Uk options bonus

1 based on revenue excluding FX (published financial statements, june 2020).
2 best trading platform as awarded at the ADVFN international financial awards and professional trader awards 2019.

Real forex bonuses

Best trading app as awarded at the ADVFN international financial awards 2020.
3 tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK. Buy and sell options with no closing spread when you hold them until their fixed expiry date

Options trading

If you see opportunity in volatility, trade our flexible online options. Speculate on a range of assets, and get the expertise and support of the world’s no.1 spread betting and CFD provider 1 .

Start trading today. Call 0800 195 3100 or email newaccounts.Uk@ig.Com. We’re here 24 hours a day, from 8am saturday to 10pm friday.

Why trade options with us?

Find an option to suit you

Trade major indices, shares and FX with daily or weekly, monthly and quarterly options.

Pay zero spread on expiry

Buy and sell options with no closing spread when you hold them until their fixed expiry date

Discover new opportunities

Develop options trading strategies using a variety of options, or by pairing options trades with cfds or spread bets

Trade on volatility itself

Take a position on rising, falling and even flat markets in the UK and all over the world

Ways to trade options with us

Trade options using spread bets or cfds on our award-winning trading platform. 2

spread betting	cfds
main benefits	profits are tax-free in the UK 3	tax-deductible losses are useful for hedging 3
accessible to	all clients	all clients
traded in	£ (or other base currency) per point	contracts
tax status	no capital gains tax (CGT) or stamp duty 3	no stamp duty. Losses can be offset as a tax deduction 3
commission	commission-free (only pay the spread)	commission-free (except on shares)
platforms	web and mobile platforms	web and mobile platforms
learn more	learn more

What are options?

Options are contracts that give you the right – but not the obligation – to buy or sell an underlying asset before a certain expiry date. You can use them to speculate on the price of a financial market, and in some cases its volatility too.

What are options?

How do I trade options?

Discover how options work

Learn the differences between buying options and selling them

Choose a trading strategy

Create an account

Open your first position

Benefits of trading options in the UK

Choose the option to suit you from our daily, or weekly, monthly and quarterly timeframes.

Daily options

For a low-cost, highly-leveraged way to trade intraday.

Lower spreads

Trade daily options with reduced spreads – the same as on regular spot markets

Flexible leverage

Get the leverage you want by choosing your strike and trade size

Limited risk

Cap your maximum risk when you buy daily options – you’ll never lose more than the margin you pay to open

Greater freedom

Hold daily options positions even if the market moves against you, knowing that your risk is limited to the margin you paid to open

Weekly, monthly and quarterly options

Longer expiries, well-suited to traditional trading strategies.

No overnight funding

Pay less for long-term positions, thanks to zero overnight funding

Increased opportunity

Find opportunity on a broad range of market conditions – even flat markets

Greater control

Develop options strategies for greater control over your trading

Guaranteed maximum risk

Trade up to three quarters ahead, with your risk limited to your opening payment (when buying)

Open an account now

Fast execution on a huge range of markets

Enjoy flexible access to more than 17,000 global markets, with reliable execution

Deal seamlessly, wherever you are

Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app

Feel secure with a trusted provider

With 45 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service

Open an account now

Fast execution on a huge range of markets

Enjoy flexible access to more than 17,000 global markets, with reliable execution

Deal seamlessly, wherever you are

Trade on the move with our natively designed, award-winning trading app

Feel secure with a trusted provider

With 45 years of experience, we’re proud to offer a truly market-leading service

Start trading now

Trade options on the UK’s best trading platform 2

Intuitive web trading platform

Get fast, reliable execution when you trade options on our web platform.

Award-winning app 3

Take a position from any position with our trading apps – available for ios and android.

Try these next

Learn about us

CFD trading

Forex trading

We’ve been a market-leading online trading and investment provider for 45 years.

Start trading cfds to discover opportunities on 17,000+ markets.

Take advantage of movement in currency prices – with over 80 FX pairs to choose from.

1 based on revenue excluding FX (published financial statements, june 2020).
2 best trading platform as awarded at the ADVFN international financial awards and professional trader awards 2019. Best trading app as awarded at the ADVFN international financial awards 2020.
3 tax laws are subject to change and depend on individual circumstances. Tax law may differ in a jurisdiction other than the UK.

Markets

IG services

Trading platforms

Learn to trade

Contact us

Spread bets and cfds are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75% 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 clients can lose more than they deposit. All trading involves risk.

The value of shares, etfs and etcs bought through a share dealing account, a stocks and shares ISA or a SIPP can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

CFD, share dealing and stocks and shares ISA accounts provided by IG markets ltd, spread betting provided by IG index ltd. IG is a trading name of IG markets ltd (a company registered in england and wales under number 04008957) and IG index ltd (a company registered in england and wales under number 01190902). Registered address at cannon bridge house, 25 dowgate hill, london EC4R 2YA. Both IG markets ltd (register number 195355) and IG index ltd (register number 114059) are authorised and regulated by the financial conduct authority.

The information on this site is not directed at residents of the united states, belgium or any particular country outside the UK and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation.

