IG Review 2026: Fees, Regulation & Trading Conditions

Founded in the UK in 1974, IG Group offers leveraged trading as well as share dealing and other investment accounts. Its services span multiple jurisdictions, so the contracting entity and local account terms matter when assessing costs, leverage and client protections.

Best For: Frequent traders looking for broad market access and a choice of trading tools, provided they are comfortable navigating product and entity differences.

Key Strength: IG combines spread betting and CFDs with non-leveraged investing, alongside proprietary and third-party platforms.

Main Limitation: Pricing and safeguards vary by product, client classification and jurisdiction; leveraged positions may also incur overnight funding and currency-conversion charges.

Verdict: IG offers a wide-ranging service rather than a single, simple account proposition. Compare the terms for the exact entity and product you intend to use before opening an account.

How We Rate Brokers: View our review methodology.

IG operates through different legal entities across markets. The applicable regulatory framework and protections depend on the entity that contracts with the client, the client’s status and the product being traded; group-level regulation should not be treated as a single guarantee for every account.

Regulatory Licences

IG Australia Pty Ltd — Regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), under Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) No. 515106 (Australia).

tastyfx LLC (US retail forex; formerly IG US) — CFTC, licence/reference 0509630 (United States retail forex clients now served under the tastyfx brand).

IG Limited (DIFC branch) — DFSA, licence/reference F001780 (Dubai International Financial Centre / eligible regional clients).

IG Markets Limited — Authorised and regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), registration number 195355.

IG Index Limited — Authorised and regulated by the FCA, registration number 114059.

IG Trading and Investments Limited — Authorised and regulated by the FCA, registration number 944492. This entity provides eligible UK investment services.

IG Markets South Africa Limited — FSCA, licence/reference 41393 (South Africa (or clients routed to SA entity)).

IG Securities Limited — JFSA, licence/reference Kanto Local Finance Bureau (Kinsho) No.255 (Japan).

IG Asia Pte Ltd — MAS, licence/reference MAS Capital Markets Services licence (Singapore).

Client Protection Measures

For UK retail clients, FCA-regulated IG entities are subject to the relevant UK client-money framework. Retail client money segregation is described for regulated regions, but this should not be read as a guarantee against every loss or as applying identically to all entities and products. Eligible investment claims against an FCA-regulated UK IG entity may qualify for FSCS protection up to £85,000 per person, per firm. Eligibility and coverage depend on the claim, entity, client and product, and the scheme does not cover ordinary trading losses.

Negative balance protection applies to retail spread betting and CFD accounts in regulated regions such as the UK and EU. It does not extend to professional clients, and equivalent protection should not be assumed for international accounts. Clients should check the contract and local disclosures for their own account.

Spreads and Commissions

Most CFD and spread-betting markets are priced through floating spreads. The quoted average spreads include 0.82 pips for EUR/USD, 0.94 pips for GBP/USD, 0.34 points for gold and 0.51 points for the S&P 500 CFD; these are market-specific figures, not a guarantee of the spread available at every moment. A separate reference gives a starting CFD spread of 0.6 pips, which should not be confused with those average figures.

Online share dealing and ISA trades in global shares and ETFs can be commission-free when instant FX conversion is used. Share CFDs carry a separate commission, while most other CFDs and spread bets are charged through the spread. Phone dealing fees may apply.

Other Trading and Non-Trading Charges

Cash CFD positions held at 10 pm UK time may incur overnight funding. Futures do not incur this separate charge because funding is built into the spread. Currency conversion can add 0.7% when a transaction or realised amount is converted between currencies; the charge can affect share dealing, ISAs, and foreign-currency profits, losses, funding charges or dividends on leveraged accounts. No conversion fee applies when the trade is in the account’s base currency.

The broker charges no deposit, withdrawal or inactivity fee. These fee statements do not remove the possibility of product-specific costs, including share-CFD commission or phone dealing fees.

IG separates leveraged trading from non-leveraged investing. Spread betting and CFDs provide leveraged exposure; share dealing, ISAs and SIPPs are investment accounts, while Smart Portfolio is a managed investment service. Futures and US options have contract-specific funding or buying-power requirements. A professional account involves a different client classification and reduced consumer protections, rather than simply being another retail pricing tier.

For several UK trading and investment accounts, bank transfer has no account-opening minimum, while card funding carries a £250 minimum. Smart Portfolio requires £500 before funds are invested, although deposits can begin at £50. Funding thresholds and eligibility can vary by account and payment method.

How to Open an Account with IG

New clients must complete identity and customer checks. IG requires proof of identity and proof of address to verify an account; additional information about the source of funds may be requested in some cases. Account activation and permitted products depend on the client’s circumstances, location and the relevant IG entity.

Leverage is product- and entity-dependent. UK retail clients are subject to regulatory limits, with major foreign-exchange pairs capped at up to 1:30; other instruments have different limits. IG Group’s maximum of up to 1:200 applies only to certain products in international jurisdictions and should not be treated as a UK retail limit or a universal account feature. The applicable margin is set by the contract and client classification.

Professional classification can provide access to different margin terms, but it also reduces consumer protections, including the negative balance protection described for retail clients in regulated regions. Futures require contract-specific margin, while options have separate premiums, risks and margin requirements. Leverage magnifies both gains and losses, and clients should establish the applicable margin and close-out terms with their contracting entity before trading.

