Qualify for Elective Professional status
If you meet at two of the following criteria, you may be eligible to reclassify as an elective professional client:
You have traded, in significant size, in the Forex/CFD markets or other leveraged products (e.g. indices, shares, spot FX, futures, options, other derivatives etc.) at an average frequency of 10 transactions per quarter over the previous four quarters (with Skilling and/or other providers).
Significant sized trades are classified as having a notional value of €10,000 for equities and €50,000 for forex, indices and commodities or equivalent in local currency.
The size of your financial instrument portfolio, defined as including cash deposits and financial instruments, exceeds €500,000 (or equivalent in your local currency).
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Acceptable examples of savings and investments:
Cash savings, stock portfolio, stocks and shares ISA, trading accounts, mutual funds, SIPP (excluding non-financial instruments). -
Unacceptable examples of savings and investments:
Company pension, non-tradable assets, property, luxury cars, jewellery.
Acceptable documents: Reference Letter, CV We may ask you for details of your role and how it has provided you with sufficient knowledge and experience and may require you to provide evidence of this if necessary.
Higher Leverage
Qualify as an elective professional client to take advantage of lower margin rates and waive protections designed for retail clients
| Retail Clients | Elective Professional Clients | |||
| Asset Class | New Maximum Leverage | Initial Margin Requirement | New Maximum Leverage | Initial Margin Requirement |
| Major FX Pairs | 1:30 | 3.33% | 1:200 | 0.5% |
| Non-major FX Pairs | 1:20 | 5% | 1:100 | 1% |
| Gold | 1:20 | 5% | 1:100 | 1% |
| Major Indices | 1:10 | 10% | 1:200 | 0.5% |
| Non-major Indices | 1:10 | 10% | 1:50 | 2% |
| Commodities | 1:10 | 10% | 1:50 | 2% |
| Stocks | 1:5 | 20% | 1:10 | 10% |
| Cryptocurrencies | 1:2 | 50% | 1:2 | 50% |
Dynamic leverage
The Dynamic leverage model may apply to “Elective Professional Clients”. More information may be found in our Leverage policy, on our website, here.
* For more information regarding the maximum leverages per symbol, please visit the section ‘Instruments and Account Information’, on our website, here.
Protections you’ll waive
- Leverage restrictions applicable to retail clients do not apply to professional clients. Please note: with higher leverage comes higher risk
- Negative balance protection does not apply for professional clients
- Provision of significant investor protection arising from the marketing, distribution of sale of CFDs, may not apply
- Compensation under ICF is not applicable with respect to professional clients
- Professional clients have the right to request to be classified as retail clients in order to obtain higher level of protection. We are not obliged to deal with the client on this basis unless the client requests higher protection
PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNT
Apply for professional status
Open an account
Open an account, unless you already have one, and complete the account verification.
Complete the form
Download and complete this form.
Send it
Send the form and the supporting documentation to [email protected]