Almost everyone these days is aware that online trading can offer people a hefty amount of profits. There are thousands of people all over the globe who have made a fortune and have achieved their financial goals within a short span of time. You have read about these people and this has also driven you to consider online trading for achieving financial independence. Wouldn’t it be great if you could make it happen? You could also give online trading a try as there are practically no barriers to entry, as long as you are above 18. With that being said, it should be noted that online trading is not as simple as people will lead you to believe.
As a matter of fact, you will have to encounter a significant amount of trials and tribulations before you are able to achieve the success you have dreamt of. No matter how simple and lucrative it may seem, it does require some effort on your part. The first hurdle that you have to overcome is choosing a broker. Have you ever thought how you would trade online? Where would you go to make your transactions and invest your capital? How will you check market movements? All of this is done through a trading platform and this platform is provided by a brokerage.
All you have to do is run a simple Google search and it will present you with an endless list of brokerages to choose from. The sheer number can be quite overwhelming, but it is important to remember that not all brokerages can be trusted. If you have done any research into online trading, then you are probably aware that there have been a number of brokerage scams and you don’t want to fall for one. Even if a brokerage is legitimate, it is not necessary that it might be a good fit for you. Some brokers only cater to experienced traders while others only welcome beginners.
Similarly, there are brokerages that will have limited features, tools and assets while others will have plenty of variety. It is up to you to decide the kind of broker you require and then go over your options. It is a good idea to opt for a brokerage that can offer you comprehensive options in terms of assets, tools and features and caters to traders from all backgrounds. In this way, you don’t have to switch brokerages later on, which can be time consuming and a big hassle.
Amongst the various options, you will come across the name of Universal Markets. Skilled industry experts and former traders came together to create this brokerage and it has become one of the top-rated options in the market. One of the most important things to know about Universal Markets is that it has been around for more than nine years, which means it has significant experience under its belt. During this time, it has catered to more than 300,000 clients all over the world and has helped them in achieving their long-term and short-term goals.
Introduction to Universal Markets
Owned and operated by UM Media LLC, Universal Markets has a registered office in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. It is a CFD (Contracts for Difference) broker, which means that rather than trading the physical asset, it allows its customers to trade contracts that predict the price movements of these assets. One of the most reassuring things about Universal Markets is that it is MiFID compliant. The Directives on Markets in Financial Instruments offer excellent customer protection and MiFID authorized companies are required to follow rules of transparency and good conduct.
Hence, traders can avail Universal Markets’ services with peace of mind because they know that it is a registered and authorized broker, which will not disappear overnight with their funds. Apart from that, the brokerage also provides its users with exposure to a wide range of trading products, something that’s only possible in CFD trading. The unlimited trading opportunities enable people to earn massive amounts of profits. Universal Markets has also become renowned for its reliable nature and the way it handles the users’ assets. The broker has prioritized its clients in every aspect and offers them an excellent user interface, along with 24/7 customer service.
Universal Markets has developed a loyal and wide customer base due to which it has become the top choice of traders, whether they are up and comers or are seasoned investors with several years of trading under their belts. The team behind Universal Markets spent a great deal of time studying the ins and outs of the industry and learnt from the mistakes of other brokers. Thus, their brokerage is able to provide unparalleled services to its clients because they have ensured not to make the same mistakes. How has it accomplished this goal? Check out some of the top trading features and tools that Universal Markets has incorporated in its platform to deliver the best performance:
- A great range of financial products for trading
A universal truth that’s widely known by every trader is that diversification can lead to higher earnings and reduced losses. Focusing your trading on a specific asset could prove to be counterproductive because if that asset declines, you could suffer from significant losses. However, if you have invested in other assets simultaneously and those rise, then your losses are set off by the profits you make. When you opt to trade through the Universal Markets platform, you will get access to a great range of financial products that allow you to spread your capital and mitigate your risks. Some of the assets that you can trade via this brokerage are:
Commodities
One of the most productive and vast markets that’s teeming with opportunities for traders is the commodity market. You can trade commodities like any other asset, which means that holding them can protect you against inflation. There are two categories of commodities that Universal Markets is offering; soft and hard commodities.
The former comprises of agricultural products, such as wheat, corn, coffee, beans and more that can be bought, held and sold, as per your preference. The latter include crude oil, iron ore, gold, silver and more. Commodities can also be bought as futures contract. But, it should be noted that the price of these contracts is speculative, which increases the risk.
