Are you considering spread betting at IG Index? Then you need to read on and see what facilities they offer to attract new customers. IG Index has been in business for 36 years, initially dealing only in gold. The initials IG stood for Investors Gold, but IG Index and IG Group have been known by the initials for many years. The group is headquartered in London and listed on the FTSE 250.
IG Index is the world’s first financial spread betting company, and it now boasts more than 120,000 clients worldwide. It has expanded to offices in many other countries. There is no doubt that it is financially sound and experienced in spread betting, perhaps more than any other provider.
It provides a wide range of markets and securities. In the currency exchange market, it includes a range of exotic pairs as well as the major six, on both spot and forward bets. The choice of commodities includes spread betting on both spot and futures prices for a large range of commodities including the soft commodities such as agricultural products.
IG Index allows you to spread bet on thousands of individual shares, with margins down to 5%, as well as all major stock indices. Spread betting is also available on options, which themselves are based on equities, commodities, currencies, etc. Among the less common underlying financial instruments, you can also spread bet on house prices and on interest rates.
For those who are new to spread betting, IG Index has a range of videos available online explaining the mechanics of spread trading, and also showcasing its charting software. The PureDeal trading platform was introduced in 2007, and is intuitive and browser-based. It offers one click dealing on most markets, making for ease of use. A full range of professional tools is available on the charting software, and IG Index even streams Reuter’s news to the desktop for you. Access to trading is also available from your mobile phone and from the iPhone.
IG Index features competitive low spreads, including one point on the FTSE and two points on the Dow, and claims to have low deposit requirements. If you are spread betting at IG Index, you have access to Guaranteed Stop Losses to minimize the amount that the market can deplete your account, and to trailing stop losses which are useful for setting behind a winning position to lock in your gains.
IG Index has two types of account, one a regular spread betting account which promises the best spreads and flexibility, and another which is called a limited risk account which is recommended for beginners as it automatically saves you from disastrous consequences, although at a higher cost. IG Index is well worth considering for your spread betting provider. Part of the marketing strategy is not to provide a demo account, but to allow beginners to trade from as little as 10 pence per point.
Spread betting with IG Index is the industry standard, and other spread betting brokers are compared with IG. We would rank it as well worth a look, despite the fact that there is no free demo account, and it should be on your short list when shopping for a new spread betting provider.