Spread Betting
The spread betting industry in the U.K. has experienced rapid growth in recent years, attracting many new entrants. The industry leader is undoubtedly IG Index whose founder, Stuart Wheeler, invented the concept of spread betting back in the 1970s.
Most of the companies offer a very similar service: a web-based service, training and support for clients, requirements for margin which vary by financial instrument, facilities for risk management and so on. All companies stress the importance of excellent personal service to clients.
In these circumstances, there is fierce competition for new clients and incentives to open an account are many, various and constantly changing.
It would be a very big task to list everything that every company has to offer and to draw attention to every minor difference in policy or practice. This review confines itself to giving a brief picture of the history of each company and to listing the features that seem to differentiate the companies in terms of how they market themselves.
