The world market is a risky place to trade in, for it attracts speculative like moths to a flame. You will be surprised by the number of people that throw money at securities without knowing the reason behind the prices going higher or lower. These neophytes are just trying their hand in the market casino expecting to get richer, however, most of them just end up walking away poorer and a whole lot wiser.
You see, the mistake that they seem to be making is indulging without having a solid understanding. It is imperative that they first understand the trading scene in itself before chasing hot tips and making binary bets. You may hit the jackpot every once in a while, but this strategy does not work in the long run. Traders looking to establish strong portfolios need to build a certain trajectory when it comes to their trade.
Lucky for traders today, there are online brokerage companies that work to provide effective means of investing and learning how to trade. These online brokers currently set the scene for retail trading as they make trading approachable. I for one have been able to grow exponentially as a trader owing to these online trading platforms and have been able to double my profits from what they were before. You will also notice that there are a great many options to choose from these days.
This is why I thought to share my own personal experience with a trading platform I have been associated with, that is, StocksCM. A friend recommended this platform when she saw me struggling with my previous one. After being associated with StocksCM for over 2 years now, I thought I knew about it enough to overview it. I hope that my review is able to help new traders understand what this platform is all about and what it seeks to offer all its clients.
Landing Page
When you access the web-based platform of StocksCM, you will be directed to the landing page or the welcome page. StocksCM has managed to integrate innovative graphics in its layout, which makes the page very interactive. I wanted to critically assess some features of the main page by allotting the pros and cons with respect to my own personal experience.
| Pros | Cons |
| The layout overall is very engaging, which makes the platform easy to use. | The colour scheme is set against a dark backdrop which I personally did not find very appealing as I prefer brighter themes. |
| You can access this web-based server from any electronic device having a stable internet connection such as your laptop or smartphone. | The login option can be difficult to access from the mobile browser as it requires you to open the pop-up list by clicking on the right corner. |
| The date and time and well-aligned on the right-hand side of the landing page. | The date and time are not visible on the mobile browser. |
| You can select the language of your preference by simply clicking on it from the right-hand side of the page. | There are only two language selection options, i.e. English and Deutsch. |
| You can scroll through the moving stock report easily. | The colour scheme for the stock report bar is too bland and does not make for an interactive interface. |
| You can access this website from anywhere and will be able to trade sitting at home on your couch. | Traders from certain jurisdictions will have limited access to this platform. |
Trading Platform
StocksCM is lined with state-of-the-art innovative technology to give you a trading experience that stands out from the crowd. This is why they have put in diligent effort in that regard by optimizing its tools to be as advanced and unique as their competitors. Not only do they have entry prices at a competitive market rate, but they also make sure to have reasonable commission and fees on all accounts.
| Pros | Cons |
| StocksCM displays a chart on its trading page that can be customized easily. | The chart is set against a dark backdrop which did not make the layout that appealing for me. |
| You can trade your assets using the popular categories of Indices, Stocks, Commodities, Currencies, and Crypto. | The chart indicators are difficult to interpret owing to the colour scheme. |
| Advanced tools are introduced by StocksCM to allow customers to produce reports easily. | Beginner traders might feel lost owing to the limitation of instructive tools. The platform can do more on that account to accommodate traders of all types. |
| You can access Positions, Closed Positions, Trade, Funds, Deposit and Account Statement from the left-hand-side panel. | There is no option for support on this page, and you will be required to go back to the main page to access it. |
| You have the option to trade with over 200 assets while being able to custom set the display with respect to trending, daily% change and name. | You cannot custom set the colours to flag certain positions. |
| You can choose the chart type according to your own personal preference from the line, OHLC, candlestick, spline and scatter. | The default chart type is Candlestick, which I find difficult to interpret and decided to opt for the line chart. |
Account Types
The variety of account types that StocksCM offers broaden the range of traders that can be accommodated. I personally find it to be very thoughtful of trading platforms to provide a range of account packages, and the reason I term them as packages are because they offer a list of features characteristic to each one. StocksCM offers you 4 account types which include Silver, Gold, Platinum and VIP.
As I was trying out this platform for the very first time, I decided to opt for the Silver account, for it had the least deposit balance requirement with €250. Even though I got minimum features with this account, I was still able to test out its trade operations. I got significant leverages up to 100 on over 200 tradable assets with a market review.
Once I was satisfied, I could easily upgrade with minimum commission onto other higher accounts. I chose to opt for the Platinum account as it suited my trade requirements and had a minimum deposit balance requirement of €50,000. Other than the bonus funds, Platinum spreads, trade room analysis, financial and risk planning options, I was allotted a dedicated account manager, Joe Hensen. He really helped me with expertise in trade and was able to guide me with respect to my own decisions while trading. He had a number of other clients assigned to him as well, which is why he took time to get back to me. But I really appreciated the fact that he made sure to always get back to me and answer my queries.
StocksCM has a team of expert brokers that run the platform, and their expertise in this field greatly helps customers come to terms with the world of trading. They make sure to accommodate all types of traders and do not express any sort of discrimination.
Withdrawal and Deposit
The withdrawal and deposit processes are diligently monitored by StocksCM in order to ensure secure transactions. The platform has strict policies against market law violations, which is why they make sure that each client is well aware of the guidelines for trading on the platform.
I was personally very satisfied with the withdrawal and deposit procedures on StocksCM. They prioritize withdrawals with respect to account type, so you always have the option to upgrade if you want to save yourself that wait in extra time. My Platinum account was on Level 2 with respect to priority on the withdrawal process, and I was satisfied.
The methods for withdrawal and deposit include:
1) Bank Wire Transfer
2) Visa
3) Mastercard
While the platform makes sure to accommodate most global payment methods, users of PayPal may find themselves at an inconvenience, for this option is currently not available on the platform.
Client Support
StocksCM aims to become a client-oriented trading platform, which is why they offer various methods for effective communication with their clients in order to get their feedback. You have the option to contact them through a phone call, live chat and email. However, owing to recent precautionary measures against COVID-19, they have temporarily closed down their phone lines. Nevertheless, I found their live chat to be just as effective as service operators respond to you within a few minutes. There are times during heavy traffic when the chat hangs, but you can always refresh it for smoother communication.
The timings for the live chat are Monday to Friday 07:00–14:00 GMT and phone support hours are Monday to Friday 09:00-13:00 GMT. However, the phone service is limited to Australia and the United Kingdom.
Final Thoughts
StocksCM is working hard to establish itself as a top-notch trading platform and its fast execution and minimum slippage bear witness to that account. I have been using this platform for a while now and have been able to watch it grow into a reputable trading platform. Traders looking for reliability and advanced service tools should definitely give this platform a fair chance.
