IC Markets is a reputable and established online trading brokerage based out of Sydney Australia (Regulated by ASIC). The company was founded in 2007 and is owned and operated by International Capital Markets PTY, with its headquarters locates at Level 6 309 Kent Street Sydney, NSW 2000.
The online broker is well known in Australia and is considered to be the best online brokerage available in the Country as it offers the highest available leverage in Australia, low spreads and fees, and much more.
The trading brokerage strives to bridge the gap between retail clients and big institutional investors by offering investment solutions that were once only offered by investment banks and high-net-worth individuals.
IC Markets primarily offers their traders forex trading but also delves into some choices of futures, indices, and commodities.
Regulation & Reputation
The IC Markets brokerage became licensed and regulated by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) in 2009 under license number 335692.
It is known as one of the most reputable online trading brokers on the market. ASIC is a trustworthy and strict regulatory agency that imposes stringent guidelines and procedures for IC Markets to follow.
Also, in addition to IC Markets ASIC regulation, the brokerage is a member of the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). This service allows clients of IC Markets to resolve any complaints they have promptly and professionally.
This gives traders an additional layer of protection and customer satisfaction by knowing they will be protected if any issues were to arise.
IC Markets also operates via two other regulated brands:
- IC Markets (SC) is owned by True ECN Trading Ltd and regulated by the FSA in Seychelles.
- IC Markets (EU) is provided for European traders and is regulated by CySec (and conforms to recent ESMA restrictions on leverage etc).
These brands offer traders the ability to seamlessly move between each, allowing them to choose the level of regulatory oversight and protection they are comfortable with
Trading Platforms offered by IC Markets
The broker offers their traders not one, but three high-quality trading platforms to choose from. By offering three different trading platforms, traders are blessed with a myriad of tools and analysis methods to execute their trades.
See the available platforms below.
MetaTrader4
The most popular trading platform with IC Markets is MetaTrader 4. The MetaTrader 4 platform provides traders with 1-click trading solutions and includes customizations for market depth analysis.
The platform features several technical indicators, advanced charting tools, a wide range of Expert Advisers, and extensive back-testing options.
In addition, traders can trade on the go with MetaTrader4’s mobile apps for both Android and Apple, and also from any desktop via the web-based MetaTrader platform.
MetaTrader5
This platform is the most recent of the MetaTrader series, and basically is an upgraded and expanded version of the MetaTrader4 platform.
CTrader
This trading platform is custom-made for an ECN trading environment. This includes automated trading software and is available on mobile desktops and the web.
Traders who want to use auto-trading have three options to choose from; ZuluTrade, Myfxbook’s AutoTrade and Signal Trader are mirroring technology.
Trading Accounts Offered
IC Markets provides their traders with 3 different account types tailored made to accommodate each trader’s needs. Traders can choose from a “Standard”, “True ECN”, or a “cTrader ECN” account. The accounts have their differences, but basically, all offer the same features.
The True ECN account offers slightly lower spreads – but they are very low across all the accounts. In addition to these accounts, traders can also practice trading on their platform with a live demo account.
This account allows the trader to practice using virtual money in a live market environment.
Bonus & Promotion
Unfortunately, IC Markets do not offer their traders any sort of bonus. However, this should not be viewed as a bad thing. The brokerage has built a strong reputation and is rightly proud of its offering.
They do not want to encourage overtrading or misrepresent their products via incentives.
IC Markets Assets
The IC Markets trading brokerage does not fall short in offering its clients a wide range of trading instruments and assets. The brokerage offers over 80 instruments including currency pairs, CFDs on indices, stocks, commodities and futures, precious metals, and even the most popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Forex is a huge part of the IC Markets offering. The majority of the 90+ assets available to trade are currency pairs. This is backed up with leverage of up to 500:1, lot sizes from just 0.01 (maximum lot size is 1, but traders can trade multiple lots).
