Zero Markets Review

Trust

Zero Markets Regulations

Please Note: Starting in October 2022, the Zero Markets ASIC regulation is paused for technical reasons.

Zero Markets operates under three entities:

• Zero Financial Pty Ltd is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). We rate ASIC as a Tier 1 regulator.
• Zero Financial Ltd is regulated by the Financial Services Commission (FSC, Mauritius). We rate FSC as a Tier 3 regulator.
• Zero Markets LLC is unregulated. The company is registered in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

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

Each regulator has its requirements for brokers, which may differ materially. Traders need to understand these differences to evaluate whether the broker suits their needs.

For example, Zero Financial Pty Ltd. clients will benefit from the oversight of a Tier 1 regulator ASIC (Australia).

However, most global clients will likely work with the unregulated Zero Markets LLC, which means that they will not receive the protection offered by regulators.

On the positive side, all entities segregate the clients’ funds from the firm’s funds, which is important if a broker has financial problems.

All entities also offer negative balance protection. When a broker offers negative balance protection, its clients will not lose more money than they have in their accounts.

We have summarized key aspects of the broker’s entities in terms of regulation and safety in the table below:

Is Zero Markets Safe to Trade With?

The key thing to consider for most global clients in the Zero Markets case is whether they are comfortable working with an unregulated entity. Zero Markets LLC provides negative balance protection and holds the clients’ funds separately, but there is no regulatory oversight.

Stability and Transparency

In our tests for the Trust category, we also cover factors relating to stability and transparency. Here, we focused on how long the broker has been in business, the size of the company, and how transparent they are in terms of information being readily available.

The broker’s website provides sufficient information about regulations and the composition of Zero Markets Group. The company’s clients also have easy access to legal documentation, including a Client Agreement, Conflicts of Interest Policy, Best Interest and Order Execution Policy, and Privacy Policy.

The important information regarding spreads and swap rates is also readily available on Zero Markets website.

In summary, our findings indicate that Zero Markets can be regarded as having a medium level of trust and stability due to the following factors:

• Zero Markets LLC (zeromarkets.com) is unregulated.
• ASIC- regulated entity and FSC-regulated entity
• More than 5 years of business.
• Good transparency on fees and regulations on the company’s website.

Fees

Zero Markets Trading Fees

For this review, we tested Zero Markets Standard Account. In this trading account, Zero Markets charges spreads, swap/rollover fees, and commissions (for share CFDs). Spreads are variable and depend on the liquidity situation at any time. Swap fees can be found on the company’s website. Commissions are $0.03 per share for U.S. markets, but if the entry fee is less than $10, Zero Markets will charge $10. For other markets, the commission structure is similar and could be found on the dedicated page on the Zero Markets website.

Zero Markets Spreads

We tested the spread on the Zero Markets Standard Account during the London open at 8am UK time and just after the US open at 2.45pm UK time. These are the most actively traded times.

In general, Zero Markets offers attractive spreads for most instruments. For example, spreads for GBP/JPY, Gold, Apple, and Dow are low. However, traders focused on oil should note that oil spreads are high.

For stocks, the main problem is the size of the commission. As noted above, a trader would pay $0.03 per share or $10 per entry, whichever is greater. Thus, traders will be charged $10 for all entries below 333 shares. Such commission structures are favorable for big order sizes, typically not used by retail traders.

Swap Fees

Zero Marketsoffers competitive swap fees. It received a high score on the overnight financing rates in our rating.

Are Zero Markets Trading Fees Good?

Zero Markets received a relatively high score on the fees side in our rating. Spreads for most instruments that we have analyzed are either low or medium, except oil. However, traders should note that commissions charged for share CFDs are significant.

Non-Trading Fees

Zero Markets does not have deposit or withdrawal fees. Please note that your payment provider could charge such fees, however. Also, there are no inactivity fees, which could be applied when a client does not trade for several months.

