The amount of leverage available to UK traders is usually capped at 1:30; however, if you’re a professional client or use an offshore platform, higher limits are available should you choose to access a high leverage broker.
In this guide, we review some of the Popular High Leverage Brokers available to UK traders.
Key Takeaways on High leverage brokers in UK
- High leverage brokers are trading platforms that allow users to trade a range of assets with high amounts of leverage.
- There are caps on the amount of leverage that can be employed for certain assets, ranging from 30:1 for FX, to 5:1 for equities.
- To choose between the various high leverage brokers UK on offer, users often tend to focus on the pricing structure, asset selection, and payment methods.
Popular High Leverage Brokers in UK 2022
In the section below, we provide a quick breakdown of the popular high leverage stock brokers in the UK.
- eToro
- Capital.com
- Libertex
- Skilling
- FinmaxFX
- Plus500
When looking for a high leverage brokerage, users review the assets and markets the broker supports, what fees and commissions it charges, and whether or not the platform offers a solid user experience.
In the sections below, we review some of the popular UK-based brokerages that support high leverage trading.
1. eToro
eToro is a popular online broker and trading platform that now has more than 26 million investors using the site. This popular broker allows you to trade everything from stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies to forex, indices, and hard metals.
Although this low spread broker supports traditional investments, each and every financial market on the platform can also be traded as a CFD instrument. In turn, this means that you will have access to leverage.
In terms of limits, this falls in-line with FCA regulations. That is to say, unless you are a professional client, the most you will be able to get is 1:30. This is available when trading major forex market pairs like GBP/USD and EUR/USD – meaning that eToro will offer you lower limits on other asset classes.
For example, if you want to trade minor/exotic forex pairs or gold, you’ll get 1:20. If commodities like silver, copper, wheat, corn, or sugar are more up your street, you have the option to trade these instruments on eToro with leverage of 1:10. You may also trade more than 2,400 stocks from 17 UK and international markets on this popular high leverage broker.
eToro will offer you leverage of 1:5 – meaning you have the option to trade stocks with five times the amount you have in your account. If, however, you are able to prove that you are a professional client, eToro will upgrade your account accordingly. In turn, this means that you will be offered much higher leverage limits.
When it comes to trading fees and commissions, the broker charges no commissions when you purchase and sell assets. There are no monthly platform fees either, and traditional UK share purchases do not attract stamp duty.
To begin trading on eToro, you only need to meet a small minimum deposit of $10; however, the minimum trade size at the platform starts at only $10 for stocks and the popular ETFs.
Getting money into and out of eToro is also a simple process. This is because you can deposit funds with a UK debit card, credit card, e-wallet, or bank account transfer. And eToro is heavily regulated in the UK. This includes a license with the FCA and your funds are covered by the usual FSCS protections.
| Stock Broker | Minimum Deposit | Fractional Shares? | Pricing System | Cost of Buying Stocks | Fees & Charges |
| eToro | $10 | Yes – $10 minimum | 0% commission on ALL real stocks, spreads for CFDs | Market spread is not included when buying real stocks | No Deposit fees, $5 withdrawal fee, $10 inactivity fee, no account management fees. |
Sponsored ad. 68% of retail investors lose money trading CFDs at this site
2. Capital.com
Capital.com is a popular brokerage, which allows new investors and beginners to start trading instantly – with a minimum deposit of just £20.
This is the case when funding your Capital.com account with a UK debit card, credit card, or e-wallet. If, however, you transfer funds from your UK bank account – the minimum deposit increases to £250.
This platform allows you to practice buying and selling leveraged financial products in a 100% risk-free environment. In addition to this, Capital.com provides educational resources – which includes a mobile app dedicated to trading courses. In terms of supported markets, Capital.com covers thousands of instruments.
This includes stocks, indices, forex, and commodity trading assets – all via CFDs. Most of all, Capital.com is a 100% commission-free broker and most of its supported markets can be traded with tight spreads. When it comes to leverage, Capital.com is authorized and regulated by the FCA. As such, you’ll be capped to a maximum of 1:30 unless you are a professional client.
79.17% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
3. Libertex
Libertex is another of the UK brokers with high leverage. Libertex does not charge any spreads. Instead, there is no gap between the ‘bid’ and ‘ask’ price on all supported Libertex markets.
This means that in some ways, Libertex is not too dissimilar to an ECN broker. In terms of what you can trade, Libertex specializes in CFD instruments. This covers everything from hard metals, energies, stocks, indices, and forex.
As a popular CFD broker, this means that you have the option to obtain leverage. When it comes to limits, this will ultimately depend on whether you are a retail trader or a professional-client. If it’s the latter, then you will be able to trade with leverage of up to 1:600.
