The Best

[DiscoDancer]

What is the best broker / platform combination for advanced retail trading in index futures? I am looking for 1) usability, 2) technical reliability, 3) market access (Usa, Europe, Asia), and 4) an ability to trade overnight with confidence (incl. to leave working orders 'working', to receive comprehensible data on how the open position have performed, and if closed, then when why, when and on what price. I don't want (again and again) to spend dozens of hours to learn how to use the software I have downloaded, and I don't want to discuss with people who really do not know the product they represent. Similar experiences? Pls. comment.

 

[£10kLoser]

There is no 'best' but one that gets overlooked yet provides pretty much everything is AvaFX.

I've demo traded and know somebody who live trades happily. The downside it's in Cyprus so that puts people off! Anyway, here's the link www.avafx.com

 

[DiscoDancer]

Thanks for the hint, but their website doesn't say anything about futures, only spot FX and CFDs? So far I have traded only spot FX (in real life) but I am looking forward to moving to futures - therefore conducting experiments and getting headaches. But the underlying reason is simple: I want to trade at an exchange against other players, not against the market maker producing the quotes... Any other views out there?

There is no 'best' but one that gets overlooked yet provides pretty much everything is AvaFX.

I've demo traded and know somebody who live trades happily. The downside it's in Cyprus so that puts people off! Anyway, here's the link www.avafx.com

 

[£10kLoser]

No, no actual futures. You could always open a real money account with CMC markets (spread bet) and simply never put any money into it. Mine had no money for over a year and they never closed it! They have many futures as well as spots. What exchange has financial futures? I've only seen Betfair and that has nothing much at all.

 

[DiscoDancer]

many, chk for example cme globex, website: Introduction to CME Globex

they have e.g. fx and index futures, a list of brokers providing access to cme:
Trading Knowledge Center

and this leads to the challenge of identifying a good broker - platform combination

 

[Adamus]

interactivebrokers.co.uk surely. Or .com depending on IB's setup for Finnish.

 

[DiscoDancer]

Thanks Adam,

IB has received recognition on this site. Have visited their website too but it seems that they do not offer a practice account unless you also make the initial investment, right?

 

[Adamus]

I tried it out a couple of months ago but I don't remember if that was a fully featured practice account or restricted functionality. Have a look at their demo. Definitely had a live feed.

 

[DiscoDancer]

ok, I'll chk it out.