AvaTrade review - trade the forex and stock market on MT4

AvaTrade is recognized as a multinational brokerage firm that conducts its business in strict compliance with the requirements of its many regulators. The broker has obtained licenses on five continents, consolidating its presence in the global trading market.

Its European structure is subject to regulation by the Central Bank of Ireland, whose administrative headquarters are based in the capital city of Dublin.

The company is also regulated in Australia, where its activities are supervised by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, ASIC.

The Canadian subsidiary is governed by rules established by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC).

The Financial Services Agency (FSA) and the Financial Futures Association of Japan are responsible for the oversight of AvaTrade Japanese activities.

The company is also operational in South Africa, thanks to a license acquired from the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).

Another license has been granted by the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission.

And lastly, AvaTrade Middle East Ltd (FSPN 190018), has received a license from the Financial Regulatory Services Authority (FRSA) of Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM).

AvaProtect is a risk management mechanism that allows traders to protect their trades on over 40 assets. Currently, this application is only available on the mobile trading platform.

AvaProtect acts as a kind of insurance that covers the trader when he applies this tool to protect a position that he is not sure of and that could entail heavy losses.

For a small initial fee, the trader receives virtual "insurance" for his trades on more than 40 assets when he activates this feature. One of its advantages is that the trader can specify exactly how long he wants this insurance on each trade. This way, he can open his positions without having to constantly monitor the markets, because no matter what happens in the market, he will be protected.

Before opening a position, the user simply checks the box for the tool and it will be activated immediately.

Avatrade charges a fee each time this app is used to protect a trade. These fees may vary depending on the asset (market) on which the trade is made, the volume and the protection period. Therefore, before implementing this feature, you should check the fees you'll have to pay using AvaTradeGo, to see if it compensates the risk you want to take.

Trades covered by AvaProtect are 100% insured against any adverse price shifts during the chosen period. This means that Avatrade will reimburse you for the losses of your protected trades at the end of the period. This money is deposited directly into your trading account.

AvaProtect can be used to protect transactions with currency pairs and precious metals (gold and silver). Currently, though, AvaTrade does not offer this tool for CFD trading.

Foreign exchange operations, also known as "forex trading", enjoy great popularity among both regular individuals and professionals, as they offer great liquidity and 24-hour availability during business days.

This instrument offers many appealing investment opportunities, with daily trading volume that exceeds 6 trillion dollars. The market is driven by the wide variety of participants who trade foreign currencies, including brokerage houses, big banks, casual traders and speculators.

At AvaTrade, forex traders can choose from over 50 currency pairs, including major ones like EUR/USD, USD/JPY, GBP/USD and USD/CAD. Minor and exotic pairs are also available. Retail traders can take advantage of the broker's competitive spreads, with leverage limited to 30:1.

Those who are new to forex trading will benefit from various educational materials and regular market analysis. The broker doesn't charge additional commissions for forex trading. All associated costs are included in the spread. Margins and spreads are flexible and depend on the currency pairs that you trade.

The brokerage firm enables its clients to trade with a variety of leading decentralised cryptos such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Dash, Neo, Iota and Stellar.

Unlike traditional fiat currency transactions, transfers that involve cryptocurrencies are not processed or regulated by central banks and other financial institutions. Instead, all transfers are recorded on digital lists called blockchains.

This offers many advantages for cryptocurrency owners and traders. For example, it is a very attractive instrument for trading due to the market's high volatility. These markets often remain open 24/7, as they are not governed by centralised financial institutions. Other benefits include better liquidity and the ability to go long and short at the same time.

With AvaTrade, you can trade cryptocurrencies against standard currencies: EUR, USD, GBP, JPY and many others. Traders have the ability to increase their initial capital with a leverage of 2:1 for EU based customers and up to 25:1 for non-EU residents.

AvaTrade offers an attractive range of options for experienced traders who want to trade Contracts for Difference (CFDs). This is a more complex and advanced trading instrument that allows you to speculate on the price movements of various underlying assets without actually owning them.

It is possible to profit from rises and falls in the value of assets, as long as the market moves in the direction you choose. CFDs are a preferred instrument for many experienced traders, as they can greatly magnify profits on successful trades.

However, this also applies to the potential losses that CFD traders can incur. They increase due to the leverage, which causes up to 71% of retail traders to experience rapid losses. Before experimenting with this advanced instrument, make sure you have sufficient knowledge about how it works. Ask yourself if you can afford to take the high risks associated with CFD trading.

At AvaTrade, experienced traders can choose from a long list of CFD options, including stocks, bonds, indices and ETFs. Commodities are also available, including Brent crude oil, cocoa, coffee, copper, corn, cotton, petrol, gold, fuel oil, natural gas, palladium, silver, platinum, soybeans, wheat and sugar.

Contracts for difference are accepted on all major index markets such as the Dow Jones, German DAX 40, Footsie, Nasdaq, Nikkei 225, S&P 500 and IBEX 35.

Stock traders can speculate on the price movements of the world's largest companies, some of the options in this category being Apple, Amazon, Disney, Facebook, Bayer, BMW, Tesco and Siemens. The maximum leverage of CFDs at AvaTrade is limited to 20:1 for retail trader accounts.

At AvaTrade, more experienced traders have the opportunity to trade with vanilla options. This type of contract allows them to buy or sell certain quantities of different trading instruments at a predetermined price and time.

