Trading in the UK: everything you need to know
New to the world of trading? From how trading works to the markets you can speculate on, here you'll discover all the trading need-to-knows to start you off on the right foot.
Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.
Trading essentials
Trading is the act of buying and selling financial assets for the purpose of making profit. You predict the price movement of the underlying asset by going long or short; and make a profit if your position is accurate. Many people use the terms 'trading' and 'investing' interchangableably but there's a difference.
Investing is when you buy and own an asset. Trading is when you use a financial instrument called a derivative – like spread bets and CFDs – to speculate on an asset’s price movements – without owning the asset.
Trading products in the UK
Spread betting
Trade rising or falling markets by betting an amount of capital per point of market movement with spread betting.
CFD trading
Exchange the difference in price between opening the position and closing it using a contract for difference (CFD).
Investment products in the UK
Share dealing
Buy and own company stocks with a share dealing account. You can choose from over 11,000 leading UK and international shares to invest in and earn dividends.
Smart Portfolios
Get exposure to diverse global markets with an expertly managed portfolio tailored to your risk profile with an IG Smart Portfolio.
Markets and assets to trade in the UK
Live market prices for UK traders
Trade what you want, when you want, with us. Our innovative platform enables you to set alerts on the most popular markets and receive notifications about market events – as they happen. We offer more than 15,000 markets to trade. You won’t find that anywhere else.
Out of hours market prices
Get access to a range of trading opportunities after hours when the market has closed. We offer the longest trading hours for key markets like US stocks, the FTSE 100, Dow Jones, DAX, Hang Seng, GBP/USD, EUR/USD and USD/JPY.
This period generally features a lot of volatility in prices because trading volumes after hours tend to be modest.
While there exists the potential to make a profit when other investors are not active, there’s risk in trading after hours due to reduced liquidity, a wider spread and volatility in the market.
Trading strategies and styles you need to know
Latest trading news
Free trading resources for UK traders
- Learn how financial trading works by going through our comprehensive tools and resources available on
IG Academy - You can open a free demo account to practise and discover the best trading strategies that work before you move to a live account
- Beginners and seasoned traders can act on trading signals that describe emerging chart patterns and key levels on a range of markets
- You can customise trading alerts to receive automatic notifications when prices reach your specified targets
FAQs
How do I start trading?
To get started trading, you need to understand the tools and platform you will use. Luckily, you can use resources from IG Academy to learn everything you need to know about trading and practise how to place a trade on our demo account in a risk-free environment.
How can beginners learn to trade?
Beginners can learn how to trade on our demo account that features all of the markets that you can speculate on live. You will be credited with £10,000 in virtual funds to take your first position.
What are the best trading platforms?
We offer the UK’s best platform and app.1 Our platform has a user-friendly interface and fast response time, including on different programmes we offer like MT4, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer.
How can I start trading stocks and shares?
There are two ways to start trading company stocks: by buying and owning shares through a share dealing account, or by trading them with spread bets and CFDs. You can do both with us.
How can I start trading forex and currencies?
You can trade forex and currencies with us through spread betting or CFD trading accounts, on the spot price, with forwards or options.
Try these next
Learn more about how spread bets work when trading
Find out how to trade CFDs on our platform
Learn about the differences between spread bets and CFDs
1 Best trading platform as awarded at the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2021 and Professional Trader Awards 2019. Best trading app as awarded at the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2021.
Connect with us
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Professional clients trading spread bets and CFDs can lose more than they deposit.
Options and futures are complex instruments which come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. They’re not suitable for most investors. Before you invest, you should consider whether you understand how options and futures work, the risks of trading these instruments and whether you can afford to lose more than your original investment.
Trading stocks and shares ‘on margin’ within a US options and futures account – meaning that you only finance part of the cost of acquiring a position in a security – carries additional risks over buying securities on a fully funded basis and may result in losses exceeding your original investment. Trading on margin will also result in additional costs to you as the investor and any securities purchased using margin may be held as collateral by the lender, restricting both your rights as shareholder, and your ability to use the securities until the margin trade is closed. You should familiarise yourself with these risks before trading on margin.
The value of shares, ETFs and other ETPs bought through a share dealing account, a US options and futures account, a stocks and shares ISA or a SIPP can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Some ETPs carry additional risks depending on how they’re structured, investors should ensure they familiarise themselves with the differences before investing.
Share dealing and IG Smart Portfolio accounts provided by IG Trading and Investments Ltd, CFD accounts and US options and futures accounts are provided by IG Markets Ltd, spread betting provided by IG Index Ltd.
IG is a trading name of IG Trading and Investments Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 11628764), IG Markets Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 04008957) and IG Index Ltd (a company registered in England and Wales under number 01190902). Registered address at Cannon Bridge House, 25 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2YA. IG Markets Ltd (Register number 195355), IG Trading and Investments Ltd (Register Number 944492) and IG Index Ltd (Register number 114059) are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The information on this site isn’t directed at residents of the United States, Belgium or any particular country outside the UK and isn’t intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.