Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Professional trading
Professional traders gain access to our professional trading account with benefits and features not available to retail clients.
Call 020 7638 6996 or email newaccounts@guardianstockbrokers.com to discuss opening a trading account.
Beginners guide on how to be a professional trader
Becoming a professional trader takes time, effort, and dedication. Here are some steps you can take to get started:
1. Educate Yourself:
Learn as much as you can about trading, including different strategies, market conditions, and risk management. There are many resources available, including books, online courses, and trading communities.
2. Develop a Trading Plan:
Decide on the markets you want to trade, your risk tolerance, and the amount of capital you're willing to invest. Your trading plan should outline your strategy and include entry and exit points for trades.
3. Practice Trading:
Before investing real money, practice trading with a demo account or paper trading. This will help you get familiar with the trading platform and refine your strategy.
4. Keep a Trading Journal:
Record your trades, including the reason for entering the trade, the strategy used, and the outcome. This will help you identify patterns and areas for improvement.
5. Manage Risk:
Develop a risk management plan and stick to it. This includes setting stop-losses and limiting the amount of capital you risk on each trade.
6. Stay Disciplined:
Stick to your trading plan and avoid emotional trading decisions. Keep your emotions in check and make decisions based on your strategy and analysis.
7. Learn From Your Mistakes:
Every trader makes mistakes, but the key is to learn from them. Review your trades and identify areas for improvement.
8. Continuously Educate Yourself:
The markets are constantly changing, so it's important to stay up-to-date with market news and trends. Attend conferences and webinars, read industry publications, and network with other traders.
Remember, becoming a professional trader takes time and patience. Focus on continuous learning and improvement, and don't be afraid to ask for help or advice from other traders.
What do professional traders do ?
Professional traders engage in a range of activities to identify and execute profitable trades in various financial markets. They use their expertise in market research and analysis, trading strategies, risk management, and portfolio management to generate profits for themselves.
Here are some common activities that professional traders engage in:
1. Market research and analysis:
Professional traders spend a significant amount of time researching and analysing financial markets. They use various techniques to identify trends, market movements, and potential trading opportunities. This includes technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and quantitative analysis.
2. Trading strategies:
Based on their market research and analysis, professional traders develop trading strategies that align with their investment goals and risk tolerance. They may use a range of techniques, including long-term investing, short-term trading, and risk management to optimise their portfolio.
For short-term traders, the following strategies are commonly used:
Technical analysis:
Short-term traders rely heavily on technical analysis to identify trends and trading opportunities. They use charts, indicators, and other tools to analyse price movements, identify support and resistance levels, and make trading decisions based on these signals.
Scalping:
Scalping is a popular short-term trading strategy that involves buying and selling positions within seconds or minutes. Scalpers aim to profit from small price movements and typically use high-frequency trading algorithms to execute trades quickly.
Day trading:
Day traders hold positions for a single day and close them before the market closes. They may use a combination of technical and fundamental analysis to identify short-term trading opportunities and make quick decisions based on market movements.
Swing trading:
Swing traders hold positions for a few days to a few weeks and aim to profit from short-term price movements. They may use a range of technical and fundamental analysis tools to identify trading opportunities and may also use stop-loss orders to manage risk.
3. Cutting-edge technology and tools:
Guardian Stockbrokers utilises cutting-edge technology and tools to execute trades quickly and efficiently. This includes electronic trading platforms that allow for rapid execution of trades. Additionally, they provide clients with access to real-time market data and analysis, giving them the information they need to make informed investment decisions. With advanced technology and tools at their disposal, Guardian Stockbrokers' professionals are well-equipped to navigate the fast-paced and ever-changing world of financial markets.
4. Risk management:
Professional traders are constantly assessing and managing the risk of their positions. They use various risk management techniques such as stop-loss orders, position limits, and diversification to mitigate their exposure to potential losses.
5. Continuous education and self-improvement:
Professional traders understand that the financial markets are constantly evolving and that there is always more to learn. They engage in continuous education and self-improvement to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques in the industry. This may involve attending industry conferences, reading financial publications, or taking courses to improve their skills and knowledge. By staying informed and continually improving their expertise, professional traders can make better-informed trading decisions and stay ahead of the competition.
6. Keeping up-to-date with market news and trends:
Professional traders need to stay informed about market news and trends to identify potential trading opportunities. They read financial news, follow expert opinions, and stay up-to-date with economic indicators to stay ahead of the market.
Professional traders require a high level of expertise and discipline to succeed in the fast-paced world of trading. By using effective trading strategies, managing risk, and staying informed about market news and trends, they can generate profits and build successful careers in the financial industry. However, it is important to note that trading involves significant risk and is not suitable for everyone. Novice traders should seek professional advice before entering the market and should start with a small amount of capital to minimise potential losses. Professional traders also need to adhere to strict ethical standards and regulations, including insider trading laws and anti-money laundering regulations, to ensure a fair and transparent trading environment. Overall, professional trading requires a combination of knowledge, experience, discipline, and a strong work ethic to succeed in the competitive financial industry.
Benefits and considerations of having a professional trading account
Professional clients can benefit from:
Cash rebates
In addition to our premium trading account, Guardian Stockbrokers offers cash rebates for qualifying traders. With our cash rebate program, you can earn money back on every trade you make. This means that the more you trade, the more you earn in cash rebates. Our program is designed to reward active traders who frequently engage in the market, and it's just one of the many benefits of trading with Guardian Stockbrokers. Call our team on 020 7638 6996 to learn more about our cash rebate program and how it can help boost your trading profits.
