IC Markets Review

Trust

We also found the broker is very transparent in its dealings. All of its entities provide clear information on what protections you have or do not have. This is important as the broker is being upfront about how they will treat you as a client which is always good to know. They also provide more protections and safeguards than is required, meaning they take your safety seriously.

As IC Markets was founded in 2007 they provide strong stability. Having been in business for so long and to have navigated the changes in the financial markets since that time means they are serious about the business and what they provide to its clients.

Why Is It Important to Know Where Your Broker Subsidiary (Entity) is Regulated?

The location of a broker will dictate the level of regulatory oversight and protections offered to investors. Due to a regulatory clampdown from tier 1 regulators such as the FCA, CySEC and ASIC, many brokers have moved offshore so it’s worthwhile doing your due diligence.

We look for several things when analysing the safety and trust of a broker. This includes:

1. Segregation of client funds from company funds. Having client funds segregated from company funds is always important as you don’t want your broker to use your funds to run their business!
2. A negative balance protection policy. This means that your account cannot go into a negative balance from adverse movements in the market.
3. Compensation scheme. Does the entity or regulator provide access to compensation in the event a broker goes bust?
4. Are additional safeguards put in place by the broker even when they are not required to do so? This is a great measure of just how serious your broker takes your safety!

Some financial regulators make it a regulatory requirement to offer some of these features, while others do not.

IC Markets Regulations

IC Markets operates four different entities around the world (two tier 1 regulators and two tier 3 regulators):

• Raw Trading Ltd – authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) of Seychelles, a tier 3 regulator.
• International Capital Markets Pty Ltd – authorised and regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), a tier 1 regulator.
• IC Markets (EU) Ltd – authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), a tier 1 regulator.
• IC Markets Ltd – authorised and regulated by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB), a tier 3 regulator.

*Regulations up to date as of 5 November 2021.

Raw Trading Ltd (FSA Seychelles) – Protections and Safeguards

Raw Trading Ltd operates www.icmarkets.com/global. While the FSA of Seychelles is considered a tier 3 financial regulator, this entity has added in extra safeguards for its clients, such as:

• Insurance coverage up to $1,000,000 per client.
• Keeping client funds with tier 1 banks and segregated from company funds.
• Providing a negative balance protection policy.

It’s not a regulatory requirement to do this – as it is for brokers regulated by CySEC or ASIC – so it’s great to see IC Markets providing this for accounts opened under this entity.

The authorisation and licencing of Raw Trading Ltd can be confirmed on the FSA register. 

International Capital Markets Pty Ltd (ASIC) – Protections and Safeguards

The International Capital Markets Pty Ltd entity operates www.icmarkets.com/au and is authorised and regulated by ASIC which is considered a tier 1 financial regulator. The oversight from the regulator tends to be higher than offshore jurisdictions but there is no compensation scheme available if the broker goes bust.

With this entity, client money is held in segregated accounts with AA rated Australian banks.

The authorisation and licencing of International Capital Markets Pty Ltd can be confirmed on the ASIC register. 

IC Markets (EU) Ltd (CySEC) – Protections and Safeguards

The IC Markets (EU) Ltd entity operates www.icmarkets.com/eu and is authorised and regulated by CySEC which is considered a tier 1 financial regulator.

With this entity, it is a regulatory requirement for the broker to segregate client funds from their own, offer a negative balance protection policy and be part of the Investor Compensation Fund to protect clients in the event of default.

The authorisation and licencing of IC Markets (EU) Ltd can be confirmed on the CySEC register.

Fees

There are a variety of different fees to look at when choosing a broker.

• Trading fees are those associated with buying and selling a financial instrument and include:
  • Commission – The cost to enter and exit a trade.
  • Spread – The cost between the buy price and sell price
  • Overnight swap fee – The cost of holding a leveraged position overnight.
  • Conversion fees – The cost to convert your base currency into the currency of the asset you are trading, if it is different.

• Non-trading fees are charges that are not related to buying and selling a financial instrument and include:
  • Deposit and withdrawal fees (discussed further down this review)
  • Inactivity fees – The cost to have a trading account opened with zero activity on it.

IC Markets Trading Fees

In our live trading test for fees, we used the commission-free Standard trading account from the FSA of Seychelles regulated entity (Raw Trading Ltd).

We viewed the live spread for Forex, indices and commodities at two different times of the day – around 8 am and 2 pm London time on 19 October 2021. The live spread for stocks was viewed at 2.45 pm London time which is just after the US market open.

These times generally cover the most liquid sessions of the day.

What did we find? IC Markets are very competitive and better than the industry average.

