Dif Broker

The first thought that comes to mind when one lands on the Dif broker website is "power".  This is due to the choice of colors, black and crimson, and the map of the world that indicates its global reach. Definitely an inspiring initial impression!

Dif Broker was voted the Best Online Broker in Western Europe for 2010. Given the large number of online brokers, this is very impressive. The website is easy to navigate. It has a list of countries towards its left and one just has to click on the appropriate country to view the version of the website in the local language. This increases the company's reach and indicates their strong urge to serve their customers in the best way possible.

Towards the middle of the home page is an area, which provides more information for investors seeking to manage risk in international markets. This is done by means of the automatic Country Models. The Regional Opportunities Model offers the perfect combination of exposure to target equity markets and risk-management. This is based upon the Point and Figure methodology in which Dorsey, Wright and Associates are experts: this investment advisory firm manages the Trade the Country Model. It is a computer-to-computer automatically managed stock portfolio.

Dif Brokers trading products are:

-Stocks

-Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)

-Contracts for Difference (CFDs)

-Futures

-Forex.

Dif Freedom is the trading platform used by this company.

There are many other sections, like, Investment, Dif Woman, Dif Junior, Markets and IB Services.

Help is easily available with phone numbers and help desk email addresses provided for quick access. This is, all in all, an excellent website, with its wealth of information that is easily understood. It is well worth a visit. Dif Broker stands for integrity and trust.

Bulbrokers

Bulbrokers is a company that was formed in 1996 and is an eminent broker on the Bulgarian, regional and international markets. It is a non-banking finance company. It has multiple licenses to execute foreign exchange deals. Some of the services this company provides are in the fields of brokerage, trade, foreign exchange, business consulting, investment banking and financial analyses.

Bulbrokers' wide range of services offered includes Contracts for Difference, custodian services, and investment funds, fixed income funds, foreign stocks and derivatives.

This website is very easy to use and attractive, with its muted gold and brown color scheme.  It surely adds to the name of this company and would make users feel "bullish"!

There is an Account section where customers can easily open a demo account to get a feel for operations before they make a firm decision about their trading style, outlay and frequency of trading.  In this section, a real account can easily be opened and managed as well.

The Bulbrokers website has ample information on the Trading Platforms used. The Client Order-Book Online System (or COBOS) is used for Internet securities trading. In addition to this, Metatrader 4 is used, and Metatrader Mobile as well as Trader Workstation 4.

This website certainly aims at inspiring trust in a first-time user and is very convenient to peruse. A wonderful feature of this website is the area towards the left of the home page which shows the Bid and Ask prices of leading currencies, and below that, of stocks.

Bulbrokers is part of Financial Group, and with the other companies in the group, aims at providing high value added services and tailoring their approach to the individual so everything is very personalized.

Daniels Trading

Daniels Trading (dt|FX) is an online broker company that specializes in providing forex-trading opportunities to its clients. On its website, Daniels Trading reviews its company history, its account and trading options for its customers, education about forex, and the procedure for opening an account online.

Daniels Trading is an American broker based in Chicago, Illinois, which allows trading for an international client base. The site offers free up to date market analysis, limited risk options for clients, a range of software options for trading, and system stability and reliability. All together, Daniels Trading has made it a company mission provide the best possible trading environment for its clients and customers, to ensure their financial security and help them achieve financial success.

On its website, Daniels Trading reviews the basics of forex. There is a large portion of the site designed to educate new traders about exactly what forex is, and teach new traders how to understand trading jargon. The site gives a history of the forex trading market, and explains how the instrument was once traded by financial experts or the extremely wealthy, but can now be traded successfully by anyone. The site explains the meaning of commonly used terms in forex trade, such a pip or spread, so users can understand the charts and information given to them to help guide trading decisions.

Daniels Trading reviews its software options for users. Clients can trade via any of three forex trading software platform packages: FOREXTrader, FOREXTrader.web or FOREXTrader.wireless. These software options allow users to trade successfully from any computer without software installation, or allow them to trade online using smartphones to trade on the go. Daniels Trading reviews the options for its free 30-day demo, to allow users to trade with no financial risk. For those seeking a live account, and online application is subjected to Daniels Trading review, and then the user can fund their account and begin to trade online. Daniels Trading offers phone and email customer service support.

FXCM Micro

FXCM Micro, a division of, FXCM, a registered Futures Commission Merchants engaging in Forex trading and related services, offers Forex traders a solution to a very common problem. While the Forex market has over 4 trillion dollars traded daily, retail traders who are just getting started in Forex trading do not have a lot of capital to invest.

In fact, putting aside capital, new Forex traders should not be investing large sums of money in Forex before they have some experience under their belts. A beginner Forex trader should try to keep risk low and trade on a low flame for as long as they can afford to.

Many Forex brokers require a minimum deposit of $500, a sum that is substantial to most people. Other brokers go as low as a $100 minimum, but even that might be a high number for some traders.

The FXCM Micro account enables Forex traders to begin their Forex career with a minimum deposit of $50. This means they cannot possibly lose more than that as a result of trading. Unlike FXCM that caters to all retail traders as well as institutions, FXCM Micro clearly targets the new Forex trader.

The site has various resources to learn the market including webinars, videos, and self study tools. The FXCM Micro account also offers its customers free professional Forex signals to help them in their trading. For those traders that want to practice before investing real money, FXCM Micro also offers a free $25,000 demo account for traders to test their strategies and trading abilities.

Opening an FXCM Micro account with a $25 deposit will also grant the trader competitive spreads and FXCM’s no dealing desk execution. The one thing that struck me as a little strange is that if FXCM Micro is a service that caters to new traders, you would think they would the best customer support possible including email, phone, as well as real time chat. Unfortunately, FXCM Micro only has email and forum support, which may be a problem for the new Forex trader. In terms of the platform itself, it is a downloadable application that is compatible with PC only.

