IG — costs, regulation & account details

IG Group Holdings plc (principal operating entities: IG Markets Limited and IG Index Limited, UK)

69% of retail investor accounts lose money trading spread bets and CFDs (published on IG UK and IG International sites, Jul 2026; one UK help-centre page still shows 68%) of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs/forex with this provider (broker-stated).

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Overview

Legal / official name: IG Group Holdings plc (principal operating entities: IG Markets Limited and IG Index Limited, UK)
Parent company: IG Group Holdings plc (LSE-listed). Note: in 2026 IG Group announced a proposal to move to a Jersey-incorporated holding company as part of a strategic review (TradingView/Reuters, 2026); also owns tastytrade/tastyfx (US), Freetrade (2025), Spectrum Markets, DailyFX, and 70% of crypto exchange Independent Reserve (Jan 2026)
Founded: 1974 (founded by Stuart Wheeler as IG Index, the world's first financial spread-betting firm)
Headquarters: Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2YA, United Kingdom
Publicly listed: London Stock Exchange: IGG (IG Group Holdings plc). IG's own site footer (Jul 2026) describes it as a FTSE 250 constituent; Wikipedia (Jan 2026) lists it as FTSE 100 with ~£4.55bn market value — index membership recently changed/ambiguous, ticker verified
Accepts customers from: Near-global via regional entities: UK (FCA entities), EU/EEA (IG Europe GmbH), Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Singapore, Japan, UAE/Dubai, South Africa (now via international accounts only), and most other countries via offshore IG International Ltd (Bermuda). US residents are NOT accepted by IG's CFD/spread-betting entities — served separately by tastyfx (forex only, CFTC/NFA) and tastytrade. IG UK site is explicitly not directed at residents of the US or Belgium. Some countries excluded per local law (shown in partner contracts).

Regulation & entities

Brokers operate multiple legal entities; the protections and leverage you get depend on which one holds your account.

Entity	Regulator	Licence	Region
IG Markets Limited (UK)	FCA	195355	UK (CFD accounts); also passported historically; verified via IG UK site footer + iggroup.com regulations page
IG Index Limited (UK)	FCA	114059	UK (spread betting)
IG Trading and Investments Ltd (UK)	FCA	944492	UK (share dealing, ISA/SIPP, Smart Portfolios)
IG Digital Assets Ltd (UK)	FCA (cryptoasset regime)	Not stated	UK (spot cryptoasset services; registration number not verified)
IG Europe GmbH	BaFin (and Deutsche Bundesbank)	Not stated	EU/EEA retail and professional clients
IG Markets Limited (Australian AFS licensee)	ASIC	AFSL 220440	Australia (CFDs)
IG Australia Pty Ltd	ASIC	AFSL 515106	Australia
IG Bank S.A.	FINMA	Not stated	Switzerland (bank and securities dealer)
IG Asia Pte Ltd	MAS	Not stated	Singapore (Capital Markets Services licence; number not captured)
IG Securities Ltd	JFSA (also METI and MAFF)	Not stated	Japan
IG Markets South Africa Limited	FSCA	FSP 41393	South Africa (authorised FSP and OTC derivative provider; NOTE: onshore ZAR accounts discontinued, ODP licence application denied and under appeal per Finance Magnates — SA clients moved to international accounts)
IG Limited (Dubai)	DFSA	Not stated	UAE/Middle East (arranging/dealing, matched principal)
tastyfx LLC (formerly IG US LLC)	CFTC / NFA	NFA ID 0509630	United States (retail forex only; sister broker-dealer tastytrade is FINRA/SIPC)
IG International Limited	Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA)	Not stated	Offshore/international — clients in jurisdictions without a local IG licence; licensed for both investment business AND digital asset business
IG Markets Limited (New Zealand)	FMA (NZ)	Not stated	New Zealand (derivatives issuer licence)

