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The Best online trading platforms in UK | Regulated trading platforms

Trusted trading platforms uk

online trading platforms has brought trading opportunities into the homes of so many and this means that virtually anyone can participate in online trading, including those that have very little capital. Things have gotten to a different dimension in such a way that many even make a living from online trading. You too can venture into it today and make a good income from it. The tools you need to venture into online trading are also very easy to get. Online trading can be done on your mobile device these days and this means you will not have to go to the end of the world to get the right tools with which you can start online trading.

List of the Best online trading platforms

Vantage Fx

Vantage Fx

4.6
Demo account Yes
Minimum deposit £ 150
Minimum deposit: £ 150
Skilling

Skilling

4.2
Demo account Yes
Minimum deposit £ 180
Minimum Deposit: £ 180
Blackbull Markets

Blackbull Markets

4.5
Demo account Yes
Minimum deposit £ 150
Minimum Deposit: £ 150
avatrade

Avatrade

4.5
Demo account Yes
Minimum deposit £ 150
Minimum Deposit: £ 150
hycm uk

HYCM

5
Demo account Yes
Minimum deposit £ 150
Minimum deposit: £ 150
Easy Markets

Easy Markets

4.5
Demo account Yes
Minimum deposit £ 150
Minimum deposit: £ 150

trading guides uk

Trading Guides

Online trading platforms in UK

People from across the globe now participate in online trading today. In fact, there is rarely any country where online trading cannot be done, including the UK. It has shown signs to be a lucrative business and this is one of the reasons why many people cannot resist venturing into it. Despite the incomparable popularity of online trading, so many people still know next to nothing about it. If you belong to the class of individuals that do not know much about online trading, then you will find the details provided here to be helpful in helping you to better understand how online trading works. You can use the information provided here to decide if you should go into it or not. You are about to discover how very easy to is to start trading online and from the comfort of your home.

online trading platforms in UK

What is online trading?

Online trading can be defined as the process of trading in the financial market via the internet. In times past before the advent of the internet, anyone that wanted to participate in financial market trading will have to visit an exchange building to do this. You can either visit the exchange building in person or carry out the transaction by phone call. You will not have to go through such stress anymore these days since you can now participate in online trading right there in the comfort of your home once you have a device that is connected to the internet. You only need to have access to an electronic terminal via which you can carry out all the trading activities. You can either download the terminal or use its web version to carry out online trading activities. Conclusively, the only tools you need before you can start trading in the financial market online are:

  • A computer or mobile device
  • Internet connection
  • Installed trading terminal

How online trading works

Online trading makes it possible for the trader to make deals on the financial market under a few seconds or even less than that. In times past, anyone that wanted to participate in the financial market would have to go through a broker; the case has not changed today. The only difference is that things are now done online. Before you can participate in online trading, you need to register an account with a broker. In fact, the trading terminal will be given to you by the broker with which you have registered.

how online trading works

 

The steps involved in online trading can be summarized as given below:

  • The trader makes up his mind to make a deal. For example, he decides to buy 1000 shares of Microsoft.
  • He visits the trading platform provided by the online trading broker to look for the Microsoft shares he is interested in.
  • He then chooses the particular quantity of the shares he wants to buy and then places an order to purchase the shares.
  • The request to purchase the shares is sent to the broker and the broker will execute the order. To get the order executed, the broker will need to look for a counterparty; that is, a Microsoft shareholder that wants to sell his shares.
  • The broker will take his search for the counterparty to the stock exchange. The deal will be completed once the search is successful.

The trading platform is responsible for doing all these days and this reduces the time it takes to complete a trading order. The entire trading process online is automated fully and can be completed under a few seconds.

Short-trading and leverage

In times past, something like leverage never featured in financial market trading. Things have changed a great deal these days as it is now possible to make use of leverage while placing a trade in the financial market online. In times past, the only fund available to a trader was the fund he had in his account. These days, leverage enables the trader to “borrow” more funds to boost his trading position. Leverage allows the trader to open a large trading position even with a very small amount of money in his trading account. Leverage makes it possible for the private trader to conclude deals that are worth over 100 times more than the capital they have in their online trading accounts.

