Forex.com Review 2023.
Forex.com is an international forex broker founded in 2001. It operates under the company GAIN Capitals which is publicly traded and has a listing on the New York stock exchange under GCAP. It is considered a trustworthy option by brokers due to its regulation in 4 Tier-1 jurisdictions; under FCA, CFTC, and other major regulatory authorities. Brokers can expect a comprehensive forex trading experience with competitive pricing, a whole host of features for trading platforms, and a user-friendly mobile application. This Forex.com review will show how it works for traders at all levels.
Table of Contents.
3 Steps to Sign Up on Forex.com Pros & Cons Forex.com Compared History of Forex.com Regulation and Security Is Forex.com for Me? What Are the Benefits of Trading in Forex.com? Fees and Costs Payment Methods and Limits Performance Features and Functionality Final Thoughts Frequently Asked Questions.
3 Steps to Sign Up on Forex.com.
The sign-up process of Forex.com is relatively straightforward and should only take you up to 10 to 15 minutes. It does require account confirmation which may take up to 2 business days. Here are the three steps to open an account: 1. Choose Your Trading Platform: To get started, you will have to choose between Forex.com’s own trading platform or a third-party platform, for example, MetaTrader 4. Generally, beginners choose the proprietary platform. However, seasoned investors who want greater control over their orders and trading may wish to opt for MT4. 2. Fill in Your Details: You will be prompted for some details, including your personal and financial information. These details may include your employment status, annual income and your place of residence. You will certainly have to provide detailed information on your name, email address and telephone number as well. 3. Answering a Few Questions & Verification: At this final stage, you will be asked a few questions regarding your financial knowledge and experience in trading. It also requires a photo ID and proof of residency. Upload a national ID card, driver's license or passport to verify your identity. For proof of residency, you can submit your utility bills and bank statements.
Pros & Cons.
Pros.
Cons.
Higher spreads as compared to international brokers Cryptocurrency trading not allowed in the US Negative balance protection not available.
Forex.com Compared.
Forex.com is a popular Forex trading platform that is highly useful for active traders trading in Forex. It may also benefit those who trade less frequently as the spreads are a bit higher when compared to other international brokers. The platform has garnered considerable popularity due to its good regulation and reputation in the Forex industry.
If, however, you feel that you would be better suited to a different platform, there are some that we would recommend.
Min. Deposit.
User Score.
24/7 trading when the markets are open.
Trade the four big names in crypto- Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash.
Premium MT4 and MT5 with suite of bespoke trading tools and indicators.
Description:
OANDA is the trusted name for Forex and CFD trading. Since 1997 OANDA has established a reputation for fair and transparent pricing and responsive customer service. Easy account opening process.
Payment Methods:
Bank Wire, Check, Credit Card.
Full Regulations:
CFTC, FCA, IIROC, MAS, NFA.
Leveraged trading in foreign currency contracts or other off-exchange products on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. We advise you to carefully consider whether trading is appropriate for you in light of your personal circumstances. You may lose more than you invest.
Min. Deposit.
User Score.
Log in using the app and claim the Mystery Box to receive up to $10,000 in reward.
One of the top digital asset exchanges by trading volume.
Serving millions of users in over 100 countries.
Description:
OKX is a top cryptocurrency exchange which offers over 140 cryptocurrencies to invest in. OKX takes customer security very seriously, they store almost all of their clients' funds in cold storage, and the exchange is yet to be hacked. On top of this, the exchange offers very low fees and customers can even use their crypto as collateral for loans on the platform.
Payment Methods:
Credit Card, Debit Card, Wire Transfer.
Full Regulations:
Trading in digital assets is considered high risk. Digital assets are NOT backed by any government or central bank. The risk of loss in trading or holding digital assets can be substantial. You should carefully consider whether interacting, holding, or trading digital assets is suitable for you in light of your financial condition.
Min. Deposit.
User Score.
The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange with over 2bn daily users.
Innovative trading platform offering enormous range of crypto coins.
Supports over 60 methods of payment including PayPal, Apple Pay & Google Pay.
Description:
Binance is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. It is better suited to more experienced investors and it offers a large number of cryptocurrencies to choose from, at over 600. Binance is also known for having low trading fees and a multiple of trading options that its users can benefit from, such as; peer-to-peer trading, margin trading and spot trading.
Payment Methods:
Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Payeer, SEPA, Western Union, Wire Transfer, Yandex Money.
Full Regulations:
History of Forex.com.
Forex.com belongs to the parent company GAIN Capital holdings that were founded in 1999 and are listed on the NYSE under GCAP. The company now has different trading names and subsidiaries in multiple countries and is regulated by relevant authorities in the UK, US, Canada, Japan, and Australia.
