EC Markets Broker Review

Written by Zornitsa Stefanova

Zornitsa Stefanova

Zornitsa Stefanova is experienced forex and crypto analyst. She also covers various financial topics such as stocks trading and retirement investments.

, | Updated: January 7, 2026

Launched in 2012, EC Markets is a multi-asset broker specializing in contracts for difference. Customers benefit from deep liquidity, raw pricing, and no dealing desk order execution, with spreads as low as zero pips. Both Standard and ECN accounts are available at the global division, regulated in Mauritius. The broker enables trading through MT4 and MT5, with smartphone users having the option to install a native mobile app. At first glance, the brand seems to target cost-conscious retail traders familiar with MetaTrader, while also supporting high-frequency and algorithmic strategies without high commission charges.

Customers can explore a limited selection of 100 or so markets across several asset classes, including currency pairs, indices, metals, and energies. Cryptocurrencies are available to clients registered under the Australia and Seychelles-regulated divisions. The broker also holds licenses from the regulatory authorities of the UK, South Africa, Mauritius, New Zealand, and UAE. Leverage reaches up to 1:30 for UK and Aussie customers and 1:1000 for traders from other countries.

Clients provide mixed feedback overall. At the time of writing, EC Markets has a decent Trustpilot rating. Over 60% of all reviewers have rated the broker with 5 stars, praising its swift order execution, record-low commissions, low barrier to entry ($10), and tight spreads. Roughly 28% of customers have assigned a one-star rating, with delayed withdrawals, slow verification, and account closures being among the most common causes for complaints.

Key Pros and Cons

If you are looking for a quick snapshot of EC Markets, here are some important strengths and weaknesses to weigh before opening an account.

Overall, EC Markets scores well on pricing, regulation, and range of account types. The broker falls flat when it comes to its range of tradable markets, educational materials for novices, and customer support availability as the service is provided only Monday through Friday.

Company Information

EC Markets was founded in 2012 as DNL Finance Limited, an online broker specializing in foreign exchange trading. It quickly gained traction among Asian customers but became particularly popular among traders from China, where it consistently ranked among the top 5 brokers. The firm gradually expanded its services and client base by integrating advanced tools and platforms to enhance the customer experience. In the years to follow, the broker continued to strengthen its international presence, and opened offices in strategic locations, like Dubai, to complement its London headquarters.

DNL Finance Limited eventually rebranded to GCM Prime in 2015. The FCA-regulated branch was subsequently acquired by Chinese entrepreneur Xiaoliang Lyu, who rebranded it yet again as EC Markets in 2021. The rebranding followed the acquisition of GCM Prime’s assets and regulatory licenses. This ownership transition marked a significant evolution for the firm, which had been dormant after GCM Prime ceased operations in 2017. Today, the broker holds licenses from 7 well-known regulatory bodies, including the FCA and ASIC.

EC Markets currently reaches customers from over 180 countries and serves more than 118,000 active traders worldwide. The company reported a quarterly trading volume of $3.081 trillion for Q3 2025, with monthly averages of $1.027 trillion. EC Markets remains a privately held company and is not listed on any stock exchange. It operates globally through licensed subsidiaries in the UK, Australia, South Africa, UAE, Seychelles, Mauritius, and New Zealand.

The group primarily manages its operations from its offices in London, Dubai, and Limassol, where its marketing headquarters are located. Matthew Smith is the current CEO and Chairman of EC Markets, while Fivos Georgiades holds the position of Executive Director. Mr. Smith leads the company’s global operations and strategic direction, overseeing its expansion and regulatory compliance across multiple regions.

Here are the 5 subsidiaries of EC Markets, along with their respective registered office locations. Please note that the broker operates as a foreign company in Australia and South Africa. It does not have a physical presence in these countries despite holding licenses from their financial regulators.

• EC Markets Limited, with an office address located at the Cyberati Lounge, Ground Floor, Catalyst Building, Silicon Avenue, 40 Cybercity, 72201, Ebene, Mauritius and a license from the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius (FSCM).
• EC Markets Group Ltd, with a registered address at 30 City Road, London, United Kingdom, EC1Y 2AY and a license granted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
• EC Markets Securities and Financial Promotion LLC, a limited liability company with offices located at the Magnum Opus Tower, 18 Floor, Al Thanayah 1, TECOM C. Sheikh Zayed Road, Barsha Heights, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• EC Markets Financial Limited, a company regulated by the Financial Markets Authority of New Zealand, with registered offices at Level 1, 1 Albert Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
• EC Markets Limited, with offices located at Suite 4B, Global Village, Jivan’s Complex, Mont Fleuri, Mahe, Seychelles.