Accounts & pricing

Account	Pricing model	Commission (round turn)	Typical EUR/USD spread	Min. deposit
Spread betting (UK only, IG Index Ltd)	spread-only (commission-free); tax-free in UK	0 (spread-only)	0.6 minimum; IG-published averages 0.86 (00:00-21:00 GMT) / 1.13 (full week) — but averages were last published for 12 weeks ending 29 May 2020 and are still displayed in Jul 2026	£250 by card/PayPal; no minimum by bank transfer
CFD standard account (IG Markets Ltd UK / IG Europe / IG AU / IG International)	spread-only for FX (commission-free); share CFDs pay commission (UK 0.10%, US 2c/share)	0 for FX (spread-only)	0.6 minimum; published averages 0.86-1.13 (stale, 2020); GBP/USD min 0.9, USD/JPY min 0.7	£250 (UK, card/PayPal), €300 (EU), A$450 (AU); no minimum via bank transfer; IG International: no minimum, US$300 recommended (secondary source)
Forex Direct — DMA forex (L2 Dealer / FIX API)	raw market spreads + volume-tiered commission per USD million traded	Tiered by prior-month volume, per IG's own table (Jul 2026): $60 per USD1m (<$100m/mo), $30 (<$500m), $20 (<$1,500m), $10 ($1,500m+). At base tier that is $6 per standard lot per execution — i.e. ~$12 round turn if charged on both legs; IG's own worked example deducts commission only once (on open), so per-side vs round-turn treatment is ambiguous in public docs	0.165 average DMA spread (IG-published, 12 weeks ending 19 Mar 2019 — stale)	Not stated
MT4 / MT5 CFD account (MT5 offered via IG International; MT4 in UK and elsewhere)	spread-only	0 (spread-only)	0.6 minimum; 0.85 average claimed on MT5 page (measured 12 weeks ending 8 Jan 2021 — stale)	Not stated
tastyfx Standard (US)	spread-only (commission-free)	0	from 0.8; ~1.15 average measured by ForexBrokers.com (2026)	$1 (per tastyfx accounts page, 2026)
tastyfx Zero+ (US)	raw spread + commission	$10 round turn ($5 per standard lot per side, per tastyfx.com)	from 0.0	Not stated
tastyfx Prime (US)	spread-only with premium pricing, interest on cash and 2.5-15% volume rebates	0	from 0.6	$50,000

Professional client account

Professional-account data is being compiled for this broker.

Costs

Deposit fees: UK: free for bank transfer, debit card and credit card (debit card limit £99,999/transaction, credit card £30,000/transaction; card issuer may charge its own fees). Card/PayPal minimum £250
Withdrawal fees: UK: free for bank transfer, debit and credit card (IG charges page, Jul 2026). Exception reported by secondary sources citing IG help: £15 fee for same-day bank transfers (CHAPS) under £100. Non-UK entities not individually verified
Inactivity fee: UK: NONE as of 2026 — charges page explicitly lists 'Inactivity fee: Free' (IG scrapped the previous £12/month-after-24-months fee as part of a Jan 2026 low-cost drive, per FFNews). CAUTION: non-UK entities (IG International, IG Bank Switzerland, etc.) still publish 'account inactivity fee' help pages — historically $12/month after 24 months of no dealing — current amounts per entity NOT re-verified
Currency conversion: 0.8% on spread bet/CFD trades settled in a currency other than account base currency (UK charges page, Jul 2026); 0.7% FX fee on share dealing/investing; manual currency conversion (multi-currency) available on investing accounts to avoid the fee but loses commission-free share trading
Swap-free available: No — IG does not offer Islamic/swap-free accounts (BrokerChooser, 2026)
Swap notes: Overnight funding charged on positions held past 22:00 UK: relevant interbank/tom-next rate for the pair ± IG admin fee of 1% p.a. for FX and 3% p.a. for other asset classes (UK charges page, Jul 2026). Longs typically pay, shorts typically receive the interest component

