IG Group — review of the British CFD broker founded in 1974

IG began in London in 1974 as a spread-betting business. IG Group Holdings plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange, but the brand operates through several legal companies. The products, authorisation and account-opening route depend on residence and the company in the agreement. This distinction matters before comparing costs or platforms: a group catalogue is not the product list or licence of your account.

Who IG Group is and why it matters

IG began by offering spread bets on gold. Today its head office is in London; the UK service lists 88 Wood Street, London EC2V 7QR. A public listing provides access to corporate disclosures, but it does not guarantee repayment of client assets or remove counterparty risk. Identify the subsidiary holding the account before assessing client-money arrangements.

The group covers forex, indices, shares, commodities, ETFs and derivatives through different services and brands. A CFD on a share, an outright share purchase and an exchange-traded future are separate products. Check the instrument and provider in your account catalogue; access to one does not establish access to the others.

Regulation and safety of funds

The UK service identifies IG Markets Ltd for CFDs (FCA reference 195355), IG Index Ltd for spread betting (114059), and IG Trading and Investments Ltd for share dealing and Smart Portfolios (944492). These are separate permissions, not a single licence covering every group product. IG Europe GmbH is supervised by BaFin and Deutsche Bundesbank; the Poland page lists register number 148759 and says it cannot currently open new accounts for residents of Poland. Existing clients are directed to log in as usual. Check the country route and agreement before funding an account.

Client protections depend on the IG entity, product and classification in the agreement. UK FCA references do not establish EU permissions. Read the current warning for the contracted entity and product rather than applying an undated UK loss percentage to every IG account.

Before you trust any brand, verify its entry in the regulator’s register — for IG you can check references 195355 and 114059 on the FCA register. For the broader background on how a regime like this protects clients, see the primer on forexmechanics.com — regulations.

What trading with IG costs

For the service described on IG’s Ireland charges page, most CFD trades use a spread charge, whereas share CFDs use commission with applicable minimums. The spread can vary with market conditions. The labels “market maker” and “ECN” alone do not establish which account is cheaper: compare the same instrument, size, trading hours and number of entries and exits.

Cash CFDs can also incur overnight funding; futures-based CFD pricing handles funding differently. Check conversion charges and any account or service fees under the actual tariff. I do not copy headline minimum spreads into a universal cost estimate: the product, account and holding time matter. I explain how to combine these components in the piece on spread versus commission.

Platforms and products

IG lists its web platform and mobile apps, MetaTrader 4, ProRealTime and L2 Dealer. Availability, data charges and supported markets depend on the service and account. Test the required order types, market information and automation workflow rather than treating a platform list as proof of speed or client satisfaction. I cover the basics in a separate piece on MetaTrader 4.

The group also offers outright share and ETF dealing through specified services; its UK offer includes ISA and SIPP wrappers. Eligibility, contributions and tax treatment require separate checks. A non-UK resident can, for example, retain an existing ISA under UK rules even though new contributions are generally restricted. This does not establish its treatment in the person’s country of residence. An EU account does not automatically include the full UK product range. I describe the CFD product itself in the piece on what a CFD is.

Who IG suits and who it does not

To assess whether the account fits your intended use, check the exact product, platform and reporting documents first. For a hypothetical 0.1 standard lot of EUR/USD, assume a pip is worth USD 1, a 1-pip spread and funding of USD 0.60 for each charged day. The isolated cost is USD 1 with no funding day, USD 2.80 after three days and USD 7 after ten. These are assumed inputs, not an IG quote; exclude commissions, conversions and price movement.

Under those assumptions, ten separate entries and exits with no overnight funding cost USD 10 in spreads, while one position held for ten charged days costs USD 7. Changing trade frequency or holding time can change the comparison; neither a scalping label nor a long holding period determines the cheapest provider. Check support language, account currency and authorised service for the entity available in your country, and keep a loss plan for the actual leveraged product.

What to do before opening an IG account

1. Verify the entity and licence. Identify the IG company in the agreement and check its jurisdiction’s register. UK FCA references do not substitute for an EU entity’s authorisation and product permissions.
2. Cost out your own style. Compare the same instrument and size using spread, commissions, funding days, conversion and service charges. Keep execution quality and platform requirements in the comparison; a longer holding period does not make costs irrelevant.
3. Check the account currency and conversion. Funding in a currency different from the account currency can add conversion costs — estimate it before you move any larger capital.
4. Run the full broker-selection checklist. Instead of going on brand alone, assess IG against the alternatives using the forex broker selection checklist for 2026, and only then decide.