Bonuses and incentives

Understand the basics of bonuses and incentives, the trends in their application, and how to design and operate schemes effectively and ethically

Introduction

Whether used proactively to influence behaviour or retrospectively as part of a reward package, bonuses and incentives can have various benefits for organisations and employees. However, the success of any bonus or incentive scheme is based on an understanding of the context in which it operates and individuals may respond differently to the same stimulus.

This factsheet explores the types of bonuses and incentives, trends in their use, and their potential benefits and drawbacks. It looks at how bonuses and cash or non-cash incentives suit a variety of contexts, and what to consider when designing and operating such schemes.

What are bonuses, cash incentives and non-cash incentives?

Bonuses and cash incentives are a form of variable pay based on lump-sum payments linked to individual, collective or organisational performance (or some combination of these). They are not consolidated into base pay, though in certain situations (such as due to cost constraints) they can be given as part of, or instead of, a pay rise.

It's important to draw a distinction between the cash incentives and bonuses, although the two terms are interlinked and often used interchangeably.

Incentives aim to influence future employee behaviour or performance, usually using targets: if a specific target is met, the employee will receive a cash payment, typically of a specific size.

Bonuses cover a wider range of purposes and can be discretionary or non-discretionary. Like incentives, they may be used to influence employee performance or behaviour to meet pre-set objectives, but they could also be used to reward past achievements.

It's also helpful to differentiate between:

Non-cash incentives, sometimes known as performance improvement plans, are forward-looking, formal schemes. They aim to affect directly employees’ future performance by awarding prizes or ‘gifts’, such as merchandise, travel or retail vouchers, associated with some performance measure, such as sales volume.

Employee recognition schemes are retrospective as they recognise past performance rather than incentivising future efforts. They may be informal and discretionary. Such schemes may be linked with non-cash incentives.

Our report show me the money! The behavioural science of reward examines recent thinking on how individuals can respond to various kinds of incentives.

The purpose of bonuses and cash incentives

The desire to incorporate bonus and incentive plans into reward packages has been driven in part by the ‘new pay’ philosophy. This advocates that ‘guaranteed’ remuneration (basic pay and benefits) should comprise a smaller proportion of the overall reward package, with a shift towards strategic reward linking employee performance and pay to the wider business strategy.

There's also been a move in certain sectors towards market-based pay, whereby an employee might only receive a pay rise if the market rate for the role had increased: in this scenario, individual contribution could be recognised via a bonus instead of a pay rise.

For the employee, the main benefits of bonuses/cash incentives over consolidated salary increases are:

Greater control over their level of remuneration.

Higher payments are potentially possible.

But the downside for employees includes:

Non-consolidated payments must be re-earned and may not count towards overtime pay.

Payments may be unpredictable or lower than expected if targets cannot be met.

For the employer, the advantages include:

Ongoing motivation as bonuses must be re-earned.

Lack of impact on certain employer on-costs that are linked to basic salary levels, such as pension contributions.

Capacity for maintaining market pay competitiveness without necessarily inflating the annual pay bill.

Flexibility through, for example, the ability to reduce or even halt payments during economic downturns.

There are also challenges for employers. While money influences behaviours, it may encourage the wrong types. So, any financial-based bonus or incentive scheme must be designed carefully and align with an organisation’s business objectives, corporate governance and ethical standards as well as the views of key stakeholders, such as employees, donors or customers. However, this can lead to a proliferation of checks and balances, such as malus or clawback, which then reduces the motivational impact.

The success of these schemes also depends on how effectively performance is defined, managed and ascribed, requiring effective communication and support for both line managers and employees.

Types and coverage of bonuses and cash incentives

Payment of bonuses and cash incentives is generally linked to the quality and/or quantity of work on an individual or collective basis, or to some measure of company performance such as profit levels (or both).

Schemes may be broadly divided into the following categories although definitions vary, may overlap or be linked.

Individual-based - payment of the bonus/incentive is calculated by some measure of individual performance, hence there should be a considerable incentivisation effect. Sales commission could be included within this category (although this may be seen as a distinct form of remuneration in its own right).

Schemes driven by business results - company profit levels or customer satisfaction may be used as measures to help determine bonuses.

Team-based - links the bonus with some measure of collective performance, often with the aim of fostering effective teamworking.

Project-based - might be used when a deadline is important, for example to reward construction workers for completing a building project on time, although such schemes may be open to manipulation.

Department/site-based - payments that could be used to reward, for example, workers who attain productivity improvements in one factory.

Gainsharing - employees share in financial gains achieved through improved performance (particularly enhanced productivity).

Combination - two or more of the above schemes.

There are other more specialised bonuses, for example at christmas or for attendance.

Our 2019 reward management survey found that may employers use some form of cash-based bonus or incentive plan. However, such schemes are far more common in private sector than in the public or voluntary sectors. The most popular arrangements include individually based plans (for example, personal performance or commission), plans driven by business results (such as profit) and combination schemes.