Why Trade with EC Markets?

EC Markets excels in delivering low-cost trading and deep institutional-grade liquidity, which are perhaps its biggest strengths. The broker is particularly well-suited to the needs of scalpers and active day traders, attracting them with an ECN account where spreads routinely average 0.1 pips for major pairs like EUR/USD. These highly competitive spreads are coupled with an extremely low commission, perhaps the lowest we have encountered to date. Here are the main aspects that make EC Markets worthwhile.

Regulation

EC Markets serves clients from the UK with a license issued by their local Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). FCA authorization entails mandatory negative balance protection and leverage caps of 1:30 for all retail customers. Additionally, UK traders are eligible for investor compensation of up to £85,000 per claim as the broker participates in the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).

Aussie customers can join the entity regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Similar to the FCA, ASIC is a tier-1 financial regulator that requires licensees to adopt consumer protection measures like negative balance protection and leverage of no more than 1:30 for retail customers. While licensed and regulated by ASIC, EC Markets operates as an external company without having registered offices in Australia.

• Another local license was granted to the company in 2024 by the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of the United Arab Emirates. The permit enables the company to offer introducing broker services and market its products to clients from the MENA region.
• The broker also holds a derivative issuer license from the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) of New Zealand and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) of South Africa.
• Clients from other countries are served with authorization from the Financial Services Authority of Seychelles (FSAS) and the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius (FSCM), both of which have adopted a considerably more lenient approach than the tier-1 and tier-2 regulators we mentioned earlier.

EC Markets expressly does not accept residents of the United States, Canada, Japan, Iran, and North Korea. The broker also warns that some local regulators may restrict the marketing of leveraged derivatives and therefore, reserves the right to refuse applications from some jurisdictions without notice.

KYC Procedure for Account Creation and Depositing

Onboarding at EC Markets occurs entirely online and begins with a registration form where traders must fill in their personal details, such as their full name, email address, and mobile number. Additionally, they must select their country of residence and enter their preferred password.

Once the account is created, traders are redirected to the secure Client Portal, where they must provide additional information, including their date of birth, tax residency, employment status, and trading experience. The latter doubles as both an appropriateness assessment and a risk disclosure acknowledgement.

Next, traders are prompted to upload some documents to verify their identity. The broker accepts government-issued identity cards, passports, and driving licenses for identity verification. Proof of address typically involves uploading recent utility bills, bank, or mortgage statements.

Like most modern brokers, EC Markets utilizes Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to streamline the verification process. Most clients report approval within a few hours during business days. Manual review may extend this timeframe to 48 hours, especially if the documents require translation.

Account Types

EC Markets offers three live account categories, namely Standard, ECN, and Pro, although there are fewer options at the UK and Australian entities. Depending on the branch, customers can denominate their accounts in USD, EUR, GBP, NZD, or AUD. All three are compatible with MT4 and MT5. Standard accounts offer spread-only pricing, while the ECN option comes with raw spreads from zero pips and a nominal commission. Pro accounts are designed for high-volume traders and have a higher barrier to entry.

Standard Accounts

Standard accounts are intended for beginners and casual traders who prioritize pricing simplicity over raw spreads. This account option facilitates commission-free trading, offering minimum spreads from 1.0 pip. The pricing pretty much aligns with that of other brokers that offer spread-only accounts. The barrier to entry is extremely low at $10, with maximum leverage capped at 1:30 at the UK and Aussie divisions and 1:1000 for offshore customers.

ECN Accounts

ECN accounts are designed with the needs of seasoned and high-volume traders in mind. The minimum deposit is again $10, but minimum spreads start from 0.0 pips and a $1.50 commission is charged per side, per standard lot. The volume of open orders cannot exceed 50 lots, same as with Standard and Pro accounts. The account offers stop-out levels of 30% for offshore customers and 50% at the ASIC and FCA-regulated branches.

Pro Accounts

The Pro account is effectively a volume-rebate extension of the ECN option. It offers spreads from 0.0 pips but this only applies to the EUR/USD pair in our observations. Despite the reduced spreads, the broker does not charge additional commissions for entering or exiting trades. On the downside, this account has a significantly higher barrier to entry of $5,000, which leads us to the conclusion that it is suited to the needs of high-volume traders. On a side note, we should mention Pro accounts are not intended for professional traders per se. Maximum leverage is capped at 1:30 or 1:1000 based on entity, same as with ECN and Standard accounts.

