Trade Nation offers fixed-spread CFD trading on TN Trader and TradingView, plus MetaTrader 4 with separately quoted spreads, with protections that depend on which group entity a client contracts with.
Spreads from
0.5 pips
Commission
$0 (spread-only)
Min deposit
$50
Established
2014
Regulated by
FCA · ASIC · CMVM (Portugal) · FSCA (South Africa) · SCB (Bahamas) · FSA Seychelles
Written byLaverlane Team·Updated20 Oct 2026
Researched with AI assistance and verified by our editors
Regulation
The group operates through six regulated entities, with protections that depend on the one a client contracts with.
Trade Nation Financial UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under Firm Reference Number (FRN) 525164. Trade Nation Australia Pty Ltd holds Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) 422661 from ASIC, and Trade Nation Europe Empresa de Investimento, S.A. is authorised by the CMVM in Portugal under licence 601. Trade Nation Financial (Pty) Ltd holds FSCA licence 49846 in South Africa.
International clients contract through Trade Nation Financial Markets Ltd in Seychelles (FSA licence SD150), the entity behind the global website, or Trade Nation Ltd in the Bahamas (SCB licence SIA-F216). These offshore entities provide higher leverage, but they operate without the statutory protection frameworks found in Tier-1 jurisdictions.
Key facts
If you're comparing Trade Nation reviews, this page breaks down costs, safety and platforms for each group entity.
Client-facing entity
Trade Nation Financial UK Ltd
Regulators
FCA, ASIC, CMVM (Portugal), FSCA (South Africa), SCB (Bahamas), FSA Seychelles
Restricted countries
US, CA, BE
Negative-balance protection
Yes
Minimum deposit
$50
Max leverage (UK/EU retail)
1:30
Max leverage (Australia)
1:30
Max leverage (offshore entity)
1:500
Typical EUR/USD spread
0.5 pips
Platforms
MT4, TradingView, Proprietary
Account currencies
USD, NOK, ZAR (Seychelles site)
Originally established as Core Spreads, the firm later rebranded to reflect its expanding international presence. The broker is based in London and keeps things simple, with two account tiers and no deposit or withdrawal fees from its side.
That track record is reassuring, but check which entity you'll be signing up with, because UK and Australian accounts are regulated differently from the offshore international ones.
Best for
Pros & cons
Fund safety
Client protection varies by entity, with statutory compensation only for UK and EU clients.
Retail balances with Trade Nation Financial UK Ltd are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000, while accounts under Trade Nation Financial Markets Ltd in Seychelles carry no statutory compensation scheme. The broker states that negative balance protection is available to retail traders.
The Client Agreement of the Seychelles entity is published in the legal hub, along with a Client Money Policy, so international clients can review how funds are held before they register.
Account terms
The broker publishes its account terms openly, with no inactivity fee listed in the Client Agreement.
The fee clause of the Seychelles Client Agreement lists commission, overnight financing, spreads, data, bank and conversion fees, but no inactivity fee. Accounts with no activity for 90 days are treated as inactive, so bonuses or credits may be removed, and after 180 days they are treated as dormant and may be closed if there is no cash balance.
Islamic (swap-free) account terms are published for the Seychelles entity, and all client agreements are available in the legal hub.
Costs
The broker sets fixed spreads starting at 0.5 pips on EUR/USD with no commission charges.
The TN Trader information sheet lists EUR/USD at 0.5 pips during main hours, GBP/USD at 0.8 and USD/JPY at 0.6, and the spread widens sharply around the daily rollover hour. Unlike variable spread brokers, it keeps spreads fixed within each trading session on TN Trader and TradingView, and commodities also offer a variable spread option.
Overnight financing is charged at the central bank rate plus or minus 2.5% (3% on commodities), and no deposit or withdrawal fees are levied by the broker.
| Instrument | Asset class | Typical spread | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Forex CFD | 0.5 | pips |
| GBP/USD | Forex CFD | 0.8 | pips |
| USD/JPY | Forex CFD | 0.6 | pips |
| US 100 (Nasdaq) | Index CFD | 0.9 | points |
| US 500 (S&P 500) | Index CFD | 0.4 | points |
| XAU/USD (Gold) | Commodity CFD | 0.4 | $ / oz |
| BTC/USD | Crypto CFD | 60 | $ |
Spreads shown are typical, not guaranteed, and widen during volatile sessions or outside main market hours. Figures reflect the broker's standard retail account.