Lower margin rates
Trade on 17,000 markets. Professional CFD and spread betting traders in the UK can benefit from lower margins than non-professional traders. Our professional trading account provides access to higher leverage and lower margin requirements, which can significantly increase the potential return on investment and provide greater flexibility in managing risk. As a result, professional traders can achieve a competitive edge in the market, while still maintaining responsible risk management practices.
Lower margins
Collateral facility
Use up to 95% of your share collateral as margin. With our collateral service, you have the option to use a portion of the value of your share dealing account as collateral for margin requirements on your spread betting or CFD accounts, instead of having to use cash. This means that your shareholdings remain untouched and retain their full value, while you can use a percentage of their worth to fund your shorter-term trades. By using your shares as collateral, you can benefit from increased trading flexibility.
Credit facilities
Improve the efficiency of your account with our custom margin call levels and more. Our team can work with you to arrange personalised margin call levels that suit your individual trading needs. By tailoring your margin call levels, you can better manage your risk and optimise your trading performance.
Access to additional products
Ability to trade restricted products. Including cryptocurrencies, as well as our digital 100s
Professional clients need to consider
Higher leverage
ESMA believe this could lead to poor outcomes.
Sophisticated Language
As a professional client we will assume that you are sophisticated enough to understand more complex language.
Assumed experience
Professional clients are expected to have a higher level of knowledge and understanding than a retail customer.
No Negative balance protection
Trade on 17,000 markets.
Professional trading account
Unlock premium trading and execution with our professional trading account. As a professional trader, you deserve the highest level of service, leverage, trading products, collateral, and cash rebates – and our platform provides all this and more to help you succeed in the competitive trading environment. With our professional account, you'll have access to advanced trading tools, dedicated customer support, and potentially lower trading costs across a wide range of financial instruments, including indices, forex, stocks, and commodities.
At Guardian Stockbrokers, we understand that trading can be challenging, which is why we're committed to helping you navigate the market with confidence. Our user-friendly and intuitive platform is designed with experienced traders in mind, providing you with the tools and support you need to make informed decisions. Our dedicated customer support team is available to assist you with any questions or issues you may have.
In addition, our cash rebate program is designed to reward our loyal customers with potential savings on trading costs.
Whether you're new to professional trading or looking to improve your current package, our team is here to help.
Sign up for our professional trading account today or give us a call 020 7 638 6996 to discuss your options and discover the difference we can make for your trading strategy. With Guardian Stockbrokers, you can trade with confidence knowing that you have access to the best trading tools and support in the industry.
Are you eligible for a professional trading account ?
To quality as a professional trader you would need to be able to meet two of the following eligibility criteria.
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Have you placed 10 relevant trades of a significant size per quarter in the last year?
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Does your financial instrument portfolio exceed €500,000?
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Do you, or have you, worked in the financial sector for at least one year?
Why use Guardian Stockbrokers ?
Dedicated relationship manager
Highly experienced and qualified, and on hand to assist you as much or as little as you need.
Award-winning
Guardian Stockbrokers reviews
Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
I could not more highly recommend Guardian Stockbrokers, everyone has been brilliant. The attentiveness, training and technical detail provided, has enabled a fast track learning and an ability to manage the portfolio in a way that would far exceed my own capabilities. It is almost as though they own the positions themselves; via their due-diligence and proactive manner of continuous monitoring. Above and Beyond.
Positive: Professionalism, Responsiveness
Professional and proactive I’m really happy that they were recommended to me.
I would recommend Guardian Stockbrokers.
I've known Guardian Stockbrokers since their inception.
When dealing with trading, you want to work with people that are professional, personable and trustworthy.
Guardian Stockbrokers are all of the above.
I'd recommend them any day!
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How to open a spread betting demo account ?To open your demo account, all you need to provide is a valid email address, your full name, phone number, username, and password. Open demo now
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What can I do on the spread betting demo account ?The demo account is there to make you comfortable using the platform and provide a realistic trading experience. The demo trading account allows you to trade CFDs and Spread bets with access to over 17,000 markets to practice on, including shares, indices, FX, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
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What is important to remember with a spread betting demo account ?There are circumstances that we just can’t recreate for you. We can however from our experience, try to prepare you for them. With the demo account you have no emotional commitment or real financial consequences for your actions, and this can lead to over trading. You should try and replicate your demo trading plans as closely as possible to your real trading plans. For example, trading size, exposure, and trading instruments. You start with balance of £10,000, however more virtual funds can be added. Practise placing trades and closing trades, so that when you see an opportunity on the live platform, you can execute those trades even when the pressure of trading is high.
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What are the differences between a spread betting demo and live account?A demo account provides a risk-free environment for you to try our web trading platforms. While much of the functionality of the live platform features in the demo, there are key differences to be aware of, including (but not limited to): Trades made through the demo account will not be subject to slippage, interest and dividend adjustments, or out of hours price movements. Trades may be rejected if you have insufficient funds to open them, but, unlike on a live account, will never be rejected on the grounds of size or price. You will not be charged for chart packages on a demo account. Trades will not be closed if you have insufficient funds to cover margin and running losses, which can happen on a live account. This is by no means an exhaustive list, therefore before opening a live account we recommend you read the information available on our website as well as the Customer Agreement to ensure that you are aware of the features of a live account
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How do I move from a spread betting demo to a live account ?From the platform you simply click the “upgrade to live account” button on the top right and complete the application.