Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Forex

Is one unit the same as £1 per point when trading foreign exchange?

One unit is essentially one of the first name currency. If you require assistance with calculating your desired trade size, please contact our Client Management team.

Can I convert currencies using a CMC Markets account?

No, we do not offer currency exchange facilities.

How are holding costs on forex calculated?

The overnight holding rate used when calculating the applicable holding costs on FX comes from the tom-next rate, which is the difference between the two currencies’ interest rates, with an additional 0.0027% CMC Markets charge added. Learn more about spread bet holding costs and CFD holding costs.

Please note, you'll be charged holding costs for three days on either a Wednesday or a Thursday, depending on the currency pair, as shown in the table below.

 

 

USD/CAD, USD/TRY, TRY/CAD, CAD/TRY

All other FX pairs & FX indices

Monday 5pm EST

x1 Holding Cost rate

x1 Holding Cost rate

Tuesday 5pm EST

x1 Holding Cost rate

x1 Holding Cost rate

Wednesday 5pm EST

x1 Holding Cost rate

x3 Holding Cost rate

Thursday 5pm EST

x3 Holding Cost rate

x1 Holding Cost rate

Friday 5pm EST

x1 Holding Cost rate

x1 Holding Cost rate

Where do you derive your FX prices from?

Prices streamed from our liquidity providers (November 2015 – Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Barclays, Goldman, UBS, Citibank and HSBC) are consumed by our automated pricing engine where the ‘best’ and most representative price is used to create our quotes on which clients trade.

How do I calculate margin requirement?

In order to open a position you will be required to deposit an amount of money known as margin. The margin required reflects a percentage of the full value of the position. The first step is to establish the margin rate for the instrument you are trading. Margin rates can be found within the trading platform by selecting 'Library' from the main menu (which displays the full list of products), then select the arrow icon next to the specific product which will show a sub-menu. Choose 'Product Overview' from the sub-menu to view the margin rate details. The margin rates are tiered depending on the size of your position. To see the tiered rates, select the arrow icon to the right of the margin rate section.

To calculate your margin requirement, take your margin rate and multiply this by the total value of the trade.  Your estimated margin is also conveniently displayed within the order ticket. Note, margin is independent of the direction of your position and will increase or decrease in line with the level one mid-price point of the product.  If the price increases, your margin requirement will be higher; if the price decreases, your margin requirement will become lower. 

Learn more about how we calculate our CFD trading margins

What do CMC Markets charge on converting foreign currency profit or loss into my home currency?

If you are trading forex instruments on our CFD platform there is a charge of 50 basis points (0.5%) to convert foreign currencies into your home currency. No conversion charge will apply if you are spread betting, as all products are priced in your home currency.

Need further support? Contact us

Call us

Call us

Call us on +44 (0)20 7170 8200

Outlines are open 24/5

Email us

Email us

clientmanagement@cmcmarkets.com

with any queries or questions

Before you go…

Try a demo of our Spread Betting or CFD trading accounts on our innovative platform. Free of charge and risk-free with virtual capital starting from €10,000.

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