Account type | Min. deposit | Min. trade size | Max. leverage | Average Spreads |
Standard | $50 | 0.01 | 1:50 | 1.4 pips |
Leading US broker Forex.com offers a single account type on several trading platforms. The broker provides commission-free trading with variable spreads and the option to use micro lots.
In addition, Forex.com offers swap-free accounts to investors of Islamic belief, as well as free demo ones for 30 days after sign up.
Regulated in the US and other countries
Forex.com belongs to the Gain Capital group. Gain Capital meets high standards of corporate governance, financial reporting and disclosure. The parent company of the major FX brand Forex.com, GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:GCAP) is a registered Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and is a member of the National Futures Association (NFA).
Besides, its subsidiaries are properly licensed in the countries of their operation:
Company | Country | Regulation |
GAIN Capital Group, LLC | USA | NFA, CFTC |
Forex.com UK Limited | UK | FCA |
GAIN Capital FOREX.com Australia Pty Limited | Australia | ASIC |
Forex.com Canada Limited | Canada | ILLROC |
GAIN Capital Group (Hong Kong) Limited | Hong Kong | SFC |
GAIN Capital Japan Ltd. | Japan | FFAJ |
Apart from Forex.com, Gain Capital Group is operating the brands City Index, GTX, Gain Capital, FinSpreads, and others.
The largest broker in the US
Not only that Forex.com is regulated in the United States, but it is actually the largest forex broker in the country. After FXCM has left the US market, Forex.com became the undeniable leading provider of financial services in the US.
Actually, a very few brokers have remained active on the strictly regulated US market: Oanda, Interactive Brokers, and TD Ameritrade.
Competitive spreads
Forex.com offers commission-free trading with variable spreads, the average ones on EUR/USD amounting to 1.4 pips, which is a rather competitive pricing. By comparison, the cost of trading at Oanda, another US broker, is exactly the same.
Low minimum investment required
In order to open an account with Forex.com, one has to invest just $50. Almost everyone can afford such an investment.
Several top-notch trading platforms available
Leading US broker Forex.com offers a single account type on several trading platforms. The broker provides commission-free trading with variable spreads and the option to use micro lots.
Actually, this piece of trading software is as sophisticated and customizable as the MT4. Its professional-grade trading tools include top-notch interactive charting with more than 100 predefined indicators, as well as the option to create some of your own. There are also a number of Integrated trading strategies, which are also customizable. Besides, users can code their own trading strategies (in C++), there is a back-testing excel tool available, and signals trading. Here is a snapshot of the platform:
Click on the image to zoom-in.
Some of the new functionalities of the platform after a recent update include powerful charts with integrated one-click trading, smart trade ticket with advanced risk management option, pre-defined and customizable layouts, and more.
Various payment methods, fast withdrawals
Yet another thing we like about Forex.com (US) is the fact that it support several convenient payment methods, and namelY Debit Card, Wire Transfer, ACH and Checks. What is even more important from a client's point of view, withdrawals are processed pretty fast – within 48 hours.
Bonuses available
Leverage capped to 1:50
Actually, this is not a weak side of the broker itself, but a legal requirement in the US. Brokers operating in the country are not allowed to provide leverage of more than 1:50, and Forex.com simply complies with the regulatory requirements.
Forex.com (US) is the largest US broker and one of the few actively operating in the country. A market leader offering trading in more than 80 forex pairs and CFDs, it has serviced over 200,000 customers globally.
The US broker is a part of the Gain Capital group – a leading forex brokerage with global presence. All members of the Gain Capital family are duly regulated by the respective governmental agencies, including Forex.com (US). It is registered with the CFTC and a member of NFA. US regulation is one of the strictest, which is a good thing in terms of investor protection, however some of the rules imposed are considered too restrictive.
For example, Brokers registered with the NFA are required to maintain a net capital of at least $20 million to guarantee customers’ positions, which is the highest minimum capital requirement worldwide. Moreover, hedging is not allowed and leverage is limited to 1:50, as we already mentioned above.
Now, let’s sum up the strong and weak sides of Forex.com (US):
Pros | Cons |
A global leading broker | Leverage capped at 1:50 |
Solid regulation | |
Competitive spreads, commission-free | |
Several trading platforms, including MT4 | |
Low min. deposit required |
Minimum deposit | Min./Max. bet size | Payout % | Deposit Bonus | Trading platform | Regulation |
$100 | $5/ $1,500.00 | Up to 85% | N/A | SpotOption | CySEC |
Formally known as Bank De Swiss, BDSwiss is a reputable European Binary options broker, offering trading in over 200 underlying assets on the most popular SpotOption binaries platform under quite competitive trading conditions.
