FAQs

Apply for an account

How do I apply for an account

You can apply for a FlowBroker account by applying directly through our website here, it should take no more than 3 minutes. You will also find an ‘Open live account’ button at the top of most pages of our website.

As part of our security procedures, we will run an online check on your identity and address. This will not affect your credit rating.

What types of accounts are available ?

We offer deposit accounts, as soon as you have made your first deposit, you’ll be able to start trading. If you meet the conditions, you can apply for an ECN acccount. If you would like to set up a corporate, an IB, joint or foreign currency account, contact our Sales team at customerservices@flow-broker.com

Can I nominate somebody to trade on my account for me?

Yes – you can nominate a family member, business partner or friend by completing a Power of Attorney form.

Power of Attorney allows the person you have nominated to trade on your account; however, they cannot withdraw or deposit funds. Please contact our Trading Services team should you wish to add Power of Attorney.

What are your minimum system requirements ?

Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 7
2 .0 GHz or faster CPU
512 MB RAM (1GB recommended)
Screen resolution 1024x768 or higher
Modem/connection speed 36.6 Kbps or faster
Google Chrome/Internet Explorer version 7.0 / Mozilla FireFox 2.0 or later (We recommend Chrome for the best trading experience)

Funding your account

How much do I need to deposit?

We do not have minimum deposit, all you need to do is fund your account with enough to cover the margin requirement for the trade you wish to open.

To calculate the margin you require, please consult our Market Information pages for the minimum margin requirement for the market you wish to trade.

Please note that it is the client’s responsibility to ensure they have sufficient margin to maintain their open positions and to make further deposits if necessary.

How do I deposit funds?

We offer a variety of fast, secure payment methods, including debit/credit cards, bank transfer and online payment services Skrill and Neteller. See below for more info.

Deposit money by debit/credit card:
You can securely deposit quickly and easily by logging into the MyFlowBroker Account Management portal and funding your account. There is a 2% charge for payments made by credit and debit card.

We accept all major debit and credit cards. We do not accept American Express and some International Visa Electron cards.

As a credit card customer you should be aware of changes to the way some credit card companies charge for online trading transactions. These transactions, which have previously been treated in the same way as any other purchase, will be treated as cash advances by some credit card companies. Cash advances are usually subject to a higher rate of interest than standard transactions, so you should check the terms and conditions of your card carefully.

Registering your card details:
- If you enter your card details for the first time, you have to make a minimum payment to your account.
- After you have registered your card once, you will not need to re-register this card unless your card expires or it is inactive for over 12 months.

Are my card payments secure and safe?

In addition to advanced digital encryption technology, we have further improved the security of our card payment processes in line with the highest industry standards.

We operate Verified by Visa & MasterCard® SecureCode™ for some card types. These schemes, known collectively as 3D Secure, are designed to improve the way that your card payments are authenticated and significantly reduce the likelihood of card fraud.

If you have enrolled for this service with your bank, you will be asked to authenticate your card when making payments.

How do I withdraw funds ?

If you would like to make a withdrawal from your account, please log in to MyFlowBroker area in the Withdrawals Tab where you will be able to select the withdrawal method preferred. Completing this form online will ensure your withdrawal amount will be automatically debited from your trading account balance.

You are also able to request withdrawal on the mobile optimised web page for MyFlowBroker.

If you are unable to access MyFlowBroker you can request a withdrawal by calling our Customer Services team, however the requested withdrawal amount will not be automatically debited from your trading account balance.

We action refunds as quickly as possible and normally the same business day, once the funds leave your account it can take up to 3 - 5 working days to register in your bank account.

Please note: It is possible that we may require proof of your bank account details to establish that the account is in your name. This should be in the form of an original bank statement dated within the last three months. The statement should include your name, account number and, for international clients, an IBAN or Swift Code.

Please note the following information regarding withdrawals :

  • Funds will need to be withdrawn back to source and using the same payment method used for the deposit.
  • When using a bank transfer, the minimum withdrawal amount is 50 GBP/EUR/USD (except for account closures whereby an email request will be necessary)
  • When withdrawing funds from a card or bank account that is not already registered, we will ask you to provide a copy of your card hiding the first 12 digits, showing the 4 corners of the card, the name of the bank and your full name.
  • If your card does not show the above-mentioned information, we will ask you for a bank statement (showing the 4 corners of the document, the link between the payment and your bank/IBAN account and dated less than 6 months ago).
  • An additional fee of 25 (EUR/USD/GBP) will be added to all bank wire transfer outs.
  • Withdrawals to a credit card must match the original deposits in accordance with policies implemented by credit cards to protect against money laundering.

