ActivTrades Review

Review

ActivTrades is a leading independent broker providing trading services in Forex, Contracts for Difference (CFDs) and Spread Betting. It is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), registered with regulatory agencies in all EU jurisdictions in which the company operates and is affiliated with the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). 

ActivTrades was founded in Switzerland in 2001 as a small brokerage house and moved to its present location in London in 2005.

Accounts

There is only one standard trading account at ActivTrades. Traders can choose from more than 50 currency pairs as well as metals, indices, commodities, shares and financials and they are all available through the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 trading platforms, which can also be accessed through the most popular mobile devices.

I was pleased to see that a demo account can be set up using either of the two trading platforms.

On currencies, the spreads start at 0.8 pips. On CFDs of indices and financials, the spreads are as low as 0.5 pips and depend on futures contracts expiring on a specific date – meaning there is no overnight adjustment (the underlying Futures price already accounts for the adjustment). Upon expiry, any open position is automatically closed at the relevant contract’s closing price. A trader wishing to continue trading in the instrument can re-open the position in the new contract date.

On CFDs, shares are available from $1 commission per side. For UK based clients, spread betting on shares is commission free, with 0.10% of the transaction value factored in to the spread.

Features

One of the nicest features at ActivTrades is the separate outlines for each market. Forex, commodities, spread betting, indices and shares each have their own overview, timetables, margin listings and spread schedules.

There are many tools offered for use on the trading platforms such as SmartOrder which is an application developed by ActivTrades to extend the functions of the MetaTrader 4 platform, increase trading speed and improve the process of managing positions.

SmartLine is a state-of-the-art, yet easy-to-use, application for MetaTrader 4/5 enabling automated execution in the chart based on pre-defined and SmartTemplate is an extensive indicator tool for MetaTrader 4 to help traders make calculated trading decisions. Also available are SmartForecast and SmartPattern, advanced technical analysis tools available in MetaTrader4 which brings together chart patterns and market trend analysis.

ActivTrades has developed the Pivot Points indicator for both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, with 3 levels of Support and Resistance. Pivot Points are often used by professional traders as a predictive indicator of market movements.

The ActivTrades Smart Calculator can be used to simulate different trade scenarios by changing the leverage, or one of the other elements to understand potential profit and loss, margin requirements, swaps and more. This tool allows traders to quickly identify risk and reward of a potential trade to improve risk management.

ActivTrades offers a free subscription to Autochartist, considered as the market leader in intraday trading tools. Autochartist recently launched an enhanced application interface and ActivTrades’ customers now have access to the tool’s latest trade-opportunity finders: Key Levels, and PowerStats.

Education

It was nice to see that the educational material at ActivTrades is offered in abundance and is on a high level.

Besides a weekly webinar and ongoing seminars, ActivTrades provides an updated economic calendar and consistent market analysis. These lengthy reports are offered on a daily basis and archived items can be accessed by inserting a date on the dropdown tab of the page.

Video tutorials on all the ActivTrades tools and platforms are available without the need to register for a trading account.

The personal one-on-one online training scheme provides a comprehensive learning experience tailored to suit each trader’s specific experience and needs. It covers topics such as how to use the trading platforms, understanding the range of different markets, how to benefit from trading tools and more. The training can be booked online by pressing the appointed tab. It is provided through instant screen sharing and there is no need any software installation. Handbooks on a variety of subjects are easily downloaded directly from the website.

There is a full glossary but the FAQ page was quite limited. There is a search tab but when I tried to bring up a topic, it came back as not available. Still, most of the information is easily available directly on the site.

Bonuses/Promotions

The rewards program at ActivTrades is admirable. Each deposit made garners a certain amount of points and these points add up to a choice of Samsung products such as Galaxy phones and tablets, televisions and 3D screens. The rewards calculator informs traders how many points are rewarded for each deposit made.

At the time of this review and until September 2015, ActivTrades was offering a welcome bonus of 500 points when opening a first live account. In addition, and for the same period of time, the Refer-a-Friend promotion was offering a referring bonus of 1,500 points for every friend who opened an account.

Deposits/Withdrawals

Funding to ActivTrades accounts can be done via wire transfers, credit and debit cards, Neteller, Skrill and several other online payment programs.

Withdrawals are made by using the same methods.

Customer Support

Customer service is provided 24/5 by telephone or fax to the UK office or by email. An online form for enquiries is also available as is live Chat. Support is offered in 12 different languages.

Conclusion

ActivTrades has more than a decade of experience behind them.  Education and support are important to the broker and they go out of their way to supply an abundance of each. There is only one trading account but the deposit is small and the features are many.

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Features

ActivTrades goes out of its way to educate its traders and to make the trading experience a pleasant one. There are tools and programs way beyond what other brokers offer and they are all easy to understand and user-friendly. It is a shame there is only one trading account to choose from but the availability of both the MetaTrader4 and MetaTrader5 platforms for use by all traders is a definite plus and adds to the attractiveness of this broker. 

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Platforms

MetaTrader4 and MetaTrader5

Traders with accounts at ActivTrades can choose to trade on either the MetaTrader4 or MetaTrader5 platforms. Both offer the same features and benefits including a minimum target spread of 0.8 for Forex, maximum leverage of 1:400 and a minimum deposit of only $100.

Automated trading is allowed on both platforms and they are commission free. Trades on either platform are done at market execution and minilots as well as microlots are available.

Hedging is allowed only with the MetaTrader4 platform and CFDs on shares are available on the MetaTrader5 platform only.

Traders can embed on the MT4 platform any commercially available Expert Advisor, irrespective of the trading style – short-term scalping, medium-term momentum trading or long-term trend following. They can also devise their own algorithmic strategies, back-test them and evaluate them in live market conditions before implementing them.

Mobile

ActivTrades launched its first mobile application “ActivTrades Access” in 2014 enabling clients to access and manage their Personal Area on the go. Traders can use the MetaTrader4 platforms by downloading the iPhone, iPad and Android applications.

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