CFD trading guide
This guide is educational only. CFDs are high-risk products.
What a CFD is
A contract for difference is an agreement to exchange the price difference of an asset between opening and closing, without owning the asset. It covers indices, commodities, shares and crypto.
The real cost
Cost is more than the spread: commission, overnight financing (swap), inactivity fees and currency conversion all add up. Islamic accounts replace swap with an administration fee that varies by broker.
Why the risk warning is mandatory
Regulators such as the FCA and ESMA require brokers to disclose the share of retail accounts that lose money. We show that figure exactly as the broker discloses it, and a generic warning when it is not disclosed rather than estimating an unsourced number.
Managing risk
Size positions against a small share of capital and know the pip value and required margin in advance. Our calculators estimate those figures before you enter.