This means that a £1,000 account balance would allow you to open a trade worth £600,000. If, however, you don’t fall within the remit of a professional client, then you will be bound by the same limits that we discussed in our eToro review. This means that the most you can get is 1:30 on major currency pairs and less on other financial instruments.
When it comes to fees, we mentioned that Libertex is a tight spread broker. However, you will need to pay a trading commission when you open and close positions. With that said, this is often just a fraction above 0%, so all in all – trading fees are really competitive at this high spread broker.
If you want to get started with Libertex, the platform requires an initial deposit of £100. However, you can top up your account from just £10 from your second deposit onwards. This can be achieved with a debit/credit card, bank transfer, and several e-wallets. Finally, this two-decade-old broker is licensed by CySEC.
75.3% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
4. Skilling
Skilling is an online CFD trading platform that offers a full suite of financial instruments at competitive fees. You can trade CFDs in the form of stocks, indices, hard metals, energies, and forex.
The Skilling platform is simple to use – making it a popular leverage stock broker for newbies. However, perhaps seasoned trading pros will like Skilling too, not least because it is fully compatible with third-party platforms MT4 and cTrader.
This means that you may use the Skilling platform alongside automated forex EAs, advanced chart reading tools, and customizable screens. As a relatively new online broker that was first launched in 2019, Skilling is looking to increase its client base by offering really competitive trading fees.
At the forefront of this is the fact that Skilling does not charge any trading commissions whatsoever. In fact, spreads are often very tight too, with major forex pair markets starting from just 0.1 pips. In terms of leverage, this once again depends on your trading status. That is to say, as a UK retail client you will be capped to 1:30.
But, if you manage to upgrade your account status to a professional-client, Skilling will offer you up to 1:200. This is, however, based on a dynamic leverage system – meaning that your limits increase in line with your trading volume. For example, in order to get the full 1:200 limit, you would need to trade at least $10 million in a 30-day period.
Nevertheless, if you’re happy trading with leverage of 1:30 as a UK retail client, getting started at Skilling takes minutes. You can deposit funds with a debit/credit card, bank transfer, or e-wallet – with the minimum account balance standing at just $100. Finally, Skilling is authorized by the FCA and regulated by CySEC, making it one of the popular FCA brokers out there.
Your capital is at risk when trading CFDs with this provider.
5. FinmaxFX
As we have discussed thus far – if you’re based in the UK and are a retail client, then you will be capped to a maximum leverage limit of 1:30. The only way around this is to use an offshore broker that is not bound by FCA regulations.
Although you need to tread with caution when using a non-FCA broker, FinmaxFX is one broker that offers this higher leverage limit. FinmaxFX allows you to trade with leverage of up to 1:200 – even if you are not a professional client. This makes it the highest leverage stock broker on our list.
This means that a small account balance of £200 would allow you to enter a position worth £40,000. This is available on forex, indices, and gold trading markets, so you’ll get lower limits of other assets. With that said, FinmaxFX will still offer you up to 1:100 on non-gold commodities like oil and natural gas, as well as bonds.
If you’re looking to trade stock CFDs, then you will get leverage of up to 1:20. This is five times more than the 1:5 limit that you will get with FCA regulated platforms. When it comes to commissions, FinmaxFX builds all trading fees into the spread. The amount you pay will ultimately depend on your chosen account type and the asset you are trading.
But, to give you an idea – the Micro Account at FinmaxFX – which requires a minimum deposit of $250, offers spreads from 3 pips upwards. This is also the case with its Mini, Standard, and Premium Accounts. The only way to get your minimum spread down to 1 pip is to opt for the VIP Account, which requires a huge minimum deposit of $100,000.
In terms of payment methods, FinmaxFX supports debit/credit cards, bank transfers, and an assortment of e-wallets. The broker also supports Bitcoin payments, albeit, withdrawals are charged at a whopping 7%. As such, you may want to cash your trading funds with another payment method.
Once you are set up with an account at FinmaxFX, you will be able to trade via the popular third-party platform MT5. If you haven’t previously used an MT5 broker UK, the platform offers heaps of advanced order types, technical indicators, chart drawing tools, and even the ability to install a trading robot. You can access MT5 via the FinmaxFX website, desktop software, or the mobile app.
Finally – and perhaps most importantly, FinmaxFX is authorized and regulated by the Vanuatu Securities and Exchange Commission. As a UK trader, this offers little in the way of investor protection. On the flip side, FinmaxFX does demand verification documents from all traders. So, at the very least, it takes its anti-money laundering responsibilities seriously.