Check below for how leverage works in online trading

  • The trader wants to buy 100,000 Euros, but he only has $1000 in his trading account.
  • The broker will make available the sum that is required for that particular deal. If the rate for EUR/USD is 1.2000, it means the trader will need $120,000 to buy EUR/USD. The broker provides an adequate amount to make up that minimum amount for the trade.
  • The broker will execute the trade for the trader and the $1000 that the trader has in his trading account serves as a pledge.
  • If the value of EUR/USD rises after the trader has placed the trade, the trader will get a profit. After the trade has closed in profit, the $120,000 will go back to the broker and the $1000 and the profit made from the trade will return to the account of the trader.
  • If the trade goes against the trader, on the other hand, his losses will be limited by his security deposit. If the trade wipes off the entire capital of the trader, the broker will have to close the trade forcibly to avoid further losses.

Leverage makes it possible for the online trader to make use of the short-trading scheme. It enables the trader to purchase assets that worth more than the capital of the trader and will also enable the trader to sell a waste that he does not own. This means that the trader can sell Euros even with the $1000 in his trading account; bear in mind that the only has US dollars and not euro. In this situation, the trader will need to take leverage in euro and not in US dollars.

Types of assets available

Online trading opens the door to so many assets and these assets are available in different categories. Some of the assets are termed as “classic” assets and they have been around for a very long time; some have been around for several hundreds of years. Some other assets came up after the advent of online trading. We are going to discuss each of these assets in this section.

Stocks

The stock market shares remain one of the oldest types you can ever find among online trading assets. It can be defined as a specific share of a big company traded publicly. When participating in the stock market, you can either feature as an investor or a speculator.

  • Speculator: He makes short-term deals in the stock market. His main goal is to buy shares at a low price and then sell back when the price increases or vice versa. A speculator does not concern himself with any other peculiarities. He is only concerned with the difference between the buying and selling prices of the shares.
  • Investor: An investor does not behave like a speculator; he does more than to just buy shares at a low price and resell them when their values rise. What he does is to invest his money into a particular company or business that is offering the stock. His investment is long term in nature.

Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrency is the newest of all the assets traded by online traders. It is a digital asset and was created using complex program code. The first among them was bitcoin and it remains the most popular to date. As of today, the number of cryptocurrencies available is over 2000. Many more cryptocurrencies are even coming up.

 

Cryptocurrencies differ from one another and they come with different values, ideologies and structures. Some cryptocurrencies are designed for carrying out financial transactions and they tend to be more confidential, fast and reliable than bank transactions; this does not mean that cryptocurrency transactions do not have their own limitations. Aside from service as means of transactions, cryptocurrencies are also used for making various applications with highly advanced functionality, as well as a wide variety of highly interesting projects.

The prices of cryptocurrencies are dynamic especially because they are tradable assets. As a result of this, you can trade them and make profit from trading. It is possible to speculate about the values of cryptocurrencies and even invest in them; this is because almost all cryptocurrencies have values.

The major difference between cryptocurrencies and shares is the high volatility that occurs in cryptocurrencies.

  • The rate at which shares rise in value per annum may not be more than 20 to 30% per year. In fact, stock investors see such a rise as a very good result.
  • Cryptocurrencies, on the other hand, can rise as high as 200% to 300% per month and can fall by as much as 30% per day. This huge movement is even considered as a norm by cryptocurrency investors.

Currencies

The main asset focused on in Forex trading is currency and the currencies are traded in pairs, like GBP/USD, EUR/USD and so on. Forex trading is carried out in one particular currency relative to another. If you want to buy USD for GBP, for example, you can open a deal to sell GBP/USD

Metals

One other asset you can consider during online trading is Metals. This refers to non-ferrous precious metals and they are very popular. The two most traded among the metals are silver and gold. You can also find brokers that allow the trading of platinum. Other metals that you can trade in are:

  • Aluminum
  • Nickel
  • Copper

Be that as it may, only a limited number of brokers permit their members to trade any of the metals in the list.

Indices

One other asset available for online treading is indices. It is a tool used in the stock market. It is formed by a given number of shares that are combined generally into one category. A very good example is the Nasdaq 100 index and it is made up of shares from the biggest 100 companies found in the high-tech industry traded on Nasdaq.

Aside from Nasdaq, there are several other indexes, some of which are highlighted below:

  • DJ 30
  • S&P 500
  • Nikkei 225

Stocks in the index are usually traded on the same exchange juts like Nikkei 225 and Nasdaq 100. The numbers behind the names, like 225 and 100, represent the number of shares forming the index.