Platforms and Tools

Zero Markets Desktop and Web Platforms

In this review, we focused on the MT5 platform as it provides the ability to work with all the offered stock CFDs.

General Ease of Use

MT5 is a sophisticated trading platform that could be tailored to traders’ needs. The interface is rather intuitive, although some traders may want to search for tutorials in order to take a deep dive into MT5 capabilities. In general, advanced traders will have no problems with MT5, while beginners will have to spend some time learning the basics of this platform.

Charts

MT5 offers 97 indicators and 21 timeframes, which is more than enough to customize your charts and tailor them to your needs.

Trend indicators, oscillators, volumes, Bill Williams, and custom indicators will help you design the chart you need.

Available timeframes range from 1 minute to 1 month, so they provide the trader with an opportunity to take a look at short-term developments and significant, multi-month trends.

MT5 also supports objects, including Lines, Channels, Gann Tools, Fibonacci Tools, Elliott Tools, and Shapes. Many traders use these popular tools to make decisions, so their presence is a must for any reputable trading platform.

Each chart could be displayed as a bar chart, a candlesticks chart, and a line chart. While candlesticks are generally more popular among traders as there is an abundance of various candlesticks patterns that are used to make trading decisions, other types of charts also have their fans.

MT5 charts are easy to configure even for novice traders, but they also offer enough options for expert traders.

Orders

MT5 offers all main order types, which include:

• Market order. This order is used to buy or sell the instrument at the current market price. It is used when the trader needs to establish a position in the fastest possible way. The main downside of the market order is the necessity to pay a spread, which is a difference between the bid price and the ask price.
• Limit orders. This order is used to buy or sell the instrument at a pre-set price or better. A limit order is used when the trader wants to get a specific entry point and is unwilling to pay the current market prices.
• Stop-loss orders. Stop-loss orders are used to get you out of the position when the price is moving in the wrong way. The order is triggered when the price reaches a specified point.
• Stop limit orders. This is a stop-loss order which puts a limit order instead of a market order when it is triggered. This is a dangerous way to get out of the position and should be used only by experienced traders.
• Trailing stop orders. This order allows you to set a stop order that will move if your open position trends in the right direction. This order is used to protect your profits in case the market direction reverses.
• Different expiration types are available for all pending orders, including GTC (good-till-cancel), Today, Specified, and Specified Day.

Zero Markets Mobile App

Zero Markets offers the MT5 versions for Android and iOS. In this review, we used Zero Markets Mobile App for Android

General Ease of Use

The MT5 mobile app for Android is rather easy to use. It provides charts, quotes, account balance info, economic calendar, news, and other tools to provide traders with an opportunity to make informed trading decisions.

Charts

MT5 mobile app offers:

• 30 technical indicators
• 24 drawing tools
• 9 timeframes
• 3 chart types

This selection of options is more than sufficient enough for mobile-based trading. Typically, the mobile app is used when the trader does not have access to the desktop platform but needs to monitor the market and open positions. While the app is helpful in certain circumstances, it cannot beat the speed of work that could be achieved using the desktop platform, which is the primary solution for active trading.

Orders

In an MT5 mobile app, you can set market orders, limit orders, and stop orders. Trailing stops are not available on mobile trading terminals.

Tradable Instruments

Zero Markets provides access to 62 forex pairs, 17 commodities, 813 stocks, 13 indices, 2 bonds, and 11 cryptocurrencies. The number of available forex pairs is average for the industry. Meanwhile, Zero Markets offers a high number of commodities, stocks, and indices. Interestingly, Zero Markets has a rich offering in the gold & silver section, as these precious metals can be traded against U.S. dollar, Australian dollar, and euro. The selection of cryptocurrencies is limited, but Zero Markets offers some big names, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Polkadot, and Ripple. The presence of two bonds, UK Long Gilt Futures, and US 10-yr T-Note Futures, is somewhat exotic.

What are CFDs?