CEO bonuses and incentives

Despite the growth of interest in environmental, social and governance investing, most FTSE 100 executives’ bonus and long-term incentive plans are weighted towards financial measures of company success. By contrast, non-financial measures, such as workforce ones, play a minor, albeit growing, role. See our CEO pay and the workforce report for more.

Bonus payment levels and recent developments

Levels of payments

If they are to affect employee behaviour or performance, bonus or incentive payments need to be ‘worth having’. That means they must be set at a high enough level to have an effect, and consider (though not be driven by) market practice. By contrast, setting bonuses at very high levels needs caution to avoid encouraging undesired behaviours or outcomes, such as the ‘crowding out’ of non-financial motivation.

An important factor in calculating any incentive is that it's kept simple. Ideally, employees in the plan should be able to measure progress against targets and carry out the calculation themselves so they know how they're progressing and what payment level they might achieve.

Employers need to decide how they'll set bonus payments, including whether to use a formula (typically for incentives) and how to express payments (for example, as a salary percentage or a flat-rate payment).

Information tracking specific breakdowns of UK bonus payments over time (by gender, for instance) can be found in the office for national statistics' annual survey of hours and earnings.

Recent developments

Following the 2008 recession, bonuses in the UK became a concern with their whole nature and operation questioned. The financial services authority (FSA) considered that remuneration practices were a ‘contributory factor to the market crisis’. Practices in investment banking in particular tended ‘to reward short term revenue and profit targets’ and, in so doing, ‘gave staff incentives to pursue unduly risky practices’.

A range of measures were introduced to regulate remuneration in the finance sector, particularly for senior pay. The EU’s capital requirements directive known as CRD IV requires finance sector bonuses to be limited to 100% of base pay, or 200% with the approval of at least 66% of shareholders. The regulation covers senior banking employees irrespective of their location, so those staff working for a european firm but based in asia would still be subject to the cap.

While many reward specialists believe there needs to be a continuing clear link between high levels of performance and bonus payments, without rigour in applying this principle, bonuses may reward less-than-robust performance or incentivise inappropriate behaviour. Corruption is one example which, according to a transparency international report incentivising ethics: managing incentives to encourage good and deter bad behaviour, can include fraud, trading in influence, anti-competitive practices and the offering, promising or payments of bribes. For incentives to work as intended and avoid distorted outcomes, it argues that employers should have an open and ethical culture in which staff are encouraged to do the right thing and feel able to challenge management decisions or targets they think are unethical or dysfunctional. See more in our factsheet on ethical practice and the role of HR.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Our 2020 reward management survey (to be published in 2021) finds a large proportion of employers have made temporary changes to their bonus plans due to COVID-19 and the economic lockdowns, such as moving the emphasis from performance to behaviours, lowering certain targets or suspending them.

Frequently asked questions

What is forex?

What is forex on IQ option?

Does IQ option provide automatic trading signals?

IQ option: signals – automatic trading iqoption signals

Does IQ option provide automatic trading signals?

First of all be very careful with trading signals providers. We strongly encourage you to learn and develop your own system or strategy. Do not rely solely on signals.

But to answer the question I am not aware of automatic trading signals for IQ option.

Iqoption is good platform to try your trading signals. Trading platform offers all important technical indicators. You can also try your signals for free on demo account.

To summarise at this moment I do not know any reliable signal provider for IQ option but please bookmark this page. If I know any good signal for iqoptoion I will post it here.

Who can take part in IQ option tournaments?

Unfortunately not all traders can take part in tournaments. At this moment IQ option tournaments are available in certain jurisdictions and not available for EEA traders.

Where I find a good IQ option UK review?

IQ options – IQ option review

IQ option offers FX options and digital options trading which is a very interesting financial instrument. Please see some videos below:

As a respected forex and option broker, IQ option has been awarded with several significant industry awards.

IQ option in UK (wales, scotland, northern ireland, england) + ireland

If you’ve ever wondered about trading forex and FX options, there’s a good chance that you might have heard of IQ option in UK. IQ option has grown a lot over the last years. Best of all, unlike some trading platforms that demand a large initial stake, IQ option in UK only requires a minimum of 10 pounds to get you started. This highly accessible platform means that even the most of investors can dip their feet into the water. Please remember that by trading financial instruments there is always a risk of loosing capital with IQ option. Also please note that statistically around 90% of traders loosing money trading forex. Will you beat the odds with IQ option sophisticated but enjoyable platform?

IQ option is one of the most innovative options and forex broker. IQ option offers a lot and it makes it industry leading offer in FX option industry:

Free demo account, no payment and registration required

Tutorials and account management

15+ indicators, 5 chart types, graphical tools, historical data, built-in newsfeed, and price movement alerts

State of the art mobile platform

Interactive web-based education

Quick and easy withdrawals and deposits

Reliable broker

Probably the best affiliate program in the industry

IQ option review table*:

* for up-to-date info always visit official iqoption website. Information valid at the time of writing this article (2016)