GAIN Capitals is quite a large company with international offices having over 800 employees and over 200,000 retail and institutional clients. The broker is considered a pioneer in the forex trading industry in the US and is one of the largest FX brokers in the world. It has over $1.3 billion in assets as of the second quarter in 2022 and more than 71,000 traders registered on the platform as of August 2022.
Regulation and Security.
Forex.com is regulated by the relevant authorities in the US, UK, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and the Cayman Islands. The products offered are subject to change according to the laws of each country.
The online broker is publicly traded, and regulated and authorised by major Tier-1 banks which makes it highly trustworthy and low risk. Some of the regulatory authorities include the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and many more.
KYC and AML regulations allow financial institutions and trading platforms to prevent money laundering, fraud, and other similar activities.
Is Forex.com Safe?
Forex.com safeguards clients' funds by segregating them from the company funds. For Canadian clients, there is extra protection under the Canadian Investor Protection Funds. Other clients do not receive any additional insurance from the company. However, it has built a good reputation and is heavily regulated by heavyweight authorities such as the FCA. This has established it as low-risk and trustworthy among many forex clients.
Since negative balance protection is not offered, client accounts may go in the negatives. However, the accounts are monitored and in case a client fails to have a sufficient margin in their account the positions are automatically liquidated. This does not guarantee the prevention of negative balance and may pose a slight risk to traders if they are not careful. The platform does offer guaranteed stop losses at a cost.
It is transparent about its pricing which can easily be found on the platform. There are even functional demo accounts so clients can assess the pricing structure and platform before making any actual investment.
The broker heavily encrypts their data, however, additional security such as fingerprint technology or 2-factor authentication is not included.
Reputation.
Forex.com has established itself as a major player in the FX trading landscape. Best known for its excellent trading experience, the broker offers many redeemable features such as competitive pricing, a well-developed mobile app, great security practices, and solid regulatory compliance.
Its popularity can be proved by all the awards under its belt. In 2022, it won the top 7 awards in a number of categories including those for Professional Trading, Commissions & Fees, Education, Crypto Trading, Ease of Use, Offering of Investments, and Best Overall Trading Platform.
Is Forex.com for Me?
Choosing the right forex broker can be a challenge for beginners and advanced users alike. The most common question for beginners is whether the platform will be easy to use, and will it contain educational resources needed to learn and to grow as a trader. For more experienced users, the concern is whether the platform has enough advanced features that allow them to put their expertise to good use and maximize their returns. Here we will examine the platform for both these categories and find out if it is able to strike the perfect balance that caters to all skill levels.
I’m a Beginner.
As a beginner, you have a variety of resources and opportunities to learn about forex trading. Here are some of the ways you can learn as a beginner:
Create a fully functional demo account to test the platform out before investing. Watch platform tutorial videos to familiarize yourself with it Find general educational videos and articles on forex Go through the trading glossary Participate in the trading quiz to test your skills.
In addition to all these educational features, it also offers a very easy to understand website that beginners should have no trouble navigating.
I’m an Expert.
It also caters to the seasoned trader through a wide range of features, including the advanced trading option. Advanced trading is ideal for veteran traders and includes features such as technical analysis tools, automated technical analysis from AutoChartist, and the ability to develop customised automated trading systems. The robust features allow more advanced traders to make the most of their expertise while trading on the platform.
In short, the trading platform is quite suitable for traders of all skill and experience levels.
What Are the Benefits of Trading in Forex.com?
Some of the major benefits you receive are:
Forex.com allows the buying and selling of over 80 currencies. This makes the online broker one of the most diverse and comprehensive currency pairs trading providers around the world.
The platform offers the trader access to over 90 individual indicators and the ability to add more to a currency chart with just a click. Traders can even add multiple indicators to a single chart to create highly detailed and informed views. This allows investors to make the most out of technical analysis to inform their position.
It simplifies forex trading for newcomers with a comprehensive set of educational tools. With trading being a complex subject to understand, the online broker provides a well-rounded educational section with a wide range of research and educational tools for traders at all skill levels. This includes live webinars, articles, economic calendars, videos, and tutorials for both beginners and more advanced traders.
Fees and Costs.
As a market-maker, Forex.com generates revenue through slightly higher spreads instead of connecting client orders with raw prices on the market. The markups in the pricing can be noticed when you compare the standard account and the Direct Market Access (DMA) account. For the DMA account, it offers no markup on spreads but does take a commission. For the standard account, on the other hand, it takes no commissions but does feature larger spreads. In the middle lies the commission account which has reduced spreads with a slight markup and a lower commission than the DMA account.