The rate of the index changes in line with the dynamics of the price of the shares from which it is formed. If most of the shares from Nasdaq 100 rise, for example, there will be an increase in the index also. The opposite of this is also true. If, on the other hand, the prices fall, the index rate will decrease also.

Agriculture

This category of assets has to do with items like beans, soybeans, wheat and many other agricultural products. Bear in mind that they are not the most popular of assets and are not as frequently traded as many other assets. One of the factors that make them not so popular is the fact that their prices do not change as other assets like gold. Be that as it may, the fundamental factors dictating the value of agricultural assets are easier to understand than what obtains in other assets like gold or currencies.

Oil and Gas

Oil and gas are great assets preferred by many online traders. They belong to the EPI energy resources category and they are as popular as gold and many other Forex assets. They are second in popularity only to currency pairs.

ETFs

ETFs represent investment funds and have similarities with stock indexes. ETFs stand for the combination of shares and several other shares. The rate of ETF changes according to the change in the rate of its counterparts.

Types of investments

The number of investments is huge and this means that different categories of investors can find something just perfect for their individual needs. Each of the various forms of investments has its specific approach and the trader will have to handle them differently. The contract period, the terms and markets differ and the trader needs to bear this in mind. Check below for some of the most common types of investments.

CFD

CFD means Contract for Difference. It is similar to stock market shares and can be traded at Forex market. Unlike what happens in stock market, CFD traders of not buy or sell shares, but the buy and sell a contact instead. Their profit or loss will be determined by the terms of the contact ad according to the change in price for the share.

The algorithm is as follows:

  • Trader A bought CFD at $10 this means trader B sold CFD at the same price.
  • The price of the share reaches $11.
  • Trader A close the trade and makes $1 while trader B closes the same trade to make a loss of $1.

At the end of the day, both traders get the same amount as profit and loss. Be that as it may, trading CFD will make it possible for the traders to make use of leverage and also aces several other advantages offered by the Forex brokers.

Binary option

A binary option is a very special type of financial instrument in which the trader will need to define how the price of the asset will change in a given period of time. There are three parameters in a standard binary option trade.

Binary trading UK
  • Direction of a change in price
  • Expiration date
  • Transaction volume

Binary options make it possible for the trader to make a big profit even with a very small change in price. The price change is needed by the trader at least one point in the desired direction and remains so until the expiration time. The trader can get between 80 and 90% profit depending on the particular broker involved. Be that as it may, the risk of trading binary options is high. If the price heads in the opposite direction, on the other hand, the trader will record a loss.

If a trader has a capital if say $100, he can open a binary options trade for EUR/USD using the parameters below as an example:

  • Direction chosen: Up
  • Period: 5 minutes
  • Rate: 100 dollars

If the price goes in the desired direction from the starting point even by just a point, the trader can make as much as $80 or $90 in profit. The reverse is the case if the trade goes in the opposite direction, in which case the trader will lose the $100 he staked.

Futures contract

Futures contract is a way to trade items like wheat, palladium or oil in documentary form. The trading does not require the direct exchange of goods for money. When trading futures contract, the seller is involved with the goods delivery to the buyer and this should be done in a particular time frame after the deal has been concluded. The buyer does not really need the actual commodities; rather, he needs the right to the commodities to enable him to make a speculative profit when he trades them. This means that the buyers will sell futures to other traders.

Pros and cons of online trading

Check below for the various merits and demerits of various types of investments; this will help you to determine which is the most profitable among them. CFD remains the most attractive of all the online trading variants. Additionally, the contract for the difference in price is a generic instrument and it will suit both the speculators ad investors.

Pros of online trading

Check below for some of the benefits of participating in online trading

  • It has the potential to yield unlimited income.
  • You can equally determine when you want to work and you will never have to follow any strict rule whatsoever.
  • You can combine online trading with your 9 to 5 job.
  • If you are the type of person that likes analyses, finance and so on, this type of money-making opportunity should be good for you.
  • You do not need a lot of money to start trading online.
  • It will expose you to new experience and constant self-development.

Cons of online trading

  • It exposes you to financial risks.
  • No one will ever share the risk or losses with you since you are your own boss.

