Last update: 6 June 2021
16 min read

HF Markets Review

hf markets review logo
$100 Min. Deposit
N/A Bonus
Open account
Regulatory Body
CySEC, FCA
Trading platforms
MT4, MT5
Customer support
24/5
Languages support
27
Num of instruments
84

HF Markets Review

This HF Markets review explores a highly regulated and trustworthy ECN/STP broker. As a hybrid broker, HF Markets do not take the other side of their client’s trades resulting in no conflict of interest. This allows them full transparency, the ability to charge lower spreads, and to focus on excellent customer service.

HF Markets offers a wide range of tradable assets, making them an excellent option if you’re looking to diversify your trading portfolio. They also provide a wide range of tools and materials, to help both novice and veteran traders.

Whether you’re just starting, or you’ve been trading for a while, HF Markets is an accomplished broker that offers just about everything you could think of.

Company informationCompany information

Our review of HF Markets forex broker revealed that the company was founded in 2010, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The HF Markets Group includes well-known reputable brands such as Hot Forex and HF Markets.

HF Markets is an international broker, with over 1,500,000 accounts globally. Their popularity and success have not gone unnoticed either, as the broker has won more than 25 international awards.

HF Markets is available in over 27 different languages, though they do not accept clients from the United States, Canada, Sudan, Syria, or North Korea.

HF Markets regulation and licensingHF Markets regulation and licensing

This trusted forex broker is authorized and regulated by several international institutions, including the FCA and CySEC. In terms of regulatory compliance, you can’t go wrong with HF Markets, seeing as our broker review found that they are subject to some of the strictest regulations in the industry.

When it comes to protecting traders, all client funds are segregated, and they offer market-leading insurance to all clients. The HF Markets online broker has a civil liability insurance program, worth up to a limit of approximately $6 million or €5 million.

This insurance protects against mistakes, negligence, omissions, fraud, and any other issues that could result in financial losses. You will be able to enjoy this coverage at no additional charge.

HF Markets is also part of the Investor Compensation Fund, which covers EU clients. With this, all EU traders will receive compensation of up to €20,000 in the unlikely event that the broker is unable to fulfill its financial obligations to you.

These wide-ranging security measures mean that you can be confident that you’re trading with a trust-worthy and responsible broker.

Opening an account with HF MarketsOpening an account with HF Markets

Registering for an account with the HF Markets online broker is a quick and seamless process. After following a few simple steps, you will have access to an account that is appropriate for your trading needs.

The minimum deposit is also extremely accessible, allowing you to test out HF Markets services without having to commit substantial funds.

What is the minimum deposit at HF Markets?

Our HF Markets review team was impressed to see that this online broker offers fair minimum deposits across each of their account types. This shows that they are dedicated to client flexibility and gives you a comfortable point of entry regardless of your trading requirements.

Premium accounts can be opened for as little as $100, whilst Premium Pro accounts require a slightly higher minimum deposit of $500.

Alternatively, you can open a zero spread account with a minimum deposit of $200.

How to open an account at HF Markets

Account registration at HF Markets is a straightforward process. The fully digital questionnaire makes the whole process quicker too, as you don’t need to worry about posting your documents to the broker for approval.

To become a trader with HF Markets, simply follow the steps outlined by our review team:

  • Step 1: Choose your account type. You can select between Individual, Corporate, or Joint.
  • Step 2: Provide personal information, including your full name, email address, country of residence, date of birth, and telephone number.
  • Step 3: Select your base currency.
  • Step 4: Choose whether you wish to subscribe to HF Market email updates.
  • Step 5: Review and agree to the broker’s terms and conditions.
  • Step 6: Verify your email address by following the link sent to you.
  • Step 7: Provide some additional personal information such as your country of birth, full current address, and tax details.
  • Step 8: Answer questions about your employment status, your personal wealth, and your funding sources for trading.
  • Step 9: Answer a series of questions designed to assess your trading experience and knowledge.
  • Step 10: Confirm that you are eligible to trade. You will need to accept three different declarations (criminal background check, P.E.P check, US tax residency check).
  • Step 11: Provide your verification documents. These can be uploaded directly on the ‘myHF’ platform, or sent by email. The document verification process should be completed within 48 hours.

Once you have completed all the above steps you will have access to a live trading account. You can find a helpful list of all the information required to register an account at the HF Markets online broker below:

  • Personal information – Full name, telephone number, email address, home address, social security number (NI number for UK traders).
  • Regulatory information – Tax residency details, employment details, trading experience, trading goals, estimated total assets, estimated income, source of wealth, source of income, P.E.P disclosure, criminal background disclosure.
  • Documents – Proof of identification (scan of national ID, front and back, or passport), proof of address (bank statement or utility bill no older than 6 months).

