Independent Investor

The large spread betting group, IG Group, is predicting a thinning out in the ranks of spread betting exchanges.  Their theory is that the new Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulations mean that the spread betting groups are going to need to keep large amounts of cash on hold and that the small players will not be able to do this.
To quote the saying; he would say that, wouldn’t he?  IG Group is a large player in a sector where there’s not that much obvious advantage for a large player.  Sure …

A former City trader has been found guilty of using insider information in consort with an associate to earn several hundred thousand pounds from spread trading.  The trader, originally from South London, set up a spread betting scheme whereby sensitive information was channeled from the fund at which he worked to a friend, who then bet on the relevant indices to make a substantial trading profit totaling almost £600,000, shared between the two men on a 60/40 basis in favour of the unnamed associate. The co-operation of the accused was …

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has decided that Contracts for Difference (CFDs) have to be regulated more thoroughly.
The Financial Services Authority has had Contracts for Difference in it sights for some time.  This is an extension of its crusade to clean up the market in small shares (“small caps”) to small investors.  Many of the people who were selling small caps have started to sell contracts for difference.
This new attention may affect some of the smaller brokers who have recently moved into selling contracts for difference, but they are unlikely …