CMC Markets Broker Review 2024: Are They Legit?

CMC Markets Overviews

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CMC Markets is a U.K.-based online broker (financial services company) that offers to trade in the form of CFDs and spread betting along with forex to individuals across the globe. They offer low forex fees with no minimum deposits. Let's see what else they offer and how good the broker really is.

Facts About CMC Markets

Pros and Cons

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Is CMC Markets Safe? Broker Regulations

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In all our broker reviews, we go over the aspect of how safe a broker is, and this factor is considered to be (by most investors) one of the most important (if not the most). To determine a broker’s safety, we look at which financial authorities regulate them, and multiple authorities will usually regulate most top-tier brokers.

In the case of CMC Markets, they are regulated by four internationally recognized authorities. The FCA will typically regulate most international brokers if they are based in the U.K. and then by ASIC if they plan to operate in Australia. However, it is interesting that the FMA and then BaFin also regulate them. The FMA is a regulatory firm based in London, and BaFin is located in Germany.

Being regulated by multiple authorities gives credibility to CMC Markets as being very safe. Moreover, they also have sterling reviews from over 1,400 of their clients on TrustPilot, giving them a 4.3-star rating out of a possible 5 stars.

They also have countless awards that have been given to them on multiple occasions for everything from Best Forex Trading Support to Best CFD Broker, Highest Overall satisfaction, and more. You can view the list of awards they have been given over the years here.

What Can I Trade with CMC Markets?

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CMC Markets is your typical broker in that it offers the usual assets list in terms of Forex, Indices, Crypto, Commodities, and Shares to trade. However, they also offer “share baskets” and bonds (treasuries) that you are also able to trade. In addition to that, the amount of instruments available for clients to trade under each asset is quite something. Let’s take a look at them in detail.

Forex

CMC Markets lets their clients trade over 330 forex pairs on their CFD and spread betting platform. They claim (like many brokers do) to have the tightest spreads with lightning-fast execution of trades. If nothing else, the number of forex pairs available to trade is among the most any online broker has.

However, it should be noted that most traders stick to trading the majors, minors, and a couple of exotics they prefer.

Indices

In terms of Indices, CMC Markets gives a choice to trade over 80 of the most popular Indices from around the world. They also offer “out-of-hour trading,” meaning you can trade the UK 100 and the U.S. 30 all day and night during the week (24/5).

Cryptocurrency

From Ethereum to Bitcoin, NEO and TRON, these are all available to trade in the form of CFDs with CMC Markets. CMC markets say that they offer minimum slippage with their lightning-fast execution, which, as they say, is 0.0045 seconds. This could be an added benefit for trading crypto because, as you know, the crypto market is volatile and tends to move quickly.

Commodities

Clients are able to spread bet and trade commodities like the typical Silver and Gold, as well as Brent and West Texas Crude Oil. CMC Markets also give the option to trade “commodity indices.”. The commodity index trading that CMC Markets offers are “baskets” of commodities that clients are able to trade. These Indices include an Agricultural Index, Energy Index, as well as a Precious Metals Index. These ‘baskets” of indices also offer a cost-effective and unique way of tracking and trading commodities.

Shares

Also known as stocks, CMC markets offer one of the widest arrays of a shares list you could hope to trade on. They offer over 8,000 shares across the global market, including the U.K.s biggest and the U.S.s most popular companies. They also offer free access to quantitive equity analysis that Morningstar provides.

Share Baskets

Another tradable asset that not many brokers offer but one that CMC Markets does is “share baskets.”. These are exclusive portfolios that track specific shares. The baskets are built around a specific theme. This can be anything from tech to finance to global companies. These baskets let clients trade and diversify without overexposing themselves by trading one specific stock.

Bonds

Lastly, CMC Markets also lets you trade over 50 government bonds along with interest-rate instruments. Remember that you will do so by CFD when trading these bonds or interest-rate instruments. In other instances, residents specific to a region (typically the U.K.) are allowed to trade in spread betting.

How to Trade with CMC Markets?

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CMC Markets offers a unique take on trading platforms. Firstly they have the gold standard, which is MT4 (MetaTrader 4). If you don’t know, MT4 has been used by almost all traders and brokers since its release in 2005.

The software is licensed to forex brokers (like CMC Markets) who provide it to their clients. This is how you would log into your created account and trade any of the aforementioned assets this broker offers. MetaTrader 4 has many features, which we will discuss in the following sections.