Stocks
Another one of the popular tradeable assets that you can find in the financial market are stocks. They are basically small portions of a company. It is one of the oldest trading markets in the world and there are numerous exchanges, such as NASDAQ, NYSE and Foreign Stock Exchanges where people can trade. Universal Markets gives you the opportunity of investing in stocks of some of the most renowned and reputable companies in the world. It is recommended that you have a more diversified stock portfolio because this will give you greater flexibility. Universal Markets allows you to trade stocks of companies like Microsoft, Visa, Netflix, Amazon, PayPal and more.
Forex Currencies
The concept of currency trading is most definitely not a new one and the forex market is one of the biggest markets in the world in terms of liquidity. There are hundreds of thousands of forex traders who engage in the trading of various currency pairs. Universal Markets has given its clients the freedom of trading both major and minor currency pairs via its trading platform. Some of the top currencies that can be traded include Euro, USD, CAD, GBP, KRW, BRL, ZAL, MXN, NZD, AUD and CNY.
You can trade different currencies against others and speculate their future value. In order to trade forex currencies, it is essential for you to be aware of some relevant jargon, such as spread, pip, base currency and target currency.
Indices
An index refers to the aggregate measurement of shares or stocks from a specific exchange. It is an indication of the overall condition of the market at the time of closing. Indices are quite volatile and provide an excellent trading opportunity to those who don’t mind the risk. Universal Markets gives its clients the option of enjoying this opportunity because it has added a variety of them that are renowned for their outstanding performance. Some of them include Dow Jones Industrial Age, CAC 40, DAX 30 and FTSE 100.
Cryptocurrencies
Last, but certainly not the least, one of the most popular trading instruments that Universal Markets has added to its asset index is cryptocurrency. They are now becoming mainstream as the crypto industry has seen a lot of traction in the past few years. Considering their popularity and their profit potential, Universal Markets has also added them to its offerings and you can trade a number of prominent cryptocurrencies with the broker. It offers you top choices like Bitcoin and Ethereum as well as other less renowned offerings like Bitcoin Cash, XRP and Litecoin.
- A unique suite of trading platforms
As mentioned earlier, brokerages provide you with trading platforms, which is the software used for making trades. It is one of the key elements of any brokerage and the design and performance of the trading platform can have an impact on your trading success and experience. You will come across many traders complaining about brokerages that didn’t offer them well-rounded platforms that made it difficult for them to trade. Some platforms are lacking in trading tools, which makes it difficult to predict trades, some are quite rigid in terms of devices and there are also those that are constantly lagging or slowing down. Trading platforms are also known to be vulnerable in terms of security.
Universal Markets is familiar with the issues that traders encounter with trading platforms. Bearing them in mind, the broker came up with the Sirix suite of trading platforms, one of the most refined and advanced options in the market. There are several versions at your disposal and you can choose the option that suits you best. Let’s take a look at the options:
Sirix Web
As the name indicates, this Sirix trading platform can be accessed via the web browser, which gives it flexibility. It can work on any device that supports a web browser, which means you don’t have to worry about downloading or installing it. This can be quite a relief for many traders because they are not comfortable with downloads. Plus, it also means that the platform is not dependent on the performance of the device. Universal Markets has ensured that the trading platform has an intuitive interface to make it easy for newbies and pros to use the platform. In addition, it also boasts an economic calendar, excellent analytical tools and one-click trading, ensuring that you have a smooth trading experience.
Sirix Station
Traders who prefer to have a traditional desktop trading platform have also been accommodated by Universal Markets. The Sirix Station provides maximum trading power as it uses the most advanced and sophisticated trading technology. You can enjoy instant feature access and it is a very user-friendly platform, which allows you to avoid a learning curve. The platform’s performance is enhanced by the integration of modern analysis tools like charts and graphs, custom indicators, one-click trading and economic calendar.
Sirix Mobile
Keeping up with trading platform trends, Universal Markets has also added a mobile option to allow its clients to trade from any part of the world. They can access their account and manage their trades no matter where they might be. The mobile apps are available for both iOS and Android so you can download on your respective devices. The user interface has been simplified for the users’ convenience, but this doesn’t mean that compromises have been made in regard to functionality. You can enjoy the same features and tools and have an optimal trading experience.
