CMC Markets Review 2025 — Is It Right for You?

Spread betting is a tax-efficient way to speculate on financial markets, available exclusively to UK and Ireland residents. Instead of buying an asset, you bet an amount per point of price movement (e.g., £10 per point on the FTSE 100). If the market moves in your favor, you win your stake multiplied by the point movement; if it moves against you, you lose accordingly. The key advantage is that profits from spread betting are free from capital gains tax and stamp duty in the UK, making it attractive for active traders. You can go long (bet on rising prices) or short (bet on falling prices) with leverage. However, losses can exceed your initial stake, so spread betting is high risk and requires strict risk management. CMC Markets offers spread betting on thousands of instruments including indices, forex, commodities, and individual stocks.

CMC Markets can work for beginners, but there's a learning curve due to the sophisticated Next Generation platform and the complexity of CFD/spread betting products. The platform offers excellent educational resources including tutorials, webinars, and comprehensive guides that help newcomers understand trading concepts and platform features. A free demo account allows risk-free practice with virtual funds. The platform includes helpful features like pattern recognition alerts and trading ideas that can guide new traders. However, beginners should be aware that CFDs and spread betting are high-risk products – 69-76% of retail accounts lose money. The platform's many advanced features can overwhelm complete novices. If you're willing to invest time in education and start with small positions on the demo account, CMC Markets provides good tools for learning. Casual investors might prefer simpler platforms focused on buy-and-hold stock investing.

UK and some European clients can invest in real shares through CMC Invest, CMC Markets' separate share dealing service where you own the actual stocks and receive dividends. However, the main CMC Markets trading platform offers stock CFDs only, meaning you're trading contracts that track stock prices rather than owning the shares themselves. With stock CFDs, you don't receive voting rights or physical share certificates, but you can profit from both rising and falling prices and use leverage. Dividend adjustments are made to your account for long CFD positions held overnight on the ex-dividend date. If you want to build a long-term stock portfolio with actual ownership, use CMC Invest (UK/select regions). If you want to actively trade stock price movements with leverage and the ability to short, use stock CFDs on the main platform. The services are separate with different pricing structures.

CMC Markets charges an inactivity fee of £10 per month (or currency equivalent) if you don't execute any trades for 12 consecutive months. This fee is automatically deducted from your account balance each month after the 12-month threshold until you resume trading or your balance reaches zero. If your account balance is less than £10, the fee will equal your remaining balance. To avoid the inactivity fee, you need to execute at least one trade every 12 months – simply logging in, depositing funds, or maintaining open positions doesn't reset the counter. If you're planning an extended break from trading, consider withdrawing your funds to avoid fees. The 12-month grace period is more lenient than some brokers that charge after just 3 months. You can close your account at any time to prevent inactivity fees. Set an annual calendar reminder if you're keeping the account but trading infrequently.

Yes, CMC Markets is one of the most highly regulated brokers globally and is a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange (ticker: CMCX), providing additional transparency. Depending on your location, your account is held by CMC Markets UK Plc (regulated by FCA), CMC Markets Germany GmbH (regulated by BaFin), CMC Markets Asia Pacific (regulated by ASIC), CMC Markets Singapore (regulated by MAS), or other licensed entities. These tier-1 regulators require strict client fund segregation, capital adequacy requirements, and regular audits. UK clients are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 for funds and investments. Client money is held in segregated accounts at major banks, separate from company operational funds. CMC Markets has operated since 1989 (over 35 years) with a strong track record and no major client fund losses. The public company status means financial results are transparent and audited.

Next Generation is CMC Markets' award-winning proprietary trading platform, recognized as one of the best CFD trading platforms in the industry. It features advanced charting with 115+ technical indicators, multiple chart types, pattern recognition that automatically identifies trading opportunities, customizable layouts with unlimited charts, and one-click trading. Unique features include the Pattern Recognition Scanner that alerts you to potential setups across multiple markets, Optimal Chart Aggregation that reduces visual noise, and Reuters news integration. The platform includes comprehensive order types including guaranteed stop losses, trailing stops, and conditional orders. Available as a web platform (no download required), downloadable Windows application, and mobile apps (iOS/Android). While feature-rich, the interface is cleaner and more modern than MetaTrader platforms. CMC also offers MT4 for traders who prefer it, but Next Generation is their flagship offering with superior features for active CFD and spread betting traders.

Opening a CMC Markets account takes approximately 10-15 minutes and is entirely online. Visit CMCMarkets.com and select your location to determine which CMC entity serves you, then click 'Open Account.' Choose between CFD trading (available globally) or spread betting (UK/Ireland only). Provide your personal information including name, email, phone number, date of birth, and address. Complete the appropriateness assessment questionnaire about your trading experience, financial situation, and risk understanding – this is required by financial regulations. Upload verification documents: government-issued photo ID (passport or driver's license) and proof of address (utility bill, bank statement, or government document dated within 3 months). Verification typically completes within 24 hours, though it can be instant during business hours. Once approved, make your first deposit using your preferred method – cards and e-wallets are instant, while bank transfers take 1-3 days. The minimum deposit varies by region (often $0 in UK, higher elsewhere). You'll receive login credentials for the Next Generation platform and can start trading or practicing on demo.

