InvestingGuide is the best online broker review platform in the UK. We have an expert team dedicated to researching, evaluating, and reviewing the region’s most reputable and trustworthy service providers. Our gurus cover hundreds of multi-regulated players and provide all the insights you need to identify ideal trading platforms.
At InvestingGuide, our goal is to provide factual and unbiased insights. We always conduct extensive research and double-check everything before preparing reviews. We’ll never relent on integrity or betray your trust.
What Functions Do We Check?
We review all brokers based on the same factors and data points. Before preparing any broker review, our experts open a live account and use it to assess the service provider involved. So, rest assured that the insights in our reviews are based on first-hand experience, not hearsay.
The first elements that we consider are licensing and regulation. Since regulated brokers are secure and reliable, we focus more on service providers authorised and monitored by the FCA. We also award a higher ranking to brokers licensed by other international authorities, including CySEC, ASIC, and SEC.
Our team also tests every broker’s registration and account setup process. We know complicated sign-up processes are frustrating and time-consuming. That is why we strive to recommend platforms that allow new users to set up their accounts with a few easy steps.
Not to forget, our team checks each broker’s trading platforms and charges. By doing so, we make it easier for you to identify a service provider that offers software that suits your goals and preferences. Our team also helps you pick a broker with reasonable fees, which is indispensable in protecting your profit margins.
Deposits and withdrawals are the other elements that we consider while evaluating brokers. Our experts pay close attention to the supported payment methods and associated transaction costs. Additionally, since many beginners read our reviews, we assess the quality and quantity of the educational resources provided on every trading platform.
We’ve been trading for many years and know that traders often face issues like transaction delays. We want you to get prompt assistance whenever such problems arise. That is why our experts vet the availability and quality of every broker’s customer support services.
Finally, since our goal is to provide unbiased reviews, we factor in ratings, feedback, and testimonials on the App Store, Trustpilot, and Google Play.
The sample table below summarises the functions we check and our rating criteria. Note that the broker evaluated below is fictional. We’ll call it XYZ.
| Category | Percentage Score | Rating Formula (%*5) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licensing and regulation | 100% | (100/100*5) | 5.0 |
| Security and safety | 100% | (100/100*5) | 5.0 |
| Registration and account setup | 80% | (80/100*5) | 4.0 |
| Trading platforms and tools | 80% | (80/100*5) | 4.0 |
| Fees and commissions | 90% | (90/100*5) | 4.5 |
| Deposits and withdrawals | 90% | (90/100*5) | 4.5 |
| Educational tools and resources | 80% | (80/100*5) | 4.0 |
| Customer support service | 100% | (100/100*5) | 5.0 |
| Research | 90% | (80/100*5) | 4.5 |
| User testimonials | 90% | (90/100*5) | 4.5 |
| Total score | 45.0 | ||
| Rating (total score/ 10) | 4.5 stars |
Therefore, based on the table above, broker XYZ deserves a 4.5-star rating.
The Tools We Test
As a trader, you need the right tools for different tasks, be it educating yourself, analysing markets, or managing risk. To help you find a fitting broker, our experts examine and test the tools offered by every broker. They include:
- Trading platforms: Our experts test and evaluate every broker’s proprietary trading platform. We give higher rankings to service providers with platforms that boast positive attributes like a user-friendly interface. We also factor in any hosted third-party trading software.
- Research and analysis tools: Our team rates brokers based on the research and analysis tools they provide. We give higher ratings to service providers with an outstanding selection of solutions, such as advanced charts, news feeds, market data, and analyst ratings.
- Educational resources: Novices make up a sizable chunk of our audience. That is why we scrutinise and evaluate the educational materials and tools brokers provide before preparing our reviews.
- Risk management tools: Trading is risky. Before recommending any broker in our reviews, we check the availability of risk management tools like stop-loss and take-profit orders. We want to help you find service providers with the tools you need to minimise losses and maximise returns.
Our Principles
At InvestingGuide, we are guided and adhere to the following indispensable principles:
- Transparency: We aim for optimum transparency. That is why we’ve outlined the factors that we consider while testing and evaluating brokers in the UK. We also apply this principle in our reviews. We will always inform you of everything you need to know to make the best decisions, including every broker’s shortcomings.
- Integrity: Some of the brokers we’ll review over the years are our partners. But we will never favour these entities or allow their contribution to undermine our integrity. You are our top priority, and our primary goal is to help you find a splendid service provider.
- Independence: No time will any of our partners influence our ratings and reviews. We will always publish what we’ve discovered from extensive evaluations- the good, the bad, and the ugly.
- Accuracy: Since we strive to provide accurate content, our experts always conduct thorough research and factor in user testimonials before preparing reviews. We also update our content frequently to ensure you have access to factual and up-to-date information.