Home Online trading accessibility
Local

Online trading accessibility

Contributors
day trading business
Credit: Kaspars Grinvalds

The world of online trading for the CFD’s and Forex markets has increasingly grown in popularity. This is mainly due to developments in technology that have allowed anyone to start trading, even from a smartphone.

But what is online trading?

Previously, if anyone wanted to trade or get involved with the stocks market for instance, they would have needed a traditional stockbroker. Now thanks to online trading, anyone can start by themselves without needing a middleman. All that is required to start is an internet connection plus a device such as a laptop or cellphone.

The last thing that is need to access online trading is to find a trusted and regulated broker. It’s important that a broker is regulated as this means that they’re licenced to operate by an official authority and must follow strict financial rules.

This protects traders against financial scams and fraud which unfortunately happens with unregulated brokers. A good, regulated broker will always list their licence numbers and regulation information on their website.

There are many regulated online brokers to choose from, and it’s important to find the one that fulfils your needs the best. For example, are you looking for a platform that has social trading? Or maybe you want a broker that offers zero commission. Some brokers also have free educational tools available, including video courses and learning guides.

All brokers have realised that accessibility is a key feature that their customers want. This is why they will normally offer various versions of their platform. This usually includes an online version which can be accessed like a standard website, plus a desktop version which can be downloaded directly to a laptop or personal computer.

However, there is a third platform version offered by brokers which is becoming very popular, and that is the trading App. These Apps will have all the same features as the main online platform, the only difference is that they can be used on smartphones and iPads. Most trading Apps are available for free download from the Apple and  Google Play stores, for use on Android and Apple devices.

The great thing about using a trading App is that it allows you to access your trading account on the move, there’s no need to be sat in front of a computer all day any more. Brokers have realised that accessibility is key to staying relevant, which is why nearly all of them offer trading Apps.

Some of the Apps even come with extra features such as real time trading alerts and up to date market news. This is great especially if you’re a day trader and need to be aware of what’s happening in the market. Receiving market updates directly to a smartphone lets you trade and monitor positions from more or less anywhere, you just need data or an internet connection.

With so many options of platforms, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in a full time job or at home. There is an online broker that will have the right platform version for you to meet your lifestyle needs. Online accessibility has really opened the trading world up to millions so that anyone can start trading for themselves.

Besides online platforms, other technology tools that can be useful when trading includes online charting platforms and indicator guides. Most brokers will have a wide range of analysis and technical indicators available for you to analyze the markets. However, there are also additional charting websites available where you can see a full range of market charts and price results. The more analysis and research you can view, the morw it will help to guide you on future trading decisions.

With the forex and CFD’s market being so changeable, it’s vital that traders are aware of past results in order to make trades based on business decisions. So having access to analysis tools online and via brokers is key.

This is why taking advantage of technology on offer from the brokers can be very rewarding when trading. Always use any updates provided by a broker to your advantage, that way you are likely to see the benefits in future trading results.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.