How to become a successful online trader

Before you can become a successful trader, you must have an adequate measure of emotional stability and patience. You should also strive to improve yourself and constantly pursue the goal of becoming a better trader. Before you become a good trader, you must not be the type of person that gives up easily. There are some very important steps that every online trader needs to bear in mind so that you can make a lot of profit when you trade online. Some of the points will be discussed below:

  • First of all, you need to create a plan for your online trading. This will help you to decide when it is time to trade and when not to trade. The trading plan should also include your goals, the length of time you want to spend on the trade and so on. You also want to decide if trading will be your main occupation or if it is going to be a temporary endeavor.
  • You should also set up a proper risk management. Both the investment and trading require proper risk management and evaluation beforehand. The risk must be properly assessed even if you are trading a demo account. You should never invest money that you cannot afford to lose. Make sure you properly calculate the risk for each of the trading sessions.
  • You also need to make up your mind about a particular trading style. You need to have a good trading strategy if you are to be a successful trader. You need to decide on a particular method of analysis, the market to involve in, the type of assets to trade and so on. You can even start out with strategy developed by someone else. However, the best way to make profit is to develop your own trading strategy.
  • You should start off trading with a demo account. After you have decided on a particular strategy, you should first try it out on a demo account. You should not start trading from a real account until you have been able to achieve a consistent profit in a demo account.

How to choose an online trading broker

online trading broker

Before you can profit consistently from online trading, then you need to register with an online trading platforms broker and you must ensure that you register with the right one. Before you choose that online trading platforms, you should first find out if it agrees with your learning style, educational needs and investing goals. If you are a newbie, you need to make the right choice among online trading platforms so that you will not end up being frustrated out of the online trading market. In this section, you will learn about how to make the right choice among online trading platforms out there.

What are your needs?

Your investment goals will go a long way to determine the perfect type of broker to go for. Your level of education in online trading can also determine which online trading platforms to choose. If you know next to nothing about online trading, you can go for a broker that offers the following:

  • Basic educational resources
  • Easy access to support staff
  • Comprehensive glossaries
  • Easy access to a free demo account

If you have some level of experience in online trading platforms, you can look for a broker that offers high-level educational tools, opinion-based educational tools and a very good selection of fundamental and technical data. You can also consider advanced charting capabilities, ability to trade derivatives, conditional order options and so on if you are an experienced trader or investor in online trading.

Check for regulation

FCA Regulated platforms

Before you register an account with any of the online trading platforms brokers in the UK, you should first find out if the broker is regulated or not. The UK remains one of the most reputable financial centers in the world today and online trading platforms operating in the UK are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This body is reliable and any broker regulated by it can be trusted for quality online trading services. Your money will never go missing with such a broker also. The FCA is very serious with its supervisory responsibility and it is undoubtedly one of the most respected authorities in the financial world. So, make sure that the broker is regulated by the FCA before you register with it.

What customers are saying

One other way to know if that broker is the right one for you is by reading reviews about them. The reviews will show you a lot about the broker and help you to decide if it can meet your goals or not. When reading reviews about an online trading platforms, only focus on neutral sources of information so that you can get the right details about the reliability or otherwise of the online trading broker.

Consider security

You should not register with that online trading platforms is there is no assurance of security for your account. Look for an online trading platforms that offers 2-factor authentication as this will help to protect your account information and keep hackers in check. Some of the security strategies adopted by brokers include the following:

  • Answering security questions
  • Receiving time-sensitive, unique codes via email or text message
  • Using a physical security key that can be slotted into your computer’s USB port.

Some brokers take additional security step by using “cookies” or encryption. You should steer clear of brokers that sell their customer’s information or share it with a third party without consent.

Brokers offering

Before you register with a broker, first find out about the type of accounts that the broker offers. Does the broker offer a retirement account or offer different products to meet different investing goals of its customers? Never also forget to find out what the fee structures are before you register with the broker.

Conclusion

Online trading is highly interesting. It is also one of the most profitable businesses you can ever engage in. its perspective nature makes it unique in all sense of the word. It gives you the utmost freedom and independence to make money and spend your time as you deem fit. Before you can become a successful online trader, however, you need to go through a long and tasking path of learning and working.

A demo account is a must for every newbie that wants to become a successful online trader. The demo account will help you to test your strategies to know if they will deliver the desired result or not. Most brokers offer free demo accounts and also give you free virtual money to start practicing how to trade online. You only need to look for a reliable broker that will not take advantage of you and this can best be done by reading reviews about the broker before you register there to trade online.