You can trade vanilla options for one day, one week, several months or even one year. This way, you can control all aspects of your trading experience. Both calls and puts can be traded.

When a trader buys options, he pays the predetermined premium, i.e. the price in advance of his cash balance, and can enjoy potentially unlimited gains. When selling options, the premium is credited to the client's balance in advance, but there is a significant risk of huge losses if the market moves in an unfavorable direction. It is recommended that AvaTrade clients set loss limits when trading vanilla options to limit their risk.

AvaTrade offers its clients a choice of several trading platforms, ensuring seamless access via most desktop and mobile devices. It is possible to use MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 from MetaQuotes, although the brokerage also offers another software called AvaOptions. It is also possible to trade directly in your browser without installing any additional software.

MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5

One option for AvaTrade customers is to download the third-party platform MetaTrader 4 (MT4) from MetaQuotes Software. MT4 is the platform of choice for millions of traders, as it's easy to use and highly customisable.

Those who use it have access to trading signals directly from major providers. Algorithmic trading and advanced technical analysis are possible thanks to the availability of EAs (Expert Advisors). Traders can better control their risk through hedging. They can choose between several time frames and highly interactive charts.

The brokerage also offers a free download of MT4's successor, MetaTrader 5 (MT5). This one is mainly aimed at the needs of experienced traders who are looking to exploit volatility through CFDs. Keep in mind that MetaTrader 5 is not available in some regions.

AvaOptions

More experienced traders who want to trade with options can use the AvaOptions platform. This gives them access to 13 spot, buy, sell and combination strategies.

Trading via a browser

If you are reluctant to install additional software on your device, AvaTrade offers you the option of trading directly from your browser via the innovative WebTrader platform. This alternative is more suitable for beginners, as it has a modern yet intuitive interface. It can be accessed via the internet-connected device of your choice.

Mobile trading apps

AvaTrade allows trading on the fly thanks to the availability of the dedicated AvaTradeGO mobile application. Mobile users enjoy many benefits, starting with the user-friendly dashboard that ensures a smooth trading experience.

AvaTrade allows its traders to trade with confidence, knowing that their money is well protected and kept in separate bank accounts.

AvaTrade works with many deposit solutions, including major Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards, Skrill, Boleto, WebMoney, Neteller, and wire transfers.

The availability of certain payment options depends on your location. Simply log into your AvaTrade account and click on the "Fund Your Account" tab to see the supported deposit methods for your country. The minimum amount you need to transfer to open a real account is £100/€100/$100 (or the equivalent in your country's currency).

Real accounts can be opened in USD, EUR, AUD and GBP. Note that only clients based in the UK and Australia are allowed to open accounts in GBP and AUD, respectively. The brokerage recommends a minimum starting balance of $1,000 to $2,000.

In terms of withdrawals, AvaTrade follows strict anti-money laundering policies, which is why clients' withdrawals are refunded through the same payment method used for deposits. You can use cards, e-wallets and wire transfers to make withdrawals, with requests processed within 24 hours.

Once the withdrawal is approved and released, you will have to wait up to 5 business days for cards, up to 24 hours for e-wallets, and up to 10 business days for bank transfers.

AvaTrading gives new clients the opportunity to open demo accounts that mirror the prices and trading conditions of real accounts. Basically, the only difference between the two is that the demo account uses virtual money instead of real money.

The demo account has $100,000 so that novice traders have enough margin to practice. The practice account remains valid for a period of 3 weeks, but you can extend this period by contacting the customer support before expiration.

Once you feel confident enough in your trading skills, you can upgrade to a live account. You will then be required to undergo mandatory verification by uploading certain identification documents.

More advanced traders have the option of applying for a professional account. They will have to meet various criteria as this alternative is only available to clients who have generated considerable trading activity over the past year.

You must have sufficient experience trading in the leveraged derivatives markets. In addition, you must have held a professional position in the financial industry for at least one year.

Last but not least, potential professional account holders must have a significant portfolio of financial instruments with investments exceeding the $500,000 threshold. Since professional clients have considerable experience in derivatives trading, they are offered much higher leverage (up to 400:1).

Muslim clients can benefit from Islamic accounts that operate in accordance with Sharia law. These are swap-free accounts, meaning that clients cannot pay or receive interest for their transactions.

With Ava's AutoTrader system, you get to select one or more strategies that you think will earn the most money, instead of trading the forex market on your own. You can choose a forex trading strategy that has proven to be profitable over the timespan that you're interested in. All trading orders are totally automated.

Why should traders trust Ava's AutoTrader?

1. Strategies are listed according to past performance.
2. Trading is fully automatic. You don't have to place the buy or sell orders.
3. Test your portfolio with a demo account before you trade with real capital.
4. You can see your account's history, which includes all of your past trades.
5. Profit throughout the week!
6. You can even choose the worst strategies and reverse their outcomes!

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AvaTrade stands out for its excellent customer support service, available in 15 different languages. The English help desk, in particular, is operational from Monday to Friday between 4:00 and 21:00 (GMT time). The brokerage office offers native support in English, Russian, German, Spanish, French, Arabic, Portuguese and Italian, with representatives on call from 6:00 to 15:00.

The service is available via a convenient live chat that allows for quick assistance in emergency situations. In fact, they will contact you themselves after you sign up for an account to see if you need any help or clarification.