Platforms & execution

MetaTrader 4: Yes (UK and most entities; CFD accounts only, not spread betting)
MetaTrader 5: Yes — via IG International (offshore entity); MT5 CFD account with native VPS, 0.01 lot minimum; NOT listed on the UK site (UK offers MT4 only)
cTrader: No
TradingView: Yes — TradingView integration listed on UK and International sites
Proprietary: Yes — flagship web platform + native iOS/Android apps (core offering); L2 Dealer (advanced DMA desktop); ProRealTime advanced charting (free if active, otherwise fee); tastyfx has its own platform in the US
API access: Yes — IG Labs REST + streaming API (web API for pricing/dealing) and full FIX API for DMA/Forex Direct

Execution model: Claimed: OTC principal/market maker for spread bets and CFDs using IG's own institutional-grade pricing/liquidity technology, PLUS genuine DMA option (Forex Direct via L2 Dealer/FIX — order placed in underlying market with a parallel CFD created between client and IG, i.e. matched principal). Assessed: dealing-desk principal broker for the standard offering — commission-free FX pricing is spread-marked-up market making; the DMA route is real but still settles as a CFD with IG as counterparty. tastyfx (US) is a dealer with a hedging arrangement with IG Markets Ltd
Max leverage (by region): Retail: 30:1 UK/EU (FCA/ESMA, 3.33% margin on major FX), 30:1 Australia (ASIC), 50:1 US majors (CFTC via tastyfx), 20:1 Singapore (MAS), 25:1 Japan (JFSA), up to 200:1 FX at offshore IG International Ltd (Bermuda — secondary-sourced, TradersUnion/FxScouts); crypto CFDs 2:1 (AU). Professional clients: up to ~222:1 on majors (0.45% margin, IG UK site)
VPS: Yes with MT5 via IG International — 'free VPS' / native VPS integration promoted on IG's MT5 page; no VPS offer found on UK MT4 pages
Copy trading: No native copy/social trading (confirmed by 2026 ForexBrokers.com and other current reviews)

Instruments

Forex: 80+ currency pairs (IG's own pages: 'more than 80'); 85+ spot pairs at tastyfx (US)
CFDs: 17,000+ markets group-wide (UK site quotes 15,000+): indices (incl. 24/7 weekend markets), shares, ETFs, commodities, options and futures-style products, bonds/rates; US-listed options & futures offered to UK clients (via tastytrade infrastructure); DMA available on shares and FX
Crypto CFDs: Yes outside the UK: e.g. Australia offers CFDs on 11 major cryptos + 2 crosses + a crypto index (2:1 retail leverage). UK retail: crypto CFDs banned, but IG launched SPOT crypto via IG Digital Assets Ltd — 0% commission on BTC/ETH/SOL (0.07% external exchange fee in price), 1.49% on all other coins. Spot crypto launching in AU/SG/UAE in H2 2026 via the Independent Reserve acquisition. IG International (Bermuda) holds a digital-asset business licence
Crypto for retail (no pro status): UK: NO for derivatives — FCA ban on crypto derivatives (CFDs/futures/options) for retail, in force since Jan 2021, still in force July 2026 (only crypto ETNs were re-opened to retail on UK-listed exchanges from Oct 2025); UK retail instead get IG's spot crypto (unleveraged, no FSCS). AU: YES — crypto CFDs at 2:1 for retail. EU (IG Europe GmbH): not verified. US (tastyfx): no crypto offering (forex only). Offshore (IG International): crypto CFDs available to retail

