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Alright. I'm not exactly new to trading, but I'm not an expert either. Can someone help me with the difference between spread betting and forex trading? I opened a demo account with FXCM UK and I can't seem to find the difference other than pip value. Am I missing something?
blacksun1 is on the right track.
Spread betting is an account classification that allows UK residents to trade in the forex market tax free, meaning capital gains are not taxed by the UK government. From a trading and execution stand-point there's no difference between the forex trading account and spread betting account. The same platform is also used for each.
Spread betting is tax free due to the UK tax code. So if you reside in the UK, then it's in your best interest to trade a spread betting account.
The pip value on the spread betting account is different since the account is denominated in GBP.
Hope that helps,
Jason