IG Safety & Regulation 2026: Licences & Protection

IG is regulated by: **Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)** (United Kingdom) — Tier-1, licence 195355. **Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)** (Australia) — Tier-1, licence 515106. **Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)** (Singapore) — Tier-1. **Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin)** (Germany) — Tier-1. **Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)** (United States) — Tier-1. **Financial Markets Authority (FMA)** (New Zealand) — Tier-1. **Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)** (UAE) — Tier-1. Client protection: £85,000 (FSCS UK). Compensation scheme: Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protects UK retail clients up to £85,000.

Tier-1 regulators (e.g. FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSCA-equivalent frameworks) apply capital requirements, client-money segregation, and compensation schemes. IG holds 5 Tier-1 licences and segregates client funds and offers negative balance protection.

Up to £85,000 under FSCS (UK clients) Client base: 313,000+. Licensed since 1974.

IG operates with a minimum deposit of $250 ($0 bank transfer) and offers leverage up to 1:30 (Retail UK/EU) | 1:200 (Pro). EUR/USD spreads are quoted from 0.6 pips (Standard), with a commission structure of $0 (Built into spread for Forex) on Market Maker (+ DMA routing available) execution. Trading platforms include IG Platform, L2 Dealer, ProRealTime, MT4. Deposit methods span Bank Transfer, Credit/Debit Card, and withdrawal processing runs at 2-5 business days. The broker holds 5 Tier-1 and 0 Tier-3 licences (FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), CFTC/NFA (USA), FINMA (Switzerland), MAS (Singapore)), with client protection of £85,000 (FSCS UK). Operating since 1974 from London, UK. IG is positioned Professional traders, US traders & comprehensive market access. Educational resources are rated Excellent, covering market analysis and platform training. Reviewers consistently note: Publicly traded (FTSE 250) with exceptional financial stability; Access to over 17,000 global markets; Industry-leading proprietary web and mobile platform.

Deposit methods at IG: Credit/Debit Card (Visa, Mastercard) (Instant), Bank Transfer (1-5 business days), PayPal (Instant), Apple Pay (Instant), BPAY (Australia) (1-2 business days). Withdrawal methods: Bank Transfer (1-5 business days (same day for Faster Payments)), Credit/Debit Card (2-5 business days), PayPal (Instant to 1 business day). Supported base currencies: USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CHF, JPY, SGD, HKD, CAD. Broker-listed deposit fee: Free (0%). Broker-listed withdrawal fee: Free (bank/card/PayPal). Wire fee $15 may apply.. Verification: ID proof (passport/driving license) + Address proof (utility bill/bank statement dated within 3 months). Time to open an account: 1-3 business days (can be same day with instant verification). Forex pairs available: 80+.

IG is positioned Professional traders, US traders & comprehensive market access, which matters when comparing it against other brokers for this decision. Strengths in our review: Publicly traded (FTSE 250) with exceptional financial stability; Access to over 17,000 global markets; Industry-leading proprietary web and mobile platform; Accepts US clients via IG US; ProRealTime charting is fantastic for technical analysis. Watch-outs in our review: Does not offer MetaTrader 5 (MT5); Stock CFD commissions can be high; Customer service can be impersonal for smaller accounts. Platform support: MT4 supported, MT5 not supported, cTrader not supported, TradingView not supported, proprietary supported. Islamic (swap-free) accounts: Yes (Select regions). Demo account: Yes (unlimited). Education resources are rated Excellent. Regulatory footprint: FCA (UK) (Tier 1), ASIC (Australia) (Tier 1), CFTC/NFA (USA) (Tier 1), FINMA (Switzerland) (Tier 1), MAS (Singapore) (Tier 1).

IG is rated 4.7/5 in our editorial reviews and holds licences across 5 regulated entities. The broker was founded in 1974. Headquarters are in London, UK. It has been licensed since 1974. Positioning: Professional traders, US traders & comprehensive market access. Commission model: $0 (Built into spread for Forex). Leverage reaches 1:30 (Retail UK/EU) | 1:200 (Pro). Minimum deposit: $250 ($0 bank transfer).

**Strengths**: Publicly traded (FTSE 250) with exceptional financial stability; Access to over 17,000 global markets; Industry-leading proprietary web and mobile platform; Accepts US clients via IG US; ProRealTime charting is fantastic for technical analysis. **Weaknesses**: Does not offer MetaTrader 5 (MT5); Stock CFD commissions can be high; Customer service can be impersonal for smaller accounts.