ActivTrades | Pros & Cons Revealed

ActivTrades was founded in Switzerland in 2001. Initially, the company focused solely on foreign exchange but has now become a multi-instrument online trading house, offering a choice of over 1,000 CFDs or spread betting products across forex, indices, equities, commodities, financials, ETFs and options.

In 2005, ActivTrades moved its headquarters to central London. The firm now has offices in Milan, Nassau and Sofia. In addition to receiving numerous industry awards and recognition, ActivTrades has expanded its client base to over 140 countries.

With ActivTrades' low spreads and STP straight-through execution method, traders' orders are executed at the best possible price, ensuring transparency, speed and no re-quotes.

Protection offered by ActivTrades:

ActivTrades is licensed by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas (SCB) and regulated and protected by the prestigious Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK.

Clients' funds are held separately in segregated trust accounts with US banks.

ActivTrades insures clients up to the aggregate limit of their capital exposure (client funds over $10,000) up to a maximum of $1,000,000 per client; it also provides balance protection to prevent client accounts from going negative.

ActivTrades offers 3 types of accounts:

1. The Personal Account is the standard trading account. Users can use this account type on MT5, MT4 and ActivTrader. The spreads for this account type vary by instrument (starting from 0.5 spreads). The minimum deposit is $500; leverage of up to 1:200 is available.

2. A Shariah account is a personal account that is much the same. It is Shariah-compliant with Muslim features and does not involve zero overnight fees and zero commissions for open trades overnight. The minimum deposit is $500; leverage of up to 1:200 is available.

3. Premium accounts are designed for VIP traders. Spreads start at 0.5, and automatic trading is available through expert advice. To open this account, the user must meet the following 3 criteria, to be approved by ActivTrades:

- Significantly large trades in the relevant market, averaging 10 trades per quarter over the last four quarters (as evidenced by a printout of the previous broker's last four quarters of trading history).

- The size of the portfolio of financial instruments, including cash deposits and financial assets, must exceed €500,000. This may include but is not limited to savings accounts, options, stock portfolios, equity and fund investments (evidence in the form of account statements is required).

- Working or having worked in a professional position in the financial sector for at least one year, which requires knowledge of the transaction or service envisaged (ActivTrades will contact the client for evidence of relevant employment or contact the employer).

Deposit & Withdrawal Methods Offered by ActivTrades:

ActivTrades accepts bank wire, Neteller, Skrill, Sofort, Paypal, credit and debit cards as deposit methods.

For withdrawals, ActivTrades accepts debit/credit cards, Neteller, Skrill, Paypal and bank wire. However, there will be a £9 charge for bank wire transfers.

If bank charges are incurred during the deposit and withdrawal process, they will be automatically deducted from their amount.

ActivTrades Trading Platforms & Tools:

ActivTrades offers 3 different trading platforms, including the well-known MT4 and MT5 platforms and the in-house designed ActivTrader platform. ActivTrades also offers a variety of intelligent trading tools, such as smart orders, line drawing, calculators, templates, forecasts and indicators.

ActivTrades is a well-established trader that has been in the industry for a long time and has a good reputation. From a security point of view, the company is not only subject to multiple regulations but also provides insurance protection for its clients' funds by withdrawing large sums of money and providing negative balance protection.

Overall Verdict:

The disadvantages of ActivTrades are that each client can only open one real account, the low leverage (up to 200x) and the high capital requirement (from $500). These are not serious shortcomings, but they are slightly inferior to other brokers.

ActivTrades provides its users with an advanced and stable trading platform and intelligent trading tools. This shows that this is a broker that puts its clients first. Traders who are interested in this company should give it a try.