First a bit about the company

IQ Option is an in Europe CySEC regulated online binary options broker. The company is owned by IQ Option Europe Limited and has their headquarters in the Yiannis Nicolaides Center in Agiou Cyprus. This business’ company registration number is HE327751 while their CySEC license number is 247/14. As an international binary options broker, IQ Option offers their services to citizens of most countries. However, USA, Canada, Australia, Israel, Syria, Sudan, Japan, N Korea, Belgium, Palestine, and Iran. are not accepted.

IQOption a scam or legit online options broker

From our investigation, nothing indicates that IQ Option is a scam broker. The fact that they’re CySEC registered in Europe and owned by a legitimate company are pointers to a legit business. They also provide all contact information on their website and upon calling their UK number +44 20 8068 0760 we actually go someone at the other side of the line.

Since their online launch in 2013, IQ Option has seen significant growth and at the time of writing, they claim to have over 10 million accounts from traders across the globe (this might include free demo accounts).

Open a trading account with IQ Option today and get a free demo account!

#1 Rated Binary Option Broker 2017
Broker	Regulation	Rating	Account
	CySEC		Start Trading

What makes IQ Option stand out?

IQ Option has done a great deal to stand out among its competitors. Their website is quite user friendly allowing you to navigate through it with ease. In a bid to ensure trader satisfaction, IQ Option has heavily invested in a rich collection of educational resources. We also liked the fact that opening a demo account doesn’t require you provide very personal details such as phone number or credit card. Their selection of tradable assets is also quite vast. For instance, you can trade over 10 million different options through their platform.

What are IQ Option downsides?

We found that this broker is primarily focused on investors who prefer to hold trades short term. The trade expiry times will usually expire at the end of the day unless you set a shorter period. There is however the end of month option which is the longest you can hold a trade position. This makes it an unattractive choice for traders who want to hold long positions that extend to even months.

Should you open an account with IQ Option?

If you’re wondering whether to open an account with IQ Option or not, here’s some information we believe will help you make the right decision.

The IQ Option website is well designed without a lot of marketing clutter such as what you’ll find on many broker websites. It’s easy to navigate through the different sections and, information about what you’ll get after opening an account is described as you scroll down the site. The website is accessible via computer or smartphone allowing you login to your account from virtually any place with an internet connection. The site is available in 13 different languages which make it even more easily accessible to traders from different parts of the world.

Opening an account is easy. For the demo account all you need is provide your names and email account to gain access. The real cash account requires you send over copies of identification documents and verification can take between 10 and 30 business days.

IQ Option has gone the extra mile to provide useful learning resources for traders. You’re provided with a variety of written and video tutorials which make trading easier. There’s also a detailed FAQ section where you can get answers to commonly asked questions. The platform’s blog is also a good educational resource.

Depositing money into your account is easy and IQ Option accepts several payment methods including e-Wallet, credit card and wire transfer. The amount of time it will take for your trading account to be credited will depend on the payment method you choose. The minimum amount you can deposit is $10 which is quite fair compared to competing brokers who require minimums exceeding $100. Depending on the instrument you’re trading, you can invest as little as $1. Withdrawing earnings is also easy and you can request your money to be sent using the aforementioned payment methods. However, IQ Option will usually send withdrawals to the payment option you used when depositing money. Card withdrawals also take higher priority so this is worth keeping in mind before opening a trading account.

Opening an account with IQ Option gives you access to a variety of technical analysis tools including candlestick charts, MACD, Stochastic, Moving averages and others. This allows you to trade using your best strategy. Other tools you’ll have access to include stock screeners, calendars, volatility alerts and others which enable you remain updated on current market conditions.

Excellent customer support is a must have for any decent broker. IQ Option offers support through a number of ways including phone and email. We did expect them to have live chat which is a faster way to get your questions addressed. You can also easily interact with other traders through the chat feature that’s directly accessible from your trading account. This comes in handy when you’re looking for hot tips that can lead to successful trades.

So what about effective returns on trades? IQ Option offers up to 91% effective returns on successful trades. This is higher than what many brokers currently offer. The trade expiry times are short term with speed trading options starting from 60 seconds to 1 hour. The longest you can hold a trade is 1 month.