Swap-Free Islamic Accounts

Swap-free versions are available for ECN and Standard accounts to the benefit of Muslim traders. Clients must request activation via live chat and sign an additional declaration. The broker provides little to no information about the pricing structure of swap-free accounts. It is typical for brokers to widen the spreads or charge administrative fees after a certain grace period to compensate for the absence of overnight funding fees.

Demo Accounts

Onboarding customers looking to test the waters without risking real money can do so by opening a free demo account. Demo trading is possible through both Standard and ECN accounts on MT4 and MT5. Customers can open up to 5 demo accounts per platform and account type, or 20 demos in total. The margin is customizable, with traders being able to add up to $10,000 in virtual funds at a time.

Trading Fees and Other Costs

Prospective traders should conduct a thorough evaluation of a broker’s cost structure, which is typically split into two primary types of expenses.

• Trading Expenses: This covers the bid-ask spreads, lot-based commissions on raw-spread accounts, and swap rates for holding positions open overnight.
• Non-Trading Fees: This group includes secondary costs such as payment processing fees, currency exchange surcharges, and charges for account dormancy.

Having established these definitions, we will now break down the specific pricing and service fees you can expect when trading with EC Markets.

Spreads

EC Markets’ cost structure is competitive for active trading, especially on the ECN and Pro tiers. For these accounts, the broker advertises average spreads of 0.1 pips on EUR/USD. Spreads for other major pairs are also quite competitive at 0.11 to 0.13 pips for USD/JPY and 0.22 to 0.25 pips for GBP/USD. These values largely overlap with those at other major brokers offering raw-spread accounts.

Standard accounts have a markup of around 1.0 to 1.1 pips added to the raw spreads, which results in greater trading expenses for customers. On the positive side, traders incur no commissions when opening or closing their forex positions. Spreads start from 1.0 pip and average 1.1 pips for EUR/USD, 1.25 pips for GBP/USD, and 1.22 pips for USD/JPY, aligning with industry averages.

As an illustrative example, opening and closing one standard lot of EUR/USD consisting of 100,000 base currency units costs $5 in total, with a round-turn commission of $3 and $2 resulting from the 0.1 spread. Here is a more detailed breakdown of the average charges traders incur with each account type.

Standard Accounts

• Average EUR/USD Spread: 1.1 pips
• Total Cost: 1.1 x $10 = $11.00 per side and $22.00 round-turn

ECN Accounts

• Average EUR/USD Spread: 0.1 pips
• Commission: $1.50 per side, $3.00 round-turn
• Total Cost: (0.1 x $10) + $1.50 = $1.00 + $1.50 = $2.50 per side ($5.00 round-turn)

Pro Accounts

• Average EUR/USD Spread: 0.1 pips
• Total Cost: 0.1 x $10 = $1.00 per side and $2.00 round-turn

It seems like Pro accounts are the most cost-effective option out of the three, with traders paying as little as $2 per standard lot in both directions. Now, let’s check how EC Markets compares to other similar brokers that offer marked-up, spread-only accounts, commission-free options, and access to raw spreads. As the table below reveals, the average spreads for Standard accounts at EC Markets are similar to those posted by major contenders like Pepperstone, Global Prime, and GO Markets.

Commissions

ECN accounts incur a commission of $1.50 per side, per standard forex lot. These commission rates are way lower than the industry averages, which typically fluctuate between $3 and $3.50 per side. EC Markets customers pay a round-turn commission of $3 per standard lot, not counting their spread expenses. Commission costs differ based on lot size as shown below.

• One standard lot equal to 100,000 base currency units incurs a $3 round-turn commission.
• One mini lot equal to 10,000 base currency units attracts a $0.30 round-turn commission.
• One micro lot equal to 1,000 base currency units results in a $0.03 round-turn commission deducted from the trader’s balance.

Financing Charges

EC Markets publishes its overnight funding rates in the client portal, allowing traders to view current fees for holding positions overnight. According to the broker’s client agreement, these schedules are available via the trading platform or online portal. Brokers like EC Markets typically add a modest mark-up, often around +/-0.5 percentage points over the underlying interbank rate, although the exact premium varies based on instrument and market conditions. Actual rates depend on the currency pair and prevailing interbank rates.