Clients will need to download this software from CMC Markets, install it, and log into their accounts when they wish to trade. It may seem complicated for new users, but this platform is considered the standard by most brokers for a reason.

They also have their proprietary web platform and mobile trading app based on the same infrastructure, which is not based around MT4. The platform is titled “Next Generation” and is ranked highest for charting in the 2017 Investments Trends Survey, which is quite an accomplishment. The following section will also dive into this platform’s functions and features.

Gaining access to the web-based platform will you require you to have a live or demo account from CMC Markets. You will then be able to access the web-based version of the platform from your account.

Clients are also able to get the “slimmed down” version of the Next Generation platform for mobile. This is available for both Android and Apple devices, including iPads. In 2019 this app won three awards for Best Mobile/Tablet Trading App by Investment Trends U.K., Financial Times Wealth, and Shares Awards.

It offers the same features and functionality of most “on the go” mobile trading apps, and the features of it we will also discuss in the following section. Clients will only need to download the app and sign into their accounts to access the markets and trade.

How Can I Open CMC Markets Account? A Simple Tutorial

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Opening up a live or demo account is simple enough with CMC Markets. Luckily enough, many online brokers have made signing up streamlined, with a client being able to sign up within mere minutes. The first thing a prospective CMC client will want to do is head to their website.

There you will find clearly marked buttons in the top right-hand corner of the screen. One button will be to “log in,” and the other “will be to “create account.”. Naturally, clients wanting to sign up will opt to click on the create account button and follow the steps, while the log-in option will be for already registered clients.

In creating your account, you will follow the prompts for registration which will have you fill in your country first. Remember that brokers are only allowed to operate and acquire clients from specific regions; if your country is not on the list, you will not be able to open an account with CMC Markets.

Following that, you will have to enter your name, date of birth, Email, address, and phone number. Then you will need to answer a couple of questions about your trading experience and employment status, after which you will receive a link via Email to a third-party identification service. Here you will be asked to show yourself along with your I.D. documents.

After this is complete, you will then only need to submit a relevant bank statement, credit card statement, or utility bill.

CMC Markets Charts and Analysis

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We touched on the platforms that clients can trade on when it comes to CMC Markets, and we discussed that in addition to using MT4, their “main focus” is centered around their proprietary app, Next Generation.

The functionality and features that this platform offers are quite numerous. From a broad standpoint, this platform offers tools such as client sentiment charts and pattern recognition. These tools help clients to analyze the markets in a different way and are said to help identify potential trading opportunities.

The client sentiment tool allows you, as a CMC Market client, to view the percentages of other clients who have bought versus those who have sold particular assets. This helps you gain an understanding of expectations amongst other users.

It also offers the option to include multiple layouts, which will allow users to create and save as many as five different trading layouts, all within the platform.

The pattern recognition scanner available in the platform will scan more than 120 of the most popular assets every 15 minutes for emerging and completed chart trading patterns. This includes channels, wedges, head and shoulder patterns, and even wedges. If you are into technical analysis, then this could help spot potential positions.

Once the pattern completes, an automatic “projection box” will be generated where it will highlight the predicted price. In conjunction with its built-in backtesting tool, it provides many opportunities for potential trades that you might miss.

The platform also offers the latest Reuters News and Analyst Insights along with Morningstar Quantitative Equity Research. This is just a fancy feature that lets you see whether or not a company’s share price is perhaps seen as overvalued or undervalued. If that is not enough for you, they also have an in-depth market calendar powered by Reuters, giving you up-to-date feeds on events.

If you would like to have a deeper look into the Next Generation platform, then we suggest that you view the platform’s quick guide that will outline and detail everything there is to know about it.

There are just as many features in the mobile version of the app. It offers advance order ticketing and mobile-optimized charting that includes over 40 technical indicators and drawing tools. It should be noted that all these technical indicators and drawing tools are also available on the web platform. The app also offers typical alerts via push notifications, SMS, or even Email.

Then in terms of there learning tools that are available and free, there is much that an aspiring trader can go through.

There are three specific sections dedicated to learning to trade, and these sections revolve around;

• Forex
• CFDs
• Cryptocurrencies

Going into depth on precisely what these “courses” in trading offer is far beyond what we can cover here. Suffice it to say that everything from “what is forex” to “spot fx trading” is covered in the forex section. Learning about Crypto is more of a broad overview but will still give you a solid understanding of how blockchain technology works and what it is.

Learning CFDs are along the same lines as forex and is quite in-depth. In this section, you can expect to learn everything from calculating margins to holding costs.

