Possessing dozens of reputable licenses and being listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in Poland since 2016 under the stock symbol XTB, is sufficient evidence of the level of trustworthiness, professionalism, and safety that XTB provides to traders.
XTB may be an unfamiliar name to many Vietnamese traders, but based on what XTB has established, it is indeed a forex broker that surpasses even the most trusted forex brokers. XTB is recognized as a Tier 1 liquidity provider.
In the realm of ECN-type brokers, when you open a position, the broker typically acts as an intermediary to route your order to various liquidity providers for execution. However, trading with XTB eliminates the need for such routing because XTB itself serves as a Tier 1 liquidity provider. This results in not only lightning-fast order execution but also ensures that orders are not requoted, even in the most volatile market conditions.
Furthermore, XTB provides liquidity to many other brokers, including some that are well-known among Vietnamese traders. Therefore, even if you do not have the time to conduct extensive research or scrutinize XTB’s licenses, the information provided above should be sufficient to evaluate the strength, reliability, professionalism, and safety that XTB offers.
XTB was originally founded in 2002 in Poland under the name X-Trade Brokers. In 2004, X-Trade merged with XTB, and over the course of 17 years, XTB has consistently expanded its presence. Today, it is one of the world’s largest forex brokers, with offices in more than 10 different countries, including Belize, the UK, Poland, Germany, Spain, and France.
Given its remarkable growth and unwavering commitment to excellence, XTB has received numerous accolades from reputable organizations. It was recognized as the “Best CFD Broker 2019” by Broker Chooser magazine and “Best Broker in Europe” by Money Market magazine, among other honors.
Certificates and Licenses of XTB
Possessing the appropriate licenses is one of the fundamental aspects when assessing the credibility of a forex broker.
This is crucial because when a broker is licensed by a regulatory authority, it is obligated to adhere to all rules and regulations set forth by that authority, thereby preventing fraudulent activities and safeguarding clients. Consequently, in cases where a forex broker engages in misconduct, the financial regulatory authority can impose penalties, restrictions, or even permanently revoke the broker’s operating license. FXCM is a prominent example, as it had its business license revoked and was fined $7 million by the CFTC for fraudulent activities against its clients.
Basic Information about XTB. What is XTB?
First and foremost, if we were to sum up XTB concisely, it’s not just an ordinary forex trading platform but also a liquidity provider.
As you may know, with ECN-type brokers, when you open a position, the broker acts as an intermediary to route your order to liquidity providers for order matching. However, when trading with XTB, you don’t need to wait for your orders to be routed elsewhere because XTB itself is a Tier 1 liquidity provider for you. This results in not only fast order execution but also ensures that your orders are not re-quoted, even during the most volatile market conditions.
Moreover, XTB provides liquidity to many other partners, including several forex brokers familiar to Vietnamese traders. So, even if you don’t have the time to conduct in-depth research or evaluate XTB’s licenses, the information provided above is sufficient for you to assess the size and credibility of XTB.
XTB was founded in 2002 in Poland under the name X-Trade Brokers. In 2004, X-Trade merged into XTB. Since then, over 17 years of operation, XTB has continuously grown to become one of the largest forex trading platforms globally. It has offices in more than 10 different countries, including Belize, the UK, Poland, Germany, Spain, and France.
As a result of its remarkable growth and unwavering commitment to excellence, XTB has received numerous prestigious awards from reputable organizations. It was named the “Best CFD Broker 2019” by Broker Chooser magazine and the “Best Broker in Europe” according to Money Market magazine, among other accolades.
Certificates and Operating Licenses of XTB
Possessing the necessary operating licenses is one of the fundamental criteria for evaluating the credibility of a forex trading platform.
This is crucial because when a platform is licensed by a financial regulatory authority, it is required to comply with all the rules and regulations set forth by that authority, preventing fraudulent activities and protecting clients. Therefore, in cases where a forex platform engages in misconduct, the financial regulatory authority can impose penalties, restrictions, or even permanently revoke the platform’s operating license, as demonstrated in the case of FXCM, which had its business license revoked and was fined $7 million by the CFTC for fraudulent activities against its clients.
Furthermore, each regulatory authority has different requirements, and the larger the regulatory body, the stricter the requirements tend to be. Therefore, forex brokers licensed by reputable organizations like ASIC, FCA, BaFin, or CySEC ensure a higher level of trust for traders and provide them with greater peace of mind.
To obtain a license from one of these regulatory bodies, a forex broker must undergo a rigorous process. For example, FBS, a forex broker that many Vietnamese traders use, was established in 2009 but only received its CySEC license in 2017.