The overnight swap fees were also in line with the industry average. This fee is important for long-term traders, as overnight fees can add up if you are holding trades for a long period of time.

Are IC Markets Trading Fees Good?

Forex, indices and stock trading fees are very competitive with IC Markets and better than the industry average. Many brokers will advertise a 1 point spread on the DAX 40. With IC Markets it is only 0.5 points, meaning you are getting more of the profit in your account.

The spread for GBPJPY was also very competitive at 1.2 and 1.5 pips. Some brokers would easily quote 5 pips for such a volatile currency pair.

The best thing is that these are the spreads for the commission-free trading account. The spreads on the broker’s other account types are likely to be even lower but with a commission to pay to buy and sell.

The commodity trading fees, while still competitive, were just in line with the industry average. The stock fees were also surprising too as there is no commission to pay to buy and sell as there are for many other brokers.

IC Markets Non-Trading Fees

Some brokers impose an inactivity fee on trading accounts if there is no activity on your account, such as the buying and selling of an instrument, deposits and withdrawals, for a certain period of time.

With IC Markets there are zero inactivity fees.

Platforms and Tools

The platforms and tools provided by IC Markets are mainly aimed towards advanced and professional traders. The MT4, MT5 and cTrader platforms come equipped with a lot of features for technical analysis, algorithmic trading, indicator customisation and social trading – as well as add-ons such as AutoChartist plugins for real-time trading ideas.

IC Markets provides access to straight through processing (STP) and electronic communications network (ECN) dealing. This means orders are routed straight through to the market giving you the best data and fills.

Which Platforms Are Suitable for Beginner and Advanced Traders?

The MetaTrader suite of trading platforms is considered to be the most popular trading platform in the world. Many Forex and CFD brokers offer these platforms to their clients. However, cTrader is another globally recognised platform that is mainly geared towards professional, short-term and algorithmic traders.

While there will be a learning curve for beginner traders for these platforms, it’s well worth it as there are a lot of features available. However, if you’re looking for a quick and simple way to buy and sell, then use the mobile app as that is the fastest way.

IC Markets Desktop/Web Platform

The IC Markets MT4, MT5 and cTrader desktop and web platforms are designed for professional traders. Beginners will find the web platform the easiest to use but there will still be a learning curve.

For our test, we downloaded the MT5 desktop platform for Windows. It’s an upgraded version of the MT4 platform and comes packed with features designed for professional traders.

• Lots of advanced tools for professional traders
• Great for technical analysis and algorithmic trading
• Good level of customisation on desktop, limited on web
• Learning curve for beginners but easy to use over time

Charts

As soon as you open the brokers desktop or web platform you will have a chart in front of you. The web platform is limited to being able to view just one chart, whereas the desktop allows you to have multiple charts open at one time.

Searching for your instrument on the chart is not that simple. You need to search for it in the market watch window and then drag it onto the chart. But the charts are clean and you can access 21 timeframes on MT5, along with 38 different technical indicators.

Below is a screenshot of the IC Markets MetaTrader 5 desktop platform for Windows:

Orders

You can place live market trades which enter you in the market at the current price. You can also place pending trades that will enter you in the market at a set predefined price level that you type into the order ticket.

Expiry orders are also available which helps you to manage your overall risk in the market and make sure you don’t open a trade at the wrong time. You can also set alerts in the desktop platform but not the web platform.

General Ease of Use

Both the MetaTrader 5 desktop and web platforms have a small learning curve. The easiest way to trade is through the MetaTrader 5 web platform as no download is required. You have the chart on the left side and access to different indicators and timeframes.

The desktop platform takes some time to get used to as there are a lot of customisations available that you don’t have on the web platform. For example, the desktop platform allows you to have multiple charts open at once and you can organise them in any size you wish. You cannot do this on the web platform.

Beginner traders will enjoy the simplicity of the web platform. Advanced traders will enjoy the level of customisations available and access to more trading tools such as algorithmic trading and customised indicators.

Other Features

The MetaTrader desktop platforms also allow you to access the MetaTrader Marketplace where you can download algorithmic trading strategies and build customised indicators.

Furthermore, IC Markets provides an additional plugin for MetaTrader called AutoChartist. This is an external tool that scans the market for opportunities and provides you with real-time trading ideas.

IC Markets Mobile App

In our live test, we used the MetaTrader 4 mobile trading app. We found it to be the easiest and fastest way for beginners to trade with simple design and navigation.

The MetaTrader 4 mobile trading app comes with a range of features that allow you to manage your account, view your positions and place live trades on the go. The download process was easy and is a great way for beginner traders to start trading.