Markets
The broker covers forex, indices, commodities and crypto CFDs well, but its share selection is small, so it suits CFD traders more than share-focused investors.
Forex CFD
35 pairs
Index CFD
40 indices
Commodity CFD
Metals, energies, softs
Single-Stock CFD
6 shares
Crypto CFD
Available ✓
Real ownership: Stocks / ETFs
N/A for this broker, CFDs only
The TN Trader sheet lists 129 instruments, including 35 forex pairs, 40 indices, metals, energy and soft commodities, bonds, and 8 cryptocurrency CFDs. Equity coverage is limited to six share markets, so the range is narrower than at multi-asset brokers.
Real share and ETF investing is not offered, which suits CFD traders but not investors who want to own the underlying asset.
Platforms
Traders can choose from the proprietary TN Trader platform, TradingView and MetaTrader 4.
TN Trader offers web and mobile trading with built-in charting, and the same account can be connected to TradingView for advanced charting, alerts and community ideas. MetaTrader 4 supports Expert Advisors for automated strategies, and the TradeCopier app handles copy trading.
The platform suite does not list MetaTrader 5 or cTrader.
Execution
Orders are processed using a proprietary dealing desk execution model designed around fixed pricing.
Proprietary dealing desk execution is built around fixed pricing, but the order execution policy discloses partial fills and re-pricing, so you shouldn't assume every order fills at the price you see. The broker acts as the direct counterparty to client trades, managing market risk internally.
The firm does not publish detailed quarterly execution statistics or fill-rate reports. While fixed spreads protect against market widening, high-frequency traders should evaluate potential execution speed constraints.
Leverage
Leverage limits follow local regulation and differ by contracting entity.
A 1:30 leverage cap applies to retail traders in the UK, EU and Australia on major forex pairs. The global site lists margin of 0.2% on major forex pairs, equivalent to leverage of 1:500, which carries a high risk of rapid losses.
Professional client classification is available for experienced traders who meet specific criteria, and Pro accounts have a lower margin close-out level of 20%.
Account types
The broker offers a standard retail account and a professional account for qualifying traders.
| Account | Min deposit | Commission | Swap | Spread | Demo | Islamic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Account | $50 | Spread-only | Standard overnight rollover rates | From 0.5 pips · Fixed | Not stated | Not stated |
| Professional Account | $50 | Spread-only | Standard overnight rollover rates | From 0.5 pips · Fixed | Not stated | Not stated |
Fixed spreads apply on TN Trader and TradingView, where EUR/USD starts from 0.5 pips. MetaTrader 4 spreads are quoted separately and start higher, with EUR/USD from 1.1 pips on on the broker's MT4 sheet. The minimum first deposit is $50. Professional accounts are available for qualifying traders seeking higher leverage.
Islamic (swap-free) account terms are published for the Seychelles entity.
Funding
Deposits and withdrawals are processed without broker fees across cards, wallets, bank transfers and crypto, though the $50 minimum deposit and 50-unit minimum withdrawal are worth noting.
The minimum first deposit is $50, NOK 500 or R1,000 depending on account currency, and it covers its own deposit and withdrawal costs. Available methods include cards, digital wallets, local bank transfers and cryptocurrency, depending on jurisdiction.
Withdrawals are aimed to be processed within one business day, and funds can take up to five days to arrive depending on the payment method. The minimum withdrawal is 50 units of account currency.
Support
Customer support is available 24 hours a day from Monday to Friday via live chat and email.
The Customer Success Team handles account, platform and funding queries by live chat or email, and a phone number is published on the website. A support centre covers regulation, funding, withdrawals and trading topics.
Educational resources include beginner guides, glossaries and daily market analysis hosted in the Market Information Hub.
Availability
The broker accepts clients globally while restricting access from regions including the US and Canada.
Restricted access for residents of the US, Canada, and Belgium aligns with standard regulatory exclusion lists. International traders outside those excluded zones are routed through the firm's regulated subsidiaries based on country of residence.
Prospective clients should verify which entity governs their account during signup to understand local protection limits.
Verdict
The broker delivers a transparent trading environment by pairing fixed pricing with no deposit or withdrawal fees. International clients contract with the Seychelles entity, which sits outside the Tier-1 UK, Australian and EU regimes, so protections differ depending on where you live. The $50 minimum deposit and focused product range suit cost-conscious traders who like predictable spreads.
