Risk Management | How We Can Help

We have a full package of tools and resources to help you manage your risk. They are all easy to access and can be used at any time.

Education

Our free introduction programme for new clients allows you to begin dealing in smaller-than-normal bet sizes, so you can limit your exposure as you build your spread betting confidence.

You'll also receive our in-depth guide to spread betting, which includes a full module on risk management, maintaining a balanced portfolio and managing your personal risk/reward expectations. We also offer a range of free online seminars.

Market Analysis

Our news and analysis resources help to keep you informed, so that you can react to sudden market moves and manage your risk accordingly.

• Insight centre: visit our insight, news and analysis centre for a suite of analysis and trading tools
• Market update: keep up to date with moves and news in the financial markets throughout the day
• Forex Focus: get a summary of FX activity across major pairs, including real-time charts and twitter updates
• Commodities update: read a weekly round-up of the latest UK news on commodities like oil and gold

Visit our market analysis section for details of all our tools and resources.

Guaranteed stops

When you open a position, the most effective way to manage risk is to put an absolute cap on your potential loss by using a guaranteed stop. This means that you specify the level at which you want your bet to be closed should the market move against you. In return for a slightly wider dealing spread, we then guarantee to close your position at that exact point, even if the market moves suddenly. With a controlled-risk bet (a bet with a guaranteed stop attached), your maximum possible loss is known as soon as you open the position, making it an extremely effective risk management tool.

Non-guaranteed stops

Non-guaranteed stops can help manage risk without incurring the premium associated with a guaranteed stop. A non-guaranteed stop will trigger an order to close your position once the selected level has been breached. However, you should be aware that it will sometimes not be possible for the stop order to be transacted at the price you have selected. This may happen overnight or when the market moves very quickly. In these cases the order will be transacted at a worse, and sometimes much worse, level than you have selected. This is known as 'slippage', and is determined on a basis which we believe to be fair and reasonable. For more details please see our bet details.

Trailing stops

Trailing stops are also non-guaranteed, but track your position while the market moves in your favour, providing protection if it starts to move in the other direction. This allows you to lock in profits without the need frequently to re-adjust the level of your stop. There is no charge for setting a trailing stop.

Limit Orders

Placing a limit triggers an order to close once a specified market level has been reached. It is an instruction to take profit if prices move in your favour. This means you can realise a pre-selected level of profit, even if the price later moves against you. Stop and limit orders are available over the phone as well as online, meaning you can manage risk wherever you are.

Types of bets

Some of the bets we offer are automatically limited risk and these can be of use when trying to minimise risk on your spread betting portfolio. Binary bets also allow you to work out your maximum potential loss before opening the bet.

'Buying' an option is also an inherently limited risk bet. Please note that this is not true when 'selling' options, for which risk is, in principle, unlimited.

Next steps

Find out more about our introduction programme, which allows you to begin dealing in smaller-than-normal bet sizes, so you can limit your exposure as you build your knowledge and spread betting confidence.

Or, if you're ready to start spread betting now, you can open an account online in minutes.