Best Thread CMC Markets owner answers your questions

[PC at CMC Markets]

Hi Mike
I know what you mean because for example if I want to access preferences (top right) on my demo account the buttons are some times hidden. Once we launch tabs this should sort the problem.
also in next release you will be able to collapse the buttons at the bottom so have full screen. There will be simple button to click to bring back bottom buttons including account details etc. next release should sort all of this.

thanks for taking the time to post your points. This is what I love about this forum, you get the chance to speak to Chairman of company and I can pass your comments directly onto the team. I love being able to do this because it means we can respond to what our clients want. I also really enjoy these posts and speaking to you guys directly. I think all firms should operate like this in our industry, speaking directly to clients or potential clients.

thanks very much.
regards Peter

Peter,

While I have the demo platform up, I will try to show what I mean about bits of the chart disappearing behind bits of the trading platform.

I've pulled the top of the chart to the top of the screen and you can see the top left gets lost begind the "CMC", and the top right gets lost behind the "logoff" etc buttons.

At the bottom, I have dragged the right-hand corner down as far as it will go, and it's gone behind my account value. At first I thought I wouldn't be able to drag it again, but if you fiddle around, you can get it back. Well, usually.

In fact, despite appearances, I can still access the "BUY" button in that position, but it's obviously not quite ideal.

Cheers,

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

Good morning Ross

so we are down to one thing before you open an account, that is the dark back ground of the charts because it seems you can live with the spreads. so we have a couple of choices.

1. you accept the charts and open an account or
2. we change the charts.

2. is not going to happen because overall our clients like the charts and to be honest Ross when you see the next charting releases over coming months the dark works better than the normal white back ground. All sorts of yummy things being launched, not just on charts but tools working around charts. so sorry dark back ground has to stay for now. might be able to work it that white back grounds are available but will be six months away I suspect.

I have to say also I have noticed one or two other companies using dark back grounds for their charts so it looks like the industry is moving that way.

we are almost there with you. come on Ross you know you want to love us and give us a try. I tell you what open a live account and I will oversee the process personally for you . there you go personal service from the Chairman. But keep it secret otherwise I will have to offer it to every one. ha ha

cheers peter

Apart from being someone who spreadbets, I certainly don't have a vested interest in anything, and I'm really not trying to wind you up, Peter (gle already does a good job at that). Just trying to put across a view from the punter side of the fence. I don't doubt for a second that you believe in next gen and have put a lot of hard work (and money) into getting it right.

There are things I like about next gen, but also plenty I dislike. It may seem odd, but now you're reduced the spread on US30 (why 2.1pt, though?) probably the main reason I haven't tried it live is the dark background charts, which are enough to give anyone a case of SAD. I know some people like black charts, but I bet there are more who prefer a less gloomy outlook.

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

good morning gle101

compliments, flattery, you nearly had me there for a minute could feel myself weakening but managed to pull myself back from the brink. ha ha

Have a good day

regards Peter

I have a little bit more experience on this forum than you. I have come across some nice people with good writing skills, and you seem to be such a person. One cannot make any mistake about your honest commitment to your company. The way you display the merits and distinguished features of the new next-gen platform, promises something really good to come in the near future, that will have a lasting positive affect for the industry.

Keep up the good work and have a nice weekend.

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

Hi twonk

Many thanks for your support and constructive comments. I accept that people will want to have a pop at me. Trading can be the best and worst thing in the world depending on whether you are making or losing money. I respect our clients because I have traded for banks, brokers and my own account in the past and I know how tough it is. I come from a trading back ground at every level. Not many people know this but the day I started CMC Markets 21 years ago I stopped trading for my own personal account and CMC does not prop trade in any way. I wanted to be 100 percent focused on the company and delivering a service. However, I have never forgotten how tough it can be to trade the markets personally. I traded at the highest level and I have the scars to prove it. It is tough and I always respect all of our clients because of that.

Only problem with clients using this forum to rant is that it is not getting to the issues of what can be done in the industry and how we can improve as a company but bit by bit we can get to the real issues.

Yes we have a plan for social media like all of our competitors. It is too early to tell about how social media will pan out but all of the industry is keeping an eye on it. would be nice to do more on facebook, twitter and others and we are working on it. also there are restrictions. you cannot having betting products on facebook.

watch this space over coming months.

regards peter

Hi PC

Good to see a man of your position on the front line taking the questions. That says a lot about you and your business in my book. It seems there are a few idiots around with the sole aim of winding you up unfortunately

People may moan to you in this blog but that has to be expected when money is lost, as i am sure you have figured out. People come online to moan instead of praise generally these days

Interested to hear your thoughts on how important social and trade following features will be in CFD platforms of the future. Do you have any plans to make CMC the facebook of online trading?