If you are frustrated by sudden spread spikes during market volatility, it offers a stable pricing structure that keeps execution costs consistent.
Manual day traders and news traders looking for predictable transaction costs will benefit most from its fixed-spread framework.
FAQ
It is regulated in six jurisdictions, including the UK Financial Conduct Authority, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and Portugal’s CMVM. Retail balances under the UK entity receive protection up to £85,000 via the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). International clients contract with the Seychelles entity (FSA licence SD150), where no statutory compensation scheme applies.
It is an online forex and CFD brokerage firm formerly known as Core Spreads. The broker operates primarily under a fixed-spread model across forex, indices and commodities. Services are available through the proprietary TN Trader platform, TradingView and MetaTrader 4.
The group doesn't publish detailed information about its ultimate ownership. The group operates through six licensed entities, including Trade Nation Financial UK Ltd in London, and was formerly known as Core Spreads.
The broker is headquartered in the United Kingdom, and its UK operating entity is registered at 14 Bonhill Street, London, EC2A 4BX. The group also operates entities in Australia, South Africa, the Bahamas, Seychelles and Portugal.
The broker aims to process withdrawal requests within one business day, and funds can take up to five days to arrive depending on the payment method. Deposits usually arrive instantly, although crypto deposits can take up to an hour. It charges no withdrawal fee, although your bank may, and the minimum withdrawal is 50 units of your account currency.
The minimum first deposit is $50 for USD accounts, NOK 500 for NOK accounts and R1,000 for ZAR accounts on the Seychelles site. Funding options include cards, digital wallets, bank transfers and cryptocurrency, and Trade Nation covers its own deposit fees.
Alternatives
Eightcap offers CFDs on 850+ markets through TradingView, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and TradeLocker, with a Raw account that starts from 0.0 pips. Clients outside the regulated regions contract with Eightcap Global Limited in The Bahamas, which carries no statutory compensation scheme.
Octa offers swap-free forex and CFD trading on OctaTrader, MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, with no trading commission and a $25 minimum deposit. Accounts on octabroker.com are with Versustrategy Inc, registered in Saint Lucia, and the legal documents page lists no financial regulator.
JustMarkets offers leverage of up to 1:3000, swap-free trading and MT4, MT5 and its own app, but international clients contract with an offshore Seychelles entity without a statutory compensation scheme.
FXCM offers forex and CFD trading on Trading Station, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and TradingView. Accounts on the international website are with Stratos Global LLC, an offshore entity in St Vincent and the Grenadines that sits outside the group’s regulated companies.
ThinkMarkets offers ThinkTrader, TradingView, MT4 and MT5 with 4,000+ instruments and leverage of up to 1:500 on Standard and ThinkZero accounts. International clients contract with a Seychelles-licensed entity.
IronFX operates as a retail CFD broker providing high leverage up to 1:1000 on MetaTrader 4, but international clients contract through an offshore entity without statutory compensation protection.
CFI Financial offers MT5, TradingView and its own app with no minimum deposit and leverage of up to 1:500. International clients trade with CFI International Ltd, licensed in Mauritius.
EC Markets offers MT4, MT5 and its own app with a $10 minimum deposit on STD and ECN accounts and leverage of up to 1:1000. International clients trade with the Mauritius-licensed entity.
General CFD risk warning
CFDs are complex leveraged products and carry a high risk of rapid losses. They do not give you ownership of the underlying asset. Depending on your jurisdiction, broker entity and client classification, protections such as leverage limits and negative-balance protection may differ or may not apply. Where negative-balance protection is not provided, losses may exceed the funds you deposit. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
Disclaimer
This page is provided for general information only. Nothing on this page constitutes investment, tax or trading advice, or a recommendation to open an account or trade with a particular broker. Laverlane does not provide personalised investment advice. We are not a broker or financial institution, we do not arrange or execute trades, and we do not hold client funds.
Broker availability, spreads, fees, leverage, products and legal protections, including compensation schemes and negative-balance protection, vary by the broker’s legal entity, your country of residence and your client classification, and may change over time. Where a broker is required to publish its retail CFD loss rate, that figure is shown on its review page. Spreads shown are typical figures as at our verification date; they are not guaranteed and may widen, particularly during volatile market conditions.
Laverlane Scores reflect the information available at our most recent review. They are editorial assessments, not guarantees of a broker’s financial strength, reliability or future performance. Where we report a regulator warning or enforcement notice, it reflects the official public information available at the time of our review.
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