CFDs (Contracts for Differences) are financial instruments that allow traders to bet on securities without owning the underlying securities. The key advantage of CFDs is the access to significant leverage, which is typically not available when trading other instruments. In this light, CFDs are very popular in short-term trading.

What Can You Trade with Zero Markets?

• 62 forex pairs. The list includes traditional names like EUR/USD and GBP/USD, as well as more exotic options like GBP/SEK (British pound/Swedish krona) or AUD/SGD (Australian dollar/Singapore dollar).
• 17 commodities. Traders can work with WTI oil, Brent crude oil, WTI oil futures, Natural Gas, U.S. Coffee futures, Corn, Cocoa, Soybean, Wheat, Palladium, Platinum, Gold, and Silver. Please note that gold and silver can be traded against U.S. dollar, Australian dollar, and euro.
• 813 stocks. Zero Markets offers an interesting selection of stock CFDs, including stocks from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, NASDAQ, NYSE, Paris, and ASX exchanges.
• 13 indices. Zero Markets provides access to CFDs on major indices like S&P 500 or Nikkei 225.
• 2 bonds. Traders can bet on UK Long Gilt Futures and U.S. 10yr T-Note Futures.
• 11 cryptocurrencies. The list includes CFDs on notable names like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Cardano, Dogecoin, Polkadot, EOS, Chainlink, Stellar, and Ripple.

Zero Markets has a strong selection of various assets, so traders will have plenty of instruments to choose from.

While the number of available forex pairs is fairly average, other segments deserve more attention. The stock CFD section is especially interesting as traders can work with stocks from various exchanges. While Zero Markets offers just 2 bonds, the presence of this market segment is rather unusual, so it may be interesting for the traders who are willing to expand their trading expertise.

The cryptocurrency list lacks several popular coins like BNB, Solana, Avalanche, Tron, or Shiba Inu, but the number of available coins should be sufficient enough to get exposure to the crypto segment. In the commodity segment, the most interesting feature is the ability to trade gold and silver against the Australian dollar and euro. Usually, gold and silver are available for trading against the U.S. dollar in pairs XAU/USD and XAG/USD.

Customer Support

Customer support is an important part of doing business with the broker. Clients often need timely answers to their questions, so quick and correct answers from the support agents are very important. Zero Markets provides support via live chat, phone, and email. We have contacted Zero Markets support several times, and it left a favorable impression.

Zero Markets Customer Support Test

In our rating, we tested Zero Markets chat support. Support agents have quickly responded to our questions. Their responses were timely and professional. As a result, Zero Markets received a high score for its Support services in our rating.

Deposit and Withdrawal

Zero Markets received a perfect score for deposits and withdrawals in our rating as it provides a multitude of deposit/withdrawal options. These options include popular methods like credit/debit cards, bank wire, e-wallets, as well as some local payment systems. There are many base currencies to choose from for both deposits and withdrawals.

The minimum opening balance for the Standard Account and the Super Zero Account is $100 AUD or equivalent. There are no charges on deposits from Zero Markets, although additional fees may be applied by payment providers.

Zero Markets does not charge for processing withdrawals, but such charges could be incurred depending on the withdrawal method used by the trader.

Zero Markets Deposits

There are many ways to deposit funds into a Zero Markets account, so traders from various parts of the world should be able to find something suitable for them. The ability to use cryptocurrencies and the wide range of choices could be especially interesting for some traders.

Zero Markets Withdrawals

There is a sufficient number of options to choose from on the withdrawal side. Please note that while Zero Markets does not charge for the processing of withdrawals, fees could be incurred depending on the method you choose.

Headquartered in Australia, IRESS provides comprehensive financial solutions including market data, order routing and a financial transactions network. This method could be interesting to traders in the Asia-Pacific region.

Account Types and Terms

Traders can choose between several types of accounts, including an Islamic Account and MAM/PAMM accounts (multi-account manager/percent allocation management module) for advanced traders. The base currencies are USD, AUD, GBP, and EUR. Novice traders can start with the demo accounts, which provide an opportunity to test the broker without putting real money at risk.