Managing your account

Where can I view my previous trades ?

You can see details of the trades that you have made by clicking on the 'History' tab found in the lower right section of the Flowtrader platform.

How do I change my contact details?

If you move house or change your mobile number, please advise us by logging into your MyFlowBroker portal and updating your details under the ‘My Settings’ section.

It is important for us to have all of your most up to date contact information so that we may contact you regarding your account.

Help - I’ve lost my password

If you have forgotten your username or password, please call us on +1 (242) 698-4707 and we will conduct a security check to confirm your identity before amending your account details. We are unable to send passwords via email for security reasons.

Where can I view my account details?

You can view full Account History, including online statements, balances and accounts once logged in.

Trading

How do I place a Trade ?

We provide a variety of products to trade on between the hours of 08:00 pm on Sunday until 09:15pm on Friday (GMT time). You can make your trades directly on the platform or by telephone with our trading team.

If you wish to trade by telephone, or you have any problems or questions please contact us.

Can I trade aboard ?

Yes, as the FlowBroker trading software is web-based you can trade from anywhere in the world. However, remember that when you opened your account you confirmed that you would not place any trades from the USA. When trading from other jurisdictions, please note that local laws may apply. From any system worldwide that has access to the internet, simply use your username and password to log into the dealing platform and start trading.

What products do you offer ?

At FlowBroker you can trade on a wide range of over 4’500 instruments, with industry leading spreads across forex, indices, shares and commodities. Please visit our Markets pages for further information.

How much margin do I need to make my trade ?

Margins for different markets are shown on our website on the pricing list or under the market information for each product on the deal tickets with the FlowTrader trading platform.

Please consult the trading desk for help with any calculations.

Stop Out may activate to close any/all open positions if the market moves sufficiently against you so that your overall equity becomes less than the total margin requirement to maintain those positions. If Stop Out is activated, we will endeavour to close the position utilising the most amount of margin first at the next available price. In the instance where trading is unavailable on that market, i.e. during a close period, then the trading platform will attempt to close the next largest margined position, and so on until there is adequate equity to cover the margin requirement. Please see FlowBroker 's full Terms and Conditions for more information.

Can I use Guaranteed stops ?

On markets where it is available (subject to trading desk decision), you can choose absolute risk protection attaching a Guaranteed Stop to your trade. This special kind of stop order lets you trade safe in the knowledge that, should a market gap through your stop level, you will be stopped out at exactly the level you requested, and you will not be subject to any slippage.

To use this guaranteed risk protection you simply select ‘ Guaranteed Stop’ on the trade ticket when you open your position. There is a premium for using a Guaranteed Stop, which is charged as additional commission when you open your position. This is a fixed commission calculated as a multiple of your trade size. For example, the Guaranteed Stop charge for UK 100 is 2 points, and the lot size for this index being £10 per point, if you attach a Guaranteed Stop to a 1 lot position you would be charged 20£.

This one-off premium is charged when you open your position, or if you attach a Guaranteed Stop to a new order, in which case the Guaranteed Stop will only come into effect and your premium will only be charged if and when your new order is filled. There is also a minimum distance at which you can place your Guaranteed Stop, which is generally larger than the minimum distance for a regular stop.

Please note that, if you close your position before your Guaranteed Stop has been triggered, your premium will not be re-credited. Also, you cannot attach or amend a Guaranteed Stop when the market is closed. For full details of the Guaranteed Stop charges and minimum distances for all our markets please see our Market Information pages or the market information attached to the deal ticket on the Flowtrader platform.

What are the contracts sizes ?

Information on contract sizes can be found listed in our Pricing List or by clicking the information symbol on the deal ticket on Flowtrader.

How do I close my trade ?

Trades can be closed online via the Positions tab of your FlowTrader account. To close a trade click the Close button at the far right of the entry for the relevant trade.

If you are unable to close a position via the online platform or mobile app you can close a trade over the telephone by calling our dealing team on +1 (242) 698-4709

You can partially close a trade by double clicking a trade in the Positions tab. On the ticket that opens, amend the stake size to the size of trade you wish to remain open and click Modify.

