TD Ameritrade vs FXCM 2023

TD Ameritrade FX is publicly-traded, does operate a bank, and is authorised by five tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and zero tier-4 regulators (High Risk). TD Ameritrade FX is authorised by the following tier-1 regulators: Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), Securities Futures Commission (SFC), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

FXCM's parent company is publicly-traded, does not operate a bank, and is authorised by four Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), two Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and zero Tier-4 regulators (High Risk). FXCM is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), and the European Union via MiFID.

TD Ameritrade’s thinkorswim platform offers over 70 tradeable currency pairs alongside a plethora of impressive tools, research, and education. For traders in the U.S., TD Ameritrade provides the ultimate trading technology experience.

For traders who appreciate advanced trading tools and quality market research, FXCM is a winner, especially for algorithmic trading. Its range of tradeable markets is fairly narrow, however, and the pricing at FXCM is just average.

To open a forex trading account with TD Ameritrade, you'll need to make an initial minimum deposit of $0.

TD Ameritrade requires a minimum deposit of Starts from $50 before you can open an account and start trading forex.

It's important to make sure that your forex broker accepts the funding options and deposit methods that work best for you. TD Ameritrade offers Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw) for banking, whereas FXCM provides Visa/Mastercard (Credit/Debit), Bank Wire (Deposit/Withdraw), PayPal (Deposit/Withdraw), Skrill (Deposit/Withdraw) and Neteller (Deposit/Withdraw)

Comparing the trading costs of forex and CFDs is not easy. Not every broker publishes average spread data, and pricing structures vary. Based on our thorough, data-driven testing of each broker's commissions and fees, we found that FXCM offers better pricing overall for traders.

Methodology: When testing each broker's commissions, fees, and pricing, we analyze multiple trade scenarios and award points based on the expansiveness (or inexpensiveness) of the broker's spreads. We then run multiple scenarios for different investor types, incorporating any miscellaneous fees, to determine an "all-in" cost per trade. Learn more about how we test.

At ForexBrokers.com, we track over 100 international regulatory agencies to help you choose the most well-regulated, highly trusted forex brokers. Learn more about our proprietary Trust Score rating system. Based on our research on the regulatory status of over 60 brokers, we've found that TD Ameritrade holds 5 global Tier-1 licenses, while FXCM holds 4. FXCM holds 2 global Tier-2 licenses, while TD Ameritrade holds 0.

After evaluating each broker based on their number of held licenses, years in business, and a range of other data-driven variables, we've determined that TD Ameritrade (99) earned a higher Trust Score than FXCM (95).

To compare the trading platforms of both TD Ameritrade and FXCM, we tested each broker's trading tools, research capabilities, and mobile apps. For trading tools, TD Ameritrade offers a better experience. With research, TD Ameritrade offers superior market research. Finally, we found TD Ameritrade to provide better mobile trading apps.

Here’s what trading platforms are available at TD Ameritrade:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - No
• MT5 - No
• ZuluTrade - No
• TradingView - No

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Here’s what trading platforms are available at FXCM:

• Proprietary Platform - Yes
• Web Platform - Yes
• cTrader - No
• DupliTrade - No
• MT4 - Yes
• MT5 - No
• ZuluTrade - Yes
• TradingView - Yes

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The MetaTrader trading platform suite is wildly popular among forex and CFD traders across the globe. Neither broker offers Meta Trader. Forex traders also appreciate the ability to engage in social copy trading. Copy trading is not offered by either broker.

TD Ameritrade provides traders 73 currency pairs (e.g., EUR/USD) compared to FXCM's 41 available pairs. If you are interested in trading CFDs, FXCM offers traders access to 440 CFDs, while TD Ameritrade offers access to 0 CFDs; so FXCM offers 440 more CFDs than TD Ameritrade.

We found in our testing that FXCM offers a more diverse selection of investment options than TD Ameritrade, allowing you to trade Forex Trading (Spot or CFDs) and Int'l Stock Trading (Non CFD). Neither have Cryptocurrency (Physical).