Consumer protection

Negative balance protection: Yes for retail clients in UK/EU (FCA/ESMA rules; IG UK forex page states it applies to trading-related debt only and NOT to professional clients) and Australia (ASIC product intervention order). Offshore IG International: not verified
Client fund segregation: Yes — client money held in segregated client bank (trust) accounts at regulated banks, never merged with IG's own funds, per FCA CASS rules (ig.com/uk/client-funds); equivalent arrangements claimed for other entities but not individually verified
Compensation scheme: UK: FSCS up to £85,000 per person on broker insolvency (FCA entities). Germany/EU (IG Europe GmbH): statutory German investor compensation (EdW) applies in principle — not individually verified. US: SIPC covers tastytrade securities accounts but NOT tastyfx forex. Offshore IG International (Bermuda): no compensation scheme. Switzerland (IG Bank SA): esisuisse depositor protection expected but not verified
Stated retail loss %: 69% of retail investor accounts lose money trading spread bets and CFDs (published on IG UK and IG International sites, Jul 2026; one UK help-centre page still shows 68%)

Reputation

Trustpilot: 3.8 / 5 ('Great') from 9,714 reviews — read directly from Trustpilot on 11 Jul 2026; ~56% 5-star, ~18% 1-star; company replies to 76% of negative reviews (Trustpilot)

Regulatory actions / fines

2015 — Swiss franc de-peg (SNB event): UK Financial Ombudsman ordered IG to pay ~£1m compensation to clients over delayed execution/handling; 370+ clients affected
2016-2017 — withdrew binary options in UK after FCA crackdown; 2018 ESMA leverage restrictions and binary ban forced major EU product changes (not a fine)
2023 — two Australian class actions filed against IG Markets Ltd / IG Australia Pty Ltd (Piper Alderman and a second action) alleging misleading promotion of CFDs to inexperienced retail investors May 2017-Aug 2023; ongoing
Nov 2025 — Tomasso v IG Markets Ltd: Western Australia Supreme Court ruled IG's 'manifest error' contract clause unfair and void; ordered ~AU$5.5m compensation
Apr 2026 — IG Securities (Japan) disclosed a data exposure affecting 162,879 customers
IG Markets South Africa: FSCA denied its ODP (OTC derivative provider) licence application; IG appealing (Finance Magnates); onshore ZAR accounts discontinued
No major direct monetary fines from FCA, ASIC or CFTC located in this research (searches performed Jul 2026)

Noted issues

Recurring complaint themes on Trustpilot: long support wait times, difficulty closing accounts, unclear fee communication
Platform outages during high-volatility periods reported March 2020 and January 2021, leaving clients unable to manage positions
April 2024: system failure erroneously withdrew funds from 50+ client accounts
Published 'average spread' figures on IG's own pages are years stale (2019-2021 measurement windows still displayed in Jul 2026)
Demo execution is documented by IG itself as more favourable than live (no slippage/rejects)

Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these sources, retrieved as of the dates shown.