How would the P&L of my account work if my account is USD-based and I am trading a non-USD based currency pair eg EUR/JPY ?

Your P&L will be calculated by the movement in the 'quote' or 'term' currency; in this case JPY then that value will be converted into USD at the current rate of USD/JPY.

How is my position affected by the expiry of the underlying futures contract ?

If you chose to roll any quarterly or monthly contracts, you will need to contact us shortly before our expiry date to leave a rollover instruction. We will close the existing trade at our bid or offer price and open a new position in the next contract at the corresponding mid-price. This means you pay spread on only one leg of the trade.

Please note that by executing a rollover of any quarterly or monthly contract, the existing trade is closed, realising any profits or losses incurred and a new position is subsequently opened. Stop or limit orders on the new trade may need to be adjusted to account for any difference in price between the two contracts.

How is my account affected if I hold a position overnight ?

Our Spot contracts provide a cost-effective solution for short to medium-term trading. These contracts do not expire at the end of the day but are automatically 'rolled over' to the next trading day. Any corresponding orders are also rolled over automatically. An overnight financing rate is applied on a daily basis to reflect the interest cost of holding your position. The adjustment is applied at 10pm GMT time.

Spot contracts are available on a range of markets and combine the tight spreads available on a short-term expiry with the flexibility of a longer-term contract. As the rollover happens automatically you do not have to worry about your positions expiring at the end of the day.

The overnight financing rate, sometimes referred to as a rollover charge or “swaps”, varies across different products.

Indices and equity markets will use an underlying market financing rate, for example Libor in the UK, plus a charge of 3% (annualised).

Overnight financing for forex positions works slightly differently, as the applicable interest rate is calculated from the difference between the two base rates of the underlying currencies concerned, plus a charge of 1%. For example, if the interest rate on the currency you bought is higher than the interest rate of the currency you sold, this positive differential is taken into account. If the interest rate on the currency you bought is lower than the interest rate on the currency you sold, then you will pay financing.

It is possible to receive a credit when overnight financing is applied, and this will depend on the interest rates of the markets concerned.

Financing for holding a position over the weekend is charged on different days depending on the settlement of the trades in the underlying market. On the market information this is referred to as “3-Days Swaps”. Please consult our trading desk for more information.

When does my position expire ?

Your trade on any given futures contract is active until our market expiry time, as stated in our Market Information tables or the market information for that market on the trading platform. If your position is open at this time it will be closed automatically and the profit or loss realised according to our settlement details for that market.

Many of our markets are offered on Spot contracts. This means that your position does not expire at the end of the day but automatically ‘rolls over’ to the next trading day, along with any attached orders. An overnight funding adjustment, which may be a debit or a credit, is applied at 10 pm GMT time to any Rolling Daily position

How does a dividend on shares work ?

A dividend represents a return of capital to a company’s shareholders. Dividends are paid on a per share basis. When a stock goes ex-dividend, the value of the stock should effectively fall by the dividend amount. This is because the shares no longer trade with the value allocated to this dividend entitlement.

If you hold a long position prior to the ex-dividend date you will be credited with the dividend (less any applicable withholding tax). If you are short, you pay the dividend. This is considered to be a net zero event.

Stock dividend example :
Barclays agrees to pay a 5p dividend. You have a long position, equivalent to 5k shares. Your account will be credited with the following.
5000 (shares) x £0.05 (dividend) = £250.
If you hold the equivalent short position you will be debited £250.

How does an index dividend work ?

Index values are derived from the individual stocks which make up that particular index. When a constituent pays a dividend, the stock will drop by the dividend amount and this value in turn is removed from the index. The amount that the index drops is dependent on the weighting of the stock within that index.

If you hold a long position at 8pm GMT time the evening prior to the ex-dividend date, you will be credited with the dividend. If you are short, you pay the dividend. A price adjustment and corresponding cash adjustment are made simultaneously. This is considered to be a net zero event.

Index dividend example :
UK 100 is scheduled to pay a 10 point dividend. You have a long position, equivalent to 1 lot. Your account will be credited with the following.
1 (lot) x £10 (lot size) x 10 points = £100.
If you hold the equivalent short position you will be debited £100.