Founded:	2013
minimum deposit:	$10
minimum trade:	$1
cryptocurrency wallet	yes
multiple analysis tools	built-in newsfeed, and price movement alerts, 15+ indicators, 5 chart types, graphical tools, historical data
number of assets:	A lot of assets to trade on
support:	24/7
deposit/withdrawal methods:	credit card, wire transfer, skrill, neteller, boleto, qiwi, webmoney, cashu, ideal, fasapay
assets:	currency pairs, stocks, indices, commodities
countries:	we accept all countries except USA, canada, australia, japan, russia, turkey, israel, syria, sudan and iran. Users from following countries can not trade from ios mobile application: malta; android application unavailable for: malta, myanmar, liechtenstein, cuba.
Demo account:	yes, free of charge
mobile application:	android, ios
trading platform:	web-browser, standalone app
support languages:	english, russian, turkish, german, spanish, portuguese, chinese, swedish, korean, french, italian, arabic, indonesian
withdrawal:	1 working day

Is the IQ option trading demo any good and functional?

Yes, IQ option provides good and functional demo account for practice.

Iqoption offers free demo account for UK traders. No registration. No deposit required. Just click and try. It is probably the first FX options platform to offer this feature.

Before you open IQ option demo account you should check free interactive learning resources. Popular strategies – simply explained. Short and to the point.

Iqoption demo account is also available via facebook and google+. These options can be used login.

Not many companies offer 100% free demo account. Iqoption is a really good platform to try if you are interesting in trading forex options.

What are FX options?

What are FX options on IQ option?

FX options is a proprietary instrument that lets you trade currency pairs on short time frames (up to one hour). The concept is based on european options, but enhanced by an opportunity to close the deal before it reaches maturity. The return potential for a successful FX-option deal is unlimited, while the loss is confined to the initial investment. Some stand out features of FX options on IQ option are:

$30minimum investment

Unlimited potential return in case of successful trade.

1 hour expiration time

$0 brokerage fees

Are there any good trading methods like trading systems on IQ option?

That’s is a very wrong question. Why?

If you want to be successful you have to develop your own trading system and follow the rules. It’s not easy and require a lot of system testing. Please try the testing account first before investing real money. Iqoption is ideal platform to try your trading systems. It offers all important technical indicators. Please use the available learning resources on iqoption platform to develop your own trading system.

Just ask the question. If somebody develop a profit system why that person do not use it themself. Would you share a system who brings you money knowing that if a lot of people start using the system it may not work in the future?

Anyway remember that over 90% trading forex and options are losing money so the odds are against you and only hard work and practice may help you. There is no miracle system I am aware of. Otherwise a lot of scam developers promote trading systems which are profitable only on paper and historic data. Beware of all the automatic signals, systems, robots and anything what promise you ‘everything’ without hard work. You have to figure all out by yourself by learning and practicing.

Is the deposit safe on IQ option?

Deposit on IQ option is one of the lowest ones. Please always check official IQ option website for current requirements. This is probably the lowest deposit on the market required to open the forex or options account. Also the minimum transaction is one of the lowest.

It seems that the deposit is safe on IQ option. Like with everything in life I would recommend caution with depositing large amounts. If you manage to make a profit I would not keep a larger amount on IQ option account. It’s better and safer to withdraw and deposit again when needed.

Better be safe than sorry.

What are the pros and cons of IQ option platform?

Pros and cons.

What are the cons of opening account on iqoption platform?

Free demo account

Extensive list of assets to trade

Low minimum deposit requirement

Very high returns offered in caser of correct prediction

Intuitive trading platform

FX options and more instruments are coming to the platform

Platform have some bugs and sometimes is slow to respond (it may improved a lot as this is quite old issue highlighted by some traders a while ago)

Limited choices of trading assets for serious investors (still over 500+ and growing)

There are no bonuses anymore but overall it’s rather a good thing as bonuses were a questionable benefits with rather bad turnaround terms

Thoughts about other pros and cons? What really differs IQ option from other brokers?

Innovative and intuitive interface of trading platform. It is a joy to use. Do not take our words for granted. Just try it now.

There are a lot of scam brokers? Could I trust IQ option with my money?

Always if you have question or problem please contact iqoption support team. Your problem should be solved. It’s obvious the money matters and you do not want to deposit where the monies are not safe. Even more to scam brokers.

IQ option is not a scam. It is genuine company. IQ option received some prominent awards for innovation. Company started taking customers in 2013 and is growing rapidly.

Unfortunately there are other scam companies in the industry that’s why iqoption try to rebrand itself from binary option broker to ‘broker’. They also adding new instruments to the platform to steer away from ‘binary options’ naming. The reason is there were many bad companies who gava a bad name to the industry and I believe there are still many scam companies who just try to convince you to deposit monies.

If you believe you have been cheated you I would recommend to contact IQ option first.
It’s better to resolve the issue directly with IQ option.

Are you have any doubts regarding to iqoption?

Iqoption invest a lot into development of their own platform. Maintenance and marketing cost a lot. The platform try to maintain high standards. That’s the positive. Just see the standard of this advertisement. This is a high standard:

Our advise would be to do not keep larger amounts of money at any broker. Better frequently withdraw and deposit when necessary.

Are there any automatic trading robots available on IQ option?

There is no official IQ option autotrading software.