- Account options for all kinds of traders
Since Universal Markets caters to different kinds of traders, it has developed different account options for them. These accounts are unique in terms of their features because the broker recognizes that all traders have varying needs and a one-size-fits-all approach cannot be used for them. There are accounts starting from the basic that cater to newbies and moving towards premium that cater to pro traders. The account options you can explore are:
Bronze Account
The first account that Universal Markets has developed is for beginners because not everyone has experience. Therefore, this account option includes an online financial course and one-on-one training to assist them in getting acquainted with how the market works. It allows traders to invest in energies, metals, world indices and major and minor forex currencies. The trade size is 0.01 under this account and the spreads are 2.6 for the EUR/USD pair. 24/7 customer support is also available.
Gold Account
The second account option at Universal Markets is aimed at traders with a little bit of exposure. Along with the features of the Bronze account, this one offers access to e-books as well and traders can also invest in agricultures. The trade size under this account is 0.1.
Platinum Account
The third account offered by Universal Markets is for skilled traders who can take bigger risks. Hence, there are additional features that are provided in this account. Traders can enjoy webinars that are conducted by market experts and can provide valuable information that can be used for making smart trading decisions. There is also an analyst manager and the trading lot size is now 0.2. As for the spreads for the EUR/USD pair, they are now 0.7.
Diamond Account
The last account option that Universal Markets offers to its clients is aimed at professional traders who have a considerable amount of experience in the markets. The broker is offering them all features that are available in previous accounts and the spreads are as low as 0.2. Other additional features that are also part of the account are a free VPS service and the trading lot size is now 0.5.
- Exceptional transparency, privacy and security
Transparency requires a broker to be open about their operations and Universal Markets has adopted this principle wholeheartedly. The broker is open about all their policies, from privacy to terms and conditions. They have also outlined their fees and commissions clearly on their website to ensure that traders are aware of the costs beforehand. You can find all information about the spreads they offer and any other charges that you will be required to pay. Moving onto security and privacy, these are features that every trader is looking out for when they start looking for brokerages.
After all, there has been a growing complaint from traders regarding the activities of scammers and fraudsters in the financial markets who are hell-bent on taking advantage of anyone and everyone. When looking for a broker, it is best for traders to not get carried away by brokers offering outrageous benefits and bonuses as these are just lures to get you to part with your funds. People have had their private information hacked or stolen. Universal Markets has taken measures to develop a platform that provides maximum security to traders for their personal data as well as their funds.
The brokerage has implemented a thorough KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) policy that’s used to identify scammers and eliminate them from signing up on the platform. No third-party payments are accepted by the broker under the AML policy. As for the KYC policy, traders are required accurate information about themselves and they also have to submit identity documents like a government-issued ID and bank statement or utility bill for verifying your address. As far as fund protection is concerned, the brokerage has a Smart Contracts feature that prevents traders from losing all their money even in a negative trading session.
Instead, the broker places a stop-loss margin for terminating all trades in order to salvage at least some part of the client deposits. The funds cannot be accessed by the broker for use in any other transactions, with the exception of trading. This is applicable even if Universal Markets goes bankrupt as there are segregated accounts for the traders and the brokerage.
- Diverse and useful trading tools are available
All traders are human beings and they require the use of trading tools because the financial markets are known to move very quickly. It can be difficult to keep track of everything, especially when you are not trading full-time and this is where trading tools can play a vital role. Universal Markets has added educational resources and other tools that can be extremely valuable for every trader. There is a blogs and news section on the broker’s website where traders can keep up with all the happenings in the market. News is available on every financial instrument and there are policies and guidelines that can help the investors.
There is also an economic calendar that highlights all important events and can be used for making projections and forecasts about how an asset might perform under specific economic conditions. Live market hours are also available that can keep you connected to real-time live trading activities and help you strategize so you can build your portfolio exactly the way you want.
- Prompt and active customer support
Universal Markets understands that traders are the backbone of any trading platform and it has opened channels of communication to connect with them. The support staff at the brokerage comprises of highly trained professionals who are familiar with the intricacies of the financial market. They can be contacted through email or you can also use other modes of communication like offline messages, phone calls as well as the live chat feature. There is also an FAQ section that holds common questions and answers that can be used by traders.
Final Thoughts
When you put everything together, along with the quick and smooth registration process, the multiple payment methods, and the easy-to-use website and interface, Universal Markets Pro is the perfect choice for every trader.
