Desk file · 2026 edition · record confidence: high
IG Group
We opened the file on IG Group the way we open every file: register first, marketing never. Trading since 1974, run out of London, UK, and carrying 7 licence entries on the public record, 7 of them tier-1. Opened under the FCA entity.
What the two desk scores say
Both are out of 10 and both are computed, not felt.
| Cost score | Priced off the spread basis below, not off a headline rate card. | 8.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Safety score | Weighted on licence tier and on how many of the entries we could re-read at source. | 10.0 |
| Cost per 10 lots | Ten round-turn EUR/USD lots priced at the spread basis, commission excluded. | $60.00 |
Spread basis. sampled EUR/USD average on the tightest retail account. Nothing on this page is a live quote; a spread printed on a Tuesday afternoon is not the spread you get thirty seconds after a non-farm payroll release.
Licence entries, one row per entity
Every row links to the document we read it from.
| Regulator | Licence no. | Jurisdiction | Tier | Licensed entity | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCA | 195355 | UK | T1 | IG Markets Limited | register.fca.org.uk |
| FCA | 114059 | UK | T1 | IG Index Limited | register.fca.org.uk |
| BaFin | Germany | T1 | IG Europe GmbH | iggroup.com | |
| FINMA | Switzerland | T1 | IG Bank S.A. | iggroup.com | |
| ASIC | AFSL 220440 | Australia | T1 | IG Markets Limited (Australian branch) | treasury.gov.au |
| MAS | Singapore | T1 | IG Asia Pte Ltd | iggroup.com | |
| NFA/CFTC | NFA ID 0509630 | USA | T1 | tastyfx LLC | iggroup.com |
Which entity actually holds your money is decided at signup, by the country on your application — not by the strongest licence in this table. Read the client agreement you are handed, then match the entity name against the row above.
What we were able to confirm
Confirmed at source
- IG states it was founded in 1974 as the world's first spread betting firm.
- IG Group Holdings plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker IGG.
- IG Markets Limited is authorised by the FCA with firm reference number 195355.
- IG Bank S.A. is authorised as a bank and securities dealer by FINMA in Switzerland.
- IG's US retail FX business operates as tastyfx LLC, an NFA member (NFA ID 0509630).
- IG Group Holdings plc announced on 30 July 2026 that it has agreed to acquire Underdog (Underdog Sports Holdings, Inc.), a leading US daily fantasy sports and prediction markets operator, for total consideration of up to approximately $1.3 billion (https://www.iggroup.com/investor-relations/press-releases/2026/acquisition-of-underdog).
- FINRA's published disciplinary actions for July 2026 include an Acceptance, Waiver and Consent in which tastytrade, Inc. (fka tastyworks, Inc., CRD #277027, Chicago, Illinois), a US brokerage subsidiary of IG Group, was censured and fined $200,000 for failing to report at least 71 written customer complaints and related supervisory failures (https://www.finra.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/disciplinary-actions-july-2026.pdf).
Not verified
The following could not be traced to a primary source at the time of filing. We publish the gap rather than a number that would look tidier:
- BaFin licence number for IG Europe GmbH
- FINMA licence number for IG Bank S.A.
- MAS CMS licence number for IG Asia Pte Ltd
| Founded | 1974 |
| Head office | London, UK |
| Minimum deposit | None |
| Leverage cap | 1:30 (UK/EU retail) |
| EUR/USD | 0.60 pips |
| Tier-1 entries | 7 |
| Record confidence | high |
Platforms and account types on file
Platforms
Account types
Markets
Other records open on the desk
CFDs are complex instruments with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. A desk file is a record of what the public register said on the day we read it, not a recommendation to open an account.