Beware! IST Markets is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.

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IST Markets is an offshore broker that offers unimpressive trading conditions and falsely claims to be authorised and regulated. In this review, we will look at what this broker is all about and what better alternatives you have.

IST Markets Regulation and safety of funds

Guaranteed FundsSegregated AccountsNegative balance protection
IST Markets
UK regulated brokers£85 000YesYes
EU regulated brokers€20 000YesYes
AU regulated brokersNoYesYes
US regulted brokersYesYesNo

The most important information about a financial services provider is its regulatory status. Licensed brokers provide detailed information about which company runs them, where it is based, which jurisdictions it is authorised in and which regulatory bodies oversee its activities.

IST Markets insists that it is a regulated broker, but this is misleading to say the least.

The company that owns and operates this website is IST Markets LTD, which is listed as being based in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Such a company can indeed be found among those registered in the SVG. But this does not provide any guarantees of customer protection.

SVG is an offshore zone with no broker regulations in place. As soon as you open the website of the local Financial Services Authority you see a warning that the institution does not licence forex and other types of brokers and does not supervise the activities of International Business Companies engaged in such activities.

If you have decided to invest in financial instruments, and especially if you are a novice trader, you should use the services of a licensed broker based in a jurisdiction with strong regulations.

Depending on your location, it is advisable to choose a company that is regulated by an institution such as Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the US, Australian Securities and Exchanges Commission (ASIC), UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or some EU regulator like Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).

IST Markets Trading software

Analytical toolsAuto tradingCustom indicatorsMobile apps
IST Markets MT550+ indicatorsAndroid and iOS
MT430+ indicatorsAndroid and iOS
MT550+ indicatorsAndroid and iOS
cTrader40+ indicatorsAndroid and iOS

IST Markets offers its traders the industry-standard trading platform MetaTrader 5 (MT5). Here’s what it looks like:

You could always use the services of a regulated broker, the vast majority of which offer clients MT5 or the still very popular MT4. This will enable you to use the advanced features of these platforms without fear of being scammed. These platforms are preferred by the majority of brokers around the world because of their powerful automated trading capabilities, including Expert Advisor bots and customised scripts for backtesting trading strategies.

IST Markets Trading instruments

CurrencyStocksIndicesCryptoCommodities
IST Markets
XMYesYesYesYesYes
FBSYesYesYesYesYes
FXTMYesYesYesYesYes

IST Markets offers trading in forex, indices, stocks, metals and other commodities.

IST Markets Spreads and cost of trading

IST MarketsXMFBSFXTM
Spread EURUSD2.10.611.1
Spread GBPUSD21.31.21.4
Spread USDJPY21.31.21.4

Clients of this broker have a choice between three account types, with the client paying either the spread only or the raw spread plus a commission of 6 USD per lot.

Although IST Markets advertises very low spreads, we see levels of over 2 pips in the trading platform, which is very uncompetitive and unprofitable for the trader.

IST Markets Maximum leverage

ForexStocksCryptoGoldIndices
IST Marketsr500:1200:1200:1200:1200:1
UK regulated brokers30:15:110:110:1
EU regulated brokers30:15:12:110:110:1
AU regulated brokers30:15:12:110:110:1
US regulated brokers50:1

IST Markets offers a high leverage of up to 1:500. Regulated brokers do not offer such levels to retail traders as trading with high leverage carries risks of sudden and excessive losses.

IST Markets also advertises many types of bonuses, which is also prohibited by most financial regulators. On the website we found the terms and conditions described for only one of the bonuses offered.

If you are willing to take the risk of trading with high leverage and benefit from bonuses and promotions, the best option is to invest through an offshore division of an established brand.

IST Markets Deposit and withdrawal methods

Deposit timeWithdrawal timePrice
Credit cardInstant24 hoursNot specified
Crypto24 hours24 hoursFee depends on crypto

The website claims that a wide variety of payment methods are available. But in the deposit menu itself, we only see options for cryptocurrencies and credit cards through obscure payment processors.

 

IST Markets Minimum deposit

IST MarketsXMFBSFXTM
Minimum deposit$100$5$10$5

You can open a starter account with IST Markets for 100 USD. For a significantly lesser amount, you could start trading through one of the industry’s leading brands.

IST Markets Withdrawal requirements

Trading volumeFee/Tax on withdrawalMinimum withdrawal
IST Markets5 lotsNot specifiedNot specified
UK regulated brokersNoNoNo
EU regulated brokersNoNoNo
AU regulated brokersNoNoNo
US regulated brokersNoNoNo

If the account has used a bonus, it can withdraw profits after trading a commutative volume of 5 lots.

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