Why is Choosing the Right Account Type Important?

The account that you choose must meet your needs. Typically, the trader should focus on base currency options, contract size, commission, fees, the number of pending orders/positions, and the minimum deposit size.

For example, a Super Zero Account provides tight spreads but has commissions. Such setups are good for traders who make bigger trades, as the commission is fixed per side (in or out).For smaller accounts, a Standard Account with bigger spreads but no fixed commissions makes more sense.

What Account Types does Zero Markets Offer?

There are two main types of accounts in Zero Markets. Super Zero Account offers tight spreads but includes a commission of $2.5 per side. Traders using the Standard Account will only pay spreads without commissions. It should be noted that commissions will be applied in both accounts when trading share CFDs. The size of these commissions for various markets could be found on a dedicated page of Zero Markets website.

Traders using the Islamic Account incur no swaps or interest charges on overnight positions. Instead, they are charged an administration fee on their positions. To open an Islamic Account, traders should open an MT4 or MT5 account and send a request to convert it into an Islamic Account.

MAM (multi-account manager) and PAMM (percent allocation management module) accounts are designed for advanced traders, which could use Super Zero Account or Standard Account. The minimum opening balance for MAM/PAMM accounts is $20,000 AUD or equivalent.

What is CFD leverage?

CFD Leverage allows you to avoid paying the full value of the position. Instead, you pay a deposit, which is called margin, while the remaining funds are borrowed. Zero Markets offers leverage of up to 1:500, which means that for each $1 of deposit you can get a position worth $500.

Zero Markets Account Opening Process

The account opening process is straightforward:

• Step 1: Click on the “open an account” on the website’s main page.
• Step 2: Provide your full name and email.
• Step 3: Receive your email verification code.
• Step 4: Provide your personal details and answer several questions to open a live account.
• Step 5: Upload documents to verify your identity.

What is a demo account?

A demo account is an account that allows you to test the broker’s services and your trading skills without risking your money.

Please note that your trading experience will differ when you use a demo account compared to a real-money account due to human psychology, as traders find themselves under pressure when the real money is at stake.

It’s a good idea to use the demo account for practising and learning the trading platform, but we recommend not spending too much time on the demo.

Zero Markets supported countries

Zero Markets LLC does not accept clients from the U.S., Australia, Japan, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, and Belgium.

Research

On the Zero Markets website, traders can take a look at the Economic Calendar, which is a standard feature for all brokers. There are no other useful tools that could have helped traders with their research.

*According to the broker, a new research and educational blog is under construction (as of June 16).

Education

The Education section on the broker’s website contains a few articles that were not designed to be a guide for beginner traders and do not contain useful information for advanced traders. In this light, Zero Markets received a low score on Education in our rating.

*According to the broker, a new research and educational blog is under construction (as of June 16).

The Bottom Line

Zero Markets is a broker that offers popular trading platforms, a wide range of financial instruments, and a sufficient number of deposit and withdrawal options.

Traders can open an account with three entities: Zero Financial Pty Ltd (ASIC, Australia), Zero Financial Ltd (FSC, Mauritius), and Zero Markets LLC (unregulated, St. Vincent & the Grenadines).

The broker’s trading fees are fairly standard, although experienced traders can find a few good deals in certain instruments, like GBP/JPY, gold, or Apple stock.

Available instruments include forex pairs, commodities, stocks, indices, bonds, and cryptocurrencies, which has led to a high score in this category. It should be noted that Zero Markets offers stocks from various markets, which may be of certain interest for some traders.

Pro-level traders may use MAM/PAMM accounts, which start at an initial balance of $20,000 USD.

On the downside, Zero Markets offers no material research or educational support, so novice traders will have to search elsewhere for a course on trading.

The main factor for Zero Markets is that most global clients will trade with an unregulated entity. In this case, traders should determine whether they are comfortable with this.

FAQ