For Mac users, there is a Java-based trading platform. Since FXCM Micro is a division of FXCM, the company is registered and regulated by many of the most respected regulatory bodies in the world.

FXCM Micro is currently offered through Forex Capital Markets Limited (FXCM UK) for international clients, and Forex Capital Markets LLC (FXCM US) for U.S. based clients. FXCM UK is regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in the UK. FXCM US is a registered Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and a Forex Dealer Member (FDM) of the National Futures Association (NFA). Depositing and withdrawing funds from your FXCM Micro account is relatively easy with support for credit card, wire transfer, paper check, and ACH or EFT. FXCM Holdings, LLC, the parent holding company of FXCM UK and FXCM US (FXCM), has over 165,000 tradable accounts from over 180 countries.

As of June 30, 2010, FXCM had in excess of $425 million in customer funds and an average of $250 billion in trading volume on platforms offered by FXCM. We believe that FXCM Micro is a good solution for new traders. Please note that trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors.

ATC Brokers

ATC Brokers is an online broker company that provides the software and support required to allow users to trade forex and futures online. On its website, atcbrokers.com, ATC Brokers reviews its account options and software support options, as well as general information on forex trading and information for institutions looking to trade forex.

ATC Brokers was founded in 2005 with the mission to provide forex-trading opportunities to the general public, since at the time industry professionals mostly traded forex. The site offers a way for those new to trading to try their hand at trading forex online to earn money via investing.

ATC Brokers reviews its software options for interested traders. Clients of the company can trade using a number of software platforms, including ATC Trader, Ninja Trader, X-Trader, MetaTrader 4 ECN, or Active Trader. Each of these programs can be customized to suit the needs of beginner and advanced traders, and be customized to show important info that can affect the client’s trading decisions. ATC Brokers reviews its trading options: it offers automated trading, block account trading, data feed integration, custom indicators and API integration, all of which will help clients make smart, educated financial decisions when trading with the company.

ATC Brokers offers trading of futures as well forex. Users have access to a number of free charts, as well as technical and fundamental analyses of the marketplace, to help them choose when to buy and sell forex or futures. The site offers the basics of trading futures and forex to allow users to educate themselves on the rules of the marketplace before they begin trading.

ATC Brokers reviews its account options on its website. Users can apply for an account online by sending personal information and proof of ID. The application is subject to ATC Brokers review, and after approval they are able to fund their account and begin trading online. ATC Brokers offers phone and email customer support to its clients to attend to any questions or concerns clients have when trading online.

TFIFx

As a site that specializes in Forex reviews, we come across a large number of online Forex brokers. The name of the game when it comes these brokers succeeding in this competitive market is to stand out. TFIFx does just that.

Some brokers stand out with the high leverage they provide, while others stand out with the small investment you need to trade. Other brokers offer a standalone and independent trading platform, while others offers some new social features.

TfiFX stands out for a totally different reason. While they could offer a mini or micro account with the ability to trade using a 500:1 leverage, they specifically declare that traders who trade in that manner are not their target audience.

TfiFX allows you to open an account with no less than a $1000 investment and a relatively low leverage. They do this in order to avoid the phenomenon that is found with 90% of traders. Most traders begin their Forex career with very little capital and dream of making it big by using a 500:1 leverage. The vast majority of them lose their money immediately and close their accounts.

TfiFX can compete with the best of the market’s brokers with their intuitive trading platform, their advanced trading features, their extremely user friendly and informative website, as well as their on site educational tools.

TfiFX was founded in 1999 and operates under the Exchange Control License issued by the Central Bank of Cyprus. TfiFX has full support for CFDs, Metals, and Forex. Their spreads are set and stay the same irrelevant of market volatility.

In addition, TfiFX offers a margin and pip calculator, currency converter and deliverables calculator, as well as very basic support for mobile trading on Windows Mobile smartphones.

On the negative side, TfiFX does not have a chat, which is something that has become pretty standard in today’s online Forex world. Additionally, when downloading their platform, I was slightly disturbed that in order to trade the free Forex demo account, I needed to opt in to receiving their newsletter. Now, that is not the end of the world, but in an industry full of hard sellers and spam marketers, I would stay away from such tricks if I were TfiFX. Again, not the end of the world, especially since the newsletter contains important information on the market.

LeverageFX

LeverageFX is an online broker company that specializes in trading of forex online. On its website LeverageFX reviews it company history, trading options and forex education for new traders. The site also runs a number of interactive aspects to provide a sense of community along their clients.

LeverageFX was founded in 2006 as a way to bring forex trading opportunities and training in forex trading online so to reach a broad audience. The site offers a range of software package options for users on its site, ranging from software designed for beginners to more advanced software for experienced traders and brokers. LeverageFX reviews its software options and allows users to compare packages to figure out which software will best suit their needs. Beginners may choose software that offers easy to follow trends that are green when the market is rising and red when the market is falling, to indicate when to buy or sell. More advanced users may appreciate more customizable software packages since they can choose which options to display, as well as have access to charts, and market analyses to make their trading decisions.

On its website, LeverageFX reviews the pricing for its software packages, which can range from $150 per month to lease use of the software to $2000 to buy the software outright. The price includes the forex software of choice, as well as an account, forex charts, and access to forex trading systems. LeverageFX reviews its customer service options for current and prospective clients. The company offers support via email, love chat, phone and by skype. LeverageFX also runs a forum and a blog to create a sense of community among its clients, where clients can share trading tips and advice and help for newcomers to help ensure the financial success of those trading using LeverageFX software.

ForexCA

Forex.ca is an online broker site that allows users to trade forex online. On its website, Forex.ca allows visitors to learn about the company, browse their account options and the advantages of choosing the company, learn about Forex and the trading options available on the site, and learn about the history of the company.

Forex.ca is a subsidiary of Cash Forex Trading Inc, and was founded in 2005 as a way to allow users the chance to trade foreign exchange online, providing the same opportunities to individuals as to larger corporations.