Considering the number of licenses that XTB holds, you can understand the extent to which XTB goes to ensure its credibility and professionalism. XTB’s licenses include:
- FCA (United Kingdom) – License Number: 522157. You can verify this license here.
- BaFin (Germany) – License Number: 121520. You can verify this license here.
- CNMV (Spain) – License Number: 40. You can verify this license here.
- IFSC (Belize) – License Number: IFSC/60/413/TS/19. You can verify this license here.
- CySEC (Republic of Cyprus) – License Number: 169/12. You can verify this license here.
- KNF (Poland) – License Number: DDM-M-4021-57-1/2005. You can verify this license here.
How do these licenses protect traders’ rights?
- Segregated Account MechanismXTB is regulated by the Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego (KNF) to provide services to countries within the European Economic Area. KNF is known for its strict financial regulatory requirements, especially concerning the protection of client funds and the prevention of conflicts of interest. This is achieved through a mechanism called the Segregated Account.
The Segregated Account mechanism means that client funds and the broker’s funds are kept in separate accounts. This separation helps protect clients’ investments, preventing the broker from using client funds for other purposes or potentially using them against clients’ interests. Moreover, the Segregated Account mechanism serves as an indicator of the broker’s financial strength, ensuring that client funds are secure and that there is no risk of liquidity shortages.
In addition to segregating client funds, KNF requires annual audits to assess the broker’s ability to meet its financial obligations, providing an extra layer of security and assurance for traders. As a result, traders can have complete confidence in trading with XTB under the supervision of KNF.
Compensation Mechanism for Clients
XTB is not only a member of the Investor Compensation Scheme (ICS), which provides insurance for clients in case the company becomes insolvent or unable to meet its financial obligations, but it is also regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). This means that XTB is committed to taking responsibility for its clients and offers compensation up to £50,000 under FCA regulations and up to €20,000 under CySEC regulations in case of such unfortunate events.
Stock Exchange Listing
In addition to holding multiple reputable licenses, XTB has an outstanding feature: it is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in Poland. Being listed on a stock exchange is a significant indicator of a broker’s credibility. To achieve this, a broker must maintain transparency in its financial records, documents, and overall operations, ensuring that all information provided to the public is accurate and genuine.
Furthermore, stock exchange listing involves scrutiny and supervision by various regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with legal and financial regulations. This listing demonstrates that XTB has met stringent requirements and adheres to the rules and regulations, providing a high level of confidence for clients that their rights are fully protected.
In summary, XTB’s commitment to regulatory compliance, segregation of client funds, membership in compensation schemes, and its listing on the Warsaw Stock Exchange collectively contribute to its reputation as a highly reputable and trustworthy forex broker. These factors are crucial for traders looking for a broker that prioritizes the safety and security of their investments.
Trading Accounts and Products Offered by XTB
XTB offers two primary types of trading accounts: Standard and Pro. However, as of now, XTB provides only the Standard account to new traders, and the Pro account is not available.
Standard Account: This account is suitable for new traders entering the market and is particularly appealing to those interested in cryptocurrency trading. Here are some basic details about the Standard account:
- Minimum Deposit: $1
- Maximum Leverage: 1:500
- Spread Type: Floating
- Minimum Spread: 0.35 pip
- Commission: None
- Minimum Trade Size: 0.01 lot
Pro Account: This account is tailored for professional traders who prefer scalping and offers ultra-low spreads starting from 0.1 pip. It charges an average commission of $7 per lot for both buy and sell orders, similar to many other forex brokers. In the Pro account, trading CFDs on stocks and ETFs incur a fee of only 0.08% per lot. Notably, trading index instruments is swap-free, making it an attractive option for traders.
However, the Pro account requires traders to open positions of at least 0.1 lot, which means a minimum deposit of $50 to have enough capital to open a position.
XTB’s product offerings are extensive, covering a wide range of assets, including:
- Forex Currency Pairs (49 pairs)
- Stock Indices (42 indices)
- CFDs on Stocks (1,724 stocks)
- ETFs (104 ETFs)
- Cryptocurrencies (25 cryptocurrencies)
These diverse product offerings cater to traders with varying preferences and trading styles, making XTB a versatile broker for traders of all levels of experience.
Crypto
The article highlights some key advantages of XTB as a forex trading platform, particularly in its extensive offering of cryptocurrency pairs and favorable trading conditions.