6. Plus500
Another highest leverage broker in the UK is Plus500. Plus500 has been around since 2008 and is regulated by the FCA and ASIC. This trading platform has a high reputation due to its safety and is even listed on the London Stock Exchange. Due to this, investors are offered the highest levels of investor protection possible.
As Plus500 focuses on CFD trading, all of the platform’s fees are incorporated into the spread. This spread will vary from asset to asset, although ranges around 0.7% for ETFs and equities. In terms of leverage, Plus500 allows traders to use up to 1:20 leverage on stocks indices, 1:5 on individual stocks, and 1:30 on currencies.
The account opening process is very easy and requires a minimum deposit of $100 (£74). Users can fund their accounts with 16 different base currencies and are able to use credit/debit card, bank transfer, or e-wallet. Notably, deposits and withdrawals at Plus500 are completely free of charge. Finally, Plus500 really excels when it comes to its trading platform, featuring a clean and clear interface along with two-step login, price alerts, and a multitude of order types.
High Leverage Brokers Fees & Leverage Comparison
If you’re looking for an overview of what limits are offered by the popular high leverage forex brokers we discussed on this page – check out the table below.
| Max Leverage (Retail) | Max Leverage (Professional) | Commission | Minimum Deposit | |
| eToro | 1:30 | Case-by-Case Basis | 0% | $50 |
| Libertex | 1:30 | 1:600 | 0%-0.5% | £100 |
| Plus500 | 1:30 | 1:300 | 0% | $100 |
| FinmaxFX | 1:200 | 1:200 | From 3 pips | $250 |
| Skilling | 1:30 | 1:500 | 0% | $100 |
| Capital.com | 1:30 | 1:500 | 0% | £20 |
High Leverage Explained – What You Need to Know
The online trading arena in the UK is very heavily regulated. In turn, the FCA has certain protections in place for retail clients with respect to leverage.
To ensure you know the rules and regulations that UK forex brokers with high leverage need to adhere to, this section will explain everything there is to know about high leverage in the UK.
What is Leverage?
While most of you reading this guide will already understand what leverage is, some of you might be complete novices. In its most basic form, leverage allows you to trade with more money than you have in your brokerage account. In effect, you are essentially borrowing the additional capital from your chosen trading platform.
Leverage can be viewed as a multiple (like x2, x3) or a ratio (like 1:2, 1:3), albeit, most brokers opt for the latter. For example, let’s suppose that you stake £100 on a forex trading position with leverage of 1:10. In turn, this means that you are trading with 10 times your stake. So, in this example, you’ve turned a £100 stake into £1,000.
Here’s a quick example of how this trade would work when using the popular high leverage brokers.
- You stake £100 on GBP/USD – opting for a buy order as you think the exchange rate will rise
- You apply leverage of 1:10
- A few hours later, your GBP/USD position is worth 4% more
- Happy with your profits, you close the trade with a sell order
- Without leverage, your 4% gains on a £100 stake would have made you just £4
- However, as you applied leverage of 1:10, this £4 profit is amplified to £40
As you can see from the above, the popular high leverage forex brokers allow you to boost your potential gains – making it ideal if you don’t have a large amount of trading capital at your disposal.
UK Leverage Limits
As we have noted through this guide, the FCA is very strict where it comes to leverage limits available to retail clients – meaning there are no 1:500 leverage brokers UK for casual investors. For those unaware, having a status of retail client simply means that you are not a professional trader. On the contrary, you are a casual trader that stakes modest amounts from the comfort of your home.
If this sounds like you, then the maximum amount of leverage that you will be able to get at your chosen FCA-regulated broker is as follows:
- 30:1 for major currency pairs
- 20:1 for non-major currency pairs, gold, and major indices
- 10:1 for commodities other than gold and non-major equity indices
- 5:1 for individual equities and other reference values
You might notice that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are missing from the above list. Before January 2021, UK retail clients could purchase Bitcoin (and other digital assets) with leverage of 1:2. However, the FCA has since banned crypto-derivatives for UK retail clients.
Features to Increase Leverage
In the sections below, we discuss some features that allow users to access higher leverage in the UK.
Open a Professional Client Trading Account
Access to high leverage brokers can be increased by opening an account as a professional client. Irrespective of which UK broker you do decide to use – the requirements to do this remain constant.
That is to say, you need to meet at least two of the following three criteria:
- You have a minimum of 1-year experience in the financial services sector. This is quite a broad requirement, albeit, you would likely need to show the high leverage broker that you have worked in a trading/investment capacity in a professional role.
- Over the past four years, you must have placed at least 10 trading transactions per quarter. This doesn’t need to be at the high leverage broker you are looking to join. For example, if you have previously traded with IG but now want to open a professional account with eToro, this is possible. Crucially, this is the easiest criteria to meet, as 10 transactions per quarter isn’t a lot. In fact, this is essentially just 5 completed trades, as each trade requires both a buy and sell order to open and close the position.
