Brokerchooser blog

We tested 10 online brokers for European customers and evaluated their trading platforms based on criteria including charting tools, customisability, research, etc. Our top five picks for the best trading platform are:

• Saxo Bank, the Danish investment bank
• Swissquote, the Swiss brokerage firm
• eToro, the Israeli social trading broker
• DEGIRO, the Dutch discount broker
• Comdirect, German Commerzbank’s online trading platform

A few years ago, I switched almost entirely to the market of futures options. I used to trade a lot with stock options and ETF options, but today I rarely do that. Let's see why!

But before explaining why I like futures options, it is worth clarifying what futures trading means, as this topic is totally obscure even for many advanced traders.

I am pretty sure you already imagined several times to invest in the stock exchange, gain enough cash to travel the world and rest for your entire life.

Achieving this vision is not easy but you have to start somewhere, and buying shares online is one of the best ways for that. The good news is you can do this fully online. In this article I will explain jargon-free how to buy shares online. It is not as easy as watching TV series, but don’t worry it is not rocket science either.

There are a lot of misconceptions about online trading especially in depicting the real job of a pro trader. This time we will show what it takes to become a professional trader, what are the different paths you can experiment with.

CFDs are exciting financial instruments that can help you achieve your invesment objectives and give you an opportunity to test your investment skills in exotic markets. However, they don't come without risks. In the following CFD trading tips article we explain why guaranteed stop-loss orders are must-haves and why you should limit your leverage. We only recommend CFD trading to experienced investors, and if you're a rookie, it's an absolute must that you read our CFD trading tips.

CFD trading, in a nutshell is using contracts which you can invest in to make a bet whether a particular financial asset, like an equity or commodity, will increase or decrease in value – without actually investing in the financial asset. For example, when you want to bet on the increase of the oil price, you chose a CFD, which has its price change linked to the price change of a crude oil contract. When the price of the oil increases one percent, the price of the CFD will also increase one percent, so you will gain the price difference of the crude oil. Hence the name: Contract for Difference.

CFDs started out as a type of leveraged equity swap in the 1990s in London, primarily used by hedge funds. In the late 1990s CFDs appeared on the retail market as well, while the 2000s and 2010s saw the first exchange traded and centrally cleared CFDs – so things really picked up. The FCA estimated that the number of UK CFD brokers doubled between 2010-16 and UK clients held £3.5bn in their accounts in total. Of course, the picture is not completely rosy. Because of the risks inherent in these contracts, regulators are increasingly strict with CFD providers. The Australian Exchange closed its CFD exchange in 2014, while in some countries, such as the United States or Belgium, CFD trading is outright banned.

Ok, but some of you might ask, what on earth is a CFD trading? Don't worry, we will let you know.

2017 has seen a major shift in CFD broker regulations, placing emphasis on user security. We at Brokerchooser have long argued for prioritizing security over price when selecting the best CFD broker.

In our 2017 review, we unveil the best CFD brokers and also provide a CFD broker 101 for investors.