As of 17th of january 2017 IQ ROBOTS project is closed.

According to the IQ option press information IQ robots project has been closed down due to technical imbalance. Integrity and respect for IQ option users remain the key values for IQ option.

First of all be very careful with trading robots providers. We strongly encourage you to learn and develop your own strategy. Do not rely solely on automatic software for trading. Historical results do not guarantee future results.

Iqoption official details:

PLEASE NOTE: the articles on this website are not an investment advice. Any references to historical price movements or levels is informational and based on external analysis and we do not warranty that any such movements or levels are likely to reoccur in the future.

In accordance with european securities and markets authority’s (ESMA) requirements, binary and digital options trading is only available to clients categorized as professional clients.

Binary and digital options are not promoted or sold to non-professional traders from european union. If you are not a professional client, please leave this page.

Cfds are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading cfds. You should consider whether you understand how cfds work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Please be advised that certain products and/or multiplier levels may not be available for traders from EEA countries due to legal restrictions.

Iqoption.Co.Uk is not an official iqoption.Com website. All trademarks used belong to iqoption.Com. This website is an affiliate website and promote iqoption.Com. We strive to all the information be most up to date but for current offers always check IQ option official website

HIGH RISK INVESTMENT WARNING:

Binary options trading in the UK

Everything you need to trade binary options successfully.
Research. Find a broker. Trade.

For UK investors, trading with binary options is a tax free form of investment with very quick results – minutes rather than months or years. The word binary is used because there are just two possible outcomes – either the trade is successful, and the investor gains a significant return (usually between 75% to 95%) – or the trade is unsuccessful, and the full investment amount is lost.

During 2018 however, european regulators have prohibited the sale or promotion of binary and digital options to retail investors in the EEA. This includes the UK. Only professional clients or professional accounts are now permitted to trade binaries with regulated firms. A professional trader must meet 2 of these 3 criteria:

Open at least 10 trades of ‘significant size’ per quarter (brokers define ‘significant’ differently)

Own a portfolio or trading capital of €500k or more

Have worked for 2 years in the financial industry, or have experience with complex trading instruments.

Unregulated firms may not adhere to the new ESMA rules, and will continue to accept UK traders. This does increase risk for the trader, and makes finding a trustworthy broker even more important. It is however, possible to find brokers regulated outside of the EU that will accept EU traders, and are still regulated by respected bodies.

So ‘binaries’ (or ‘digital options’) are a high risk form of investment, but that risk is offset by the potential for very high rewards with minimal waiting time. Most brokers are regulated, offering consumers the sort of protection they would expect while using financial instruments of this type. Returns from binary trading are also currently viewed as tax free by HMRC.

Top brokers in the UK 2021

What are binary options?

Binary option meaning – binary options are a derivative, traded on any asset or market. For example a stock price (twitter, astrazeneca etc), indices (FTSE, DAX, nikkei), commodity value (gold, crude oil) or foreign exchange rate (EUR/USD, GBP/USD). Even cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin or ethereum can be traded.

The main difference between more traditional stockbroker trades, and binaries, is the clear identification of risk and reward before the trade is made. An investor knows exactly how much is at risk, and crucially, also knows the exact value of any potential returns. No calculator, formula, or maths degree is needed to work out profit and loss on a binary option.

This structure of the trades is what has led to the terminology of “all or nothing” , or “cash or nothing” being widely used.

The only decision for a trader is if the value of the underlying asset will rise or fall. The degree of the price change is not important. The trader is purely speculating on whether the price will be higher or lower than the current price, at a specific time in the future.

Short term price movement can be triggered by news stories or headlines, quarterly statistics, buyout rumours or even global security fears.

Trading binary options offers a yes/no proposition. Although there are variations on the high/low option, this type of investment will always have a black and white, yes/no, binary outcome. Where trades can be closed, redeemed or sold mid-trade, payouts have absolute figures of 0 and 100 and prices move between as the market dictates – until closure.

Expiry times

Every binary option is offered with an expiry time. This is the point at which the trade will end. So the price at expiry is the one that will decide whether an option has won or lost (“in the money”, or “out of the money” in binary jargon). These expiry times can vary from just 30 seconds or 1 minute, (known as ‘turbos’), to a full day (‘end of day’), to even longer in some circumstances – rolling up to a full year.

Generally however, a binary option is used for short term trading – usually under 30 minutes (5 minutes are the most popular). Longer term expiries – and the element of fixed risk – does make them useful tools for hedging or diversifying other holdings.

Payouts change dependant on the asset and the expiry time. Differences can be significant so traders looking to use binary options long term, need to shop around to find the best payout for the asset class (or classes) they intend to trade.

Video tutorial – binary trading explained

Watch this video tutorial of the IQ options platform, which shows how to place a binary trade:

Legitimate investment

Although binary trading is in a period of growth, it remains a relatively unknown product. Over time, this is likely to change. As digital options (as they are also known) offer a very simple fiscal arrangement. They are a legitimate way to play the financial markets.

Binaries offer a clear trading choice, but they are also high risk / high reward. There is however, no leveraged exposure with a binary trade, so the risk and reward ratio is also simple to manage.

