How to choose the best investment platform for you in the UAE

What’s on this page?

1. What is an investment platform?
2. How to choose an investment platform
3. Best investment platform for you
4. How to start investing with us
5. Investment need-to-knows

What is an investment platform?

An investment platform is a digital space where you can buy and sell equity in a publicly listed company or fund. You can monitor your investment on the platform to keep track of the performance of your portfolio. With us, you can buy and hold stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and investment trusts through a stock trading account.

What is a stock trading account?

A stock trading account enables you to buy and hold a financial asset, taking outright ownership and making a profit if you sell it at a higher price. If you sell it at a lower price, you’d incur a loss.

You could earn a passive income though dividend-paying assets if you’re eligible. With us, you can choose from over 10,000 shares, ETFs and investment trusts. When using our platform to invest, you'll pay no commission, no FX conversion fee, and no custody fee on all US and UK shares up to 100 trades per month.

How to choose an investment platform

Before you choose an investment platform, you need to consider a variety of factors. With some platforms having similar aspects, it’s important to compare factors such as:

• Regulation
• Types of investments
• Risk management
• Tools
• Fees and charges
• Customer service

Regulation

Verifying whether a broker with an investment platform is authorised by a body like the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) is crucial. To be compliant, regulated brokers must follow strict rules to prevent fraud and mismanagement of funds.

Certain measures are put in place to protect your funds, eg the broker maintaining adequate capital reserves and keeping client assets segregated from company assets. So, even if the platform happens to fail, your investments should remain safe.

Some ways in which regulatory compliance is enforced, enabled and monitored include:

• Requirements to keep accurate records, provide clear reporting and follow certain procedures for trade execution and managing conflicts of interest
• Formal complaints procedures
• Compensation schemes, which are subject to specific conditions and exclusions
• Stringent requirements for cybersecurity, data protection and system reliability
• Ongoing supervision and regular audits
• Possible consequences for violations and misconduct, including penalties, business restrictions criminal charges

Types of investments

Platforms with several asset types and a wide range of available markets are typically more attractive to investors. With us, you can invest in shares, ETFs and investment trusts.

Here’s what sets us apart:

• Shares: we offer thousands of global markets to invest in and extended hours on key US stocks

• ETFs: we have thousands of ETF markets available that track different sectors, indices, bonds, commodities and more
• Investment trusts: we offer a wide range of investment trusts that can give you exposure to a variety of assets through a single holding

Risk management

When investing, you usually need to commit the full value of your position upfront to get exposure. This poses the risk of loss if your holding loses value, making it important for you to manage your risk.

Some of the types of risks you can consider include:

• Market risk (including interest rate risk)
• Inflation risk
• Tax risk
• Liquidity risk
• Exchange rate risk

The level of your investments’ risk can also be influenced by your risk appetite. Investors who are risk averse tend to get exposure with limited probability for loss, coupled with lower possible returns. Conversely, a higher risk tolerance is the trade-off for higher potential returns.

Despite investing carrying limited risk compared to trading, risk management tools available on a platform are still important to mitigate potential losses.

Resources and tools

Educational resources and tools can help you with useful information about investing. These can help you make informed decisions, including mitigating possible losses.

Here are some of the resources and tools that are available on our platform:

• IG Academy – access extensive educational content to help you sharpen your skills and knowledge
• News updates – stay up to date with developments relevant to your investments and assets you’re interested in
• Charts – track price movements of any asset available and customise the view to suit your preferences
• Indicators – choose from a selection of ways to find patterns in price action based on historical performance¹
• Alerts – set up automatic notifications for when certain price levels are reached in markets you’re interested in

Fees and charges

Every investment platform has fees that they charge for services rendered. But the amounts charged differ depending on the platform. You should always consider the fees and charges before you sign up, as this will impact your overall outlay and any investment returns you make.

With us, you’ll pay no commission, no FX conversion fee, and no custody fee on international shares up to 100 trades per month.

Customer service

Customer service that’s reliable and accessible with ease and convenience is another important consideration when choosing an investment platform. Our expert client services are available 24/7 via phone call.²

You can also contact us using email, WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter) or live chat. If you have an account with us and you’d like to transfer your investments from a different platform to ours, we can assist you with this.

Best investment platform for you

When looking for the best investment platform for you, it’s vital to consider factors that are relevant to the product offering, including benefits, customer service and awards won by the provider.

Why invest with us?

Here’s some of what you can expect when investing with us:

• 10,000+ shares, ETFs and investment trusts
• Extended stock trading hours³
• Commissions-free trading on US shares  - up to 100 shares per month
• Round-the-clock support²

Our award-winning platform

We’ve been recognised for our cutting-edge technology and value for money. Below are some of the awards we’ve won.

How to start investing with us

With us, you’d start investing by following these steps:

• Fill in a form. We’ll ask you some questions so we can provide you with the best experience on our platform
• Get verification. We’ll verify your information
• Fund your account and start investing. When you’re ready, you’ll be able to deposit money into your account and start investing. You can withdraw your funds for free, whenever you like

Investment need-to-knows

Before you start investing, there’s some fundamental information that you need to understand to help you make informed decisions. Below are some of the questions that are asked commonly about the basics of investing.

• When should I start investing?
• How much should I invest?
• How long should I invest for?

When should I start investing?

You can determine when the right time is for you to start investing based on your financial situation. It’s important to cover your bases to ensure that you have a solid understanding of how investing works and the risks involved.

Doing your due diligence can help you align your investment decisions with your needs, goals and risk tolerance. By backing your investment choices with thorough research, you lessen the probability of unfavourable outcomes,¹ but profits are still not guaranteed.

Part of your research should include factors such as technical analysis and fundamental analysis, market conditions as well as a comparison of investment providers.

How much should I invest?

You should only invest what you can afford. While there’s potential for profits, especially in the long run, it’s worth noting that you could lose a significant amount of your capital. You could even lose everything you put into an investment.

Stocks, for example, can lose all their value through bankruptcy. While this is unlikely, it’s important to bear in mind that it’s possible. In such a case, you’d lose the entire amount you paid for the shares of the stock in question.

How long should I invest for?

The length of time you hold your investment for also depends on you. Buying and holding is often done over the long term, with the aim to realise a significant return on investment (ROI).¹ So, it’s generally not ideal to use money that you’ll need in the short term.

To plan for living expenses, unforeseen emergencies or something else that might require funds in the short term, you can consider a different course. Choosing a risk-free savings account for this – for example – protects your funds, while giving you access to the money in the short- to medium term.

Investors often buy and hold assets for years or decades, with hopes that their value will appreciate exponentially over time.¹

Let’s say you buy shares worth $10,000 in Company ABC. Suppose you hold the shares for ten years and the share price grows by 60% during that time. That means you’d make a profit of $6,000, excluding any provider fees payable and dividends received (if the company offers them and you’re eligible).

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