Deposit Fees

EC Markets offers excellent conditions for traders looking to fund their accounts. Most supported deposit methods, which include cards, bank transfers, e-wallets, and online banking, enable transactions without any fees on behalf of the broker. One notable exception is POLi, which incurs processing fees of 4%. Note that external charges on behalf of your bank, card issuer, or payment service provider may apply but these are outside the broker’s control.

Withdrawal Fees

EC Markets simplifies the withdrawal process by offering fee-free transactions for the majority of its supported payment solutions. While the broker does not charge internal commissions for these requests, traders should remain aware that intermediary banks or payment service providers might apply their own handling costs. This policy ensures that clients can retain the maximum possible amount of their earnings.

Inactivity Fees

EC Markets reserves the right to impose an inactivity fee on accounts with no trading activity for prolonged periods, as noted in the client agreement of the Mauritius-regulated branch. However, said agreement does not clearly disclose specific timeframes or amounts.

While it mentions that fees may be deducted from dormant accounts, it does not go into specifics about the charges or how frequently they are applied. We recommend you review the latest versions of the document for potential updates. However, Australian customers are penalized with a monthly inactivity fee of AU$50 after one year. They also pay a “low-activity” fee of AU$10 after 120 days of inactivity.

Overall on Fees

All in all, EC Markets provides a highly competitive pricing structure, especially where trading-related expenses are concerned. Trading costs are particularly low on Pro and ECN accounts, with ECN commissions significantly undercutting industry averages at just $1.50 per side. Most deposits and withdrawals are processed free of charge, although some external provider fees may apply. Overall, the broker offers favorable conditions that align with or even exceed major industry standards in certain respects.

Desktop Trading Platforms

EC Markets delivers a solid trading environment by offering the industry-leading MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platforms. Both are available for desktop download on Windows and macOS computers, ensuring a high-performance experience with lightning-fast order execution and advanced charting capabilities. The platforms are equipped with tons of features to accommodate all trading styles, from scalping to algorithmic trading. Additional MT4 indicators are available via a plug-in courtesy of Trading Central.

MetaTrader 4

MT4 remains the gold standard among forex traders due to its intuitive interface and robust functionality. At EC Markets, the desktop version of the platform empowers customers with over 50 built-in technical indicators, graphical objects, multiple chart types, and 9 timeframes. Traders can further enhance their performance with a specialized Trading Central plug-in featuring adaptive indicators that automatically adjust based on current market trends and volatility.

The plug-in integration provides actionable trade ideas and automated pattern recognition directly on charts. MT4 also excels in automated trading through Expert Advisors (EAs), coupled with its comprehensive backtesting capabilities. Traders can better control their risk with various customizable profit and loss orders. The platform is available across all three retail account types.

• Comes with over 50 built-in technical indicators
• Enables algorithmic trading through Expert Advisors
• Supports a Trading Central plug-in with additional adaptive indicators
• Allows for comprehensive strategy backtesting
• Chart trading and real-time market updates

MetaTrader 5

Well-versed traders at EC Markets have the opportunity to switch to MT5, the more advanced iteration of MT4, providing expanded market access and superior analytical capabilities. The platform offers an enhanced suite of over 80 built-in technical indicators, graphical objects, analytical tools, and more. Traders can evaluate even the slightest price changes with precision as MT5 comes with 21 timeframes compared to the 9 options supported by its predecessor.

On top of these merits, MT5 enables fundamental analysis, with users being able to access raw fundamental data directly in the platform. There is also an integrated economic calendar and a Depth of Market feature, enabling customers to monitor institutional-grade liquidity and fundamental news in real time. The platform’s advanced MQL5 programming language facilitates more complex algorithmic strategies and faster execution speeds.

• A greater number of built-in indicators and analytical tools
• 21 timeframes for detailed assessment of minute price changes
• Access to fundamental news in real time
• Level II market data and deeper liquidity
• Superior analytical capabilities overall

Mobile Trading Apps

The proprietary EC Markets app offers a streamlined mobile trading experience designed for speed and efficiency on the move. Compatible with both the iOS and Android operating systems, the app provides access to around 100 markets across asset classes like forex, metals, indices, and energies, with leverage reaching up to 1:1000. Users benefit from an intuitive interface for building custom watchlists, real-time price alerts, and integrated market analysis with live news commentary.

Customers can place orders in a flash with a single swiping motion. Beyond technical execution, the app grants users full control over their accounts, allowing them to manage their deposits and withdrawals securely, track their equity, and seamlessly monitor their trading history. To perform optimally, the app requires a stable internet connection and regular updates. It comes with minimum system requirements of iOS 13.0 and Android 5.0 or later. Customers can access their accounts using biometric authentication, including fingerprint and facial recognition.

