Review · Safety and regulation
Is IG safe? Companies, licences and client protection
IG lists 13 companies in our data, 10 of them under Tier 1 regulators (FCA, BaFin, ASIC, FINMA, MAS, DFSA, JFSA and CFTC/NFA). The group dates from 1974 and runs 3 FCA-authorised companies in the UK; protections still depend on which company holds your account.
- 19 Oct 2026latest data check
Low Spread Brokers does not give personal investment advice.
At a glance
IG
8.0/10
Entities 13
- Tier 1FCA195355
- Tier 1FCA114059
- Tier 1FCA944492
- Tier 1BaFin148759
- Tier 1ASICAFSL 515106
- Tier 2FMANot published
- Tier 1FINMANot published
- Tier 1MASNot published
- Tier 1DFSAF001780
- Tier 1JFSANot published
- Tier 2FSCANot published
- OffshoreBMANot published
- Tier 1CFTC/NFANFA ID 0509630
- Minimum deposit
- £1
- EUR/USD spread from
- 0.6 pips (UK spread bet/CFD, 19 Oct 2026)
- Max retail leverage
- 1:30 (major FX, retail; margin 3.33% on EUR/USD, GBP/USD) (FCA) · 1:30 (major FX spread bets, retail; margin 3.33%) (FCA)
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, TradingView, proprietary, API, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer
- Founded
- 1974
70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (IG Markets Ltd / IG Index Ltd (UK)).
Quick answer
Is IG safe and regulated?
In the UK, yes: spread bets are with IG Index Ltd and CFDs with IG Markets Ltd, each FCA-authorised as IG publishes it, with negative balance protection and FSCS up to £85,000 (firm insolvency). Outside the UK and the EU, protections are thinner in our data, and IG International Limited, an offshore company in Bermuda, has none recorded.
- FCA numbers as IG publishes them: IG Markets Ltd 195355, IG Index Ltd 114059, IG Trading and Investments Ltd 944492.
- Negative balance protection is confirmed for IG Markets Ltd, IG Index Ltd, IG Europe GmbH and IG Australia Pty Ltd.
- Loss-rate warnings: 70% of retail CFD accounts lose money at IG Markets Ltd / IG Index Ltd (UK), 74% at IG Europe GmbH (checked 19 Oct 2026).
IG companies and regulators
IG lists 13 companies in our data. Licence numbers are shown as IG publishes them; we have not yet matched them on the regulators’ registers.
| Entity | Regulator | Licence | Max. retail leverage | Negative balance protection | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IG Markets Ltd | Tier 1 FCA | 195355Checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026 | 1:30 (major FX, retail; margin 3.33% on EUR/USD, GBP/USD) | Yes | FSCS up to £85,000 (firm insolvency) |
| IG Index Ltd | Tier 1 FCA | 114059Checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026 | 1:30 (major FX spread bets, retail; margin 3.33%) | Yes | FSCS up to £85,000 (firm insolvency) |
| IG Trading and Investments Ltd | Tier 1 FCA | 944492Checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026 | Not published | Not published | FSCS up to £85,000 (firm insolvency) |
| IG Europe GmbH | Tier 1 BaFin | 148759Checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026 | Not published | Yes | EdW: 90% of claim up to €20,000 |
| IG Australia Pty Ltd | Tier 1 ASIC | AFSL 515106Checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026 | Not published | Yes | Not published |
| IG Markets Ltd (New Zealand) | Tier 2 FMA | Not publishedAs published by the broker | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| IG Bank SA | Tier 1 FINMA | Not publishedAs published by the broker | Not published | Not published | esisuisse up to CHF 100,000 |
| IG Asia Pte Ltd | Tier 1 MAS | Not publishedCompany checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026; the register does not list the number | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| IG Limited | Tier 1 DFSA | F001780Checked on the register, 20 Oct 2026 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| IG Securities Ltd | Tier 1 JFSA | Not publishedAs published by the broker | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| IG Markets South Africa Ltd | Tier 2 FSCA | Not publishedAs published by the broker | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| IG International Limited | Offshore BMA | Not publishedAs published by the broker | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| tastyfx LLC | Tier 1 CFTC/NFA | NFA ID 0509630As published by the broker | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Which entity will I get?
Pick your region to see the entity that would open your account.
IG Markets Ltd · FCA · 195355 · Max retail leverage 1:30 (major FX, retail; margin 3.33% on EUR/USD, GBP/USD)
IG Europe GmbH · BaFin · 148759 · Max retail leverage Not published
IG Australia Pty Ltd · ASIC · AFSL 515106 · Max retail leverage Not published
IG Limited · DFSA · F001780 · Max retail leverage Not published
IG International Limited · BMA · Not published · Max retail leverage Not published
Check the register yourself
Open the regulator’s register, search the licence number and compare the firm name and website address with ig.com. Clone firms copy real names and numbers.
