Brokers With Volatility Index

Brokers with volatility index products, such as the CBOE VIX 75, allow investors to measure risk or fear within a market and to capitalize on the resulting profit potential. Here, we list the best brokers with volatility indexes alongside detailed reviews. Find out how to trade volatility indices today.

Best VIX Brokers

Our team tested and compared dozens of volatility index brokers and these 2 are the best:

#1 - eToro USA

eToro is a social investing platform that offers stocks, ETFs, options, and crypto. The broker is well-known for its user-friendly community-centred platform and competitive fees. With FINRA and SIPC oversight and millions of users across the world, this brand is highly respected. eToro securities trading is offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc.

"eToro is a top pick for users looking for social investing and copy trading. With a low deposit, zero commissions and an intuitive platform, the broker will meet the needs of newer traders."

- DayTrading Review Team
  • Instruments: Stocks, Options, ETFs, Crypto
  • Regulator: SEC, FINRA
  • Platforms: Own
  • Min. Deposit: $10
  • Min. Trade: $10

Pros

  • A free demo account means new users and prospective traders can try the broker risk-free
  • eToro USA Securities is a trustworthy, SEC-regulated broker that is a member of FINRA and SIPC
  • The online broker offers an intuitive social investment network with straightforward copy trading on cryptos

Cons

  • Narrower range of instruments than some competitors
  • No MetaTrader 4 platform integration

#2 - IG Group

IG is an award-winning broker that has an excellent reputation globally. The brand-US offers spread betting, CFD and forex trading across a comprehensive suite of markets. IG is also multi-regulated, provides a great trading app and has 50 years experience.

"IG offers a superb all-round package. Beginners will appreciate the user-friendly web platform and secure trading environment while established investors will rate the 17,000+ markets and top-tier market research."

- DayTrading Review Team
  • Instruments: CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting
  • Regulator: FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA
  • Platforms: MT4, AutoChartist, TradingCentral
  • Min. Deposit: $0
  • Min. Trade: 0.01 Lots
  • Leverage: 1:30 (Retail), 1:250 (Pro)

Pros

  • Users have access to a comprehensive range of charts, market news, client sentiment data, and analysis tools
  • IG offers great educational materials including an extensive library of training and support on how to day trade successfully
  • Share dealing and ISAs are available for longer term investing

Cons

  • Inactivity charge
  • No copy trading platform

What Is A Volatility Index?

Volatility indexes are real-time stock market indicators showing expected volatility over a certain period of time. Investors use them to gauge market sentiment and to capitalise on potential price swings.

You may have come across brokers with the Volatility 75 Index before (traded with the ticker symbol: VIX). The VIX is part of the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and is the most established index for quantifying predictions of volatility. The index shows the implied volatility of the S&P 500 (SPX) basket of 500 weighted US stock options over the next 30-day period. Many of the top brokers with volatility index instruments offer this product.

What is volatility trading

If the value of the VIX index increases, it typically means that the S&P 500 is falling and vice versa. You can check out a live Volatility 75 (VIX) chart on TradingView now, to see how the market is moving today. We’ve also covered how to trade the Volatility 75 Index in detail here.

There are other volatility indexes available to trade too, including the EU Index (VSTOXX) which is the best volatility benchmark in Europe. Alternatively, India’s volatility gauge is based on the option price of the NIFTY Index. Other popular indices include the CBOE Gold (GVZ), the FTSE 100 VIX (VFTSE) and the NASDAQ 100 Volatility (VXN).

For those who prefer quieter markets, there’s also the S&P 500 Low Volatility Index, which measures the performance of the 100 least volatile stocks in the S&P 500. You can check out the historical data and methodology on the S&P Global website. We’ve also listed brokers with volatility index products on the S&P 500 above.

Synthetic indices are simulated markets that are not affected by world events and news. Nonetheless, they do act like real monetary markets and are based on a cryptographic random number generator. These indices are also audited by an independent third-party so that they cannot be manipulated.

Within the synthetic index market, there are three states to be aware of: Trend Higher (where prices rebound into a bullish direction), Trend Lower (where ‘up’ moves are sold off and the market moves into a bearish direction) and Sideways Range (where little movement occurs in either range). Traders should look out for brokers that allow them to trade range markets as well as bullish and bearish.

