CFImarkets is a regulated CFD and Forex brokerage, which offers deep liquidity, coupled with outstanding asset selection and fair execution. Although it was launched quite a while ago (back in 2012 to be precise) CFImarkets has thus far garnered little community feedback. Fortunately, that goes for the “heat” too, so it is safe to assume that a brokerage which has been around for this long, without triggering choruses of “scam” screams, is in fact a serious, wholesome operation indeed.
Based in Cyprus, CFImarkets’ offer extends beyond the retail trader, straight into the realm of institutional operators.
The company behind CFImarkets is CFI Markets Ltd, and – as said above – it is based in Cyprus. The exact address is Gregori Afxentiou 10 Avenue, Livadiotis Court 5, PO Box 6023, Larnaca, Cyprus. CFI Markets Ltd is registered with the Cypriot authorities under number HE 303814.
The operating license of the brokerage has been issued by CySEC. The license number is 179/12. CySEC regulation is not exactly impressive prestige-wise, but CFImarkets is indeed fully MiFID compliant, as it is registered with the UK’s FCA (#602588) and France’s BaFin (1338881) too.
In addition to the above detailed regulatory compliance, CFImarkets is also a member of the ACIIF investor compensation scheme.
What exactly does CFImarkets bring to the table and why should you consider trading with these guys? The attractive margins and commissions sound somewhat hollow, given how every operator out there uses this exact phrase to describe its offering. CFImarkets do have something extra up their sleeves though: they have a unique account type called Hybrid, at which we will take a closer look shortly, and they feature customizable leverage levels, covering a scale from 1:1 all the way to 1:500. Yes, there are brokerages which offer still more in this regard, but overall, CFImarkets’ offer is more than decent.
Over the years, the Forex brokerage has racked up a rather impressive number of awards. Most of these awards were handed out through various industry events in Asia and the Middle East. The Best Forex Broker in Asia award for instance, which the operator pocketed in 2016, was handed over in Moscow, Russia. Other awards include the Best Client Funds Protection Broker award, the Best Execution award and the Best New Middle East STP Broker.
Despite their near-spotless reputation, CFImarkets representatives have been caught red-handed trying to hype their brokerage through fake reviews at least once. At one of the forex broker review sites, three positive reviews were posted in the user feedback section, all originating from the same area in Lebanon where CFImarkets representatives had been contacted before.
CFImarkets Products
Interestingly, CFImarkets are rather tight-lipped in this regard. All their homepage states is that they offer multiple Forex and CFD products. There’s no word about the asset selection and the overall market coverage. What’s more, it looks like the brokerage uses the same trading platform for Forex and CFDs, which is bit peculiar.
In addition to what it offers to retail traders, the brokerage has a little something up its sleeves for high-volume and institutional investors too. The Business Partner scheme is essentially a glorified affiliate setup, which features revenue-sharing plans, dedicated support and direct contact options for those interested.
For money managers, MAM/PAMM tools are provided, together with customizable commission and spread plans, and dedicated support. Those interested in the MAM/PAMM options are encouraged to contact the operator directly too.
The White Label program offers other online brokerages the chance to introduce CFD/Forex trading to their trader bases quickly and at virtually no cost. A fully branded, customizable platform is also part of the offer, together with dedicated support and custom revenue sharing plans.
Platforms
CFImarkets offers two platforms: the CFIM trader platform and the CFIM mobile one. The good news is that the platforms are essentially MT4, which means that all the functionality and charting capability one would expect from a legit broker is indeed available for CFDs as well as for Forex.
The MT4 platform can be downloaded directly from the CFImarkets website, together with installation guides for Windows and Mac. The MT4 platform comes with its usual collection of technical indicators, one click trading, customizable trading terminals, live news and desktop/mobile trading capabilities.
Fast and fair order execution is assured by the STP connectivity. Leverage – as said above – is customizable and the available order-types are diverse.
MT4 wouldn’t really be MT4 without its EAs and the editor which makes the creation of these Expert Advisers possible. The proper use of EAs requires the existence of a VPS service, and indeed, CFImarkets do offer such a service, for a fee of $30/month.
For that price, they deliver 50 GB of storage space, limitless traffic, no reboots and top-notch European datacenters. Speeds corresponding to 2GB of RAM on the VPS are also provided.
The mobile platform takes advantage of MT4’s mobile trading capabilities. The app is available for Android- and well as iOS-based devices, straight from the website.
Account Types
This is where some of the strengths of CFImarkets come into play. The Hybrid account is without a doubt the most interesting feature offered by this broker. This account marries off the STP model with the fixed spreads one. The resulting setup sees the spreads stay fixed most of the time, moving about only when extreme market conditions set in, or when the liquidity drops. Even at such times, the spread-swings are very brief, and they return to normal quickly.
Other perks offered by the Hybrid account are the possibility to hedge at liquidation, technical analysis and private trading sessions. The maximum leverage possible on this account is 1:200.
The Institutional/High Net Worth Investor account is the best choice for tight spreads. This is a sort of VIP option, which obviously requires massive deposits.
The Demo account is meant to give traders a chance to sample the offering in a risk-free manner. Registering for a demo account only takes a few seconds.
Opening a square real money account is almost as simple. Certain required documents will have to be uploaded though. Fortunately, the uploading process is simple and it can be done directly via the broker’s website.
The minimum required deposit is apparently only $100.
Support
Support-wise, CFImarkets offer a live chat feature, a call-back option as well as live phone support. The support phone number is + 357 24 400270, and there’s a Fax number available as well: + 357 24 400271. The trading desk can be called separately at + 357 24 400274. The email addresses are [email protected] and [email protected].
Call-backs can be requested through a handy form available on the Contact page.
Besides English, CFImarkets support Russian, Arabic and Chinese too.
CFImarkets Review Conclusion
CFImarkets is a legitimate, licensed CFD and Forex trading provider, backed by a solid platform, a decent market coverage and some rather outstanding account options. Besides retail traders, the brokerage services institutional and high net worth investors too. They offer MAM/PAMM services and turnkey White Label solutions for other brokerages. The operation is indeed a total and complete CFD/Forex package, enjoying the trust of partners such as the FIA WRC.
As an EU-licensed financial service provider, CFImarkets does not accept US traders.