Trading Instruments

EC Markets advertises a selection of approximately 100 markets across forex, hard commodities, and major indices. While suitable for beginners, the selection can feel a bit restrictive, especially for more advanced traders who rely on cross-asset correlation or niche markets like emerging indices and small-cap stocks.

Speaking of which, we failed to locate any stock CFDs in the broker’s portfolio but hope this asset class will be added soon. The market range varies depending on which entity you join. For example, clients registered under the Seychelles and Australia-regulated divisions can gain exposure to the cryptocurrency market, which is unavailable to UK traders.

Forex

EC Markets offers a standard selection of 48 currency pairs, spanning major, minor, and exotic crosses. All pairs are tradable with lightning-fast execution and generous leverage, providing a solid foundation for both day traders and scalpers. Speaking of leverage, the ratios depend on one’s country of residence. Australian and UK clients can trade forex with maximum leverage of 1:30 for major pairs. Those who join the Seychelles or Mauritius entities can access leverage as high as 1:1000 across major, minor, and exotic pairs.

Indices

The broker provides access to 13 major global indices, allowing traders to speculate on the performance of broader economies. The selection includes key benchmarks such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Nikkei 225, alongside the China A50 and Hang Seng. Offshore clients can utilize a fixed maximum leverage of up to 1:500 for these instruments, ensuring high capital efficiency across all account types. UK and Aussie traders have their leverage restricted to 1:20 for major indices.

Commodities

Traders face a somewhat limited selection of commodities that encompasses gold, silver, and crude oil, with the option to choose from Brent and WTI crude. All hard commodities are traded against the US dollar. Gold spreads with Standard accounts start from 26 cents and average 28 cents. Pro and ECN accounts offer far better value, with average spreads of 6 cents for this precious metal.

Soft commodities and natural gas are notably absent. The maximum leverage for gold and silver reaches 1:1000 for offshore customers. Positions in crude oil can be leveraged at no more than 1:400. The FCA and ASIC branches restrict leverage to 1:20 for gold and 1:10 for other commodities.

Cryptocurrencies

The cryptocurrency range at EC Markets encompasses 7 popular coins, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Ripple, Cardano, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. All of these are tradable against the US dollar via competitively priced CFDs. Minimum spreads for the BTC/USD market start from 16 pips, with an average of 16.2 pips with Standard accounts. It is important to mention that cryptocurrency trading is unavailable to clients of the UK entity. Australians can leverage their cryptocurrency positions at ratios of up to 1:2 as per ASIC requirements.

Instruments Unavailable at EC Markets

• Stocks: Direct ownership of global shares is not supported at the moment. The broker’s equity offering is strictly limited to market indices.
• ETFs: Exchange-traded funds are also unavailable for the time being, preventing customers from investing in diversified thematic or sector-specific baskets.
• Soft Commodities: Agricultural products like coffee, sugar, wheat, and corn are absent from the commodity list of EC Markets.
• Bonds: The broker lacks fixed-income instruments, meaning you cannot trade government or corporate debt securities.
• Options: Derivative contracts based on options are unavailable, limiting your ability to utilize complex hedging or volatility-based strategies.
• Futures: Exchange-traded futures contracts are unavailable. All products are provided as over-the-counter CFDs.

Trade Execution

EC Markets operates as both an STP and ECN broker, offering account types that reflect each model. Their STP model routes client orders directly to liquidity providers, typically tier-1 banks and non-bank market makers, without internal dealing-desk intervention. While the broker does not publish the full list of its counterparties, its marketing materials reference major liquidity pools in the LD4 and NY4 data centers.

Internal statistics indicate an average execution speed of around 4 milliseconds on forex majors, ensuring minimal negative slippage. Traders with ECN accounts get access to raw spreads and pay a fixed commission, with orders matched directly in the interbank market.

While slippage is not independently audited, internal reporting suggests that over 95% of orders fill at the requested price or better, with the rest experiencing slippage, especially during high-volatility events. The maximum order size is 50 lots per ticket, and larger trades can be split or handled as block trades. High-volume traders can use a free VPS in Equinix LD4 to minimize latency. The broker provides order-execution timestamps upon request, supporting post-trade analysis for algorithmic traders.

Deposit Methods

Funding your trading account at EC Markets is a straightforward process with several flexible options. The broker accepts a variety of deposit methods, including international and domestic bank wire transfers, credit and debit cards, and various localized payment gateways. It is important to note that the availability of specific methods often varies depending on your country of residence.