As can be seen, XTB is a rare forex trading platform today that provides a large selection of cryptocurrency pairs for traders to choose from. This is truly a commendable feature. As you may know, almost all forex platforms offer cryptocurrencies, but with a relatively limited number of pairs, typically ranging from 3 to 5. Additionally, many platforms have restrictions on cryptocurrency trading, often only allowing trading from Monday to Friday, with closures on Saturdays and Sundays, similar to the trading hours for many forex, metals, and commodities. This can be disadvantageous for cryptocurrency enthusiasts as the weekends are often the most volatile days for these assets. However, with XTB, you can trade cryptocurrencies as usual, just like on other exchange platforms, without worrying about weekend closures.
Another noteworthy advantage is the low swap fees. With the exception of BTC, the swap fees for all other pairs are extremely low, almost negligible, usually not exceeding 0.3 USD per unit of trade. As shown in the illustrative example above, for 10 ETH, XTB charges only 1.12 USD for overnight sell orders. Similarly, for overnight buy orders, you would pay just 0.37 USD for 10 ETH. These fees are incredibly low. Therefore, if you are looking for a forex platform to trade cryptocurrencies, XTB is undoubtedly worth considering.
Stock CFDs and ETFs
Similar to cryptocurrencies, XTB offers a variety of Stock CFDs and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs are a hybrid form of investment fund that combines features of traditional funds with the trading characteristics of stocks. One of the most common ETFs is the S&P 500 ETF, which tracks the performance of the S&P 500 index.
XTB provides access to a wide range of stocks from major stock exchanges in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and more. Moreover, XTB goes beyond offering basic ETFs like iShares and provides access to ETFs such as the SPDR Gold Trust (which tracks the price of gold) and the United States Oil Fund (USO), which monitors the price of oil.
Overall, XTB’s diverse offering of cryptocurrency pairs, low swap fees, and access to a wide range of stock CFDs and ETFs make it a compelling choice for traders seeking a versatile platform for various trading instruments.
Trading Fees for Holding Positions for 1 Week at XTB Compared to Other Well-Known Brokers IG and eToro
Not only does XTB provide a wide range of products, but the trading fees for these products are also very low, at only 0.08%. This is significantly lower than many other platforms, especially when trading stocks. What’s particularly noteworthy is that, despite the nature of stock trading at XTB being in the form of CFDs (Contract for Difference), you can still receive DIVIDENDS if you hold positions until the company’s dividend payment date, in accordance with the schedule and value announced by the company.
This is a significant advantage that not all platforms offer. In particular, the indices provided by XTB do not incur swap fees (overnight fees), which is something every trader considers when trading. Over the course of a year, you may only incur rollover fees a few times, and it varies from one asset to another, so it’s not a significant cost. You can find more information here.
Leverage, Commissions, Overnight Fees, and Spreads at XTB
Leverage
XTB offers a maximum leverage of 1:500. However, the leverage levels vary depending on the type of product:
- Forex: Maximum leverage is 1:500.
- Stock market indices: Maximum leverage is 1:200 for popular indices and 1:66.7 for less common ones.
- Commodities (such as soybeans, coffee, sugar, wheat, oil): Maximum leverage is 1:333.3, with gold having a maximum leverage of 1:500.
- Stock CFDs: Maximum leverage is 1:20.
- ETF CFDs: Maximum leverage is 1:5.
- Cryptocurrencies: Maximum leverage is 1:5.
Spreads and Commissions at XTB
With the removal of the Pro account, XTB does not charge commissions on Standard accounts.
The three types of Standard accounts (Standard A, Standard B, and Standard C) mainly differ in terms of spreads. However, after a “reform” in the spread structure for better trader accessibility, XTB now offers very competitive spreads.
One exceptional benefit to highlight is the FREE overnight fees (swap fees) for gold trading. This is an attractive feature for those who trade or hold positions for the long term. Many other brokers charge overnight fees for gold trading, often starting from $3 per lot for buy orders. If you hold positions for about 30 days, this could result in a significant cost.
XTB Trading Platform
Compared to many other forex brokers, XTB’s trading platform is one of the most advanced. Instead of allowing traders to use both MT4 and xStation in parallel, XTB recently decided to discontinue MT4, making xStation the sole trading platform.
xStation
xStation is proprietary software developed by XTB. This platform offers numerous outstanding features that MT4 cannot match. Therefore, the decision to remove MT4 from XTB was a smart move. After using xStation for a while and then returning to MT4, you will likely find MT4 somewhat lacking.
Some notable features of xStation include:
- Depositing and withdrawing funds directly within the platform.