Platforms and Trading Features

IG offers its own web and mobile trading platform, with desktop access also available. Other platform choices include MetaTrader 4 and 5, ProRealTime, TradingView and L2 Dealer. L2 Dealer provides DMA functionality, while the broker’s APIs support access to pricing, historical data and order execution; FIX access is intended for institutional clients. Platform availability depends on the account and product.

Automated trade copying is possible indirectly through third-party tools such as MT4, but IG does not offer a native, fully automated social copy-trading platform. Its community, sentiment features and third-party signals are not equivalent to one-click replication of another trader’s positions.

Order Execution and Trading Restrictions

Fills can differ from the intended price in either direction. If the market moves beyond IG’s tolerance, an order may be rejected rather than executed at a worse level. This execution condition is distinct from the analytical and automation capabilities offered by the platforms; software access does not remove market or execution risk.

When Does IG’s L2 Dealer Offer DMA That a Retail CFD Account Cannot?

L2 Dealer gives qualifying IG clients access to market depth and direct market access, with more order-book visibility than the standard CFD dealing interface. But UK access depends on the product and client classification. Share-related DMA is available through eligible share dealing or share-CFD services. Forex Direct through L2 Dealer, by contrast, is reserved for professional clients. A retail forex account does not automatically grant it. Even for eligible users, more control over order placement can bring partial fills and added complexity; DMA should not be confused with zero execution costs.

Markets Available at IG

• Forex

  Maximum Leverage1:200

  • Major
  • Minor/Cross
  • Exotic/Emerging-market (pairs)
• Indices

  Maximum Leverage1:200

  • Equity indices (regions not specified)
  • Volatility index
• Cryptocurrencies

  Maximum Leverage1:10

  • Bitcoin
  • Ethereum
  • Litecoin
  • Bitcoin Cash
  • Cardano
  • Solana
  • Altcoins
  • Crypto 10 Index (CFDs)
• Commodities

  Maximum Leverage1:200

  • Metals
  • Energy
  • Agriculture
• Stocks

  Maximum Leverage1:20

  • International stocks (CFDs)
• ETPs

  Maximum Leverage1:5

  • Equity
  • Sector
  • Bond
  • Commodity ETFs
• Bonds

  Maximum Leverage1:200

  • Government bonds (CFDs)
• Options

  Maximum LeverageStrategy-dependent; no single 1:X

  • Stock
  • FX
  • Index options

IG’s range covers leveraged and non-leveraged products, but access and terms vary by jurisdiction and account. The available categories include foreign exchange, indices, cryptocurrencies, commodities, shares, exchange-traded products, bonds and options. Leverage differs substantially by product: the cited maximum reaches 1:200 for eligible forex, index and commodity contracts in applicable jurisdictions, compared with 1:10 for crypto CFDs and 1:5 for ETF products. These are not universal limits for every client.

Market Coverage and Accessibility

Share dealing and ISA accounts provide an unleveraged route to investing, while CFDs and spread bets provide leveraged exposure where offered. Options have separate premiums and margin considerations. The market list should therefore be read alongside the local entity’s product permissions and the client’s account terms, rather than as a promise that every instrument is available to every client.

Deposit and Withdrawal Conditions

For several account types, bank transfer has no account-opening minimum; card funding requires at least £250. Smart Portfolio has a £500 investment threshold, though deposits can start at £50 and remain uninvested until that threshold is reached. Cards and e-wallets are generally available immediately, while bank transfers usually take about two hours. Bank-transfer withdrawals generally take one to three business days to finalise; card payouts usually take two to five business days. Processing times are estimates, not guaranteed completion times.

IG charges no deposit or withdrawal fee. Payment methods and availability can differ by region and account, so confirm the options applicable to the contracting entity before funding.

Customer Support

Support channels include web chat, WhatsApp, phone and email. Support operates around the clock except from 22:00 Friday to 08:00 Saturday UK time. Customer feedback is mixed: some clients report convenient access and prompt replies, while others describe difficulty resolving issues through direct channels, including withdrawal problems requiring follow-up.

Broker Comparison Table

Key Competitive Differences

CMC Markets and City Index are relevant alternatives for UK clients considering leveraged trading. The available comparison evidence does not establish a like-for-like cost winner: the quoted starting spreads refer to different account labels and are not tied to the same instruments or a matched pricing basis. They should not be used as a direct measure of which broker will be cheaper for a particular trade.

CMC Markets also offers cash-equity and ISA investing alongside CFDs, while City Index’s account options include standard, MT4, premium, professional and corporate categories. These differences may help narrow a shortlist, but they do not establish superior execution, service or total cost. Compare the product, entity, account terms and instrument-specific charges relevant to your intended use.

Traders Who May Benefit

IG may suit frequent traders who value access to multiple markets and a choice of software, including APIs and third-party platforms. It may also appeal to UK clients who want leveraged trading alongside separate share-dealing or tax-advantaged investment accounts, subject to eligibility and product terms.

Traders Who May Prefer Alternatives

Those seeking a simple, uniform experience across jurisdictions may prefer a provider with fewer distinctions between entities, products and client protections. Traders who want native, automated social copy trading should also compare platforms that offer that feature directly. Cost-focused clients should calculate spreads, commissions, currency conversion and overnight funding for their own instruments and holding periods rather than relying on headline starting spreads.