The supported base currencies are also country-specific, with USD, EUR, NZD, AUD, and GBP typically being among the options. The broker accepts deposits as small as $10. Most deposits are processed instantly or within 30 minutes, although international bank wires may take up to 5 business days.

While EC Markets generally does not charge deposit fees, third-party providers or specific methods may impose additional charges. POLi is the only exception to this rule, as depositing customers incur a 4% fee on the broker’s end.

Withdrawal Methods

New customers can only view and access the full list of available withdrawal methods within the secure client portal after successfully uploading all required verification documents and completing the account onboarding process. While this might seem like an extra hurdle, it actually ensures all transactions are fully protected and compliant with anti-money laundering standards.

The minimum amount customers can withdraw from their live balance is set at A$10, or the equivalent in other supported currencies. While the broker itself does not charge additionally for withdrawals, traders may incur potential intermediary bank or payment processor fees. As for the supported withdrawal methods, these largely mirror the solutions available for deposits and include bank transfers, e-wallets, cards, and various local options like POLi.

Card withdrawals processed during the broker’s business hours from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. are typically credited to your account within 2 hours. If you submit a withdrawal request outside these hours, it will be processed on the next business day, which may cause a delay of up to 24 hours. Withdrawals via POLi and international bank transfers may take up to 5 business days.

Customer Support

EC Markets provides 24/5 support through several channels, including email, a website contact form, telephone, and live chat. Response times are a notable strength. The live chat is nearly instantaneous, and email inquiries are typically resolved within half a day.

While testing the service, we contacted the agents on several occasions, requesting information about payments, leverage, and the availability of certain account types. A chat representative informed us the online chat service is mainly responsible for assisting customers with deposits, withdrawals, and using the client backend. Customers seeking more detailed information on other topics should either consult their account managers or email their queries to support@ecmarkets.com.

Research and Educational Materials

EC Markets provides several research and education tools designed to empower traders with actionable insights and fundamental knowledge. The EC Academy delivers structured educational articles for beginner, intermediate, and advanced traders. Complementing this, the economic calendar tracks key global events, while the trading glossary tackles commonly used terms. The Market News and Market Analysis sections keep customers informed on trends and potentially profitable opportunities.

1. EC Academy: This educational hub offers structured articles, covering everything from basic trading concepts to advanced strategy development for seasoned customers.
2. Economic Calendar: This tool tracks high-impact global events, providing real-time data on interest rate decisions and employment reports to help traders gauge market volatility.
3. Trading Glossary: This detailed reference library defines essential industry terminology, helping beginners navigate the complex financial jargon and concepts with confidence.
4. Market News: The section delivers frequent updates on significant global developments, ensuring traders are aware of the latest headlines affecting various asset classes.
5. Market Analysis: Expert contributors provide deep dives into specific price movements and technical trends, offering professional perspectives on potential trading opportunities across the markets.

Security and Money Guarantees

EC Markets has adopted various measures to safeguard customers, although the level of consumer protection may vary across different regulated entities. With this in mind, the broker stores customer funds separately from its operational capital across all branches. Those trading through the FCA-regulated division are entitled to up to £85,000 in compensation if the broker files for bankruptcy.

Most entities, including the Mauritius one, provide negative balance protection to traders, with stop-out levels ranging from 30% to 50%, depending on the regulatory requirements in the respective jurisdiction. We find it laudable that EC Markets offers investor compensation to offshore customers of its own volition without being required by local laws.

Traders at the Mauritius and Seychelles entities are eligible for an insurance of up to $1 million per claimant, which the broker delivers in partnership with Lloyd’s of London. Not only does this provide a significant safety net for global customers, but eligibility for the insurance comes at no additional cost.

Conclusion

To sum everything up, EC Markets is a worthwhile broker for cost-conscious and experienced traders who demand competitive pricing and rapid order execution. Its standout features include record-low commissions of $1.50 per side and exceptionally tight spreads that often start from zero pips. The broker also has a solid regulatory foundation, holding licenses from top-tier authorities like the FCA and ASIC.

Those new to the financial markets might find the limited educational resources and weekday-only customer support somewhat restrictive. Additionally, the range of available markets is subpar compared to the industry average, which could limit those seeking portfolio diversification. All in all, the broker’s low-cost structure and reliable MetaTrader performance offer significant value for self-directed traders comfortable with doing their own research.

Written by Z. Stefanova