Is IG good for investing?
Independent review by Boring Money
Written by Boring Money
24 Feb, 2026
Investment expert’s opinion
IG offers lots of choice for more confident traders who will enjoy the app which serves up suggestions grouped by theme and sector. It’s mostly about shares, international shares but also spread-betting (playing with fire). The supporting research and content feels a bit thinner compared to some peers. Charges are low, particularly for larger accounts, and the large international brand will give comfort to some who struggle with the newer ‘funkier’ brands competing in this space.
*This is the view of investment expert Holly Mackay based on her first-hand customer experience as a test account holder. This does not constitute regulated advice. You can read more about Holly's investments here.
Who is IG?
IG is a trading platform which was founded in 1974. Its claim to fame is that it invented ‘spread betting’ - a form of speculative trading where you anticipate whether the price of a currency, index, commodity or share is going to rise or fall. Today IG is one of the world’s most popular choices for spread betting, is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index in London and is regulated by the UK’s financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). IG states its business model is “built around being on your side and wanting you to trade profitably”.
Who is IG good for?
IG is a good choice for frequent share traders, those who want to learn about more sophisticated trading methods using a free demo account and lots of educational resources, and those who are interested in ready-made investments through IG’s Smart Portfolio service.
Pros and cons
Still not quite sure if IG is right for you? We’ve broken down the main pros and cons in the table below. Take a look for a bird’s eye view of the key takeaways.
Investments
IG customers can invest in a huge range of different investments, including:
There is also a wealth of educational resources on IG’s website and app, including articles, guides, courses and even live learning sessions with financial experts to help you improve your knowledge on investing.
Screenshots are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent actual or current performance.
IG Smart Portfolios
IG offers a range of ready-made portfolios it calls its Smart Portfolios. These are essentially multi-asset funds that are made up of a blend of high and low-risk investments in different proportions. The idea is that if you prefer to minimise risk, you would opt for the lower-risk options, or if you’re more comfortable with risk and looking to maximise gains, you would opt for the higher-risk options.
The table below breaks down IG’s five Smart Portfolios in more detail.
Portfolio name | What is it? | Risk level |
Conservative | Invests in fixed-income products, primarily UK and US government bonds as well as corporate debt, with additional exposure to high-yield, index-linked and emerging-market bonds. | Very low risk. Described as suitable for “risk-averse” investors or those with short-term objectives. |
Moderate | Primarily invests in fixed-income products such as government, corporate and high-yield bonds. Some exposure to global equities and alternative assets such as gold. | Low risk. Designed for investors looking to protect their savings, but still want to keep ahead of inflation. |
Balanced | Invests in a blend of fixed-income products and global equities, with the addition of some alternative assets such as gold. | Medium risk. Designed for those who want to grow their savings over time but want to stay diversified. |
Growth | Invests primarily in global equities, with additional diversifying exposures to fixed-income products and alternatives. | High risk. Designed for investors with a high tolerance for risk and who are prepared to see sizeable fluctuations in the value of their investments in order to achieve long-term growth. |
Aggressive | Predominantly invests in equities, with residual exposure to fixed-income products and alternatives. | Very high risk. Designed for investors with a very high tolerance for risk, or those with an extended time horizon who can afford significant fluctuations in their savings. |
Accounts
Stocks & Shares ISA | Pension (SIPP) | General Investment Account (GIA) | Lifetime ISA | Junior ISA |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ | X | ✔ |
ISA,GIA and SIPP offer available on IG*
Invest £500 and receive a share bundle worth up to £500
Open an IG share dealing account or Smart Portfolio using code FS500 between 1–30 April 2026. Invest at least £500 during the promotional period and maintain a minimum of £500 invested until 31 July 2026. You’ll receive a randomly allocated bundle of shares worth £50–£500 (ETFs and equities). Shares will be credited to your GIA account by 31 August 2026.
New share dealing or smart portfolio clients only. Existing clients eligible if they have not previously traded on a share dealing account. W-8BEN form must be submitted by 31 July 2026. One promotion per person. Your capital is at risk. Fees and charges apply. Value of investments can go down as well as up. T&Cs apply*.
ISA,GIA and SIPP offer available on IG*
Earn up to £250 cashback on your investments
Open a standard GIA, ISA, or SIPP using code CASHBACK250 by 30 April 2026. Invest at least £500 and keep your portfolio active until 31 October 2026. You’ll earn cashback based on the amount you invest, up to £250. Cashback will be credited to your account by 31 November 2026.
UK residents 18+ only. New clients only. One promotion per person. Cannot be combined with other IG offers. Your capital is at risk. Fees and charges apply. Value of investments can go down as well as up. *T&Cs apply.
ISA,GIA & SIPP offer available on IG*
Transfer investments and receive 1% cashback – up to £5,000
Open an IG account (GIA, ISA or SIPP) using code TRANSFER5K and submit your transfer form between 6 April – 31 May 2026. Transfers must be at least £5,000. Earn 1% cashback on the value of your transfer, up to £5,000. Do not place any trades before submitting your transfer form. Keep your investments until 31 May 2027 to qualify. Cashback will be credited to your GIA account by 30 June 2027.
UK residents 18+ only. New IG clients only. One promotion per person. Cannot be combined with other IG offers. Your capital is at risk. Fees and charges apply. Value of investments can go down as well as up. T&Cs apply.
Fees and charges
IG charges no commission for stocks and ETFs traded within a GIA, ISA, and SIPP account.
IG charges a 0.7% FX conversion fee on international trades.
An IG Smart portfolio will cost you as follows:
Management fee | Fund costs | Transaction costs | Est. total annual cost (%) |
0.50% | 0.13% | 0.09% | 0.72% |
Customer reviews
Customers generally like the broad range of investment products, “efficient and prompt” customer service and the reliability that comes with this established, respected brand. However, some negative feedback includes the fees being too high and the website and app being “complicated” to understand.
Your opinion matters!
Leave a review for IG
05 March 2026
Certainly competitive on fees and costs. Good access for stocks and shares trading and investing and tools are better than most. However, their focus on funds (mutual funds) is woeful and non-existent. This is ridiculous and short-sighted given that most UK investors with an ISA let alone a SIPP almost always have funds in their portfolios. Yes active funds have difficult-to-justify fees and might not fit the low fees trend of client IG thinks they need to attract. But really how many UK clients would transfer their pensions or SIPP to IG if they cannot support funds?
Robert
20 December 2025
Great for share trading, and their fees have really come down recently (esp trading UK stocks).
Stephen
05 December 2025
It is all great, may be more trading screens or graphs could be added
05 December 2025
They provide good educational services and pay a good rate of interest on uninvested cash
05 December 2025
04 December 2025
Quick and easy to use, clear to see the details of any trade
04 December 2025
04 December 2025
Overall pretty solid never ran into a problem
Most asked questions
Is IG safe?
Cash savings with Dodl are covered by the UK government’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which guarantees reimbursement up to the value of £120,000 per person in the event that IG fails. Any amount above this threshold is unlikely to be covered. Investments with IG, on the other hand, are not guaranteed - by their nature, investments can and will go up and down in value.
Who owns IG?
IG, originally founded as IG Index, was founded in 1974 by British financier Stuart Wheeler. Today the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange, meaning investors can purchase shares in the company itself.
Glossary
Not 100% sure you understand something we’ve written in this review?
Discover jargon-free definitions of the most common words and technical terms used in the world of investing.
