IG is one of the largest providers of leveraged trading services (such as spreadbetting and CFDs) globally. In September 2014, it launched stockbroking services covering the UK and a handful of other countries, with more international markets likely to be added in the future.
The UK service is notable for offering execution via Direct Market Access (DMA) as well as the more common Retail Service Provider (RSP) model. DMA can be useful to more active traders and the firm is one of only four UK platforms to provide this for retail investors – the others are iDealing, Interactive Brokers, and Saxo Bank.
For international investors, perhaps the most significant aspect of the service is the low FX conversion charge of 0.3% – this compares very well with almost all rivals at present. In addition, the firm also offers an ISA with no annual fee, which should make it a particularly competitive choice for holding international stocks in a tax-efficient account.
| Online trading | Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, UK, USA |
| Telephone trading | As above |
| Typical online | UK £12, Europe €10, USA US$15 |
| Online details | Europe 0.1% (min €10), UK 0-9 deals per month £12, 10-19 deals per month £9, 20+ deals per month £6, USA US$0.02/share (min US$15)
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| Typical telephone | Europe €50, UK £40, USA US$50 |
| Telephone details | Europe 0.1% (min €50), UK £40, USA US$0.02/share (min US$50) |
| Account fees and inactivity fees | Inactivity fee of £12 per month when inactive for two or more years. |
| Custody charges for stocks | None |
| Dividend charges | None |
| Corporate action charges | None |
| Currency conversion charges | 0.3% |
| Hold cash in foreign currencies | Yes |
| Currencies allowed | EUR, GBP, USD |
| Tax-advantaged accounts | ISA (no fee) |
| Other products and services | CFDs, spreadbetting |
| Minimum account size | None |
| Company location | UK |
| Further information | Visit the IG website |
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