There learn to trade section also covers live webinars and events. They cover everything from learning how to trade to platform tutorials, advanced trading strategies, and more here.

Then they also have their own news section and videos comprising the latest market news, delivered by their in-house team, and analyst videos showing you how to use the powerful features of their award-winning platform.

CMC Markets Account Types

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One can choose to open three accounts when wanting to trade with CMC Markets. They are a Spread Betting Account, a CFD Trading Account, and an FX Active account.

The spread betting account is only available to residents of the U.K., which allows clients to trade on 12,000 plus instruments with the tightest spreads, no hidden fees, and no dealer intervention. Spread betting is available to trade with leverage. It should be noted at this point that all accounts are set at a maximum leverage of 30:1.

The CFD account is a derivative product that will allow clients to trade on the underlying asset’s price movement. These accounts also have over 12,000 instruments for trading, and clients who choose this account will be able to use the MT4 platform. This account also has a no-pay stamp duty on profits.

Lastly, they have their FX Trading account, which is primarily geared to traders who want the most from their forex trading. It also offers over 12,000 assets to trade from as with the other accounts; however, there is no spread on six major forex pairs, and then for the rest (which is over 300) there is a 25% discount on the spreads, they offer. Commissions based on specific assets for this account start at $2.50 per lot.

It should be noted that all accounts, no matter if they are spread betting, CFD, or FX accounts, are automatically entered into the tiered-volume spread discount scheme. The eligible account holders for any of these accounts are also able to join the exclusive Alpha membership. These features we will discuss in more detail under the special offers section.

One thing CMC markets offer on all their accounts that most other brokers do not is the fact that no minimum deposit is required for any of their accounts, including the FX active account with no spread for the six major forex pairs.

We have provided you with a table below so that you can compare the accounts that CMC Markets offer.

Do I Have Negative Balance Protection with This Broker?

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Negative balance protection is an option that not all brokers offer but should. Luckily, CMC Markets offers negative balance protection on all of their accounts. This means that if you have opened any of their accounts, whether a spread betting account, CFD account, or FX active account, you will not be able to lose more than what you have deposited.

For example, If you have funded your account with USD 100 and have taken a position and the position closes at a loss of USD 120, you, as a CMC Market client, will not be liable for the difference. CMC Markets will pay the difference and bring your account to zero.

It should be noted that the accounts trade on leverage, as with most brokerage accounts. This means that you can trade on large positions with a small account. However, this has risks, and if you don’t know what leverage is, then you should use CMC Markets to help you learn about calculating leverage here.

CMC Markets Deposits and Withdrawals

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For the number of assets that CMC Markets offer, the options available to fund one’s account seems limited. The options are your standard credit or debit card, bank transfer, or PayPal. If you wish to make a deposit via a bank transfer, you will need to do so via your online bank.

The other payment options will allow you to fund your account via your active trading account that you set up with CMC Markets. This can be done on the web platform or via the app.

Take note that CMC Markets does not accept cash or cheque payments along with American Express or Diner’s Club.

In terms of the withdrawal process, it seems easy enough. You will need to log into the trading platform and head to the “funding” tab. From there, you will select to choose the withdrawal option.

Here you will be able to select one of the available withdrawal option methods, which include card, bank transfer, or PayPal.

The withdrawal cutoff time is 2 pm (for withdrawals made in the U.K.); otherwise, it is 11 am for non-U.K.-based withdrawals. Withdrawals made before these cutoff periods will be processed on the same day.

It should be noted that although withdrawals will be made before the allocated cutoff times, the process for you to receive your funds will depend on the method you choose. Typically, funds will be received within 1 to 2 days, but instances occur where it could take up to 5.

Lastly, remember that no minimum deposit is required for any of the three accounts that CMC Markets offer their traders.

Support Service for Customer

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CMC Markets are not known for their customer service, but that does not mean they don’t have a solid track record for making their clients happy. They have 15 offices located all around the world, not including their U.K. head office.

Each of these office’s addresses, contact Emails, and telephone numbers are listed on the site, and you are more than welcome to get support through Email or telephone. On this webpage, you will also be able to visit the localized webpage for CMC Markets regarding each of its regions, where you will be able to find out more detailed information on your region if need be.

They do not have a live chat feature like many new online brokers, but they insist on giving them a call and have a rating that says that 98% of all calls are answered in under 20 seconds.

You can also visit their FAQ page or any part of their entire FAQ section devoted to answering almost any question you may have regarding trading, your account, or the company. If you have more questions, you can head to the support page, where all the additional categories listed for their FAQs are.

