❌NON-RECOMMENDED BROKER
This broker was not featured in our 2024 Broker Review Audit. This is because, in the past 12 months, it has failed to pass our initial screening process and is not recommended by our team of experts. As such some of the information found here may be out of date. We review all brokers to a strict and unique methodology, to ensure that we only promote high quality brands that you can trust. This methodology considers over 200 criteria points, covering the categories of safety, fees, platforms, products, payments and customer support. All brokers are then given a score out of 100. We update this methodology and our recommended reviews yearly, so that you’re only given up to date information.
If a broker has a score less than 80, like this one, we won’t recommend it to you. So that we don’t waste your time, we don’t update these reviews either. We know you don’t want to read a long review of an untrustworthy broker. Instead, you can use the tool below to find a high-scoring broker that accepts clients from your country.
GAIN Capital is a US based financial broker from New Jersey that is a key player in the Forex trading business. GAIN Capital is a publicly traded company that is currently listed on the NYSE. It is not often that you see a broker being listed on a publicly traded exchange; as such an exercise requires an enormous amount of market capitalization and a good track record.
The company provides FX trading products and brokerage services through multiple well-known subsidiaries that include Forex.com, CityIndex, and GTX. GAIN Capital is also known to offer its services through several white label brokers and introducing brokers, which has taken the company’s global presence to over 180 different countries through more than 900 partnering firms. Here is a list of all brands that are currently owned and operated by GAIN Capital:
- Forex.com – Online Forex & CFD Trading Broker
- GALVAN – For Research, Market Advisory, & Trading
- CITYINDEX – For Spread Betting & CFD Trading
- Daniels Trading – Shares, Equities, & ETF Brokerage for Exchange Trading based in Chicago
- GAIN Capital – For OTC Trading & B2B Liquidity Solutions
- GTX – ECN Platform for Trading Spot FX, Commodities, & Precious Metals
GAIN Capital is responsible for over $500 billion worth of transactions every quarter and has more than 140,000 clients in different jurisdictions from around the world. Owing to their global footprint, GAIN Capital is regulated in 7 different countries, which alone is a testament to the company’s commitment towards traders and investors from all wakes of life. A fascinating characteristic of GAIN Capital is that they cater to US traders, which is considered to be a healthy sign of a reliable FX broker.
Bonus | 15% |
Regulation | FCA, CFTC, NFA and more |
Mobile | Yes |
Instruments | Forex, indicies, commodities, shares |
Website | www.gaincapital.com |
NOT VERIFIED |
Agencies That Oversee GAIN Capital Regulation
GAIN Capital regulation is governed by some of the most trustworthy and highly popular regulatory agencies, which include the CFTC (US), NFA (US), FCA (UK), and the ASIC (Australia). The broker also has set up its affiliate offices in other parts of the world and has received further regulatory status from IIROC (Canada), SFC (Hong Kong), MAS (Singapore), and FSA (Japan). As the company is listed on the NYSE, the company is expected to meet the highest standards in its business operations and financial transparency. CFTC, NFA, and FCA regulation also requires the company to submit period audit reports on their financial transactions and the broker should guarantee the safety of client funds by depositing them in segregated accounts well away from their operating capital.
GAIN Capital is the recipient of numerous awards over the years and has recently been recognized as one of the top 100 fastest growing companies in 2015. The company is in a constant tussle with FXCM, which is another established NYSE listed broker, which also provides its services to US traders. Although FXCM is more popular among retail traders, GAIN Capital has an incredible presence among hedge funds, institutional traders, and banks. GAIN Capital is slowly moving towards expanding its service lineup to target retail traders by lowering their trading barriers and incorporating several tools to attract small investors.
So What Is The GAIN Capital Initial Deposit & Maximum Leverage?
GAIN Capital offers a $250 minimum deposit option for opening an account with its affiliate brokers and provides a maximum GAIN Capital leverage of 1:200. Of course, US traders can only open an account with a maximum leverage of 1:50, which is the maximum margin enforced by the CFTC Forex trading guidelines. The company has different types of financial trading products that are offered under different brand names, which can make it confusing for traders while choosing a trading platform according to their specific requirements.
For instance, Forex.com and City Index are two trading brands that work on a market maker model by offering STP and spread betting accounts, while a full ECN account is only available under the GTX brand. GainGTX accounts are only made available to large institutional traders and hedge funds that have access to a substantial investment capital. Therefore, retail traders with a small amount of money will not be able to open an ECN account, which is certainly a huge negative aspect about the broker. Although the broker can offer incredible liquidity by connecting to multiple liquidity providers, clients should be apprehensive about investing their hard-earned money into a Market Maker broker that is known to have a conflict of interest with its customers.
GAIN Capital platforms are also available according to the type of account and the brand chosen by the trader. Both the MT4 and the FOREXTrader Pro GAIN Capital trading platforms are offered for accounts held under the Forex.com brand, while the GTX ECN and managed accounts have a proprietary trading platform known as the GainGTX platform that is designed by GAIN Capital’s team of in-house developers. Traders also get access to GAIN Capital mobile trading platforms for mobile trading, as the company has developed dedicated mobile trading software for each of their brands. A single login key can be used for both desktop as well as mobile trading.
Pros & Cons Of Opening A GAIN Capital Account
The pros of opening a GAIN Capital trading account certainly outweigh the cons, as GAIN Capital is considered to be the best broker regarding the safety of funds. Although they are a reliable FX broker, the regular STP, and market maker accounts, have higher GAIN Capital spreads and SWAPs, which does increase the cost of trading. Only the GTX account offers highly competitive spreads and better trading conditions, but an ECN account is reserved for large traders.
GAIN Capital should accommodate the interests of smaller traders by improving their products portfolio, which should provide a stable and attractive trading environment for small retail traders. However, if you do have access to a higher amount of trading capital, GAIN Capital should serve as an excellent choice for Forex brokerage services.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Yes, our review of Gain Capital found that the broker is regulated by different authorities, depending on which brand name you trade with. This includes the CFTC (US), NFA (US), FCA (UK), and the ASIC (Australia). The broker has also gained regulation from IIROC (Canada), SFC (Hong Kong), MAS (Singapore), and FSA (Japan).
No, Gain Capital is not a scam. Some of the world’s most highly regarded forex brokers all under the company, including the likes of Forex.com and City Index. What’s more, Gain Capital is listed on the NYSE, which makes it even more reputable and means that it must adhere to strict guidelines.
Again, the minimum deposit at Gain Capital depends on which brand name you are trading with. For instance, Forex.com has a minimum deposit of $50 on some accounts. Many of the company’s brands also offer a free demo account, which means you can try out the broker without making a deposit at all.
Some Gain Capital brokers do charge commissions, depending on which accounts you select. Usually, if you select an account type with lower spreads, such as an ECN based account, you will have to pay some commission fees. In contrast, if you open a standard account, this is usually commission free.
Gain Capital offers different accounts with its different brokerages. At Forex.com, you can select from three accounts, and it’s the same at City Index. One of the advantages of trading with a Gain Capital broker is that they offer accounts suited to different budgets and skill levels.