Forex.ca reviews extensively the basics of forex trading online. They provide information about what forex is, how it is traded, and the risks involved with trading forex. They also provide definitions to commonly used terms in forex trading to allow newcomers to online trading to learn the proper jargon. They provide explanations of analysis of the marketplace, and provide free charts to their customers to allow them to stay up to date on the changes in a dynamic marketplace. The platforms also offer free auto-trading so users can set preferences to buy and sell forex when the market reaches a pre-set point. This allows for users to trade on the go at their convenience.

Forex.ca reviews their trading options for their customers. They allow trading on any of four trading software platforms, to allow users to customize their trading experience with the company. The company offers mini trading accounts which require only a small initial personal investment to begin trading, as well as standard accounts for those more comfortable with trading online and looking to trade larger amounts. Forex.ca offers new account bonuses, and easy online applications for new accounts, and cheap online courses to help users get started trading. Following a Forex.ca review of new applications, users can fund their mini or standard trading accounts to begin trading online. Forex.ca offers phone and email support to their clients to ensure a positive consumer experience.

Lebanese Dealers Corporation

LDC, the short name of the Lebanese Dealers Corporation is a Forex broker that is regulated by the Central Bank of Lebanon. The company has been providing fast service to the beginner and expert trader for the last five years. LDC covers the markets 24 hours a day, all over the world. When opening an account whether live or demo with LDC you have access to news and fundamental analysis as well as Forex, futures, commodities, and precious metal trading.

LDC provides video tutorials and glossary terms of everything “financial” for those who are ready to get started but unsure of what certain terms mean. There is also a page describing certain aspects of technical analysis but I was disappointed that there was little information provided.

The brokerage offers several trading platforms available which include- MT4, VertexFX, CIT Trading, Mobile, Ebroker Platform, and Web Trader. There is a free SMS subscription where traders can get news and other Forex/Commodities information straight to the phone while you're on the go.

Lebanese Dealers Corporation has both an interest calculator and economic calendar so you can stay on top of all events in the financial world. BBC news is rolling across the top of the homepage so you can see the news 24/7. The live online customer support, as well as many options to view the site in other languages is a plus.

On the downside, I was disappointed that there were no bonuses or promotions when opening an account with LDC and I hope this changes in the future.

IronFX

IronFX is a new online Forex broker that aims to provide an easy and innovative way to trade Forex and other products including stocks, metals and futures.

When trading Forex with IronFX, there are many options for different accounts to choose from, including standard, premium, and business. There is also an option on their website to set up a demo account, which will give beginner traders a chance to practice their strategies and to familiarize themselves with the IronFX trading platform.

During our IronFX review we quickly noted that the company offers some great promotions for setting up an account. One of the best promotions includes a cash rebate for every lot traded, so that every lot can receive up to 3 dollars!

A cool feature that IronFX offers is the ability to trade on the go with Blackberry, iPhone, and Android applications. For traders who trade via their computer, IronFX offers the well-known MT4 platform and some of its other versions including the WebTrader, and Multi-terminal which is the ability to manage more than 1 account from the same screen.

Another thing we appreciated during our IronFX review is the spread comparison that is offered directly on the company’s website, so there is no confusion or conflict about what the trading conditions are.

IronFX has a multilingual team available 24/5 to help in any way a trader can need. The team consists of representatives for 20 languages, and there is an easy contact button on their homepage should any questions, comments, or concerns arise. Customer support is available by chat, phone and email, ensuring that traders can get help any way they feel comfortable.

IronFX has a clean, organized website, with a quick and easy registration process.  The overall design of the website makes it possible to get traders started successfully as soon as possible.

Pip Forex

Pip Forex is an online trading site that offers broker services for trading forex. On its website, Pip Forex reviews it customer account options, its company history, customer service options, and reviews educational materials for users to learn about forex trading online. Pip Forex reviews the advantages of their company, to help users choose an online broker from a range of competitors.

Simray ASA, a Norwegian financial company, owns Pip Forex. The company’s mission is to provide a simple approach to forex trading online, to allow both individual investors and large financial institutions and experienced traders the opportunity to earn money trading forex online. On its site, Pip Forex reviews the basics of forex. They explain what forex is and how it is traded, the risks involved with trading forex online and the potential payoffs for high-risk investments. The site explains the meaning of commonly used terms in forex trading. User can sign up for a free forex guide that will explain the basics of forex trading, and guide users through their first few trades.

Pip Forex reviews it account options on its website. Users can sign up for a free demo account to trade forex online using the Pip Forex software platforms without any personal financial risk. Demo accounts are free and require only a valid email to sign up. Users can also apply for a live account online, a process that takes only a few minutes. Following a Pip Forex review of each application, users can fund their account and download an appropriate trading software platform to begin trading forex online. Users can connect with other customers using the online forums on the site, or contact customer service via phone or email to receive help with trading online.

Gallant FX

Are you looking for a Gallant Capital Markets review?  Gallant Capital Markets Ltd is a company registered and located in the British Virgin Islands and does not solicit or accept customers that reside in or are domiciled in the United States or its territories.  US-based traders can find excellent Forex services with our top rated US brokers including Gain Capital, FXRenew and more.