- You currently hold a portfolio of assets that is worth at least 500,000 EUR (approximately £441,000). This can include investments, savings, and other financial instruments – but not real estate.
As you can see from the above, becoming a professional-client can be challenging. If you don’t have 500,000 EUR in assets, then you will need to prove that you have worked in the financial services sector in a professional capacity, and have traded semi-regularly over the past 4 years.
Use an Offshore Broker
If you are unable to meet the requirements as a professional client, and you still seek higher leverage than FCA regulations permit, then the only other method is to use an offshore broker.
In simple terms, this means that the platform will not be authorized or regulated by the FCA and you will not be covered by the FSCS protection scheme. The latter covers you in the event a broker goes bankrupt – up to the tune of £85,000.
As such, you need to think carefully about using an offshore broker. If you do proceed, the likes of FinmaxFX offer retail clients leverage of up to 1:200 – which is huge.
Overnight Financing on Leverage
Before embarking on a leveraged trading strategy on the most traded stocks (or any other asset), it is important to understand that there are certain fees involved. More specifically, you will need to pay an ‘overnight financing fee’ for each day that you keep your leveraged position open.
After all, you are trading with more money than you have in your account – meaning that you are borrowing the balance from the broker in question. In turn, the broker will want a financial return on the capital it lends out, which comes in the form of interest.
There is no standardized interest rate on leveraged financial products, as this can vary from broker to broker and asset to asset. The key point is that trading leverage is not suitable for long-term investments. This is because the overnight financing fee will continuously eat away at your potential gains.
Difference Between Margin and Leverage
When searching for the popular high-leverage brokers in the UK, you can be certain that you will come across the term ‘margin’. Both leverage and margin are often used interchangeably, but they do differ slightly.
In simple terms:
- Leverage refers to the amount that you wish to boost your stake by. For example, leverage of 1:5 will turn a £100 stake into £500.
- Margin, however, refers to the amount of capital you need to put up to obtain your desired leverage amount. In the example above, your margin is £100, as this is required to obtain £500 in trading capital at 1:5
Understanding how margin requirement is really important when using the popular high leverage forex brokers – as this will determine your ‘liquidation’ point.
Being liquidated by your high leverage broker means that the platform will close your trade automatically when it goes down by a certain amount.
- Sticking with the same example as above, your 1:5 leveraged trade required a margin of £100 – which is 20% of the £500 position.
- As such, if your position goes in the wrong direction by more than 20%, you will be liquidated.
- In turn, your chosen high leverage forex broker will keep your £100 margin – meaning you lose your entire stake
How to Get Started with a High Leverage Broker
If you’re decided to invest with a high leverage broker, you may be wondering on how to do so. In the sections below, we show you a ste-by-step guide on how to begin trading with the high leverage broker of your choice.
Step 1: Create Account
Getting started takes a matter of minutes. Simply make your way to your brokerage’s website and begin the sign-up process. This will open a sign-up form and you’ll be required to enter your name, email address, as well as choose a username and password for your new trading account.
Step 2: Verification
Users may be required to complete a simple KYC process, if they invest with a regulated broker. Upload a copy of your passport or driving license as proof of identity, and a copy of a recent utility bill or bank statement as proof of address.
Step 3: Deposit Funds
With a fully verified account, you’re one step closer to start trading a range of assets with the click of a button. Depending on the broker you choose, you can transfer funds using a debit card, credit card, bank wire transfer, as well as e-wallets such as PayPal, Neteller and Skrill.
Choose your preferred payment method and deposit your funds into the account.
Step 4: Search for your preferred market
Now you can search for the financial market you want to trade assets in by using the search bar on your platform. Choose the market or asset you want to invest in to continue.
Step 5: Choose Leverage and Open Trade
Your next step is to complete the order form of the asset you intend to purchase. Insert the amount you wish to deposit into the trade and then choose the amount of leverage to insert. Depending on your brokerage, you may choose leverage as low as 2x – too as high as 30x.
After choosing your preferred leverage amount,you can confirm your transaction and begin trading.
Conclusion
If you are based in the UK and looking for high leverage traadng brokerages, you may want to review and analyse the various platforms that may provide these features. Most FCA brokers in the UK will allow users to obtain leverage up to 1:30, however the non-FCA brokers may provide more leverage.
It is important to note that trading with a non-FCA regulated broker may be riskier for traders. Make sure to conduct your own research and properly examine the amount of leverage you choose to trade with since there is a lot of risk involved in such investments.
