IG Review 2027 Fees, Features and Safety

This IG review for 2027 looks at the London, United Kingdom-based forex broker, founded in 1974, and covers its 11 listed regulators, the $0 minimum deposit, leverage of up to 1:200 and trading platforms, so you can decide whether it fits the way you trade.

IG at a glance (2027)

IG is the largest retail CFD and spread betting provider in the world by revenue, and one of the oldest. Stuart Wheeler founded the business in London in 1974 as IG Index, short for Investors Gold Index, to let people speculate on the gold price without buying the metal. Half a century later, IG Group is a member of the FTSE 250 index on the London Stock Exchange and serves several hundred thousand active clients across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and the United States.

Regulation and safety

Few brokers are supervised as widely as IG. Group companies are authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, ASIC in Australia, FINMA in Switzerland, BaFin in Germany, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Japan's Financial Services Agency, the Dubai Financial Services Authority, South Africa's FSCA and the Bermuda Monetary Authority. In the United States the group operates a forex dealer registered with the CFTC and the National Futures Association.

Retail client money is held in segregated accounts. UK clients are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to its limit, and negative balance protection applies to retail accounts in the UK, EU and Australia. As a listed company, IG publishes audited financial statements, so anyone can inspect its balance sheet.

Markets you can trade

IG offers more than 17,000 markets. The forex range covers around 80 to 100 currency pairs depending on region, including majors, minors and a good selection of exotics. Beyond currencies, clients can trade indices, thousands of individual shares, commodities, bonds, interest rates and, where permitted, cryptocurrencies. UK and Irish residents can use spread betting, where profits are currently free of capital gains tax. IG also offers barrier and vanilla options, and a share dealing service in several countries.

Spreads and fees

Forex pricing is built into the spread, with no separate commission on standard accounts. The minimum spread on EUR/USD is 0.6 pips, and typical spreads during the main trading sessions are a little higher. Share CFDs carry a commission. Overnight positions incur funding charges, and guaranteed stop-loss orders cost a small premium that is charged only if the stop is triggered.

There is no minimum deposit for bank transfers. Card and PayPal payments have a minimum, which varies by country. An inactivity fee applies after two years without dealing. High-volume traders can apply for rebates or use Forex Direct, a direct market access service with commission-based pricing.

Trading platforms

• IG web platform and mobile app: the main proprietary platform, with clean charts, integrated news, alerts and a wide range of order types.
• MetaTrader 4: available for forex, indices and commodities, with add-ons supplied by IG.
• ProRealTime: advanced charting and automated trading, free for clients who trade a minimum number of times per month.
• L2 Dealer: direct market access for shares and forex, aimed at professionals.
• TradingView: clients in supported regions can trade from TradingView charts.

The proprietary platform is one of the best in the industry for usability and stability, and most clients never need anything else.

Research and education

IG invests heavily in content. The IG Academy offers structured courses and live webinars, and the in-house analyst team produces daily market commentary and video. The platform includes Reuters news, an economic calendar, client sentiment data and trading signals from third-party providers.

Growth beyond CFDs

In recent years IG has broadened its business through acquisitions. It bought the US options and futures broker tastytrade in 2021 and rebranded its American forex arm as tastyfx. In 2025 it acquired the UK investing app Freetrade and agreed to buy Independent Reserve, an Australian crypto exchange. The direction is clear: IG wants to serve long-term investors and crypto traders alongside its traditional leveraged clients.

Who is IG best for?

IG suits traders who put safety and breadth first. It works well for beginners, thanks to its education and demo account, and for experienced traders who want deep liquidity, many markets and professional tools. UK spread bettors will find one of the widest product ranges available.

Traders who only want the tightest raw spreads on a few forex majors, or who need very high leverage, may prefer a specialist ECN-style broker.

Pros and cons

• Pros: listed on the London Stock Exchange, regulated in many top-tier jurisdictions, more than 17,000 markets, excellent proprietary platform, strong research and education.
• Cons: spreads are good but not the lowest, share CFD commissions, no MetaTrader 5, inactivity fee after two years.

IG review: verdict for 2027

IG has spent 50 years building a reputation that newer brokers cannot buy. Its regulation, financial transparency and platform quality make it one of the safest all-round choices for forex and CFD trading. It is not the cheapest broker for every strategy, but for most traders the balance of trust, range and tools is hard to match.

Compare this IG review with all 60 forex brokers in our 2027 list, and confirm the latest terms on the official IG website before you open an account.