Trader complaints about IQ Option

Finding trader complaints and comments about IQOption required some digging. However, we came across some on pissedconsumer.com. Many of the complaints centered around price differences between actual market prices and the strike prices on the platform. Most traders pointed out that what they eventually made was significantly lower compared to what they actually expected. Such complaints might have prompted CySEC action since the regulator recently withdraw a fine they’d imposed on the broker for “not executing orders the best possible way for their clients”. Another reason many traders complained is regarding IQ Option withdrawals. Most said that their money took too long to reach their accounts. However, IQ Option actually states that it can take up to 45 days for wire transfer withdrawals to reach your account. As recommended earlier, you should carefully choose the payment method to use as it will affect deposit and withdrawal times.

Many traders also praised the platform due to their low $10 minimum deposit and other useful features. In addition, since CySEC withdrew the aforementioned fine, complaints seem to have reduced which we consider a good sign that IQ Option is doing things right.

User friendliness

We like the user friendly platform design will well laid out sections. It’s pretty easy to find a specific section through a few mouse clicks. The account interface does tend to become cluttered especially if you have several trades open but we’ve seen worse. The broker seems to target traders from Europe and Asia and that’s why the languages supported come from these regions. Accessibility is further enhanced through the mobile friendly interface meaning you can trade from virtually anywhere.

Tradable assets

This is one of the few brokers offering over 10 million options and thousands of EFTs, stocks and currency pairs. If you’re looking for a wide range of instruments to build a healthy portfolio, this broker will easily become your best friend. However, the only commodity we found is gold.

Commissions and effective returns

IQOption focuses mostly on short term expiry periods. If you want to hold extremely short term positions, you have access to turbo options which have expiries of 60 seconds and 120 seconds. Short term options have expiries or 3 minutes, 5 minutes and increments of 5 minutes thereafter. The longest you can hold a trade position is 1 month.

This broker offers decent effective returns where a successful trade can get you up to 91%.

Contact and Support

Getting support is on the average side. For such a broker, we’d expect them to offer live chat support which is much faster compared to the email and phone number offered. However, we still like the chat feature provided within your account interface. This allows you to chat with fellow traders. It can come in handy when you have a particular question which can be answered by a more experienced trader.

Deposits, withdrawals and bonuses

Depositing money into your real cash account is quite easy with accepted payment methods including e-wallet, wire transfer and credit card. The verification process that follows thereafter could be a bit shorter as it could take weeks for your account to be verified. The minimum accepted deposit amount of $10 is also quite fair given some brokers will require a minimum of over $250.

Withdrawing your earnings is also quite easy. However, IQ Option will normally accept withdrawals made via the payment method you used to deposit money into your account. Traders have also complained about the period it takes for money to reflect in their accounts. However, if you want it to take less time to get your money; it’s recommended you use credit card or any of the accepted e-wallet payment methods over wire transfer.

IQOption doesn’t offer any sign up bonuses. It’s a requirement by CySEC Europe.

Website extras

IQ Option has made huge strides to offer many useful features to make trading easier. Their collection of 16 different video tutorials makes it easy to get started using the platform. The demo account is also a good addition and we like the fact that there’s no limit to how long you can use it. Your trader account also gives you access to a variety of tools and features that make trading using your preferred strategy easy. These tools include charts and indicators most of which are not offered by many brokers.

Since their launch in 2013, IQ Option has become one of the fastest growing online binary options brokers. Their huge selection of tradable assets, learning resources and trader friendly features are just a few of the reasons why their growth has been so fast. The platform does have its challenges most of which regard the extended periods it takes to get your earnings and average customer support. However, they’ve done a great deal to offer traders unique features, an easily accessible platform and the ability to interact with other traders right from their accounts. Overall, if you’re a novice or experienced financial instruments trader looking for a reliable and fully regulated broker, IQ Option is worth considering.

#1 Rated Binary Option Broker 2017
Broker	Regulation	Rating	Account
	CySEC		Start Trading