Recent content by Piman78

The difference is how the orders are executed. With spread betting your broker is the counter party to your trades. If the broker choose not to hedge your position then they would remain exposed and profit from your losses and lose when you won money. Many people see this as a potential conflict...

Direct Market Access for which market(s). Currencies? Or CFDs? If your CFD broker is an ECN then you will not be able to trade small cap stocks as the liquidity just isn't there for many small cap stocks on a non-market maker model.

I wish you all luck in getting your money back, and never, ever trade with an unregulated broker or a broker based in jurisdictions without proper regulatory controls.

The market moves often deceive us. You go long but you're wrong and and the price drops, then the price drop pauses for a bit, long enough to dupe a large number of those retail traders with short positions into doubling up, once there is enough short money for the big money to take they take...

In a word yes. When it comes to currencies, the Forex Market is doing whatever it takes to make the majority of traders wrong, most of the time. The market has to do this because it is being driven by everyone involved in trading it and since it is a zero sum game most people will lose their...

Any joy getting your money back yet Don Julio

You can't, any 'broker' that is allowing US residents to wire them money and trade CFDs is breaking the law. If a broker is prepared to do this (i.e. break laws and engage in illegal activity) then you would be mad to trust them with your cash. If you live in the USA then you will not be able...

Winnings from gambling (which is what spread betting is classed as) is currently tax free in the UK. The only possible exception to this that I can see would be if HMRC could classify you as a professional gambler. But in order for HMRC to do this you would need to have no other taxable income...

"The same studies show that FXCM client accounts with a balance of $10,000 or more had a profitability rate of 44.09%. The data is in line with quarterly reports that US brokers have to file with the CFTC which show that roughly 30% of retail traders are profitable while over 40% of retail...

I (sort of) agree. I believe the reason why indexes are easier to trade than currencies is because the market is less competitive. Most of the money driving the FTSE is the likes of hedge funds buying shares, especially when there is one of those minor corrections that happens every week or so...

You need DMA/ECN to make sure you're trading against other market participants and not your broker. If you broker has a vested interest in getting you then you really are toast. But even with true level 2 DMA most traders will have to fail. A big poker game would work exactly the same way, most...

I personally would avoid ANY broker that is not based in a jurisdiction that regulated online trading properly. If the broker is based in the UK, just call the FCA.