- Providing comprehensive economic calendars and dividend schedules.
- Offering easy access to educational videos directly on xStation.
- Integrating multiple analysis tools and statistical data.
- Providing various versions for web, Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android platforms.
In summary, XTB’s low trading fees, ability to receive dividends on stock CFDs, and the absence of swap fees for certain indices make it an attractive choice for traders. Additionally, the advanced xStation trading platform offers a wide range of features that can enhance your trading experience.
The first point to note about xStation is its beautiful, smooth, and user-friendly interface. You can experience this firsthand by using the web version before trying out the integrated versions for mobile devices or computers. Furthermore, xStation supports a wide range of languages (19 languages), including Vietnamese, making it easy to use and accessible even if you don’t speak English.
But it doesn’t stop there; some of the most outstanding features of xStation include Market Sentiment, Market Depth, and Stocks Scanner.
Market Sentiment
The images above depict Market Sentiment, as you can see, they provide information about the percentage of traders who are currently Buying or Selling a particular product that you are interested in.
If you find it difficult to view with the images provided, you can click on the rectangular box located on the right-hand side. This will display each currency pair with the number of buyers and sellers shown in two colors: green for traders opening Buy positions and red for traders opening Sell positions. This information is very useful for understanding which side of the market is more active and can provide guidance on which direction to open a position for your benefit.
Market Depth
In addition to Market Sentiment, XTB also offers another useful tool called Market Depth. With Market Depth, you’ll receive information about the volume of the currency pair you’re buying, prices at each level, as well as the liquidity provider’s (in this case, XTB) capacity to fulfill those orders:
As shown in the images above, if you open 3 lots, you will get a price of 28,305, but if you open 10 lots, you will get a better price of 28,298, and similarly, if you open 15 lots, the price will be 28,288, and so on. However, you can also see that if you intentionally set the lot size too high (50 lots), the market will indicate that the account does not have sufficient funds, so it won’t be possible to match all the orders. Please note that this feature is only available when you use the xStation version for mobile and desktop.
From the images above, it once again confirms that XTB is a liquidity provider, which is why they can ensure such prices. If you access the xOpen Hub website, you will see that XTB is a partner of many European-based exchanges, including ones that Vietnamese traders are familiar with, such as Zulutrade and IFCMarkets, which are also partners of XTB.
Stocks Scanner
In addition to the two features mentioned above, another feature worth mentioning, especially for those who want to trade stocks, is Stocks Scanner.
Stock Scanner provides traders with 15 criteria to filter the stocks they want to trade, including market capitalization, ROE, beta risk coefficient, debt-to-equity ratio, and more. This makes it easy for you to evaluate the type of stocks you want to invest in without having to read a slew of financial reports. Through this information, you can assess the value of each stock and decide whether to conduct further research for investment or not.
Opening an XTB Account
XTB offers various methods for depositing and withdrawing funds, including Neteller, Skrill, and Ngan Luong.
Some of XTB’s deposit and withdrawal methods have relatively high fees, such as a 1% fee for deposits via Neteller and a 2% fee for deposits via Skrill. In the case of withdrawals, you will be exempt from fees for withdrawals of $50 or more. If you withdraw below this amount, you will incur a $30 fee.
Therefore, we recommend using the Ngan Luong deposit and withdrawal method for trading on XTB. It is not only fast but also entirely free. Moreover, Ngan Luong supports many banks in Vietnam, so you don’t have to worry about whether your bank account can be used to deposit funds on XTB or not. In addition, when depositing and withdrawing via Ngan Luong, the funds are transferred almost immediately, or at most within 24 hours, rather than waiting for an extended period like a Wire Transfer bank transfer.
Customer Support Services at XTB
XTB truly has a professional customer support team. As soon as you complete your registration, you will receive an email from your account manager. So, if you have any issues, you can email this support staff directly, and they will help you resolve any questions or problems you may encounter.
Pros and Cons of XTB: Is it really reliable?
Pros:
- Holds many reputable licenses
- Low minimum deposit starting from $1
- Gold is free overnight
- Stock trading enjoys Dividends, with no Commission fees
- Offers many talk shows and good bonus programs (such as book giveaways, a 50% bonus) for new traders
- Enthusiastic support staff
Cons:
- No Copytrade accounts available
- Does not support cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals
- Only supports one trading platform, which may pose difficulties for new traders
The above is our complete review of XTB. We hope that these reviews are useful to you. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below, and we will respond to your questions as soon as possible. Good luck!