Account typesAccount types

Our Review of HF Markets forex broker showed that there are several types of accounts on offer. No matter what your needs are, you will find something that’s in line with your requirements.

If you’re new to forex trading, our broker review team would recommend opting for the HF Markets Premium account. The maximum leverage (depending on the trading instruments) is 1:30. Spreads are variable and start at 1 pip.

If you have a little more experience under your belt, then the Premium Pro account is a better option for you. With the Premium account, you can open larger positions and benefit from tighter spreads.

If you don’t like staying in the market too long and your preferred trading style is scalping, HF Markets has the perfect account for you. The Zero Spread account offers incredibly tight spreads with no mark-ups. Instead, you will pay a commission that starts as low as $0.03 per 1K lot.

Islamic accounts

HF Markets offers versions of their Premium, Premium Pro, and Zero Spread accounts that are suitable for Muslim traders. These accounts are identical, except that no swap or rollover charges are incurred for overnight positions.

Demo accounts

Our HF Markets review experts also discovered that this broker is perfect for beginners, as they offer an excellent demo account. You can use the demo account for however long you like to practice trading in real market conditions. The demo account comes with a virtual balance of up to $100,000.

HF Markets trading costsHF Markets trading costs

HF Markets offer very competitive trading costs, as well as low non-trading costs. Below you can see an overview of the most common trading fees you will incur, based on the broker’s standard account type.

*Based on standard account type.

During our HF Markets review, we found that this broker charges rollover fees, and these differ based on the instrument. For all assets other than forex and gold, the rollover includes an internal interest fee. This is in addition to the rollover fee charged by the parties the broker works with for that particular security. For forex and gold, an additional fee is included that considers an internal risk assessment.

HF Markets charge an inactivity fee on all accounts that have remained dormant for more than six months. Should your account remain unused for between six months and one year, a $5 fee is charged. This increases to $10, $20, and the previous year’s fee + $10 per month for inactivity periods of 1-2 years, 2-3 years, and over 3 years respectively.

Aside from rollover and inactivity fees, HF Markets does not charge any additional fees. This means there are no withdrawal or deposit fees. In fact, for deposits via bank wire over $100, they will cover any fees your bank charges you.

HF Markets payment methodsHF Markets payment methods

HF Markets offers a wide range of payment options, including all major credit and debit cards, wire transfers, Skrill, and Neteller. These methods can all be used for both deposits and withdrawals.

All deposits are processed instantly, except for wire transfers which can take up to 2-7 working days to be credited to your HF Markets account. There’s a minimum deposit amount of $50 for most methods too.

Withdrawals also start at as little as $5 per transaction. E-wallet withdrawals are instant, whilst wire transfers and credit/debit cards can take up to a maximum of 10 working days.

Our HF Markets broker review team found banking to be a straight-forward and transparent. There’s very little waiting around, and all transactions are protected by Level 1 PCI-DSS requirements.

HF Markets trading bonusesHF Markets trading bonuses

Unfortunately, as HF Markets is regulated by ESMA, the broker isn’t allowed to offer any incentives to EU traders. They do, however, manage to make up for this with low trading fees and competitive spreads.

HF Markets trading platformsHF Markets trading platforms

Our HF Markets review experts were pleased to find that this forex site offers both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 trading platforms. These two platforms very popular with all types of traders and come with helpful tools and services to enhance your trading experience.

When selecting between the two platforms it is important to note that you may not have access to all instruments offered by HF Markets, depending on which platform you choose. MT4 was built for forex trading, while MT5 will is more focused on futures, stocks, and CFDs.

You can download the MT4 program from the HF Markets forex site, or choose to use it through a web terminal.

What is the execution policy at HF Markets?

Our review of the HF Markets forex broker execution policy showed that the broker is dedicated to offering a quality trading experience. This policy covers every aspect of trading, from speed of execution to maximum and minimum lot sizes.

HF Markets allows you to place several limitation orders on trades, including stop loss, take profit, buy stop, sell limit, and sell stop orders. HF Markets will execute all trades at the declared client price as soon as these limitations are reached. Only in the event of certain circumstances will these requirements not be fulfilled. These include insufficient liquidity, rapid price movements which lead to trade restrictions or suspension, volatile markets where prices move significantly up or down away from the declared price, trading session start moments/opening gaps, during news times.

HF Markets also promises to execute trades in a timely fashion, although it reserves the right to decline trades should certain market conditions be present. Generally, however, your trades will only be interrupted if there are technical issues such as platform failure or poor connections.