BDSwiss` customers get access to comprehensive training materials to help them optimize their trading strategies. The broker offers rich education center on its website, online webinars, live seminars, market news, economic calendar and more.
BDSwiss offers a single type of account, which is rather unusual, as most binaries brokers differentiate their clients based on their initial deposit. This means that BDSwiss clients may not choose between different account types, but ion the other hand, treating all clients equally is a good thing.
Besides, BDSwiss does not offer demo account either. While many consider this a disadvantage, it is also true that many demo platforms do not mimic the actual trading on the site.
BDSwiss is one of Europe’s leading financial institutions specializing in Forex/CFD and Binary Options trading. It also appears to be quite popular with traders.
BDSwiss is operated by BDSwiss Holding Plc, a Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF), licensed and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
In order to provide a certain level of security, Cypriot financial watchdog applies a set of rules and requirements to license holders.
First of all, CySEC requires Cyprus-based brokers to hold a minimum of €730 000 in order to prove their good financial standing. Moreover, all CySEC-regulated companies are members of the Investor Compensation Fund, which may cover tour investment loss to a maximum of 20,000 EUR per person in the event that the broker becomes insolvent. Such compensation schemes serve as an additional guarantee to clients’ funds.
In addition, as CySEC is part of the European MiFID regulations, and the companies regulated by the Cypriot financial watchdog are free to operate in all EU Member States.
Trading Options: Call/Put, 60 seconds, Pairs, Long term, One Touch, Ladder
Assets: Stocks, Indices, Currencies, Commodities
Expiry Times: 60 sec, 90 sec, 120 sec, 180 sec, 300 sec, 30 min, 1h, 2h, 4h, 8h, 12h, 2d, 3d, 4d, 5d, 6d, 7d
Minimum Initial Deposit
The minimum initial deposit for clients of BDSwiss is $100, which is attractive, since most binaries brokers usually require $200 - $250. For instance, Cherry Trade, a broker operating out of the Caribbean. requires $200 from traders to open an account.
Min/Max bet size
The minimum bet size with this broker is just $5 (for 60 Second Options), which is on the lower end of average. In comparison, with OptionsClick one is able place a trade with at least $10. Such low minimum bet sizes allow better risk management.
Payout amount
The payout provided by this broker varies by different options, but is usually between 65%-85%, which is on the upper end of average.
In comparison, HY Options’ payout for the EUR/USD pair A Day binary Up/Down for EUR/USD offers a payout of 85%. 60 Seconds Binary Options have a payout of 70%.
Of course, the higher the percentage payout offered by the broker, the larger the traders return would be.
Like many binary options brokers, BDSwiss supports the most widely used binaries trading platform, SpotOption. All popular binary options are supported: Call/Put, 60 seconds, Pairs, Long term, One Touch, Ladder. What is more, it offers some additional option features (In the overview of open positions).
Instead of letting your option expire, you can use “Sell”, “Double Up” and “Rollover” to adjust your option individually, if, for example, market conditions change.
As the name suggests, “Sell” gives you the opportunity to sell your option before it expires. If you are confident in the current trend, you have the opportunity to “Double Up” which will open a new option with the same conditions of your open position, but at the current price. Finally, if you think your option needs more time to move in the desired direction, you can extend the expiry time by using the “Rollover” feature.
Bonuses
Unlike most binary brokers, BDSwiss does not have a set bonus structure. On-deposit bonuses are not offered on a constant basis, but are instead available at various times for a limited duration.
Instead, this broker offers $100 refer a friend bonus.
There are a number of payment methods available to BDSwiss’ clients: Credit/Debit cards, Bank Wire, Skrill, Neteller, Giropay, eps, Sofort & Ideal.
Keep in mind that withdrawals under €100.00 will be charged with a €25.00 processing fee.
BDSwiss is a regulated and reputable binaries broker, offering outstanding range of assets and trading options, while keeping their account structure simple and their plat form easy to use. To sum up the above, here are the advantages and drawbacks in relation to this broker:
Pros | Cons |
Regulated broker | No deposit bonus |
Low minimum bet size & min. initial deposit | No choice of trading accounts, no demo either |
Payout up to 85% | |
Wide range of tradable assets & instruments | |
Refer a friend bonus | |
Headquarters: Makariou III Street 160 3026, Limassol
Country: Cyprus
Regulation: CySec