Are binary options safe?

Binary options suffer from a poor reputation. This is basically a result of dishonest and irresponsible marketing and cyber crime, more than an issue with the product itself. With tighter regulation, and a better understanding by the wider public, these options can – and will – move into the financial mainstream. Which was where they originally developed.

While FCA regulated agents and businesses may still have their flaws and faults, they are not fraudsters. The angry emails we receive focus entirely on unregulated brokers promising “easy money”, or a route to “get rich quick”. Read our section on avoiding scam brokers below.

Advantages of binary trading

Many of the advantages of using binaries are related or linked. Here we list some of the benefits to using this form of investment – not just for the retail investor, but also to the market makers or brokers:

Risk management

Managing risk when trading binary options is clear cut. The amount of the trade is the full amount that is at risk. This clarifies the risk not only for the trader, but for the broker too. Their pricing model reflects the accurate knowledge of their liability.

Trading fees and spreads

The certainty of risk provides a solid foundation for brokers to work within and manage. This leads to low trading feed, tighter spreads and higher payouts. To protect themselves further, they may use a liquidity provider or hedge their own positions. The expensive broker costs of clearing houses becomes unnecessary.

Leverage

Leverage, or gearing, is not generally available with binary trading. This benefits the broker again, as it means all trades must be funded in full. In other words, no trader can default on a trade. With leverage, if things go wrong, there is a real risk of the broker not being paid. This is a big difference vs spot forex or spread betting.

Trader choice

Layers of complexity can be added to the standard fixed payout option. From a ladder option, to boundary trades or more advanced ‘nesting’ of options to create ‘strangles’ etc – binaries can be used in a huge variety of ways.

A binary trade offers the greatest level of flexibility. They even provide a mechanism to speculate on a market remaining flat, arbitrage, or to take a view on the trade volume of the underlying asset.

Robots and auto trading

Auto trading robots (‘bots’) often rely on signals and algorithms triggered by price graphs. Again, these robots attract many of the undesirable operators, and the automatic nature of the trades increasing risk further. New traders should be especially careful. A large amount of ‘due diligence’ is required when trying to find the right robot service.

An alternative approach is for traders to build their own robots using their own entry points. A growing number of brokers now offer traders the ability to put their own trading robot or program together, using simple tools. These hacks allow combinations of technical analysis settings, such as moving averages, bollinger bands or RSI / MFI patterns, that then open trades when those criteria are met. It has made binary options ‘pro’ robots available to everyone.

Top robots

robot name	info
	choose from 20 pre-built robots and compare past performance. Activate automated trades in 3 steps.	» visit
	regulated broker. Self build robot tool offering huge range of features.	» visit
	free to join. Flexible settings including indicators, expiry and methods.	» visit
	free demo account. Choice of money management and algorithms.	» visit

Scams

Binary trading itself is legitimate, and not a scam. There are however, brokers and signal providers that are untrustworthy and operate scams or frauds.

It is important not to write off the concept of binary trading, purely based on dishonest brokers. These fraudsters continue to drag down the image of this form of trading. Regulators, and rule makers are slowly starting to get to grips with these operations and the industry is being cleaned up. If you want to complain about an operator to our watchdog, please let us know via our contact us page.

Avoid scams with these simple checks

“make money online” or “get rich quick” marketing. This is a huge red flag. Binary options are a high risk / high reward investment vehicle – they are not a get rich quick scheme and should not be sold as such. A “no loss” system does not exist. Operators making such claims are being dishonest. A binary options millionaire is almost certainly fake. The brit method is one high profile example – swerve it.

Cold calls. Reputable brokers will rarely make cold calls – they do not need to. Cold calls are from untrustworthy brokers. This could include email contact.

Bonus terms and conditions. If taking a bonus, read the terms and conditions. Some terms include tying in any initial deposit or capital until turnover requirements are met. The deposit is still the trader’s money – honest brokers will not lay claim to it before any trading has been done. The better brokers will also offer the option of cancelling a bonus if it does not suit the trader. Cysec, the leading regulator, has recently banned the use of deposit match bonuses as they believe it leads to clients ‘over-trading’.

Account managers. Be very wary of any account manager, tipster or ‘guru’ wishing to trade on behalf of clients. There is an obvious conflict of interest – they have jobs with the broker. These managed accounts generally encourage traders to trade with figures way beyond their means. This “upselling” is very harmful. The intensely risky martingale system is a frequent tactic, and results in many quickly blown balances.

Celebrity endorsement. Sporting legends or team sponsorship is usually fine – and verifiable. Where this backing should worry rookie investors, is where the name of a mega rich billionaire or credible source is ‘pushed’ as a selling point. Warren buffet, richard branson and martin lewis have all been presented as backing certain propositions when they actually have zero involvement – other than to sue the perpetrators for damages via a lawsuit.

A trader must know their broker. Seems obvious – but some operators ‘funnel’ clients to a brokers of their choosing, not yours. If the merchant demands new clients sign up with a particular broker, or they pick the broker from a limited list – do not proceed. A trader should know the broker they are going to trade with!