Devices

You can download the mobile app for Android and iOS devices. In our test, we downloaded the MetaTrader 4 mobile app which is available on Android and iOS operating devices and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Charts

In the MT4 mobile app, there are several icons at the bottom where you can access real-time quotes, charts, position history or settings. Viewing the chart is simple and can be done by clicking on the market of your choice.

The carts are clean and you can access 9 timeframes, along with 30 different technical indicators for technical analysis.

Below are some screenshots of the IC Markets MetaTrader 4 mobile app for iOS devices:

Orders

The mobile app allows you to place pending trades or enter live at the market. Unfortunately, you cannot add expiries or set alerts.

General Ease of Use

The mobile app is the easiest platform to get started with. The download is simple and the navigation is user friendly. Everything is laid out in a simple and structured manner that allows you to navigate between several core categories which include Quotes, Chart, Trade, History and Settings.

The Quotes icon allows you to see real-time prices quotes of the instruments available to trade on. You can create watchlists in this section and add to your list, as well as view information such as an instrument’s opening hours.

If you click on an instrument it will give you several options including Chart and Trade. Chart will take you to a live chart of the instrument. Here it is simple to view different timeframes, as well as perform technical analysis using drawing tools and technical indicators.

The learning curve is small for the mobile app and a great place to start trading.

Other Features

Most of the additional trading features are on the desktop platform. The mobile app provides a simple way to place trades and manage positions.

Tradable Instruments

The range of instruments available to trade on is above the industry average. The Forex pairs include majors, minors and exotic currencies while commodities include metals, energies and softs.

The stock offering covers equities listed on the Australia Stock Exchange (ASX), the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ Exchange but no equities from European exchanges.

What are CFDs?

CFDs, or Contracts for Difference, is a derivative product that allows you to speculate on the price direction of a financial instrument allowing you to profit from rising and falling markets. You can also trade on margin which means you can control a large position with a smaller deposit, amplifying both gains and losses.

What Can You Trade with IC Markets?

With IC Markets you can trade CFDs on:

• 1,600+ stocks
  • ASX, NYSE, NASDAQ
• 61 Forex pairs
  • Majors, minors and exotics
• 25 indices
  • Global Cash and futures indices
• 22 commodities
  • Metals, energies and softs
• 18 cryptocurrencies
  • Mostly against the USD
• 9 bonds
  • US, UK, European and Japanese

This is a great offering covering all the major markets across all the different asset classes. Many retail brokers would not offer bonds as it is not heavily traded by retail traders but mainly professionals.

Below is a list of just some of the available markets for trading:

*Details regarding the available assets are taken from the IC Markets trading platform and website and are correct at the time of this review.

IC Markets offers a really good range of tradable instruments and the number of instruments available is well above the industry average.

Customer Support

You can access customer support in a variety of languages which include English, Chinese, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai and Vietnamese.

Why is customer support important? If you need help with your platform, or question a trade execution or have any administration issues you want to know that you can contact your broker as fast as possible when you want!

IC Markets Customer Support Test

You can access customer support 24/7 through the live chat feature and telephone number on the broker’s website and in the client portal area.

In our live customer support test, we first called the telephone number on the website. It didn’t connect, even though we tried on two different occasions in the week.

Our experience on the live chat was far better. Your first point of contact is with a customer support bot that provides links to articles related to the question you ask.

We then requested further assistance from a live agent and were connected in just a few seconds. The agent answered our question well and was very fast in their response.

Deposit and Withdrawal

You can also deposit funds in a wide range of currencies including AUD, USD, JPY, EUR, NZD, SGD, GBP, CAD, HKD, CHF and RMB.

IC Markets Deposit Methods

With IC Markets you can deposit funds instantly and fee-free using a variety of methods. The full range of methods are clearly highlighted in the client portal area with a few highlighted below.

IC Markets Withdrawal Methods

You can withdraw your funds from IC Markets fee-free as well with the exception of international bank wires. These have a processing fee of 20 AUD or currency equivalent and is deducted from the withdrawal amount.

Withdrawals are processed on the same day if done before 12:00 AEST/AEDT. Credit/debit card withdrawals will take 3 -5 days to reach your bank account.

Withdrawals using PayPal, Neteller and Skrill can only be made from the same account the funds were initially sent and processed instantly.

Account Types and Terms

IC Markets offers a good range of account types for beginner and advanced traders. The Raw Spread accounts are commission-based with spreads from 0 pips. The Standard Account is commission-free with spreads from 0.6 pips.

We feel this level of customisation to your own needs is great and the offering is above the industry average. After all, every trader is looking for something different so the more options you have the better.

