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Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

What we do with your money

When you deposit money with us as a retail client, it’s protected in a number of ways.

Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.

Contact us 08001953100

Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.

Visit help and support for more information.

Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.

Visit help and support for more information.

Call 0800 409 6789 or email helpdesk.uk@ig.com if you have any questions about trading or investing. We're available 24/7 between 8am Saturday and 10pm Friday.

Contact us 0800 409 6789

Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.uk@ig.com to talk about opening an account.

Contact us 08001953100

Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.

Visit help and support for more information.

Get info fast via our instant help and support portal. Available for account queries, ProRealTime, product info and more.

Visit help and support for more information.

Call 0800 409 6789 or email helpdesk.uk@ig.com if you have any questions about trading or investing. We're available 24/7 between 8am Saturday and 10pm Friday.

Contact us 0800 409 6789

The essentials

Your money is held in segregated client bank (independent trust) accounts at regulated banks

Your money and assets (shares, for example) are never merged with our own money or assets

We’re authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Your assets are held by a custodian in segregated (nominee) client asset accounts

Your money and assets are ring-fenced from creditors in the unlikely event of our liquidation

We don’t use your money or assets for business activities, including for hedging trades with other counterparties (or as margin for our own hedging trades)

What does IG do with my money and my assets?

Unlike banks, investment firms like IG are required to separate client money and assets from their own resources. This means that we’re not allowed to use them in the course of our business activities, and that client money and assets are completely ring-fenced and protected in the unlikely event that we became insolvent.

We’re authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FCA have strict regulatory requirements, known as the client money and client assets rules (found in the Client Assets Sourcebook – CASS), which govern exactly what we can do and how we must do it.

The clients whose money and assets aren’t treated like this are eligible counterparties who have signed a legal document explaining how their money and assets are held differently (this is known as ‘title transfer’).

What happens to the money I deposit with IG?

Your money is held in segregated bank accounts under trustee arrangements. This ensures that the cash remains yours, rather than IG’s. It also means that it’s easily identifiable as client money, so IG and its creditors don’t have any charge, liens, or rights of set-off or retention over it.

We have a number of segregated bank accounts at a range of credit-worthy high street banks such as Barclays and Lloyds. We intentionally ensure that client money is split between a number of banks, and we’re not permitted to hold it all in one place.

We may place funds in notice or term deposit accounts with a notice period or term of up to 95 days.

Under the FCA’s Client Money Rules we may also hold client money in Qualifying Money Market Funds. A Qualifying Money Market Fund is mostly made up of low-risk investments such as government bonds. What makes it “qualifying” is that the QMMF must meet higher regulatory standards for quality and liquidity than other money market funds.

QMMFs offer an alternative way for IG to hold your funds without compromising their security. They are a standard tool used by large financial institutions to diversify credit risk.

Where client money is placed in QMMFs, the units or shares in those QMMFs will be held as safe custody assets in accordance with the FCA’s CASS rules.

Placing client money in notice or term deposit accounts or in Qualifying Money Market Funds does not in itself affect your ability to deal with or withdraw funds from your account with us. However, in the unlikely event of our insolvency, such amounts may not be immediately available upon request.

What happens to the shares that I buy at IG or transfer to IG?

Your shares are held in a segregated client accounts under nominee arrangements with approved custodians. This means that they’re easily identifiable as client assets and, as with cash, IG and its creditors don’t have any charge, liens, or rights of set-off or retention over them. Your shares may be pooled with other clients’ shares, but never with shares owned by IG.

What happens to my money or assets if IG goes into liquidation?

In the unlikely event of this happening, all our clients would have their share of the segregated money or segregated assets returned, minus the administrators’ costs in handling and distributing these funds.

Any shortfall of funds up to £85,000 may be compensated for under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS is the compensation fund of last resort for customers of authorised financial services firms. It’s designed by the UK government to act as a ‘safety net’, and usually covers private investors (retail clients) and small businesses if they’ve been clients of a financial services firm which becomes insolvent.

What happens to my money if one of the banks IG uses to hold client money goes into liquidation?

The losses would be shared by clients in proportion to the share of money held with the failed bank. Funds lost in this way may be compensated for under the FSCS up to a limit of £85,000 per person, per institution, subject to other balances held with the bank in question.

Find out more about what the FSCS covers and who is eligible to claim at their website www.fscs.org.uk.

This page should provide you with key information, but if you have any questions you can email helpdesk@ig.uk.com or call 0800 4096789.

Open an account now

Open an account now

Fast execution on a huge range of markets

Enjoy flexible access to 17,000+ global markets, with reliable execution

Deal seamlessly, wherever you are

Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app

Feel secure with a trusted provider

With more than 47 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service

Open an account now

Open an account now

Fast execution on a huge range of markets

Enjoy flexible access to 17,000+ global markets, with reliable execution

Deal seamlessly, wherever you are

Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app

Feel secure with a trusted provider

With more than 47 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service

Start trading now

Open your account now, and discover today’s opportunity on a huge range of markets.

Start trading now

Open your account now, and discover today’s opportunity on a huge range of markets.

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We’re clear about our charges, so you always know exactly what it costs to trade with us.

With tiered margining we can offer lower rates for the majority of positions.

See how we’ve been changing the face of trading for more than 45 years.