No, CMC Markets does not charge withdrawal fees for most payment methods, which is a significant advantage. Bank wire transfers, debit/credit card withdrawals, and e-wallet withdrawals (PayPal where available) are processed free of charge by CMC Markets. However, intermediary banks may charge fees for international wire transfers, which are beyond CMC's control. Withdrawals must be made to the same payment method you used to deposit (anti-money laundering requirement). E-wallet withdrawals typically process within 24 hours. Card withdrawals take 3-7 business days. Bank wire transfers take 2-5 business days. First-time withdrawals require additional security verification and may take up to 5 business days. There's no minimum withdrawal amount for most methods. You can withdraw available funds at any time – funds in open positions or required for margin cannot be withdrawn until positions are closed. CMC's fee-free withdrawal policy makes it easy to manage your capital efficiently.

Leverage at CMC Markets varies by instrument, your location, and account classification. UK and EU retail clients under FCA/ESMA regulations are limited to maximum 1:30 for major forex pairs, 1:20 for minor forex and major indices, 1:10 for commodities and minor indices, 1:5 for stocks, and 1:2 for cryptocurrencies. These conservative limits are designed to protect retail traders from excessive losses. Australian clients under ASIC have similar restrictions. Professional traders who meet specific criteria (€500,000+ portfolio value, 40+ significant trades quarterly, professional experience in financial markets) can apply for professional account classification and access higher leverage. CMC clearly displays available leverage for each instrument in the platform before you trade. Remember that while leverage allows you to control larger positions with less capital, it equally amplifies both profits and losses. Most retail traders lose money, often due to overleveraging their positions and inadequate risk management.

Yes, CMC Markets offers a completely free demo account with unlimited virtual funds that never expires, allowing you to practice trading indefinitely without risk. The demo account replicates live trading conditions using real market prices and spreads across all 12,000+ available instruments. You can test the demo on the Next Generation platform (web, desktop, or mobile) and MetaTrader 4. Unlike some brokers whose demos expire after 30 days, CMC's demo is permanent – you can use it as long as you want. You can top up your virtual balance if needed. Creating a demo account is instant, requiring just your email address without identity verification. The demo includes all platform features including advanced charting, pattern recognition, alerts, and order types. This is highly recommended for beginners to spend at least 3-4 weeks practicing before trading real money. Experienced traders use the demo to test new strategies or familiarize themselves with CMC's platforms before committing capital.

CMC Markets offers an extensive range of CFDs and spread bets (UK/Ireland) across 12,000+ instruments. Forex includes 140+ currency pairs covering all majors, minors, and exotic pairs with competitive spreads. Stock indices cover 90+ global indices including US, European, Asian, and Australian markets. Individual stocks include 11,000+ share CFDs from major global exchanges (US, UK, Europe, Asia, Australia). Commodities cover metals (gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium), energies (crude oil WTI and Brent, natural gas), and agricultural products (wheat, corn, coffee, sugar). Cryptocurrency CFDs include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, and other major digital assets trading 24/7. Government bonds and interest rate markets are available. ETFs and sectors provide diversified exposure. All instruments (except real shares in CMC Invest) are CFDs or spread bets, allowing you to go long or short with leverage. This comprehensive coverage makes CMC suitable for traders wanting to diversify across multiple markets from one platform.

A Guaranteed Stop Loss (GSL) on CMC Markets is a risk management tool that guarantees your position will close at your specified price level, even during extreme market volatility or price gaps. Unlike standard stop losses which can be subject to slippage (executing at a worse price during fast markets or overnight gaps), a GSL provides absolute certainty that your maximum loss is capped at the level you set. This is particularly valuable when trading around major economic events, earnings announcements, or holding positions overnight when gaps can occur. CMC charges a small premium for GSLs, which is only payable if the GSL is triggered – if your position closes normally at a profit or through a regular stop, you don't pay. The premium varies by instrument and market conditions. GSLs are especially useful for managing risk on volatile instruments like cryptocurrencies or individual stocks. You can add or modify a GSL on existing positions at any time. This feature provides peace of mind and helps enforce disciplined risk management, crucial for long-term trading success.

CMC Markets provides comprehensive customer support through multiple channels with generally strong reviews for quality and responsiveness. Live chat is available 24/5 (Monday-Friday, around the clock during trading hours) in multiple languages, providing fast response for most inquiries. Phone support is available in many countries with local numbers (UK, Australia, Germany, Singapore, etc.) and multilingual staff, particularly helpful for complex account or technical questions. Email support typically responds within 24 hours for non-urgent matters. The CMC Markets website features an extensive Help Centre with FAQs, video tutorials, platform guides, and trading education covering most common questions. Regular webinars and market analysis are provided. Social media support is available via Twitter for quick questions. Account managers are assigned to active traders who meet certain volume thresholds. While support quality is generally rated highly, some users report longer wait times during high-volatility periods when demand spikes. Support is available in 15+ languages to accommodate CMC's global client base. Technical support is particularly knowledgeable about the Next Generation platform and advanced trading features.

CMC Markets offers competitive spreads across its 12,000+ instruments, though they can widen during low liquidity periods or major news events. On major forex pairs, spreads start from around 0.7 pips on EUR/USD, which is competitive though not quite as tight as pure ECN brokers offering 0.0 pips. Stock index CFDs typically have spreads of 0.5-2 points depending on the index and market conditions. Commodity spreads are competitive with gold often around 0.3 points. Spreads on stock CFDs vary by market and liquidity but are generally reasonable. Cryptocurrency spreads are wider due to the asset class's volatility, typical for the industry. CMC operates as a market maker, meaning they can set spreads rather than passing through raw interbank spreads. The advantage is commission-free trading on most instruments (spreads are the only cost). Spreads are variable and can widen significantly during major economic releases, overnight, or in thin markets. CMC displays live spreads in the platform before you trade, ensuring transparency. For high-frequency traders or scalpers, ECN brokers with commission-based pricing may offer lower total costs, but for most traders, CMC's spreads are competitive.