As of our HF Markets review 2020, the maximum amount of open orders you can have varies depending on which account type you have opened. For instance, the Micro account allows for a maximum of 150 simultaneous trades, while the Premium and Premium Pro accounts allow for 300. Zero Spread accounts are slightly more complicated, allowing for 500/ (*) 60 standard lots per position.

HF Markets markets and productsHF Markets markets and products

Our HF Markets forex broker review team was pleased to see that there is a healthy variety of instruments to choose from. From currency pairs and shares to commodities, you’ll find a good list of options.

Forex

With over 49 currency pairs available, HF Markets online broker provides its clients with access to the most liquid assets in the world. They have a healthy list of major, minor, and exotic pairs available to trade, and their markets are available 24/5.

Metals and energies

From Crude and Brent oil to precious metals such as Gold and Silver, HF Markets offers low margin trades across their commodities. One of the key advantages of utilizing HF Markets services to trade in this market is the absence of foreign exchange exposure.

Indices

With over 10 indices in total, HF Markets grants you the ability to trade in some of the most exciting markets across the world. From the US SPX500 to the FTSE 100, you’ll find access to both spot and futures contracts at your fingertips.

Shares

Trade stocks of some of the most well-known blue-chip companies on the market. From Coca Cola to Microsoft, you’ll have the ability to enjoy strong liquidity and reliable execution in one location.

Commodities

If you’re looking for zero-commission trading on commodities such as coffee, sugar, or copper look no further than HF Markets. With seven options available from as little as $10, this broker provides a fine opportunity to trade within these markets.

Bonds

The HF Markets online broker bond portfolio consists of three entries, the US 10-year Treasury Notes, Euro Bunds, and the UK Gilt. This asset class is perfect if you are looking to trade based on news and ecopolitical events.

Social trading

Our HF Markets reviewers were impressed by the broker’s social trading offering. With the HFcopy account, you can connect with over 250,000 other traders. You can choose to follow and copy successful traders, or you can set yourself up as a Service Provider (SP). As an SP, you can earn a performance fee of up to 35%.

The broker’s social trading accounts have two different deposit entry points depending on if you’re the strategy provider or follower. For the provider, the initial deposit amount is €1000, while as a follower you must deposit at least €300.

Mobile compatibilityMobile compatibility

This review of the HF Markets forex broker website found it to be fully responsive and great looking on all devices. Whether you want to sign up or just learn more about this broker, you can easily navigate your way around on your mobile.

In terms of trading, MT4 and MT5 both offer mobile platforms. Moreover, HF Markets have also created a complete app, designed to make your mobile trading experience as smooth and streamlined as possible.

Via the HF App, you can manage your account and funds. You can also access advanced charting functionality, daily market analysis, and much more. Essentially, it offers everything you need to trade successfully on the go.

Research toolsResearch tools

Our HF Markets broker review team was pleased to find that the broker provides a wide range of research tools. This includes daily market analysis, an economic calendar, and VPS hosting. VPS hosting is free if you make a minimum deposit of $5,000, or else subscription plans start at $30 per month.

The Autochartist tool is also available for free at HF Markets. This tool scans a wide range of assets in real-time, identifies different patterns, and sends you an alert, so you never miss trading opportunities. You can also take advantage of a variety of trading calculators, robots, and other Premium trader tools.

Education and trainingEducation and training

Our HF Markets review team found that this online forex broker is serious about helping new and veteran traders alike, as they offer an extensive range of educational materials.

The HF Markets online course takes you from the basics to advanced trading strategies. They also offer eBooks and courses on commodities, CFDs, stocks, economics, and much more.

You’ll also be able to enjoy a video-on-demand library with forex training videos, live webinars, and even in-person events held all over the world.

HF Markets customer supportHF Markets customer support

One of the first things we checked when conducting our HF Markets review was their customer support services. The least you should expect from a trusted forex broker is great support staff, and we have to admit that HF Markets exceeded our expectations.

Not only do they offer a wide range of support channels, but their staff respond quickly and are very helpful and knowledgeable. They go out of their way to ensure you have a great experience with them.

You can get in touch with them immediately via live chat, which is available around the clock and in multiple languages. They also offer phone and email support in English, as well as eight other languages.

HF Markets – Our verdictHF Markets – Our verdict

Whether you’re just starting or a veteran trader, out HF Markets review team finds that this broker is an excellent partner. They go the extra mile to offer a great experience.

You’ll have access to a wide range of account types with low minimum deposits, a demo account to get comfortable, and an incredible number of tools to make you the best trader you can be.

If you want an outstanding trading experience, sign up with this highly recommended and trusted forex broker today.


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