Independent rating of Forex broker Questrade

About company

Questrade was founded in 1999 in Canada at the very beginning of online stock trading. The company is headquartered in Toronto. Questrad’s founder Edward Kholodenko is an entrepreneur from Ukraine who is still in charge of the company. Questrade survived the dot-com crash that followed soon after its establishment. Later, it became one of the fastest-growing online brokers in the country. In 2014, Questrade launched pre-built investment portfolios with low fees aimed at those clients who are not experienced enough to work independently. Notably, Questrade manages nearly $9 billion of assets with around 50,000 new accounts opened each year. The broker offers Canadian citizens an option to invest with major banks. If clients already have a registered account with any Canadian broker or financial institution, they can transfer it to Questrade. Otherwise, clients can open an account on the company’s web platform. Questrade offers its clients to trade stocks, options, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and mutual funds. Among other offerings are the guaranteed investment contracts (GIC) and international stocks. Besides, the broker provides direct access to the initial public offerings (IPO). It is also possible to trade gold and silver. Notably, the company is regulated by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). Customers get insurance on their accounts of up to $10 million.

Trading conditions

With Questrade, clients can choose from several trading platforms that are also available as mobile apps:

1. Questrade Trading allows traders to customize some trading parameters.

2. IQ Edge has a wide range of additional features such as a hotkey function, charts with different tools, and advanced layouts that can be saved.

However, these platforms are not designed for Forex and CFD trading. For this purpose, another platform is offered. It is equipped with advanced charting and provides access to more than 55 currency pairs as well as 8 CFDs.

To trade currency pairs from their mobile device, customers need to download the Questrade FX Global mobile app.

As for the costs, Questrade has two pricing models. Standard pricing is $0.01 per share. The active trader pricing starts when a client purchases the Advanced Data Package that will cost CAD 89.95 for Canada and USD 89.95 for the US. You will find more information about the costs of the company’s services on its official website.

Deposit and withdrawal of funds can be done through a wire transfer, online banking, Interac, etc. However, the company does not accept credit cards.

Support service

Customers can reach the company by phone (the service is available from 08:00 to 16:30 Eastern time ), email, or via a live chat. All the necessary information can be found in the FAQ section on the company's website.

Traders’ reviews

A large number of negative reviews on the Net raises doubts about the reliability of the broker. Traders mostly complain about obvious fraudulent actions, especially when it comes to stock trading. Besides, the company’s managers can block access to clients’ accounts without any reason. Traders are also disappointed with the inconvenient website and the lack of help from the support service team.

Advantages:

• low trading fees
• great choice of useful tools for fundamental investors
• no interest on cash balance

Disadvantages:

• trading available only to Canadian citizens
• inactivity fees apply
• negative reviews