Markets.com

It’s a rare sight to witness a broker who gives away pretty much all necessary information for both novice and expert traders to feel cognizant. Is the rest of the broker so charitable? Read on to find out.

The broker has four domains, each owned by TradeTech Markets Limited and all subsidiaries of Playtech PLC.

Markets.com is regulated by CySEC whose main goal is to enforce the law in the financial markets industry and to oversee the broker and its operations, and if necessary to take disciplinary actions. As overseen by CySEC www.markets.com users are eligible for the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) which protects clients covered by the ICF, and provides them with reimbursement of up to €20 000 in case Markets.com cannot meet their financial rights. Leverage is limited to 1:30 by ESMA.

The domain za.markets.com is regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa. The regulatory agency aims to promote fair customer treatment. There is not compensation fund scheme though. However, there is the ability to offer a higher leverage than 1:30 (read below).

Both domains au.markets.com and global.markets.com are regulated by ASIC which is considered the top non-EU/US regulatory body, and as such drives good investor/trader outcomes via administering the law when called for. One big drawback is the absence of a compensation fund. However, ASIC does require for brokers to separate users and brokers money in segregated bank accounts, and the leverage can go beyond the ESMA imposed 1:30 limit in the UK and EU (read below).

The leverage in EU and the UK is limited to 1:30 as decreed by ESMA. The only exception to this rule are traders holding a Professional account, but it order to acquire such an account one must meet some crucial requirements: relevant work experience in the financial industry and over €500 000. Otherwise, the leverage for those outside ESMA governed territory can go as high as 1:300.

At Markets.com you can trade with a span of instruments: Forex pairs, Metals and other Commodities, Energies, Indexes, Cryptocurrencies, Bonds, Shares, ETF’s, Blends and Ipos. This is one of the biggest range of tradable instruments we’ve seen, giving traders a whole lot more options than most brokers out there.

The following languages are available: Arabic, English, German, Danish, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Thai, Vietnamese.

MARKETS LOGIN

Markets.com all domains come with the classic and unforgettable MT4 and MT5. What’s new here is the broker’s very own Markets Trader.

MARKETS TRADER

This platform, like many proprietary ones, makes things easier for traders by providing a dumb-down version of more proficient trading terminals. In essence it is very accessible and easy to learn, while also having features for more expert traders to indulge in. There are advanced charting tools, 80+ technical indicators on market trends, a multi charts feature allowing for easy comparison between assets, and many more.

We opened a demo account with the proprietary Markets Trader platform where the EUR/USD spread was 1.9 pips. The the cost of trading for EUR/USD when using MT4/MT5 is 3 pips:

The platform offers lower spreads when compared to MT4 and/or MT5. Here the EUR/USD spread is 1.9 pips, there are no commissions, and the leverage can go as high as 1:300, except for the UK and EU where it cannot surpass the 1:30 limit.

Currently Markets Trader is available solely as a browser platform, and can be used on mobile devices by downloading the app from the App/Play Store.

METATRADER 4

Holding the title for the most popular trading platform in the industry does not come easily. MT4 incorporates all features that both new and professional clients alike need to have in their trade game. Clients can set auto trades, and they come loaded with lots of customizable options for optimal trading. The superior charting package, and drag and drop features allow users to take faster and more practical trading routes. Chart analysis tools, customizable trading indicators, and much more make MT4 the best option out there.

The EUR/USD spread is 3 pips when using the MT4 platform. This is without a doubt an uncommonly large spread for the MT4, and is almost twice the cost of trading found on the Market Trader.

There are no spread commissions to speak off. Seeing as the spread is huge as it is, the inclusion of a commission would have made it even more improper.

The leverage in the UK and EU is limited to 1:30, while outside these zones it can reach 1:300.

MT4 is available to download as a desktop traders, as a browser platform, and can be used on mobile devices by downloading the app from the App/Play Store.

METATRADER 5

Offering more in pure quantity than MT4, MT5 has still a hard time replacing its predecessor mostly due to the fact that MT4 is universal, and essentially used by every online broker.

Nevertheless, MT5 allows for full Expert Advisor support, has a built in economic calendar, more pending orders are available, has increased time frames, and much more.

MT5’s spread is 3 pips. Again, this spread is particularly large and, arguably, not worth it. Commissions on spreads are non existent, adding no further injury to the exceedingly high spread.

The leverage in the UK and EU is limited to 1:30, while outside these zones it can reach 1:300.

MT5 is available to download as a desktop traders, as a browser platform, and can be used on mobile devices by downloading the app from the App Store/Play Store.

MARKETS MINIMUM DEPOSIT

The minimum deposit is $100. This is lower than the average, making it suitable for smaller retail traders to have a go.

Payment methods are: Wire Transfer, Credit/Debit Card, Neteller, Skrill, PayPal, Local Bank transfer, iDeal, Sofort.

Account currencies are as follows: USD/EUR/GBP/DKK/NOK/SEK/PLN/CZK/AED

Credit/Debit Card funding processes take on average 24 hours, while Wire Transfers deposits will take 1-2 working days. For eWallets the process time has not been indicated, but seeing as it’s eWallets we can assume that all requests are processed within 10 minutes.

There are no fees for funding an account. Those that add more than $2500 will get all external fees (by the payments systems) reimbursed by Markets.com.

MARKET WITHDRAWAL TIME AND FEES

CySEC/ASIC regulation guarantees smooth and safe withdrawals.

Withdrawals can be done from the following payment methods: Wire Transfer, Credit/Debit Card, Skrill, Neteller and PayPal.

Ewallet processing time is 2 days. With Credit/Debit Cards it’s 2 to 8 days, while Wire Transfers users can expect their requests to be processed between 2-5 days.

Markets.com does not charge any withdrawal fees. However, users might get taxed by their payment providers.

For Credit/Debit Cards and PayPal the minimum withdrawal is $10. For Wire Transfer it is $100 and €20 with the EU. For eWallets the minimum is $5.

BOTTOM LINE

With some many domains and appropriate regulatory bodies, we can conclude that Markets.com can be trusted. This broker has a lot to offer. The number of assets is very diverse, one of the biggest we’ve seem. Payment methods are varied, and the platforms are enough to satisfy.

Speaking of which, the Markets Trader purposefully offers lower spreads than the MT4/5, in an effort to push more traders to use it. The MT4/5 ridiculous spread of 3 pips for EUR/USD almost renders both options redundant for many. This can be seen as somewhat of an arrogant move, since they are almost shamelessly putting their platform above the others. We leave the conclusion to you.

Otherwise, there is nothing stopping us from recommending Markets.com, or any of its domains.