Its pricing lags behind when compared to other international brokers which offer tighter spreads and lower commissions to traders. It also has an Active Traders program that is open to everyone who opens an account with at least $25,000 or trades $25 million a month. This program is only open to standard and commission account holders and is not offered to DMA accounts as it already has a volume-based fee reduction.
Accounts with less than $10,000 and no trading activity for more than 12 months are charged a fee of $15 per month as the inactivity fee. All accounts with more than $10,000 are not charged an inactivity fee. The platform does not charge additional fees for deposits and for withdrawals, ACH payments and checks are also free. Wire transfers in the US under $10,000 have a $25 fee and other wire transfers require $40. Over the $10,000 limit, wire transfers are also free.
In terms of other fees, any account with less than $10,000 and no trading activity for more than 12 months are subject to a $15-per-month inactivity fee. Accounts over $10,000 are exempt from inactivity fees. There are no additional fees charged by Forex.com for deposits.
For withdrawals, checks and ACH payments are free. U.S. wire transfers under $10,000 incur a $25 fee, and all other wire transfers are $40. Wire transfers over $10,000 are free.
Payment Methods and Limits.
Accepted Deposit Methods.
Credit or debit card Wire Transfer.
Minimum Deposit and Withdrawal Limits.
Minimum deposit of $50 Minimum Withdrawal limit of $100.
Performance Features and Functionality.
Forex.com offers a standard trading account and the active trader account. For the standard account, the minimum deposit is $50, and for the active trader account, a $20,000 deposit is required. Active traders will receive a relationship manager to help them with their trading needs. Demo accounts are also provided with $50,000 in virtual funds.
Forex.com gives traders the option of choosing its own trading platform, ‘Advanced Trading’, or choosing the popular MetaTrader. Its own trading platform offers a host of features for seasoned developers and a lot of opportunities for automation.
Trading Platforms.
Forex.com gives traders access to 3 main trading platforms:
Advanced Trading: This is the flagship platform and is ideal for veteran traders who can utilize the tools provided to apply their expertise in forex trading. It comes with an impressive charting package with a large selection of 139 technical indicators and drawing tools. It also comes with technical analysis tools including automated technical analysis provided by Autochartist that scans markets for emerging patterns and trade information.
Web Trading: The web trading platform is ideal for casual traders with an easy to use interface to browse through markets, analyze charts, conduct research, and place trades. It also means that whether you are a beginner in this field or a professional trader, you can access your account from anywhere on any device may it be a PC, Mac, laptop, tablet, or even your smartphone.
MetaTrader: In addition to the award-winning flagship platform suite, Forex.com also offers a whole suite of MetaTrader which includes both MT4 and MT5. These platforms are specially designed for professional trading experts who want granular control over their orders and want to keep a close eye on all the data. Access to MT4/MT5 provides them with the functional versatility and data insight they need to maximize their profitability.
Educational Resources.
Forex.com offers a whole range of educational resources for beginners and advanced level traders alike. Traders can educate themselves with their Learn to Trade Forex course which takes a deep dive into the ins and outs of Forex trading with seven dedicated lessons that cover pips, margin, charting, and much more. In addition to the course, traders can apply their skills and knowledge to the platform through a risk-free demo account with $50,000 of virtual funds.
The interactive courses come with tools and videos that teach traders how to manage risk, anticipate market movements, and chart patterns. The courses come with quizzes and workbooks that can be printed.
It also provides instructional video tutorials on their FOREXTraderPRO and MT4 Platforms. The educational section also contains interesting online webinars which can be joined by all traders after pre-registration.
Trading Options.
US clients can access 83 forex pairs, unleveraged gold, and silver. Outside the US, clients have access to all the trading pairs, indexes, and commodities. Crypto trading is only available in the UK at the time of writing.
Account Types.
Forex.com provides three main account types that have different pricing structures and platforms:
Forex.com Account.
Pricing: Higher spreads, no commission Platform: Forex.com’s platform.
MetaTrader Account.
Pricing: Higher spreads, no commission Platform: MetaTrader Platform.
DMA Account.
Pricing: Lower spread, $2 commission per lot per trade Platform: Forex.com’s platform.
It also provides account ownership options including:
Individual: Account owned by individuals Join: Account owned by two or more people Corporate: Account owned by a legal entity.
Final Thoughts.
Forex.com is the leading FX trader in the world with over 71,000 clients and a plethora of awards in multiple categories. The broker is the ideal fit for active traders as active trading means lower trading costs. It is also a viable option for infrequent traders because a few trades per month would reduce the costs incurred due to high spreads and associated fees.
The broker has managed to create a well-rounded forex trading experience with a responsive, user-friendly website, and a rich knowledge base for traders of all experience levels. The demo account has a generous offering and is a good way to test out the platform before investing in it.