IG
Rank #1 of 10
- FCA
- ASIC
- BaFin
- FINMA
- MAS
- DFSA
8.5
out of 10
editorial rating
IG is the longest-established name on our list: a London-listed group founded in 1974 that describes itself as a FTSE 100 company, with licensed entities in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Dubai, Singapore, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. It scores highest for regulation and market range. It is not the cheapest option for active forex traders, and the protections you receive depend on which IG entity opens your account.
At a glance
| Group | IG Group Holdings plc. Founded 1974, headquartered in London (iggroup.com). |
| Regulation | FCA, ASIC, BaFin, FINMA, DFSA, MAS, JFSA and others, depending on the entity. |
| Platforms | IG web platform and apps, MT4, MT5, ProRealTime, TradingView, L2 Dealer and APIs, as listed on IG’s UK site. |
| Minimum deposit | No minimum on UK bank transfers. Card minimums vary by currency (for example US$50, €300, A$100). |
| Pricing | Spread-based. Overnight funding and currency conversion fees apply. |
| Markets | More than 15,000 markets across forex, indices, commodities and shares (IG’s UK pages). |
| Availability | Some IG entities take local residents only (UK, New Zealand, Japan, US). The European, Australian, Swiss, South African, Singapore and Dubai entities accept applicants from other countries. Check IG’s international offering page for your country. |
| Client funds | Segregated client money. UK clients are covered by the FSCS. Negative balance protection applies in the UK, Europe and IG International, but not to US or Australian standard accounts. |
| Retail-loss disclosure | 69% of retail accounts lose money with IG Markets Ltd and IG Index Ltd (UK). 70% for IG International (Bermuda). Figures as shown on IG’s sites. |
What we like
- Licensed by FCA, ASIC, BaFin, FINMA, DFSA, MAS and others, according to IG Group’s regulation page.
- UK clients get FSCS protection on top of segregated client money.
- One of the widest platform line-ups here: MT4, MT5, ProRealTime, TradingView and APIs.
What to weigh up
- 69% of UK retail accounts lose money with this provider, per IG’s UK site.
- Protection differs by entity: no compensation scheme for the Australian, US or IG International entities.
- Pricing pages are inconsistent: the forex page quotes pips while the charges page labels the same column in bps.
Regulation and entities
| Entity | Regulator | Serves |
|---|---|---|
| IG Markets Ltd, IG Index Ltd, IG Trading and Investments Ltd | FCA | United Kingdom |
| IG Europe GmbH | BaFin / Bundesbank | Germany and the EU |
| IG Bank SA | FINMA | Switzerland |
| IG Limited | DFSA | Dubai |
| IG Asia Pte Ltd | MAS | Singapore |
| IG Securities Ltd | JFSA | Japan |
| IG Markets Ltd | ASIC and NZ FMA | Australia and New Zealand |
| IG International Ltd | BMA | Bermuda |
Which entity are you joining?
IG states that compensation and negative balance protection vary by entity: for example, EU clients have Germany’s EdW scheme up to €20,000, Swiss clients have Esisuisse up to CHF 100,000, and there is no compensation scheme for the Australian, US or IG International entities.
Costs and pricing
IG is spread-based. Its UK charges page lists a minimum EUR/USD spread of 0.6, GBP/USD 0.9 and USD/JPY 0.7, while its forex page quotes an average of about 1.13 pips for EUR/USD. The two pages label the units differently, so treat both as indicative and check the live spread on the platform. Overnight funding on spread bets is the benchmark interbank rate plus an IG admin fee (1.5% for FX, 3.4% for other assets, per the UK charges page), and currency conversion is 0.8%. No inactivity fee appears on the UK charges page. New accounts can trade at 25% of the normal minimum size for their first 31 days.
Platforms, tools and education
IG’s UK site lists its own web platform and iOS and Android apps alongside MT4, MT5, ProRealTime, TradingView, L2 Dealer and APIs. It also offers a free demo account, the IG Academy and forex signals pages. Availability can differ by entity, so confirm what is offered in your country.
Deposits and withdrawals
UK clients can fund by bank transfer (typically three to five business days) or by debit or credit card. IG’s UK charges page lists deposits and withdrawals as free. IG publishes extended support hours across the trading week.
Regulatory record
We found no fines against IG entities on the FCA’s 2025 and 2026 fines pages. For completeness, IG’s US subsidiary tastytrade was fined US$30,000 by FINRA in November 2024 over supervision of employee outside accounts (reported by Finance Magnates), which is unrelated to IG’s forex business.
Who it suits
A good fit: Traders who want a large, listed, widely licensed broker, need very broad market access, or value FSCS protection as a UK client.
Look elsewhere if: Cost-focused scalpers who want a raw-spread account with a fixed commission, or traders who want cTrader, which we did not find listed.
How we rated it
Ratings are BrokersPulse editorial opinion, scored against the criteria in How we rate. They reflect public information as of September 2026, not live-account testing.
Sources
- IG UK home
- IG UK forex
- IG UK charges
- IG UK client funds
- IG international offering
- IG Group: regulations
- FCA fines 2025
Compiled from the provider’s own pages, regulator registers and the outlets listed above in September 2026. Providers change terms often, so confirm details with the provider before you deposit.
General information for education only, not financial advice. Trading forex and CFDs carries a high risk of loss. Read the disclaimer.