Regular readers will know that I have spread betting accounts with most providers. This is not only for journalistic reasons (so I can write about them) but also because their slightly different offerings means that they can be useful in different scenarios.
One of my longest-standing spread betting accounts is with ETX Capital. They are based in the City of London, and I have visited their offices to see how they operate. Here are a few of the reasons I continue to trade with ETX Capital while I have dropped some of the other spread betting companies from my preferred list:
Intuitive (and New) Platform
The ETX Capital trading interface, which is essentially the same one as is used by the London Capital Group brands, has always been simple and intuitive. While their new (late 2012) platform allows you more control over the layout of your trading screen, they have been clever enough to provide their traditional fixed layout as the default. That’s great, because from my point of view: if it wasn’t broke, don’t fix it.
Trailing and Guaranteed Stop Orders
ETX Capital have for some time offered trailing stop orders that lock in more and more profit as your open trades move more and more in your favour. More recently they have introduced guaranteed stop orders that cap your risk absolutely on applicable trades.
Trades on Charts
I find it enormously useful to visualise my actual and prospective trades directly on charts, and ETX Capital charts can automatically display those live trades. Many of the trades documented on this blog utilise these charts for visualizing the trades.
Easy Access to Your Money
Some spread betting companies make it easy enough for you to deposit funds but make you jump through hoops in order to get your money (ideally winnings) back. ETX Capital makes it easy to request a withdrawal on-line and to see the money back in your bank account within just a few days.
Conclusion
I’ve operated an ETX Capital spread betting account for a number of years, I’ve visited them, and here I’ve documented a few of the reasons why I like to trade with them… over and above the usual tight spreads and fast execution which (to be frank) all self-respecting spread betting companies should offer.