On the cTrader platform, spreads can be reduced to 0.0, minimizing commission and spread costs for frequent traders. Average spreads are extremely low, just 0.1 pips for EUR/USD for example. This can have a huge effect on day trading profits.
Customer Support
IC Markets excels in the area of customer support. They offer their clients multilingual support 24 hrs a day, 5 days a week via live chat, email, or through their global telephone support hotline. In addition to this, there is an informative support center where users can find the answers to most of their questions.
Deposit & Withdrawal
Deposits
IC Markets offers its traders a wide variety of deposit options in 10 different currencies. These include AUD, USD, EUR, CAD, GBP, SGD, NZD, JPY, HKD, and CHF. As for deposit options, they include Credit and Debit Cards, Bank Wire Transfers, Broker Broker transfers, Branch Cash Deposit, BPay Deposit, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, WebMoney, QIWI, China Union Pay, and FasaPay.
Most of these deposit methods are instant and can be done with multiple currencies.
Withdrawals
Withdrawals can be made via many of the same methods as deposits. Domestic bank transfers and e-wallet withdrawals can be processed within the same business day and are free of charge. As for international withdrawals, they can take up to 3-5 business days and cost $25.
Are IC Markets good for Day Trading?
It is a great brokerage for day trading due to several factors:
- Low Spreads – Active, frequent traders know the importance of reducing the cost of trading. With average spreads of just 0.1 on EUR/USD for example, day traders do not have profits eroded by the high commission or trading costs. IC Markets are therefore a good choice for high-frequency trading.
- Education – The brokerage features numerous video tutorials with a focus on educating traders on the various aspects of day trading. As well, they provide many articles and guides to help their traders.
- Trading Tools – The broker features advanced charting and analysis tools and calculators. As well as a variety of technical indicators used for technical analysis.
- Range of assets – There is a massive array of assets to choose from, which makes this brokerage great for day traders who are just beginning or seasoned veterans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are IC Markets regulated?
Yes, they are licensed and regulated by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC).
What methods can I use to deposit funds at IC Markets?
Credit and Debit Cards, Bank Wire Transfers, Broker to Broker transfer, Branch Cash Deposit, BPay Deposit, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, WebMoney, QIWI, China Union Pay, and FasaPay.
Do IC Markets accept international traders?
Yes, but they do not accept traders from the United States and Canada.
Is there a fee for making a withdrawal?
There are no fees for domestic withdrawals and e-wallets. International withdrawals do have a $20 fee.
What is the minimum initial deposit requirement at IC Markets?
Traders are required to deposit an initial amount of $200.
IC Markets Trading Hours?
IC Markets operate alongside global markets. So trading will be available when markets around the world are open, so trading hours reflect market hours. In terms of opening hours, the IC Support desk is open 24 hours a day, for 5 days a week.
Problems or Complaints
IC Markets do not generate many complaints. As a regulated brand, its policies are transparent and trader funds are separated from company funds.
One complaint often made against brokers is that of traders being “stopped out”. Stop-outs occur when an asset price hits a trader’s stop-out level – only to move favorably again after the trade is closed. This is a criticism of almost every broker and is more a problem of setting stop-loss levels too close to the market.
Other problems of the website being unavailable (“no connection” error for example) are largely more questions of the trader connectivity rather than the broker. Server ‘up time’ is monitored and recorded. In our experience, it is very rare for the platform to not work but can happen.
Accepted Countries
IC Markets accepts traders from Australia, Thailand, United Kingdom, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Qatar, and most other countries.
Traders can not use IC Markets from the United States, Canada, Zimbabwe, Iran, Iraq, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Liberia, Niger, and Togo.
Editorial Staff at Chweya is a team of financial experts led by Vincent Nyagaka, with over 9 years of experience in finance, commerce, forex, crypto, and marketing. Started in 2014, Chweya is now among the largest free financial resource sites in the industry and is often referred to as Wikipedia for business.
