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.