Market spread betting has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the introduction of online facilities which allow investors to make bets via their PC, laptop or even mobile phone. Part of the attraction is that investors can act on short term market trends, directly trading and, hopefully, making money, without the need to purchase funds or use exchange traded products.
However, spread betting is risky, as losses can mount up quickly and should only be undertaken by professional investors. In this vein, Guardian said in a warning to investors: “Please note, spread betting and CFD trading carry a high level of risk and you can lose more than your initial deposit so you should ensure they meet your investment objectives.”
"Missing from our armoury"
Ian Sweet, commercial director at Guardian, explains the company’s reasoning for introducing the new facility.
“For many years, Guardian has provided financial planning advice to clients spanning a number of different products or solutions. However, the one thing often missing in our armoury of solutions is the ability to try and take advantage of short term trends,” he said.
“Most financial planning involves a medium to long term outlook but we are seeing a rise in interest amongst clients to control their own short-term investment strategies. The new, fully FSA regulated site allows our clients to take advantage of movements in the financial markets, be it upwards or downwards. This way, they can back their own judgement and if they call the market right there is potential for profits. The site will also offer some of the tightest spreads we can.”
The company said its new service, Guardian Spread Trading, will allow subscribers to gain round-the-clock access to up to 3,000 markets through a live feed and there will be no charges for opening an account and no minimum or maximum level of deposit required.
In addition, for those wishing to learn more about spread betting, Guardian said its new website, guardianspreadtrading.com, offers a help and advice section, including a user manual and practice area which allows potential members to place trades in a mirror of the current markets using virtual cash.
