account instead.

Trade markets via CFDs

• Forex. Trade more than 80 forex currency pairs.
• Shares. Trade more than 600 Australian and 12,000 international share CFDs.
• Indices. Trade more than 80 global indices, including 22 indices with 24-hour trading such as the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100.
• Commodities. Access 26 key commodity markets from gold and silver to niche metals and energies.
• Cryptocurrencies. Trade 10 key cryptocurrencies or get broad exposure with IG’s Crypto 10 index.
• Options. Trade on major indices, forex, shares and more.
• Interest rates. Speculate on a range of global interest rate movements.
• Bonds. Hedge against government bond holdings.
• ETPs, ETFs and IPOs. Access exchange traded products, exchange traded funds and initial public offerings.

Trade cryptocurrency CFDs with IG

Trading cryptocurrency CFDs can be attractive. You don't need your own wallet, and you can also profit by shorting cryptocurrencies ahead of dropping value, instead of just buying with the expectation of price increases.

IG lets you go long or short on bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Ethereum (ETH), Ripple and Bitcoin Gold. Some of the markets you can trade include:

• BTC/USD
• BTC/EUR
• BTC/GBP
• BCH/USD
• BCH/EUR
• BCH/GBP
• ETH/USD

What trading platforms can I use with an IG forex and CFD account?

IG has a large selection of trading platforms that you're able to choose between. After registering for a forex and CFD account with IG, you can then gain access to the following:

• IG Trading Platform. The IG trading platform features a range of useful trading tools including trading charts, signals and personalised alerts.
• Web-based platform. IG's online trading platform enables you to trade via your web browser, and customise your theme. Open and close your positions in a few clicks, view split charts and signal analysis, set up trading alerts and receive breaking news via Reuters and Twitter. The web-based platform supports Google Chrome (recommended), Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer 11 and Safari (Mac only).
• Mobile trading apps. Trade on the go with IG's trading apps, free to download and featuring native designs across all major mobile and tablet devices. Access market data and analysis and live prices before logging in.
• MetaTrader 4 (MT4). The most popular forex trading platform in the world, popular among traders for its fast execution, automated trading, customisable interface and enhanced trading tools. The IG version of MT4 comes with 18 free bespoke add-ons and indicators. Plus, you can access your account via the MT4 app on both Android and iPhone. Simply request access to MT4 in your client portal.
• Advanced platforms. Advanced traders can register for L2 Dealer, IG's downloadable DMA (Direct Market Access) platform. Get direct access to share market CFDs and forex currency pairs. This is for professional traders only and is only available via specific request.

What account types are available from IG?

There are two ways to access forex markets with IG:

• CFDs. CFDs allow you to trade using leverage and don't require you to pay a commission to open a position. Think of this as your standard retail trading account option, accessible through the IG trading platform or MT4.
• L2 Dealer. This is IG's direct market access service. L2 Dealer is available to professional traders by request only. It allows you to buy and sell CFDs priced directly from Currenex liquidity pool spreads.

What customer support options are available from IG?

If you ever have a question about your IG account or about a specific trade, 24-hour Australian customer support is available from Monday to Friday. Phone, email, live chat and Twitter customer support options are all offered. Alternatively, you can search IG's extensive online help centre to see if your question has already been answered.

IG also offers a number of online educational resources and information via IG Academy to help you make better trading decisions. These include forex trading education pages, webinars and in-depth guides. There's even an IG Academy app, available from Google Play or the Apple App Store, that provides engaging step-by-step courses that teach you how to trade.

What are the spreads and fees on an IG forex account like?

The spreads on an IG forex and CFD trading account are highly competitive.

• Spread. The spread is the difference between the buy and sell price on a trade. This varies between products, but as an example the minimum spread applied on the forex AUD/USD currency pair is 0.7 pips. When trading with Forex Direct (direct to market) traders can access tighter spreads, from 0.142 pips for EUR/USD.
• Margin. The margin is the amount needed for you to open a trade. IG margins start from 5% of the trade value.
• Commission. All IG CFDs are commission free, except shares CFDs which vary. The commission charged on Australian shares CFDs is 0.08% ($7 minimum) for online trades.
• FX currency exchange rates. When you trade a market that is denominated in a currency other than your local currency you pay an FX conversion, or exchange rate. IG offers a competitive FX conversion rate of 0.5%.

What are the account funding options on an IG forex and CFD account?

The quickest way to deposit funds into your IG account is via debit or credit card (Visa or Mastercard). You can also instantly deposit funds using PayPal.

While BPAY is another accepted payment method, funds will however take on average two business days to clear. The charges for the different funding methods are outlined below.

Minimum deposit

If you're funding your account via bank transfer or BPAY, then there is no minimum deposit required to open an IG forex account.

If you're using a debit card, credit card or PayPal however, then the minimum deposit required to fund your account is $450.

How do I open an IG forex trading account?

It's completely free to open a forex and CFD trading account with IG. The online application process takes around five minutes and there is no obligation to fund your account or place any trades. You will need to:

• Provide your name
• Enter your email address
• Create a username and password
• Specify your country of residence
• Specify whether you want to trade CFDs, forex or both

IG will work as quickly as possible to approve your application and once your account is open you can fund your account and start trading when you're ready.