UK costs & charges (spreads, FX admin fee 1%, currency conversion 0.8%, inactivity fee Free, deposit/withdrawal fees, crypto tab) (2026-07-11)
UK forex page (min/avg spreads incl. EURUSD 0.6 min, retail 30:1 / professional margins, negative balance protection, 69% loss disclosure) (2026-07-11)
Forex Direct DMA commission tier table and DMA average spreads (2026-07-11)
DMA overview (L2 Dealer, FIX API) (2026-07-11)
Group-wide legal entities and regulators (2026-07-11)
FCA firm reference numbers (IG Markets 195355, IG Index 114059, IG Trading & Investments 944492) via IG's regulated site footer; FCA register entry for IG Markets Ltd (2026-07-11)
Demo vs live differences (no slippage, no size/price rejects, no funding adjustments) (2026-07-11)
Demo account offer (£10k virtual funds, spread betting/CFD only) (2026-07-11)
Demo fixed-spread behaviour and expiry reports (secondary) (2026-07-11)
Affiliate CPA plan (up to US$2,045, no revshare) (2026-07-11)
Introducing Partner programme (up to 30% revshare, 17,000+ markets, 313,000+ clients) (2026-07-11)
Trustpilot score 3.8, 9,714 reviews, complaint themes (2026-07-11)
Corporate history, listing, acquisitions, controversies (SNB 2015, class actions 2023, Tomasso AU$5.5m 2025, Japan data exposure 2026) (2026-07-11)
tastyfx account types (Standard $1 min, Zero+ $5/side, Prime $50k) (2026-07-11)
tastyfx Zero+ commission detail ($10 round turn) (2026-07-11)
tastyfx review — 85 pairs, 50:1 US leverage, 1.15 avg EURUSD, CFTC/NFA status (2026-07-11)
Australia crypto CFDs (11 coins, 2:1) and spot crypto plans H2 2026 (2026-07-11)
FCA crypto-derivatives retail ban (in force since Jan 2021) (2026-07-11)
UK retail crypto ETN access reopened Oct 2025 while derivatives ban persists (2026-07-11)
Client money segregation and FSCS £85k (2026-07-11)
MetaTrader 5 via IG International (free/native VPS, 0.6 min spread, 0.85 avg) (2026-07-11)
Minimum deposits (£250 UK card/PayPal, €300 EU, A$450 AU; no bank-transfer minimum) (2026-07-11)
IG International (Bermuda) offshore entity and 200:1 retail leverage (secondary) (2026-07-11)
IG Australia AFSL numbers (220440 / 515106) (2026-07-11)
IG South Africa FSCA FSP 41393 and ODP licence denial/appeal (2026-07-11)
Inactivity fee scrapped / low-cost drive (Jan 2026) (2026-07-11)
No Islamic/swap-free account (2026-07-11)
No copy/social trading; overall 2026 review corroboration (2026-07-11)
80+ FX pairs (IG's own page) (2026-07-11)
Jersey holding company proposal, H1 FY26 revenue +18% (2026-07-11)
UK Trustpilot summary corroboration (3.8/5, 9,000+ reviews) (2026-07-11)

Data notes: Left null / flagged: (1) EUR/USD AVERAGE spreads — IG's own displayed averages (1.13 / 0.86 OTC, 0.165 DMA, 0.85 MT5) carry footnotes dating them to 12-week windows ending May 2020, Mar 2019 and Jan 2021 respectively; they are IG-published but stale, so treat as indicative only; minimum 0.6 is current and primary-sourced. (2) Forex Direct commission: the tier table ($60/$30/$20/$10 per USD million by prior-month volume) is primary-sourced (ig.com Jul 2026), but whether it is charged per side or once per position is ambiguous — IG's worked example deducts it only once; my ~$12/lot round-turn figure at base tier assumes both legs are charged. (3) FCA register direct lookup failed (JS-rendered page) — firm reference numbers (195355, 114059, 944492) come from IG's own regulated footers and iggroup.com, which is strong but not the register itself. (4) License numbers for BaFin, MAS, FINMA, JFSA, DFSA, FMA NZ, BMA and the IG Digital Assets FCA crypto registration were not captured — set null rather than guessed. (5) Inactivity fee verified FREE for UK only (primary, Jul 2026); non-UK entities historically charge $12/month after 24 months and still host help pages about it — per-entity current amounts unverified. (6) £15 same-day-bank-transfer-under-£100 withdrawal fee is from secondary sources citing IG help — not re-verified on a primary page. (7) IG International 200:1 retail leverage is secondary-sourced (TradersUnion, FxScouts). (8) Demo expiry policy conflicts across sources — unverified. (9) EU-entity (IG Europe) crypto CFD availability and compensation scheme details not individually verified. (10) The reported pause on new affiliate applications ('22 May') is undated secondary information that conflicts with IG's live sign-up pages. (11) FTSE 250 vs FTSE 100 index membership conflicting between IG's footer and Wikipedia. (12) Retail loss disclosure varies 68-69% across IG's own pages; 69% is the current main-site figure.

Cost figures reflect each broker's published specifications as of 11 July 2026 and can change; always check the broker's current terms. Most retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs. PipTax compares costs and is not investment advice. How we research this.