There are many considerations when deciding on the best spread betting broker, but one of the most important factors is whether a trader can trust their money with the firm in question. For this reason, it’s always worth trading with a company that is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK or has a similar licence to operate in Ireland.

Best spread betting brokers that should be taken into account include a broker’s trading platform, the range of markets available and whether a trader wants to focus on Forex, shares or commodities. For example, if someone is keen to invest in AIM and small-cap stocks then they would need to find a specialist spread betting provider that offers these instruments. If a trader prefers to use the currency market, they should look for brokers that offer tight FX spreads and a good selection of trading tools.

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In terms of trading platforms, CMC Markets and IG Group offer some of the most advanced online systems in the business. Both provide a large variety of webinars, trading tools and indicators that can help beginners to get to grips with the volatile markets they are entering.

IG Group was founded in 1974, making it the oldest of all the spread betting companies we have reviewed. It also claims to offer the most tradable assets of any online broker with more than 17,000 different symbols for spread bets on forex, shares, indices and commodities. Its prices are competitive, too.