Gallant FX is an online broker company that facilitates online trading of forex for individual customers as well as institutions. On their website, Gallant FX reviews their customer account options, educational materials about trading online, company history, and customer service options. Users can also use the website to open new live or demo accounts to begin trading forex online with Gallant FX.
Gallant FX was founded in 2008 as a way to provide direct trading access to customers online. The company works to develop a large range of forex trading technology to provide state of the art trading opportunities to its customers. The firm prides itself on complete transparency, superior trading advantages to its users, and anonymity to users. The company has developed trading platforms that offer individual traders the same benefits as large institutions, to allow for a complete and customizable trading experience online.
On its website, Gallant FX reviews the basics of forex trading. The site explains what forex is and how it is affected by the market place, gives information about the details of trading forex and provides technical and fundamental analyses to help users in learning about forex. The site defines key terms used in trading to educate their customers, and help ensure their success trading online.
User can apply to open live and demo accounts online using Gallant FX. Demo accounts allow customers to learn about and experience forex market trading without any personal financial risk. Live accounts can be applied for online, and following a Gallant FX review, customers can begin to trade forex using any of the sites platforms. Users can fund their accounts using a range of payment methods including PayPal and major credit cards, as well as bank wire transfer. To ensure the success of their customers, Gallant FX offers phone, chat and email support to their clients.

Fast Brokers

Fast Brokers is an online broker company that specializes in the trading of futures and Forex. On its website, Fast Brokers reviews their account options, the benefits of choosing an account with the company, their company history, and their customer support options. They also offer information about trading Forex and futures online, so user can educate themselves on the details of the marketplace before choosing whether to invest in trading online.

Fast Brokers is headquartered in Glendale, California. The company mission is to provide fast and professional customer support, and provide all the education, software and tools needed for their customers to achieve financial success trading online. Fast Brokers reviews their high standards of quality that set them apart from their competition, and allow users t learn about the company to feel safe using their broker services to trade online.

Fast Brokers reviews their trading options for trading futures and Forex online. The company offers direct access to information to help clients make sound financial decisions when trading. Users can access to up to date market analysis and trends, as well as charts and software to help guide their trading. Fask Brokers reviews their trading platforms available. Users looking to trade futures can use the Trade Pulse, Trade Navigator or Fast Scalper programs, which offer a range of features to suit new and advanced traders. Users looking to trade Forex can do so using the FastFX, FastFX-PRO, and Currenex ECN platforms.

For those looking to open an account, application can be done online or over the phone. Following a Fast Brokers review, users can log into their accounts online to fund their account by wire transfer, PayPal, or credit card, and begin to trade online. Fast Brokers offers phone and email support to clients, to ensure a positive consumer experience trading online.

NobleTrading

NobleTrading, a subsidiary of LightSpeed Financial Inc, is an online brokerage company that specializes in the trading of a number of financial instruments. On its website NobleTrading reviews their trading options, information on trading markets and instruments, their account options and their company history. They also outline the trading platforms offered and their customer service options.

NobleTrading is based in New York City in the United States. It is at the forefront of online trading, first opening online trading options in 1999. The mission of the company is to provide direct access to US equity options and futures markets, to allow trading by both individual customers and large institutions. They aim to provide a supportive trading atmosphere with competitive services to allow for the financial success of their clients.

NobleTrading reviews their services for trading stocks and options, futures, and forex to private clients and institutions. Each trading instrument has a section of the website dedicated to outlining the advantages of trading the instrument with NobleTrading, as well as information on the software platforms available for trading. They offer a broker comparison for clients to weigh the advantages of working with NobleTrading.

NobleTrading reviews their account options on their site. Users can sign up for a demo account to trade in a number of markets with no real personal financial risk, and to allow clients to learn about the marketplace to help ensure their success trading real money. NobleTrading reviews their live account options, which allow for a range of down payments for account opening. Users can open an account online, and following a NobleTrading review, they can deposit funds into their account and begin trading on any of the company’s platforms. NobleTrading offers phone, email and live chat support to provide a positive trading experience for their customers.

NordMarkets

Nord Markets is an online broker company that specializes in Forex trading. On its website Nord Markets reviews its account options, customer service, and company history. The site allows users to learn about Forex trading using Nord Markets, and the advantages of choosing Nord Markets over its competitors.

Nord Markets is based in Stockholm, Sweden. A team of financial and technology specialists run it, with the mission to provide top of the line technology, brokerage and financial services internationally, and allow for transparent and competitive Forex trading.

Nord Markets offers trading of Forex using a range of Forex trading tools. Users can trade forex via the MetaTrader 4 platform, Currenex, and FXDesk PRO software platforms. Choice of trading platforms allows users to customize their trading experience online, and choose a platform suitable to their financial needs and trading experience. Nord Markets reviews the features and advantages of each platform, to allow users to make an educated decision picking their platform of choice.

They offer demo accounts for users to try their hand at online trading with no real financial risk. Users can trade virtual forex in real time, to understand changes in the marketplace and how they affect the forex trading market. There are multiple platforms available for demo use, teaching you how to get started. Users can then sign up for a live account. Nord Markets reviews their account options on their site: they offer mini and micro accounts which do not require a large financial down payment to begin trading, as well as larger forex accounts and managed accounts that are assigned a broker within the company.  Managed accounts are useful for making sure that everything is going correctly and smoothly. A very experienced professional is there guiding you and your accounts according to your needs. They are there to answer any questions, help with risk management and protect funds.

Applications can be filled out online, and after a Nord Markets review, customers can deposit money into their account and begin trading. Nord Markets offers phone and email customer service to attend to the questions and concerns of their clients.

FXFlat

FXFlat describes itself as “a broker for trading in the attractive Forex and CFD markets”. They may assume that your visit to their website has attracted you to them. This German company functions as an online presence for the asset management company Heyder Krueger & Colleagues. Since it’s founding in 1997 Heyder Krueger & Colleagues has specialized in financial consulting and asset management. That company is licensed by the German financial supervisory authorities and subject to their direct supervision.

FXFlat gives its clients access and use of a trading platform comprised of FlatTrader, FXFlat WebTrader and MobileTrader. These components work together to provide market access to FX and CFD traders from virtually anywhere on earth.

FlatTrader is designed to for trading a multitude of CFD derivates and Forex spot transactions.

FXFlat WebTrader adds internet functionality to features and functionalities found in a conventional download-trading platform. No download is required when using FXFlat on the web, however.