I recon facebook may have over 40% of a lot of peoples internet time as it is and that kind of user activity has to be good for an online trading business

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

Thought you said you are not here to wind people up. looks like you have forgotten post 611 already.

you're off to an early start today Ross.

cheers pc

What are Facebook's spreads like these days?

















PS. Sorry if that was an idiotic remark.

 

[Physicsman]

Hi PC,

It was mentioned b4 in an earlier post, but I don't think you stated if it was going to change in the next release of the platform.

When zooming into a chart, the time frame interval keeps changing from what we have set it to be. I would prefer the chart to just zoom in and magnify but keep the time frame at what I have selected (hourly etc.)

If there are clients who like the current variable time frame feature, may I suggest putting a lock button somewhere on the Interval field or by the Time Frame tab. When locked, zooming in keeps the time interval at the user selected value and just magnifies the chart. Unlocking will return to the current variable interval behaviour.

Is that a possibility?

Thanks!

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

hi guys
I was asked last week about client compensation and insurance pay out.
Just had the following from compliance dept.
The maximum level of compensation for claims against firms declared in default on or after 1 January 2010 is £50,000 per person per firm. This is set and paid out by the FSCS - Financial Services Compensation Scheme
Hope that helps
tks Peter

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

Hi Pman
thanks for the blog.
Already have this coming and will be in launch of improvements in next month or so.
thanks
Peter

Hi PC,

It was mentioned b4 in an earlier post, but I don't think you stated if it was going to change in the next release of the platform.

When zooming into a chart, the time frame interval keeps changing from what we have set it to be. I would prefer the chart to just zoom in and magnify but keep the time frame at what I have selected (hourly etc.)

If there are clients who like the current variable time frame feature, may I suggest putting a lock button somewhere on the Interval field or by the Time Frame tab. When locked, zooming in keeps the time interval at the user selected value and just magnifies the chart. Unlocking will return to the current variable interval behaviour.

Is that a possibility?

Thanks!

 

[gle101]

good morning gle101

compliments, flattery, you nearly had me there for a minute could feel myself weakening but managed to pull myself back from the brink. ha ha

Have a good day

regards Peter

So it didn't work, well maybe it was a little bit too polish (although with a genuine feeling behind it).

 

[gle101]

Peter, I have come up with an easy solution, for all of us (must be quite many) who doesn't like and can't live with your "Dark Vader" theme. You just have two settings in the login screen window. A check mark for a dark or white option for the platform colour theme. Easy as pie to implement for your programmers, no need to have settings for each individual window. Come on, with a client base of 70.000 and great economic figures you can manage to provide it to us non Star Wars enthusiasts. Hey, I wouldn't be surprised if the programmers work with a white option themselves, ha ha.

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

hi gle101

I agree that we should offer the option but you seem to have given up on dark background charts without really persevering. Honestly gle if you see the tools we are putting together they work fantastic with dark back ground charts. just try to get used to them because many companies going this way and also on ipad they look brilliant.

Anyway thanks for the suggestion I will definitely pass it onto the team and lets see what they say. FYI programmers love dark back grounds and work with dark back grounds.

cheers pc

Peter, I have come up with an easy solution, for all of us (must be quite many) who doesn't like and can't live with your "Dark Vader" theme. You just have two settings in the login screen window. A check mark for a dark or white option for the platform colour theme. Easy as pie to implement for your programmers, no need to have settings for each individual window. Come on, with a client base of 70.000 and great economic figures you can manage to provide it to us non Star Wars enthusiasts. Hey, I wouldn't be surprised if the programmers work with a white option themselves, ha ha.

 

[gle101]

hi gle101

I agree that we should offer the option but you seem to have given up on dark background charts without really persevering. Honestly gle if you see the tools we are putting together they work fantastic with dark back ground charts. just try to get used to them because many companies going this way and also on ipad they look brilliant.

Anyway thanks for the suggestion I will definitely pass it onto the team and lets see what they say. FYI programmers love dark back grounds and work with dark back grounds.

cheers pc

Yes on Ipad it might be suitable, but not on a larger screen, I don't know. Looks kind of cute to start with, but I have a hard time adjusting, it kind of gets me depressed (it is not my trading or the spreads though).

 

[gle101]

Peter, talking about ergonomics, what do you think is easier for the eyes. A black monitor or one with silver frames, Google and you will find out.

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

next gen dark back ground charts every time

Peter, talking about ergonomics, what do you think is easier for the eyes. A black monitor or one with silver frames, Google and you will find out.