Being aware of the above methods should help those new to binary trading to avoid the less responsible brands. Improved regulation and more awareness should hopefully reduce these types of complaints. This in turn can allow binaries to move forward.

Already fallen victim? The services of mychargeback.Com might be of help.

The recent ban of binaries in the EU is ill-thought out, and could well end up pushing more traders towards scams.

Trading strategy

Our strategy pages covers over 20 known systems, drawn from a range of forum and club chats, plus expert tips and advice. From high risk martingale, to intricate systems like the rainbow. We also cover more specialist subjects, like forex , technical analysis, the best price action indicators, trading signals and winning strategy. All this is aimed to help you gain an edge, and win.

Signals

Signals are an alert, sent to traders. They are designed as a trading tool, helping traders to spot opportunities. They can be communicated via a range of methods – email, SMS or from a live signal website or group. Much of the irresponsible marketing associated with binary scams is linked to signals – or auto trading robots utilising them. There are some very good providers out there too. However, in general, learning how to trade binaries is a safer route than using signals to compensate for a lack of trading knowledge.

Do signals work?

Sometimes, but rarely in isolation. Some providers deliver a combination of education alongside signals and that represents a good mix. Traders must be able to fully assess a signal before they can judge the quality of them. We also highlight some of the best providers on the signals page.

Brokers and reviews

A binary option can be used in a number of ways, and across a huge array of commodities and markets. This means finding the best dealer, best account, or best trading platform, really depends on the needs of the individual investor.

For example, some brokers may focus on forex (foreign exchange) and trading the japanese yen, euro or sterling. Others may be strong on commodities and only offer a handful of FX markets. Likewise, the returns (or payouts) may differ between asset classes, and with these varying by as much as 25%, it is easy to see the importance of making the right selection.

Payment methods

White label platform providers such as spotoption, tradologic or techfinancials also dictate what products the host site can offer, so a proprietary broker with a bespoke design might be preferable. Payment methods merit some thought – if traders want to use skrill, paypal, neteller or wire transfer, they need to check the broker delivers that.

Trading apps

Mobile trading apps delivered by brokers or binary agents can vary in quality too. Some specifically program for the features of specific models, like ipad or iphone. Others ensure cross platform compatibility, catering for android, blackberry and windows tablets and devices. Some traders may have tailored demands for any hand held app, others less so.

Trade size limits may point some investors either to, or away from, certain trading accounts. Some brokers offer minimum trades of just £1, while others cater for investors willing to invest £200,000 in a single trade. So every investor needs to consider their own trading style before deciding to open an account. Even working out the ‘cheapest’ broker is not as easy as it sounds.

How to compare the best trading platforms

Our comparison table delivers a quick summary of the key points when comparing brokers. Our detailed reviews then allow potential new users to assess some of the finer points that might confirm their decision. Here is a list of some of the vital comparison points for brokers;

Payouts

Over the counter or exchange traded options

Minimum deposit (plus deposit and withdrawal methods)

Minimum trade / maximum trade

Trading platform

News events feeds

Asset lists (extended lists might include etfs, bonds and trusts)

Charts / charting tools (graph types, forecasting tools)

Expiry times available

Regulation (FCA, cysec, CFTC etc)

Range of options available (boundary, ladder, high yield etc)

Welcome bonuses

Complaints / customer feedback

Account types and benefits (VIP, basic, platinum)

Plugins and integration. (E.G. MT4 / metatrader4 / metatrader 5)

Promo perks, competitions, leaderboards or contest prizes

Some points might be more important to certain traders than others. So finding the “best” will be an individual choice for each new client. A speculator taking a position on the monetary policy of the bank of england or ECB might be best served by one broker, while the person looking to bet on growth in the apple, facebook or vodafone share price might want another.

Demo accounts

Most top brokers offer demo trading accounts. These allow new clients to try the services on offer. They can see if the range of markets and investment scales suit them and only proceed to a funded account when they are happy that the right trading account has been found.

Those brokers that do provide practise or virtual balances, have confidence in their trading platform. They are prepared to let new traders see it, and try it out, risk free. The review for each broker will include whether it offers a demo in the “key details” section.

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Types of bonuses: 10 bonus programs for employees

Types of bonuses

There are several types of bonuses. Some plans simply give employees a certain share of the company profits, or perhaps a bonus to the entire company. Other programs give incentives to individuals or teams to perform at or above certain thresholds. And a variety of cash and noncash awards are possible for certain types of achievements in some companies. You can even earn bonuses for being hired or getting your friend a job at your company.

The following article details 10 types of bonuses that are typically seen in the workplace.

One very basic type of bonus program is current profit sharing. A company sets aside a predetermined amount; a typical bonus percentage would be 2.5 and 7.5 percent of payroll but sometimes as high as 15 percent, as a bonus on top of base salary. Such bonuses depend on company profits, either the entire company's profitability or from a given line of business. Sometimes the bonuses are given across the board, and sometimes they are given in larger percentages of compensation the more someone makes.