FXFlat MobileTrader brings mobile convenience to the execution of an ever-expanding set of trade related functions. In the case of MobileTrader it is necessary to visit FXFlat on the web for a rundown of exactly what your particular Blackberry, iPhone or PDA is capable of doing once MobileTrader is loaded onto your device.

Should you decide to open an account with them the team from FXFlat promises to be at your side daily from 08:00 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and commits its colleagues in London to 24 hours daily support on an absolutely for free basis.

FXFlat offers a demo account for training purposes as well and believes that its demo system is a critical element in its educational effort to ensure that clients have access to state of the art technology and accurate market information. Account types range from retail to institutional with FXFlat.

Exness

The mission of the company called Exness is clearly stated: To provide reliable, affordable and qualitative services through innovative trading technologies for our clients and their partners. The phrase a little to the right of the company logo “Exchangeness of trade” is not entirely clear to this writer.

Another apparent emphasis at Exness is security since even the home page link uses the secure version of the HTTP web protocol HTTPS, which is designed for secure ecommerce transactions.

The website doesn’t provide much background information about the origins of the company called Exness. Exness got its start in 2008. The CEO (or General Director) of Exness is one Igor Lychagov. The company operates from Russia, St. Peterburg, Krasnoselskaya 2, office 3.

The trading services that Exness offers to clients are Forex trading, CFD trading and futures trading. The website is admirably clear about the trading hours for each of the different services. Parts of the website mention account minimums and leverage ratios. It would be more convenient if client options were spelled out more clearly.

Exness appears to offer advanced affiliate programs offer with different options for opening a representative office.

MetaTrader4 by Metaquotes Software Corporation is the platform of choice for Exness. Potential clients are free to download the platform from the link provided. Like many of its competitors Exness offers a trial or demo account option so that those new to online trading can test and develop their trading skills before putting any funds at risk in real trading activities. A section of the website devoted to introducing traders to Forex and the like is a bit cursory in its approach.

A Press Release section mentions that clients receive round-the-clock technical support. A live chat link was posted on the website, but was not currently in operation. A click there brought up a form that asked for email information.

Alliance Investment Management

If you need to sample a little background information on Alliance Investment Management as found on their website you may need to scroll down to the bottom of the page and click a tab labeled ABOUT US. “Bend down low let me tell you what I know” came to mind once we discovered that Alliance Investment Management Ltd. is located in Jamaica.

The company is licensed by the Financial Services Commission of Jamaica under the Securities Act 1993. They provide asset management and financial advisory services to meet each client's specific needs. Alliance Investment Management is managed by an experienced team of professionals who have had successful careers in banking, investment and finance both locally and internationally. Pictures and names of the principals are provided.

Alliance Investment Management states that it is committed to providing transparency and scrutiny in its operations. It provides links to summaries of its audited Financial Statements though 2007.

In addition to providing asset management and investment planning services Alliance Investment Management is a licensed Cambio and trades in most major foreign currencies.

The company also offers bill paying and remittance services. It can also facilitate the process of worldwide investing or opening of an online trading account. That account can allow clients to directly buy and sell stocks and other investment instruments listed on the NYSE, NASDAQ and AMEX exchanges.

Financial tools offered at the website consist only of Loan Payment, Debt Management, Debt Reduction, Periodic Investment, Investment Return Spread and Inflation calculators.

Another service offered at the website states that clients can borrow funds against their investments at “very attractive” interest rates. Details are obtainable from customer service representatives.

Alliance Investment Management states that it offers highly personalized financial services to its clients. The website doesn’t outline how it supports those services in detail however.

Lloyds TSB

Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets is a trading name of Lloyds TSB Bank plc and Lloyds TSB Scotland plc. Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets offers a variety of products and services for businesses with a turnover of more than £15 million a year. Specialist services that it provides include cash management, specialist finance, risk management and capital markets.

A brief summary of Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets services would include the following:

- The bond market assistance, especially when debt finance is required.
- Cash management services are designed to improve the way companies manage funds and make payments. Integration with a company’s own accounting systems is eminently possible.
- Corporate and Purchasing Card options offered by Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets are described as providing savings and improving process efficiencies – especially in purchasing contexts.
- Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets offers a wide range of foreign exchange products that can be tailored to meet specific needs. Support is provided by research, online trading solutions and back office execution. The bank’s own trading platform, MarketsLink is employed in this context. Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets also acts as a liquidity provider to e-trading platforms such as FXAll, 360T, Globallink and Currenex.
- Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets offers risk management solutions across a variety of global asset classes. The bank is a global market maker in over 120 currency pairs.
- Trade solutions cover a range of transactions types, serving the needs of importers as well as exporters. Services are provided as either online or conventionally, including letters of credit, import and export collections, guarantees and financing.

The helpdesk is available from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, with the exception of days when the banks are closed for business in England, e.g. bank holidays.

Once you become a client of Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets your first point of contact for day-to-day banking issues would be Corporate Banking Account Services. The variety and scope of services for businesses provided by Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets can only be summarized in a short review such as this one.

Phillip Futures

Phillip Futures is an Asian financial house with a global reach offering futures options bullion and foreign exchange products. What was initially annoying was the offer that popped up asking us to execute a Java-based application (Phillips' Online Electronic Mart System (POEMS)), whose certificate could not be verified. I’m not a fan of running apps on my system that reach out of the cloud and ask permission to execute.

Nonetheless Phillips Futures is a pioneer in offering online trading services in Singapore. They offer 24-hour broking and execution services for a full range of futures, options and OTC products. Phillip Futures also provides e-trading connectivity to the CME Globex platform, the first global electronic trading system for futures and options and is now the world's premier marketplace for derivatives trading.