Opening an account was a fast and simple process and only took us around 4 minutes. You can also access Islamic swap-free accounts and a demo trading account. You can also choose the option on which regulator you want to trade with.

IC Markets does not provide services to residents in the United States, Iran, North Korea and some other regions.

Why is Choosing the Right Account Type Important?

The account you opened will impact nearly every aspect of your trading. Different accounts will often have different fees, tradable instruments and platforms so choosing the right one for your own needs is important.

What Account Types does IC Markets Offer?

The IC Markets global entity regulated by the FSA of Seychelles offers 3 account types that are suitable for beginner and advanced traders. Some of the features are highlighted below:

One of the main differences between the accounts is the fact the Raw Spread accounts have spreads from 0 pips but is commission based.

The commission charged per lot (100,000 units of currency), per round turn (to enter and exit) is $6 when using the cTrader platform and $7 when using the MetaTrader platform.

You can access the same account types and conditions from other entities under IC Markets. However, the main difference will be how much leverage you have access to.

For example, opening an account in Europe or Australia would mean the broker needs to comply with leverage restrictions imposed by the regulator (CySEC and ASIC).

This means you can open the same account with access to the same commissions and spreads but the CySEC and ASIC regulated accounts will only offer a maximum of 30:1 leverage to retail traders.

What is CFD Leverage?

Leverage in CFD trading allows you to open a large position with a smaller deposit. For example, a 30:1 trading leverage means you can have $30,000 exposure with only a $1,000 investment. A 500:1 trading leverage means you can have a $500,000 exposure with only a $1,000 investment.

But leverage is a double-edged sword. It can amplify your winning and losing trades. This is one reason regulators such as CySEC, ASIC and the FCA cut the leverage brokers can offer retail traders – to make it safer for beginners.

As the IC Markets global entity (Raw Trading Ltd) is regulated offshore by the FSA of Seychelles, they do provide access to higher leverage up to 500:1.

How to Open an Account with IC Markets

We found opening an account with IC Markets was a fast and simple process. In fact, it took less than 4 minutes to open a Standard Account. Everything is done digitally so you can be up and running in just a few minutes.

Here is the step by step process we used to open an account with the IC Markets FSA of Seychelles regulated entity.

• Step 1: To start the process you just need to input your name, email and phone number.
• Step 2: Provide some more details about yourself such as financial information and experience.
• Step 3: Choose your account configuration – the account type, platform and base currency of your account.
• Step 4: Deposit funds and start trading.

To withdraw funds you will also need to verify your identity which is standard procedure for regulated brokers. We found this process to be easy as you just need to upload proof of ID (passport or driver’s licence) and proof of residence (utility bill or bank statement).

You can upload your documents, access your trading accounts, platform downloads and additional features all through the IC Markets client portal area. This customised area is great to manage all of your trading activity.

Research

IC Markets scored maximum points in this category as it provides a great range of research materials. This includes live analysis sessions with their in-house analyst, as well as regularly updated technical and fundamental analysis articles.

On the broker’s website, there is a dedicated Market Analysis Blog called Information Hub for Serious Traders. This area has a large range of research materials suitable for beginner and advanced traders.

From the client portal area, you can also access more research from third-party company Trading Central which gives you access to daily market reports, featured ideas and analysis of news from social media and financial institutions. Trading Central is an investment and analytics firm which provides reports, research and tools for brokers.

You can also access a web version of the third-party tool called AutoChartist which is another technology and analytic company. This tool will give you access to a range of technical analysis trading ideas and opportunities in real-time helping you with finding trading opportunities.

These tools are great for both beginner and advanced traders.

Education

IC Markets scored maximum points in this section. Educational materials include videos, courses and articles which are all high quality.

There are 23 different articles in the Technical Analysis 101 section. Even more available in Fundamental Analysis 101, Risk Management 101 and Trading Psychology 101.

The education articles are well written and have detailed charts and text explanations. There is a wealth of material to go through for beginner and advanced traders.

There is also a calendar of live and upcoming webinars on the broker’s website. These are done in multiple languages and regularly throughout the month and cover topics such as Elliott Wave, Live Analysis, Using Trailing Stops and more.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a broker that provides low fees and a decent range of trading platforms, then IC Markets could be for you.

While the three trading platforms are geared towards professionals, there is a lot of support to help beginner traders – especially with the additional plugins such as AutoChartist which provides trading signals.

Beginner traders will also benefit from the range of high-quality research and education resources such as articles, videos, courses and live market analysis.

Advanced traders will enjoy the flexibility of the different trading platforms and the customisations they each bring. As well as, access to raw spreads and low commissions.

FAQ