Halifax Reseña

On-line since: 2001
Country of origin: Australia
Regulation: ASIC
Payment options: wire transfer, Visa/MasterCard, checks
Minimum account size: $25,000
Minimum lot size: 1 lot
Leverage: 1:100
Spreads: fixed, floating

About company:

Halifax is an Australian broker offering various instruments for trading on different financial floors.

The Halifax brand owns several regulated companies. The main company, Halifax Investment Services Ltd., is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

The companies regulated by the ASIC should comply with certain requirements. Brokers should keep their clients’ funds on a segregated account, to which specialists have no access. This measure prevents a company from using clients’ funds in its private interests. Besides, the broker’s minimum capital should be at least 1 million Australian dollars. The sum guarantees that the company has working prospects and is not a shadow company for most con men cannot afford to create a firm with such a capital.

To serve clients from the US, Halifax has opened Halifax America that is controlled by FINRA, SEC, and NFA.

Minimum initial deposit

Halifax has no minimum deposit. The clients decide on their own what sum to deposit. Beginners unwilling to risk much will benefit from this.

Average spreads and commissions

Halifax offers floating spreads. An average spread size for the EUR/USD pair is around 1 pip. It is quite a competitive offer in comparison with other brokers.

Leverage

Halifax renders the maximum leverage of 1:100 suitable for all trading strategies. However, other forex brokers provide larger leverages of around 1:500 giving bigger trading opportunities.

Trading platforms

Trading can be carried out on MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 or Halifax Trader WorkStation (TWS). If you are going to trade currencies, then your platform choice is obvious. Thousands of traders have chosen MetaTrader 4 for its advanced chart building opportunities and user-friendly interface. MT4 with its customized indicators and automated trading systems (expert advisors) will suit professionals.

Even if you are an MT4 fan, we recommend you to try your hand at MetaTrader 5. Sooner or later, an old version will be no longer supported and brokers will have to shift to MT5. MT4 and MT5 have many similar functions. The biggest drawback of MT5 is that currently it does not support all indicators and robots. In some time, they will become available in the new version.

If you want to trade shares, ETFs, futures and options, the TWS platform is tailor-made for you. TWS features vast opportunities for diagram creation, lots of order types, and its own automated trading environment. Investors who want to make a diversified portfolio will prefer this platform. TWS also has a mobile version.

Training

Halifax carries out online and private trainings. Seminars are held by successful traders of Australia.

Partnership

For those who want to enter the brokerage services market or the traders who want to make extra profits, Halifax has developed a partnership offer. The offer covers trading on shares, options, futures, currencies, and CFDs. The broker renders various services that allow promoting a partner’s business with a small budget and in a short period of time.

Extra services

In addition to brokerage services, the company carries out currency exchange. All traders, even those who are not clients of the company, can change money. However, Halifax clients are not charged any exchange commission.

Payment methods

Halifax offers only wire transfer and bank cards, while nowadays many traders prefer to use e-wallets such as Neteller or Skrill.

Client support service

The client support is available by phone 5 days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. AEST. The company’s website features a section with frequently asked questions and answers to them. Besides, client can receive help in one of the corporate offices situated in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Contact details can be found on the website.

Advantages:

• regulation in several countries;
• competitive spreads;
• a big choice of trading platforms and instruments.

Disadvantages:

• incomplete information about trading terms;
• a poor choice of payment methods.