Phillips Futures also likes to emphasize investor education by providing regular public seminars that discuss a broad range of topics that are led by experienced brokers and industry experts. A unique educational feature offered by the company is a one-to-one coaching session designed for people who are interested in Futures and/ or Spot Forex/ Bullion trading but who do not have much knowledge of these products or the related markets. This sort of mentoring seems to go at least one step beyond the usual content found at other websites consisting of FAQs or web-linked tutorials that those new to trading need to browse on their own.

Phillips Futures conducts monthly demo sessions for their trading platforms. Phillip Futures offers a full range of trading platforms and one should really visit the platform comparison page to get a feel for the best platform for their individual or institutional trading needs. The amount of choices and options outlined in the chart found there can be a bit much to take in completely in one sitting.

In addition to providing trading platforms for institutional traders, Phillip Futures also provides business solutions and collaborations for corporate clients. APIs and White Labeling options figure prominently in those services.

We would have appreciated Phillips Futures outlining how they support their products to their customers more thoroughly. The site offers some intriguing possibilities otherwise.

Cobra Trading

One might expect a company called Cobra Trading to be aggressive in presenting its services to potential customers. The Cobra Trading website does not disappoint in that regard. “Strike first in the market” is the motto the company appears to live by. In any case, Cobra Trading, Inc. offers futures and forex trading in addition to equities and options trading.

The overall impression one gets from the Cobra Trading website is a “let’s get started” attitude that summarizes the prices and option available for each of the services the company offers to online traders. There seems to be no real need on Cobra Trading’s part to offer any sort of detailed information, such as a company history, about Cobra Trading itself – other than the basic contact information relating to its location in Allen Texas.

It is mentioned on the site that Cobra Trading, Inc. is a member of FINRA, NFA, and SIPC, and clears through Penson Financial Services.

Cobra Trading offers multiple platforms: It sole online platform, CobraOnline, is an web-based trading platform for stocks and options that require no download whatsoever. Platforms described as direct access include: Cobra IQ for equities and options, OmniPro for a financial technology solution for institutional, retail, and automated traders (black box trading) and Sterling Trader Pro, a multi-purpose front-end trading platform. All platforms are designed to run on Windows 2000 or later PCs.

An excellent FAQ section offers answers to questions such as these:
How do I open an account with Cobra Trading, Inc.
What is the minimum to open an account?
How do I transfer an account to Cobra Trading, Inc.?
How do I fund my trading account?
When can I begin trading?

Support is offered and questions are answered via phone, fax and email. A live chat option is offered on the website itself for more urgent matters. Trading hours are 6:00 am EST thru 8:00 pm EST. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 7 am to 5 pm CST.

Wall Street Brokers

Naming an enterprise after a venerable financial institution like Wall Street takes a certain amount of confidence and might even confuse the search engines. Wall Street Brokers appears to have that kind of confidence, regardless of the risk. The company describes itself as a “pioneer securities and commodities trading firm, offering retail traders, corporations, money managers and hedge funds the gateway to complete e-commerce and online trading services”.

The contact information the company provides points one to Wilmington DE 19810, USA. That covers Wall Street Brokers in geographical terms, but the website doesn’t provide much in the way of the history of Wall Street Brokers.

Wall Street Brokers describes its services as including:
- Tight Spreads
- Variety of Products
- Hedging Capability
- Low Margin Requirements
- No SWAP or Hidden Fees
- Superior Trading Software
- No Dealing Desk
- Multi-lingual Support
- Partnership Programs

As with many other such firms the platform offered for download is MetaTrader 4, a good, solid choice. Support options other than live chat are unclear.

The Wall Street Brokers website itself appears to have kept some Flash programmers busy for quite a while, but retains a good bit of focus nonetheless. The focus is on trading Forex and the product offered is comprised of three different account types designed to facilitate currency trading. They are a Standard account with a minimum deposit of $2,000, a leverage of up to 1:400, and a minimum lot size 0.1. A Mini account features a minimum deposit of $500, a leverage of up to 1:400, and a minimum lot size 0.1. A Micro account includes a minimum deposit of $10, a leverage of up to 1:500, and a minimum lot size 0.1.

Those new to Forex can partake of a section devoted to education in Forex right on site. One can open a Demo Account for free practice in Forex trading as well.

TradeStation Securities

The company TradeStation Securities, Inc. is located in Plantation Florida USA, near Fort Lauderdale.

TradeStation Securities, Inc is self-described as a leader in rule-based securities. It stands ready to make its clients into more successful traders through the use of its educational services and software products.

The company also offers assistance that allows traders to execute trades based on their own trading rules, or place trades manually using TradeStation Securities’ advanced order-entry tools. The assets so traded can include those found on the Futures, Forex, Equities and Options Markets. Trades can be placed using automated or manual entry methods.

TradeStation Securities, Inc operates as a direct access brokerage. That means it provides access to market exchanges in the US, and exchanges in Europe. TradeStation Securities, Inc clients are allowed to trade in their respective markets using a single interface provided by their TradeStation platform. Account types include individual, tenant in common, many IRA options for US residents, corporate accounts, partnership options and accounts for sole proprietorships.

In addition to the web-based TradeStation software the TradeStation Network delivers real-time and delayed index, equity and equity options, Forex, and futures and options data. Although the TradeStation software is web-based it functions on Windows based computers only.

Online support may be available in some form as 24/7. As evidenced by the website, however, a lost password necessitates contacting support Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM ET only.

The company does seem to offers informational services that encompass Wikis, forums and seminars. All support, education and training services and materials on the TradeStation Securities Web site are for informational purposes and to help customers learn more about how to use the power of TradeStation software and services and to help provide other customer support.

The TradeStation Securities, Inc. software is customizable and extensible by third parties as well.

FxCompany

FX stands for Forex, which stands for foreign exchange trading, which does describe at least one of the FxCompany’s reasons for being. FxCompany is owned by FxCompany Financial Group Ltd. Its activities comply with the legislation of Mauritius and are regulated by FSC (Financial Services Commission) of Mauritius. FxCompany employs the services of over 100 representatives “all around the world”.