Prohibited Countries: Where Can I Not Trade with this Broker?

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As with most CFD brokers, CMC Markets do not accept residents from the USA in addition to FATF (Financial Action Task Force) blacklisted countries such as North Korea and Iran.

The countries that are able to trade with CMC Markets include; Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway.

We were not able to find all the countries that are not able to trade with CMC Markets; however, we did manage to find these;

Special Offers for Customers

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Many brokers offer special discounts or offers, such as doubling your initial deposit or signup bonuses. However, CMC Markets does not offer any such bonuses. Although, they do not have a minimum deposit when opening an account. This should be noted because most “forex” trading accounts that are opened typically require a minimum deposit of USD 1,000.

This is due to the fact that these types of accounts offer very low spreads and, in some cases (as with CMC Markets), no spread.

Take into consideration that even though they do not offer any signup bonuses, all their accounts are entered into their tiered-volume spread discount scheme, Price +. This trading scheme that is available on all three accounts will let you earn points as you trade. Points are then automatically added to your account throughout the calendar month, and depending on what tier your account lands up in, CMC will offer you reduced spreads. The discounted rates for the tiers carry over to the next month so you can continue to benefit from them.

They also have what is known as the Alpha Membership. This membership is for clients with eligible accounts requiring you to deposit a minimum of GBP 25,000 and maintain it as you trade. Traders who do this will automatically go into tier three and receive the 14.3% discounts on spreads.

They will also get a complimentary Financial Times subscription and priority customer service if you have any questions. You should remember that the tier system in terms of the high tiers will also apply to individuals who choose to opt-in for an Alpha membership. If you want to know more about this membership, you should contact CMC Markets customer support.

CMC Markets Review Conclusion: Reputable Broker with Easy-to-use Platform

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They have probably the widest range of tradable assets we have yet to come across, offering over 12,000 with over 330 Forex pairs and over 8,000 shares. If you are looking for a safe broker that does not require a minimum deposit or even looking to trade on a spread betting account, then you should opt to give them a go.

PIPPENGUIN

We come to the conclusion that CMC Markets is a very safe and reliable broker due to the fact that they have been in business for almost four decades. They are regulated by four international governing bodies that are considered to be high-tier regulators, and they have sterling reviews from over 1,400 people on TrustPilot.

They have probably the widest range of tradable assets we have yet to come across, offering over 12,000 with over 330 Forex pairs and over 8,000 shares. If you are looking for a safe broker that does not require a minimum deposit or even looking to trade on a spread betting account, then you should opt to give them a go.

Summary and Key Takeaways

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You should take away that this broker has one of the widest ranges of assets that any online broker offers, along with having no minimum deposit for any of the three trading accounts that they offer. Then although they don’t have any special offers, all accounts are eligible for their tier system that gives a discount on spreads.

The FX account also has no minimum deposit required, and the spread on this account for six major forex pairs is zero. Lastly, the spread betting account offers tax-free profits, and all accounts have no payable stamp duty.

FAQs

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Can I trust CMC Markets?

Yes, you can trust CMC Markets. CMC Markets is regulated by four international commission agencies that protect traders. This includes the FCA, which is the most-rated conduct authority in the U.K. They are also listed on the London Stock Exchange and part of the FTSE 250. Additionally, they were established in 1989, which means they have a long and illustrious track record that includes many awards.

Can I trade with CMC Markets in Australia?

Yes, you are able to trade with CMC Markets in Australia. They are regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), including offices that are based in Sydney. You can visit their website or call the Sydney offices for more information.

How long does it take to withdraw money from CMC Markets

Payments are processed through either debit or credit cards, PayPal, or bank transfers. Applications to process withdrawals before a certain cutoff time will be processed the same day but take note that receiving the funds can take anywhere between 1 to 2 days, depending on your payment choice and bank. In some instances, it may take up to five days.

How Do I withdraw money from CMC Markets?

You will need to log into the trading platform and head to the “funding” tab. From there, you will select to choose the withdrawal option.

Here you will be able to select one of the available withdrawal option methods, which include card, bank transfer, or PayPal.

Does CMC Markets have Fees?

CMC Markets have commissions that are based on accounts and start at USD 10 for shares and USD 2.5 for forex, depending on the account. For their FX Active account spreads start from zero pips, while other accounts start at 0.3 pips. Then they only charge an inactivity fee after your account has been inactive for a period of one year.