 

[jesteruk]

Hi Peter I asked a while back but I'm not sure you saw the post...
Can you explain how your prices are derived. Are your share prices exactly the same as the underlying plus the spread? How about commodities how do you go about creating the cash values?

With regards to your next gen CFD will the prices be the same as next gen spreadbet just with commission instead of spread? Also I don't understand why with your CFD's you can take a tiny position all the way down to 1 in the underlying whereas with spreadbet you have minimums and pricing in increments of £1. I can see the tax advantage but with CFD's you seem to have much more control over your position sizing particularly if scaling into a position etc.. It seems strange to do it like this as surely it must all go through the same system you just call it a different name?

Thanks again for your time. Been playing around some more with the demo and if the execution is as quick on the real platform it will be great. Holding back on opening an account as I'm starting to wonder if the CFD offering will be more appropriate. Only thing is it seems a bit unfair to charge finance on positions if you have the cash available in your account?

Thanks for your time

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

sounds like you need a night out with Ross and myself.
Will get the bingo organised.

pc

Yes on Ipad it might be suitable, but not on a larger screen, I don't know. Looks kind of cute to start with, but I have a hard time adjusting, it kind of gets me depressed (it is not my trading or the spreads though).

 

[gle101]

sounds like you need a night out with Ross and myself.
Will get the bingo organised.

pc

Yes alright, but promise me that you will not wear anything black, ha ha.

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

Hi jesteruk

I did see the post and to be honest I forgot to respond sorry about that so here goes.

all spread bet prices are derived from the underline markets, eg banks, brokers, exchanges, with the addition costs built in. eg commission on shares, tax etc. What we try to do is quote as near to the under line market as possible. all spread bet prices on next gen are derived electronically and quoted and executed electronically. all done with computers. no human intervention what so ever and no reading of client positions before you are quoted.

On next gen spread bet you deal £s per point on cfds you deal in asset amounts eg vodafone 100 shares and because commissions are charged separately on cfds the pricing is slightly improved but when you add in commissions there is probably not too much difference in the pricing. no commission products like forex the pricing will be the same on next gen cfds.

spread bet pricing is minimum £1 per point and if you take the underline market contract say ftse which trades approx £60 per point (depending where market level is) then £1 per point on spread bet is pretty low. going below £1 per point on spread bet is possible but there is little demand for it.
I think we might offer that later but for now it is low enough, generally for our clients.

With regards to financing if you refer to post 608 there is good independent explanation of financing posted by a ichiki and gives a good view of where we sit with financing.
There is some netting off of cash against positions etc. But I think we are pretty competitive around here on financing.

It depends on your personal circumstances whether you spread bet or cfd or do both. next gen cfd platform will be here soon but we are four to five weeks away so not sure if you can afford to wait that long.

execution time on live next gen platform is at least equal to demo platform if not faster. I think live platform is faster to be honest and that is not sales talk. if you read read the posts I have made you will see this is a consistent view of mine. if you do open live account then you can let this community know which is fastest. I think you will find I am right.

thanks for your excellent post enjoyed answering. I hope I covered all your points let me know if you need anything else. You are welcome to come here and discuss your personal situation with one of my team. If you do let me know and we can have a coffee.

best regards Peter

Hi Peter I asked a while back but I'm not sure you saw the post...
Can you explain how your prices are derived. Are your share prices exactly the same as the underlying plus the spread? How about commodities how do you go about creating the cash values?

With regards to your next gen CFD will the prices be the same as next gen spreadbet just with commission instead of spread? Also I don't understand why with your CFD's you can take a tiny position all the way down to 1 in the underlying whereas with spreadbet you have minimums and pricing in increments of £1. I can see the tax advantage but with CFD's you seem to have much more control over your position sizing particularly if scaling into a position etc.. It seems strange to do it like this as surely it must all go through the same system you just call it a different name?

Thanks again for your time. Been playing around some more with the demo and if the execution is as quick on the real platform it will be great. Holding back on opening an account as I'm starting to wonder if the CFD offering will be more appropriate. Only thing is it seems a bit unfair to charge finance on positions if you have the cash available in your account?

Thanks for your time

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

sorry cannot promise that and the bingo cards have black back ground but by then you should be used to it....

Yes alright, but promise me that you will not wear anything black, ha ha.

 

[PC at CMC Markets]

hi gle101
by the way do they have ipads in your part of the world yet... ha ha

Yes on Ipad it might be suitable, but not on a larger screen, I don't know. Looks kind of cute to start with, but I have a hard time adjusting, it kind of gets me depressed (it is not my trading or the spreads though).