FxCompany also offers CFD (contract for difference) trading options to its customers. These include CFDs for stocks, futures, indices, metals and dividends. FxCompany also has “Moslem” Swap Free Accounts available.

The trading platform available for download is MetaTrader 4 in Terminal, Multi Terminal, Mobile, and Smartphone editions. The FxCompany also references upwards of 400 trading tools designed to assist its account holders. Spelling out the nature of at least some of those tools could prove helpful to potential customers seeking to make a decision.

A standard account offers spreads starting from 0.5 pips, leverage up to 1:500, multi-currency accounts in USD, EUR, etc. and a minimal deposit of 100 USD. FxCompany also offers a VIP account that features spreads starting at ZERO points, a free Pocket PC with MetaTrader 4 Mobile pre-installed, a Personal Account Manager and 5% interest to a client’s deposit.

The company also offers partnership options. The exact details of those sorts of agreements seem to be available through more direct contact with the company than the website can offer. That is probably best-pursued offline in any case.

Those new to trading can open a demo account with FxCompany. What marks that option as somewhat unique is the company’s practice of holding contests centered on demo trading that that reward the winners of such contests with real money.

Unlike many competitive firms the FxCompany website does not offer any educational material that relates to trading Forex or CFDs online. 24/7 On-Line Support is advertised in a banner on the main page with no other details of that support provided.

FXCH

FXCH is in reality the Foreign Exchange Clearing House. Traditionally financial clearinghouses settle financial transactions between two parties for a fee. FXCH’s services appear to reach beyond those basics into Forex and other types of financial trading.

FXCH registered as Foreign Exchange Clearing House in January 2004. The FXCH registration number is 9126, and it is authorized to deal in Spot Foreign Exchange market and derivatives (CFDs) of commodities. Foreign Exchange Clearing House is authorized to solicit clients and accept orders to buy or sell approved financial instruments as well as accept money or other assets from customers to support such orders. FXCH has a 15-year history in the Foreign Exchange market, which can serve to indicate that its client base was initially an institution one.

Today FXCH is one of the world’s largest dealers in Forex. It now offers commission-free foreign exchange and other trading services to novice and professional traders alike. You are able to open an account with FXCH in multiple currencies, and there are no trading restrictions. They are also well known for not trading against their clients. There are no negative balances when having an account with FXCH and they strive to make sure you never owe more than what you have in your account. Using FXCH as your Forex dealer, you can save 3 to 5 pips per transaction. FXCH uses a Meta4 and Meta5 platform which you are able to utilize free demos before you begin. The well organized website has information for all you need to know about Forex, online forex trading, the forex market, forex technical analysis, charting, and of course risks.

The proprietary FXCH Internet Real-time Trading System is described an informational, transactional dealing and client account management system that allows individuals and institutional clients to make online transactions on various tradable instruments such as currencies, stocks, indices and commodities. Trades are executed in real-time. Phone trading is also facilitated by the software. The platform is available in five languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Farsi and Russian. Operating system limitations are not apparent or referenced. A complete demo system is also available. Support options available to all kinds of clients might be spelled out a little more clearly on the website itself.

FXCH puts a definite marketing emphasis on its Introducing Broker Program that allows individuals or firms to receive compensation for directing new clients to FXCH. Its “Trade with a Clearing House Not A Broker” slogan bespeaks a desire to command the top of the food chain.

This all things to all people approach is also evident in its variety of programming services  that specialize in database development, trading packages, financial analytical packages, financial browsers, and other real-time applications.

FX Online Japan

FX Online Japan prominently presents the English-speaker a potential hurdle right on the landing page of its website. It states:

Please note: This site contains abridged content aimed at giving you a brief overview of our products and helping you to open an account. For further information and to view the full range of content available please view our Japanese-language site.

Although this reviewer happens to have an English- and Japanese-speaking cousin who has lived and worked in Japan as a translator for a number of years, not everyone is so equipped. Regardless he was not available to assist in this review.

In any case FXOnline and IG Markets are part of IG Group, which has several operating companies offering a variety of speculative products to a retail and professional client base. Aside from the corporate affiliation, that describes many other companies offering Forex trading services online as well.

The company has been in operation since 2002. It has more than 800 employees, including a HQ in London and offices in Tokyo, Singapore, Chicago, Melbourne, Madrid, Paris, Dusseldorf, Milan, Stockholm and Luxembourg. An experienced executive team appears to have been drawn from around the world. FX Online’s financial results, including assets of 998 UK pounds (and no debt) are cited in its profile.

FX Online offers its clients the use of the Pure Deal trading platform, which is web browser based. The Platform is advertised as featuring “Price Improvement” technology that can offer better prices than the one’s requested by a trader. The platform also offers mobile trading and iPhone trading.

The range of markets accessed by FX Online extends to Forex, Stock Indices, CFDs, Energies and Metals, Binary Options, as well as Rates and Bonds.

Demo accounts, education in the nature of CFDs and a video tour of the platform are also available to visitors to this website. That is quite a lot of content considering the warning at the top of the landing page. Support options are not really addressed at this location. Account sign up is available.

Latitude FX

Latitude FX is a company whose essence is borne out in this line "By traders for traders".  That is a powerful statement and immediately evokes a feeling of confidence. This company, being formed by traders, is best equipped to understand other traders' needs.

The company's website with its cool color scheme of white, blue and gray, is clean and crisp, and enables one to gather as much information as required on which to base various decisions such as at what level to trade and what makes Latitude FX stand out as against other companies.

The trading platform for technical analysis is Metatrader 4, which can be downloaded to one’s computer, and then it runs as a standalone application. LFX Trader is used for charting. A comparison between the two is provided.

These are the advantages of dealing with Latitude FX:
-It is formed by traders so it understands traders' needs
-Excellent support
-No maximum position size
-High level of integrity and transparency
-Superior trading platforms
-It gives customers the freedom to trade at their best.