Pros Of Brokers With Volatility Indexes

As volatility increases, the potential to make more money follows. Investing in volatility indices means capitalising on this. Brokers with volatility index instruments offer access to an interesting and less common asset, helping to diversify portfolios.

Brokers with volatility indexes are also incredibly useful when attempting to understanding whether markets have reached extreme positions, in either direction. With this being said, there are certain limitations that we’ve detailed below.

Cons Of Brokers With Volatility Indexes

Arguably, a volatility index reveals little more than what is already accessible. Much is already shown in the past and current performance of the S&P 500 Index, for example. The daily changes in the VIX show what has happened and what is happening now. But, as all traders will know – past performance is not a guarantee of future trends. Therefore, there is the risk that brokers with volatility indexes offer limited additional insights.

Plus, daily fluctuations are a challenge to keep up with. The regular evaluations of a volatility index can be repetitive and breathless, relying upon this takes up a large amount of time, with the reward unpredictable.

A common occurrence in investing is when too much attention is paid to a short term number, rather than the bigger picture, which could be the case here. Day-to-day, there is limited benefit in monitoring the VIX, but on a month-to-month basis, you might gain much more.

Best Brokers With Volatility Indexes

Brokers with a volatility index are few and far between. So, we’ve detailed the top 4 forex brokers offering the Volatility 75 Index and other relevant indices.

Deriv – Using Synthetic Indices And The VIX

Deriv is one of the market-leading brokers with volatility index instruments, offering synthetic volatility indices alongside the VIX 75. It provides access to high leverage, tight spreads and a selection of two powerful platforms. There are 10 volatility index instruments available across margin trading, options or multipliers, allowing you to utilise almost any strategy.

 Plus, Deriv is known for its fast order execution and deep liquidity, making it ideal for small and large traders.

Instruments

Accounts

Platforms

Fees & Payments

DMT5 Deriv.com Platform
DMT5 Platform

IC Markets – Using The VIX

IC Markets trading
IC Markets platform

Pepperstone – Using The VIX

Top brokers with tight spreads
Pepperstone MetaTrader

IFC Markets – Using The USVIX

IFC Markets MT5
IFC Markets MT5

Final Word On Brokers With Volatility Index

Brokers with volatility indexes provide traders with an asset class that is unrivalled by your traditional forex brokers. Therefore, they’re a popular option for those looking to branch out to new instruments.

When trading in a volatile market, there are a number of ways to stay ahead of the game. Sentiment plays a large part in many strategies for stock markets, so with this in mind, a volatility index is useful. With that being said, an index still has its limitations and is far from perfect. It is at the trader’s discretion to decide how much to rely on its insights.

FAQs

How Is The Volatility Index Calculated?

The CBOE Options Exchange (CBOE Options) calculates the VIX Index using standard SPX options and weekly SPX options. Standard SPX options expire on the third Friday of each month and weekly SPX options expire on all other Fridays. Only SPX options with more than 23 days and less than 37 days to the Friday SPX expiration are used. These are then weighted to yield a constant maturity 30-day measure of the expected volatility of the S&P 500 Index. Brokers with volatility index instruments may offer products on various major exchanges.

How Is Implied Volatility Different From Actual Volatility?

Rather than measuring realised or historical volatility of the S&P 500, the VIX projects its implied or expected volatility 30 days in the future. Implied volatility is a prediction only. It’s important to note brokers with volatility index products should have appropriate risk warnings on their website.

Why Is The Volatility Index Sometimes Referred To As The “Fear Gauge”?

The media and brokers with volatility index instruments often refer to the VIX as a “fear gauge” since it is a measure of investor sentiment. The VIX tends to rise as investors perceive a higher likelihood of prices declining, and so it is a good predictor of market-wide concern.

When Is A Good Time to Trade Volatility Index 75?

The best time to trade the Volatility Index 75 is when the price reacts to previous support or resistance levels. Results from research on the best time to trade Volatility 75 indicate that major trend reversals, range breakouts and price jumps happen around the 11:00 GMT and 23:00 GMT. We’ve listed some of the best brokers with volatility index assets in our guide above.