ForexCT was established in 2006 by a team of experienced traders who noticed the inadequacy in the quality and quantity of online retail Forex brokerage services. The brokerage company was born out of their mission to provide Forex and CFD traders around the world with a top-notch online trading platform, while also delivering unmatched consumer service.
Since, the company has continued to have as its guiding principles transparency, accountability, and sound business ethics. Its’ headquarter is in Melbourne, Australia.
Regulations and Safety
Forex Capital Trading Pty Limited, ForexCT for short, is fully compliant with regulations. It is licensed and regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the apex Australian financial service regulatory authority, under the ASIC license number #306400. The broker operates segregated accounts for its clients. Thus, technically, it does not have access to clients’ accounts, thereby eliminating the risk of funds mismanagement.
Leverage Options
Worldwide, ForexCT is the first choice when it comes to online margin and CFD trading. This is not an accident; the broker’s range of leverage options is exciting, and will easily endear it to any trader looking for the best offers.
As you probably know, leverage can potentially increase profits for traders, especially those who have a relatively small account. Of course, it increases the risk, too. ForexCT offers its clients leverage of up to 400:1. This means that you can control positions that are 400 times your deposited amount. Let’s use the following example to illustrate the concepts of leverage and margin trading.
Imagine you want to buy the EURUSD pair at a price of 1.0500 and you want to know the margin, the minimum amount you need to open the trade. Assuming that you have 400:1 (or 0.25%) leverage on your trading account, you can determine the required margin amount for this trade using the formula: current price x units traded/lot size × margin percentage (leverage %/100)
1.0500 × 10,000 x (0.25/100) = $26.25
That is, you need a deposit of $26.25 in your account before you can open a $10,000 EURUSD trade and control the $10,000 position. The huge advantage here is that by using leverage — trading on margin, you do not need to deposit the whole $10,000 in your trading account. Instead, you need just $26.25.
Trading Commission Fee
Forex CT is a non-commission based Forex broker. Hence, its clients do not pay a commission when trading CFDs on Forex. Instead, the broker receives compensations for its services only in the form of spread. Measured in pips, the spread is the difference between the bid price and the ask price.
The bid price is the price that market maker, liquidity provider, or another market participant wants to buy from you, while the ask price is the price that they are willing to sell.
Trading Pair Spread
As explained earlier, the spread is the difference between the bid price and the ask price. As it does not charge commissions, the broker makes its gains only through the spread.
The bid price is the price at which you sell and the ask price is the price at which you buy. For instance, when the bid price and the ask price are 1.0565 and 1.0567 respectively, the spread is 2 pips. This is the broker’s gain.
Normally, spreads vary depending on market conditions and the currency pair, but ForexCT clients always have a fixed spread. That is, the broker offers a fixed spread policy, even if the markets are unstable due to high-impact press releases or other statistics.
Deposit Conditions
Before you can start trading on a ForexCT live account, you need to deposit a minimum of $500. When compared to many other brokers, this is high. However, it has some advantages.
- Trading with a relatively high minimum increases your profit potential;
- Also, starting with a negligible minimum amount can make you less careful in your trades.
When you use ForexCT, you will have a number of deposit and withdrawal options from which to pick. These are:
- Credit/debit card (e.g. Visa and MasterCard): Deposit transactions through credit and debit cards are processed instantly and are secured using powerful encryption technology. Multiple currencies are supported and conversion is done on the spot. Plus, you have the benefit of transferring up to $10,000 using this method.
- Domestic Bank Transfer: For domestic bank transfer, only deposits in USD are accepted. Also, you must make reference to your trading account name when doing the transfers. The only downside of this is that it usually takes 2-3 days before your funds will reflect in your account.
- BPay: The BPay option is available only to clients with Australian bank accounts.
- International Telegraphic Transfer: If you will be transferring funds from an overseas account, the International Telegraphic Transfer is the method for you. However, it takes 2-3 days before the funds will show up in your account.
Account Types
There are two account options offered by ForexCT:
- Demo account
- Live trading account.