There are many sections which provide a wellspring of information in the areas of tools, free web seminars, demo trading, how to open an account, foreign exchange transfers, live quotes, current events, and much more.

Latitude FX aims at making money with their clients not from their clients.  There is surely lots on this website that would inspire choosing this company.

Speed Trader

Speed trader is an online broker that sets up dedicated traders with whatever they need for equities, options and futures trading. The beauty of this company lies in its goal of covering all its customers' needs.

The Speed trader website gives the impression of freshness with its deep green background, and the splashes of color towards the center of the home page add a touch of excitement. It highlights pretty accurately the advantages of dealing with Speed trader. Some of these are as follows:

-Customizable trading platform (DAS Trader Pro)
-Over 35 direct access trading connections
-Flexible pricing
-Free check writing
-Great service
-Speed
-State of the art technology
-Trailing stops
-Wireless mobile trading
-Free trading simulator
-Current alerts and news
-Black Box API

Speed trader aims at giving its customers the total experience and taking care of all their needs so they don’t have to shop around.  It provides intelligent order routing, watch lists, charts, alerts and more.

The Speed trader website offers all the information one would require to get a fair idea of what the company is about and then to decide whether to choose Speed trader from among the many options out there.  Right on the home page, a strong case is made in favor of this company. There are lots more to read about the products and services offered, how to get started, and an education section as well.  A good website for sure!

AFX Capital

AFX Capital is a Forex broker that was established in 2010.  Regulated by the Cyprus Securities Exchange Commission (Cysec), AFX Capital accepts the base currencies of EUR, USD and JPY, and offers both fixed and variable spreads.

Using either a live account or a demo you can trade Forex, metals, commodities such as oil and gold, and various indices. AFX Capital is available live 24/5 to help a beginner or expert trader with any of their Forex or CFD trading. The available live accounts are Fixed, Classic, Premium, ZuluTrade and AFX MT5. AFX Capital also has its own branded MT4 trading platform as well as mobile and web platforms. Some include AFX Itrader, AFX Android Platform, Blackberry Platform, Mobile Platform and Multi-terminal trading capabilities.

Some other advantages of having an account with AFXCapital are no extra commissions or fees, as well as tools for charting and technical analysis which are standard for most Forex brokers.  It should be noted, however, that the minimum deposit to open an account with AFX Capital is $200, which is significantly more than the mandatory minimum to open an account with most other Forex brokers. When opening an AFX MT5 account the advantages are lower spreads, appropriate for all traders, over 80 available instruments, Forex and CFD Trading Specifications.

Our AFX Capital review confirmed that the brokerage offers scalping and hedging, and also supports expert advisors in its MetaTrader4 platform.  The company’s website is available in English, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, German and Polish.  The MetaTrader 4 platform, the company’s most popular option, is available in close to 30 languages.

GKFX

GKFX, based in London and founded as recently as 2009 specializes mostly in Forex trading for private investors. The brokerage is regulated by the FSA in England and Wales their broker registration number is displayed prominently on their website, something we found entirely refreshing. GKFX provides access to a thousand markets throughout the world as well as some of the most popular trading platforms. Available Forex trading platforms include MetaTrader4, Webtrader, mobile traders.  Charting tools are also available for GKFX clients.

GKFX prides itself on making sure a beginner or expert trader knows the risk warnings when it comes to trading, and provides the option to set up a demo account before officially making a commitment. GKFX not only provides standard  Forex Market Trading, but also provides CFDs which are growing in popularity for European traders, and commodities trading which is available to traders worldwide (with the exception of American traders who cannot trade with GKFX Forex). There are video and written tutorials on Forex, and CFD trading as well as a rather substantial economic glossary on all the terms one needs to know to properly understand the world of Forex trading.

During our GKFX review we found it easy to be in contact with the support team via live chat or phone.  We were also happy to see that the service is available in multiple languages, as is their support desk. They have Twitter, Facebook, and StumbleUpon buttons which is important these days when so much of marketing and promoting comes from social media.

Overall we were satisfied with the services offered by GKFX and based on the organization and easy understanding of their website the service may me a decent option for European or Asian-based traders.

FinFx

FinFX is a relatively new Forex broker that was established in 2010. FinFX claims that it does not need to be regulated by the Finnish FSA, and it currently does not hold any regulation, though it asserts that the brokerage does adhere to the highest ethical and business standards.  We understand that due to this lack of regulation FinFX does accept US Forex traders, though we recommend an NFA regulated broker for US traders, and an internationally-licensed Forex broker such as HotForex or FXCM for non-US traders.

As its name suggests, FinFX is based in Finland, although the company’s clear English website makes it an option for most Forex traders worldwide.  FinFX offers simple online trading services for the Forex and commodities individual or corporate trader. The MetaTrader 4 platform is the main platform used and it is offered in 32 languages to serve all traders from around the world.  FinFX also offers a platform called FX PowerTrader which they claim is suitable for professional or institutional Forex traders. 

A nice aspect of FinFX is the Integral FX Grid which enables a trader to transmit funds and trades quickly, simply, and most importantly, safely.

FinFX offers Micro accounts for small trades, Normal accounts for personal or business, ECN and ECN pro accounts for the more experienced trader.  Micro and normal accounts have no commissions, though the spreads are wider than they are in an ECN account.  Traders can choose which type of account they prefer, or sample each type with a demo Forex account before depositing funds with FinFx.

Other great features of FinFX are their live customer support 24/5, specializing in the English, Russian and Finnish languages. Deposits and withdrawals can be done via wire transfer, credit card, MoneyBookers, giropay, bleue and other options, which is one of the widest range of choices we’ve seen throughout our Forex brokers reviews. The demo accounts are free and unlimited and you can have as many as you want before or during opening a live account. All in all, while new to the Forex trading world, FinFX is a decent broker!