How does IG make money?
We make most of our money through spreads, with a small portion of our revenue coming from other fees. We aim to build lasting relationships with traders, and provide a range of tools to help you on your trading journey.
Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.
Contact us 0800 195 3100
Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.
Visit help and support for more information.
Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.
Visit help and support for more information.
Call 0800 409 6789 or email helpdesk.uk@ig.com if you have any questions about trading or investing. We’re available from 9am to 5pm (UK time), Monday to Friday.
Contact us 0800 409 6789
Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.
Contact us 0800 195 3100
Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.
Visit help and support for more information.
Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.
Visit help and support for more information.
Call 0800 409 6789 or email helpdesk.uk@ig.com if you have any questions about trading or investing. We’re available from 9am to 5pm (UK time), Monday to Friday.
Contact us 0800 409 6789
The essentials
Although the risk of loss is always present, we want our clients to trade profitably
We make most of our money from the spreads that clients pay to trade with us
We’ve invested heavily in tools to help our clients trade profitably
If clients’ account balances go negative, we are obliged by UK regulation to bring them back to zero at no extra cost1
We hedge only when overall client exposure is skewed in one direction
We aim to build long-lasting relationships with our clients based on trust
Where does IG’s income come from?
The main way we earn money on our leveraged products – eg spread betting and CFDs – is through the spreads that we wrap around the market price.
The costs of any given trade are factored into the offer (buy) and bid (sell) prices – so you’ll always buy slightly higher than the market price, and sell slightly below it.
If the FTSE 100 is trading at 6545.5 and has a one point spread, for example, it might have an offer price of 6546 and a bid price of 6545.
You might also need to pay some additional fees when trading with us:
- Share CFD commission
- FX conversion fees
- Overnight fees
You can find out all about these on our charges page.
For share dealing, you’ll pay commission when you buy or sell stocks or ETFs. There’s also a quarterly custody fee depending on your trading activity. Share prices are offered in local denominations, and our fee to convert to your chosen base currency is just 0.5%. You can change your currency conversion settings which influences the amount of commission you pay. Our team reviews these changes on a monthly basis, so it may take some time to update your account. Please be aware that changing conversion from 'instant' to 'manual' means that you'll no longer qualify for commission-free trading.
Does IG aim to profit from client losses?
No. Our business model is based on providing individuals with the opportunity to trade the world’s financial markets, in exchange for fair and proportionate transaction fees. It’s a well-known fact that trading successfully is difficult, and most speculative traders tend to lose. However, we don’t typically benefit from trading losses that an unsuccessful client may experience.
Mostly, our clients offset each other’s positions. For example, if client A buys one lot of the DAX and client B sells one lot of the DAX, both sides of the trade are covered. This means we’re not exposed to the profit or loss of either client. Instead, we make our money via the spread (ie the transaction fee) that each client pays to trade.
Sometimes, a large majority of clients will trade in one direction. When this happens, we’ll protect our exposure to risk by hedging in the underlying market. For example, if client A and client B both buy the DAX, we may buy actual DAX futures. This then covers the amount we’ll pay out if both clients are successful.
Resources to assist your trading
We’ve invested in plenty of resources to ensure we offer the right balance of educational tools and personal support for your trading.
You’ll have a dedicated account manager on hand during your initial time with us
Find answers to your general account queries on our help and support site
Our friendly team is available from 8am Saturday to 10pm Friday
Get free buy and sell signals, live Reuters news and expert analysis
Interactive courses and live events to help you develop your trading skills at your own pace
Share ideas, opportunities and advice online with like-minded traders
Try out strategies with nothing to lose on our free, permanent demo
Cap losses with our free-to-place guaranteed stops1
We consistently aim to get you the best possible result when executing orders on your behalf
Open an account now
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Open an account now
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 17,000+ global markets, with reliable execution
Deal seamlessly, wherever you are
Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app
Feel secure with a trusted provider
With 50 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service
*Demo accounts are only available for spread betting and CFD trading.
Open an account now
Open an account now
Fast execution on a huge range of markets
Enjoy flexible access to 17,000+ global markets, with reliable execution
Deal seamlessly, wherever you are
Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app
Feel secure with a trusted provider
With 50 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service
Try these next
All retail client funds are held in segregated bank accounts, in line with FCA rules.
Find out how we aim to achieve the best result for you on every trade.
Discover the tools we offer to help you manage your exposure.
1 You’ll pay a small premium if your guaranteed stop is triggered.
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