The demo account, with the $20,000 virtual cash, offers the perfect practice environment to test out your skills, familiarize yourself with the trading platform, and learn to follow your instincts all at no risk whatsoever.
The live trading account provides a wide choice of CFDs available across a range of asset classes such as commodities (e.g. gold, copper, oil, and wheat), bonds, indices such as the ASX 200 and the Dow Jones, currencies, and exchange traded funds (ETFs).
Registering for a live trading account instantly gives you access to the cutting-edge mobile and WebPROfit trading platforms.
Customer Support
The broker’s customer support service is offered 24/5 integrated with the trading platform itself. Hence, you can conveniently use it without having to leave the trading platform! Whether you need guidance or you just have queries, the support team is always available to help you have seamless experiences using the broker.
The customer support service is provided via the following:
- Helpdesk Lines (telephone and fax): These are for Australian, Chinese, and international clients.
- Multiple Email Addresses: ForexCT offers multiple email addresses to attend to different kinds of queries — general information, customer service, technical support, account, and complaints.
- Postal Address: As traditional as it may sound, there is a postal address through which you can get in touch with the broker.
Tools for Trading
ForexCT prides itself on its state-of-the-art online trading platform which is made available in the two forms:
- Mobile
- Web
The mobile platform is available for download as both Android and iOs apps. It enables traders to:
- stay connected to the market every time and anytime;
- trade on the go so that they can enter and exit their positions anytime they wish.
The web-based platform, the WebPROfit trading platform, is arguably the easiest-to-use platform in the industry. It offers:
- instantaneous execution of trades and comes with a comprehensive 24/7 support.
- industry-leading, favorable trading conditions: guaranteed stop loss, fixed spreads, and advanced market analysis tools.
- a user guide to make you understand its workings so that you can truly optimize your trading experience.
Education and Informational Resources
ForexCT provides a wide range of education and informational resources. The materials are available in different forms such as:
- eBook. The ebook resource is in-depth and is made available immediately you open an account;
- Video Tutorials. The video tutorials are insightful and are especially useful to beginner traders who are still trying to get a grip of the market. They are made available through the PROfit platform;
- Webinars. The webinar comprises a library of useful resources which teach essential topics such as price behavior, money management, and trading psychology. Undoubtedly, those webinars can help you make the most out of each trade you place.
- Courses. The courses aim to teach traders how to understand the market and identify specific opportunities such as breakout and how to optimize their trading strategies.
- Analyses. The analyses are products of effective investment research and are made available to clients at no cost.
- Daily Reports. Daily market reports are also provided free and delivered to clients directly into their emails.
Pros of Trading with ForexCT
- Forex CT is a well-regulated, secure Forex and CFD brokerage service provider. The company is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
- It offers high liquidity, low transaction costs, and leveraged directional trading. Thus, no matter the direction of the market, you can profit using the benefit of its margin trading feature.
- The customer support service is top-notch. It is provided through many channels — telephone, fax, email, and live chat. The broker also provides a postal address!
- ForexCT gives its clients 24-hour market access through its state-of-the-art trading platforms. Orders are instantaneously executed and the trading conditions are favorable.
- The broker’s education and informational resources are comprehensive. No matter your experience level, they can easily set you up for successful trading experience.
Cons of Trading with ForexCT
- Although the broker offers a reasonably wide range of payment options, its required minimum deposit of $500 is relatively high. Many other brokers have far lower minimum deposit requirements.
- Its’ account offerings are limited. They can be expanded to cater to different kinds of traders’ preferences and goals.
Conclusion
ForexCT Australia is a well-regulated Australian Forex and CFD brokerage firm. It gives its clients the opportunity to access the Forex market 24/7 at low costs, while also providing high leverage to increase their profit potential. The customer support service is top notch, the education and informational resources are detailed, and the trading platforms are standard enough to make trading conditions favorable.
However, the broker has a relatively high minimum deposit requirement and a limited account type offering. All the same, if you are looking for a secure broker to handle your trading needs, ForexCT might be exactly the one you need.