The purpose of profit sharing bonuses is to encourage employees to understand how their work affects the company's performance and to improve the company's profitability. Learn how your company makes money and how your position can help it make more. The annual report and other statements will give you an idea of how the company is performing. It will also make you look good to your manager if you show an interest in the company's performance.

This type of bonus program is most common in manufacturing plants and is designed to reward productivity and improved product quality. Gain sharing works best when employees become responsible for production quantity and quality and are encouraged to improve the way the product is made. This program reflects a philosophy that employees know their job best.

Gain sharing programs pay out bonuses for statistical improvements in production and quality on a quarterly or sometimes monthly basis, providing a sense of excitement for participants. These programs are often very successful, transforming the manufacturing plant into a center of employee commitment.

Spot bonus award

Some companies reward employees on the spot for achievements that deserve special recognition. Spot bonus awards are typically $50 and up and can be made by your immediate supervisor or any higher-level person in your company. You can get these for just being extra helpful. The math is in employees' favor: companies with spot bonus programs offer approximately 1 percent of payroll and expect to give out such bonuses to 25 percent of the employees eligible for them, allowing them to earn more than one instant bonus in a year.

Noncash bonus

Although the wrong kind of "employee of the month" concept can be cheesy, it's all in the execution. A well designed noncash bonus program can instill pride and improve employee morale. Employees who have done a great job should have to come to the front of a crowded room at a special ceremony as if they are receiving an academy award. The certificate or trophy should be thoughtfully and cleverly designed, and appropriate to the occasion. These awards are sometimes coupled with a token tangible award, such as a gift certificate, a bonus day off, or a great parking space.

You know your company has a good noncash bonus program if these awards are coveted, and if people who receive them display them proudly at their desks or in their homes. Moreover, this type of award may help you get a promotion or a new job, so include it on your resume.

Sign-on bonus

No longer just for star athletes, sign-on bonuses have become commonplace. Their usage now extends to nearly all level of employees, especially when unemployment is low and top talent is hard to find.

Given to new employees who have just joined the company, this award serves two purposes:

Establish goodwill

Buy out any compensation "left on the table" from a previous employer.

The second purpose is important to remember. Before joining a new company, be sure to account for every kind of compensation program in which you participate. If you are expecting a bonus in a few months, ask your new employer to buy you out of it. If you have any stock options, particularly options that are in the money, ask the employer to buy them out (either in cash or new stock options).

Don't forget to include profit-sharing bonuses or defined contributions (for example, a 401(k) match or an employee stock options program (ESOP)) made to your retirement account. Remember, a sign-on bonus is to keep you whole as you trade one set of compensation programs for a new one.

Medium to large signing bonuses may be paid over a period up to a year to protect the company's interests.

Mission bonus (also known as a task or milestone bonus)

Task bonuses are given to a team of employees for achieving a milestone or for completing an important project. Usually, these bonuses are offered sparingly, but they have been used more frequently in software and hardware development to encourage meeting tight deadlines. Sometimes these programs incorporate a quality measure to guard against too much focus on speed.

Mission bonuses can be significant (one month's salary is not uncommon, and certainly no less than one week). This award is for the kind of achievement that deserves mention in your resume.

Referral bonus

In hot job markets, it can be difficult for employers to find qualified personnel. When talent is scarce, many employers retain recruiters to find candidates, typically paying the recruiter 20 to 30% of the new hire's first-year pay. Many employers prefer to avoid this fee, and instead, offer referral bonuses to employees for recommending friends and acquaintances. Employers are comfortable in hiring friends of employees because employees are unlikely to recommend people who will make them look bad. So don't be afraid to invite your friend to work at your company!

Referral bonuses are typically hundreds to thousands of dollars and typically depend on the level of the new hire. Some firms pay as much as $10,000 to $20,000 if you introduce a new senior person to the firm. So if your former boss is a good fit for an opening, it's worthwhile to let your company know.

Retention bonus

Retention bonuses are given to employees in unusual circumstances, such as a merger or acquisition, or when an important project needs to be completed. These bonuses are designed to provide continuity when there is potential uncertainty about an employee's continued employment at the company. The bonus encourages employees to stay until a specified date so that critical activities can continue without disruption. Retention bonuses are usually about 10 to 15% of salary.

Holiday bonus

Holiday bonuses range from small gifts; from cash to the ubiquitous holiday turkey to one month's salary. The amount is usually dictated by the company's practices. If you do receive one month's salary, count it as part of your salary if you look for work elsewhere. This practice is usually referred to as a "13-month salary," and is not a true bonus since no performance is required to receive it.

Sales commission

Sales commissions are awarded to salespeople for selling. Usually, these awards are paid out as a percentage of sales volume. In some cases, commission percentages can increase with higher sales volume. In fewer cases, the percentage can decrease. It all depends on the scheme. Sales commissions are a significant source of income for sales employees, comprising at least 50% of total cash compensation.

If you are accepting a new job or sales territory, ask for the previous salesperson's sales performance. This will help you determine how likely you are to achieve your quota and sales target. Also, don't forget to construct a business plan based on your understanding of your sales territory. This is key to understanding how easy or difficult hitting your goals will be.