Client money
Tier 1 regulators require client money to be held apart from the firm’s own money; an offshore company may not have that rule.
Alternatives with FCA companies and MetaTrader
Brokers that offer MT4 and MT5, as IG does, with a Tier 1 company for UK residents, in the order of our regulation score.
- 1
Pepperstone
8.6/10- Minimum deposit
- £10
- EUR/USD spread from
- 0.0 pips
- Regulated by
- FCA, CySEC, BaFin, ASIC, DFSA, CMA (UAE), CMA Kenya, SCB
Read reviewVisit brokerUnpaid link73.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (Pepperstone Limited (UK)).
- 2
OANDA
8.1/10- Minimum deposit
- $0
- EUR/USD spread from
- 0.0 pips
- Regulated by
- CFTC / NFA, FCA, KNF, ASIC, CIRO, MAS, JFSA, BVI FSC
Read reviewVisit brokerUnpaid link76.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (OANDA Europe Limited).
- 3
ThinkMarkets
7.6/10- Minimum deposit
- $10
- EUR/USD spread from
- Not measured
- Regulated by
- FCA, CySEC, ASIC, ASIC, DFSA, FSCA, FSA Seychelles, CIMA, FMA, Unregulated
Visit brokerUnpaid link75% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (TF Global Markets (UK) Limited).
Is IG safe? Our verdict
8.0/10
For UK and EU clients IG is one of the better-documented brokers in our data: three FCA companies with direct register links, negative balance protection on the two UK trading companies and named compensation schemes. The gaps are elsewhere: 6 of its 13 companies have no licence number on IG’s pages, and our data confirms no retail protections for the offshore Bermuda company.
Choose it if
- you live in the UK and want spread betting or CFDs with an FCA-authorised company
- you want named compensation: FSCS up to £85,000 (firm insolvency); EdW: 90% of claim up to €20,000; esisuisse up to CHF 100,000
Look elsewhere if
- you would be served by IG International (Bermuda): our data records no negative balance protection or compensation for it
- you need published licence numbers for every company: 6 are missing
70% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider (IG Markets Ltd / IG Index Ltd (UK)).
What changed
- 19 Oct 2026 Entities, costs and loss rates re-collected from IG’s own pages.
Risk warning:
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Most retail investor accounts lose money. Consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
Low Spread Brokers does not give personal investment advice.
FAQ
Is IG safe? Questions
Short answers from IG’s published terms, collected up to 19 Oct 2026. Terms change: check IG’s own page before you trade.
Ask a questionWe cannot give personal investment advice.
1Is IG safe?
IG runs 10 companies under Tier 1 regulators, including 3 in the UK with the FCA, and confirms negative balance protection for 4 of them. That makes it a regulated broker for UK, EU and Australian clients. Trading with it is still risky: 70% of retail CFD accounts lose money at IG Markets Ltd / IG Index Ltd (UK).
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
2Is IG regulated by the FCA?
Yes. IG publishes FCA numbers 195355 (IG Markets Ltd), 114059 (IG Index Ltd) and 944492 (IG Trading and Investments Ltd). Our data links each to its FCA register search; check that the firm name and the website address on the register match ig.com.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
3Is my money protected if IG goes bust?
For UK clients our data records FSCS up to £85,000 (firm insolvency). EU clients of IG Europe GmbH have EdW: 90% of claim up to €20,000. Compensation covers firm failure, not trading losses.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
4Does IG have negative balance protection?
Our data confirms it for IG Markets Ltd, IG Index Ltd, IG Europe GmbH and IG Australia Pty Ltd. For the other 9 companies, including IG International Limited, the pages we collected do not say.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
5Which IG company will open my account?
UK residents get IG Index Ltd for spread bets and IG Markets Ltd for CFDs; EU residents get IG Europe GmbH (licence 148759, BaFin); Australians get IG Australia Pty Ltd (AFSL 515106). IG says your residence does not always decide the office, so check the company named in your account agreement.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
6Is IG a legitimate broker?
IG’s group was founded in 1974, and 10 of its 13 companies sit under Tier 1 regulators. Legitimacy is not the same as low risk: check that the company you sign with is regulated where you live.
Broker data checked 19 Oct 2026
Sources
Pages the entities, licence numbers and protections above were copied from.
- IG: international offering (companies by country)Checked on 19 Oct 2026
- IG Group: regulationChecked on 19 Oct 2026
- IG: how client funds are protectedChecked on 19 Oct 2026
- FCA register: IG Markets Ltd (195355)Checked on 19 Oct 2026
- FSCS: investments coverChecked on 19 Oct 2026