James Barra

James Barra

James is an experienced investment writer with a background in financial services. He was formerly a management consultant in the banking and capital markets sector where he worked with some of the UK and Europe’s largest banks.

James aims to help everyday investors find reliable, affordable platforms with trading conditions that match with user’s needs. He takes an analytical approach to evaluating online brokers, having reviewed over 200 trading platforms and investment apps, recorded more than 50,000 data points on brokerages, and placed hundreds of test trades over nearly 10 years.

James contributes to a number of websites in the investing niche and has been quoted in respected media outlets like Business Insider.

He has a degree in Law and a certificate in Business Accounting from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

You can reach James Barra on james.barra@daytrading.com.

Latest articles written by James

  1. Account Types In The US
    Article (Mar 2, 2026)
    From pattern trading to 401k and Reg T, US traders have many account types to figure out. How to pick the best account types? Find out here.
  2. Best Online Trading Communities
    Article (Feb 28, 2026)
    Trading communities are a place for active traders to share ideas and tips and we list top channels, chat rooms and forums.
  3. Best Day Trading Brokers For Beginners 2026
    Article (Feb 27, 2026)
    Find out which brokers and trading platforms emerged as best for beginners following our hands-on tests and in-depth analysis.
  4. Data Resources For Journalists
    Article (Feb 26, 2026)
    Explore DayTrading.com's proprietary data and studies into the most relevant topics spanning trading and finance, featuring expert comments.
  5. Crypto Regulations
    Cryptocurrency exchange rules
    Article (Feb 24, 2026)
    Understand cryptocurrency regulations by country, including the direction of trading rules. Do you know the latest crypto trading regs?

Latest articles edited by James

  1. IC Markets
    Broker Review (Mar 2, 2026)
    IC Markets review: years of real-money trading insights, detailed pros and cons, and how it stacks up against other brokers.
  2. Quotex
    Broker Review (Mar 2, 2026)
    Dig into our Quotex review for payouts, binaries, performance, and more. Get personal testing insights from our advanced traders and experts.
  3. Trade Idea: Delta Hedging
    Blog Post (Mar 2, 2026)
    Discover delta hedging and how to offset the directional bias for either a position or your entire portfolio. Find out more here.
  4. Crypto Mining on Macs
    Blog Post (Mar 2, 2026)
    Can you mine cryptocurrency on a Mac? Discover how, which coins work best, and if it would be profitable on your setup.
  5. The Most Common Trading Mistake?
    Blog Post (Mar 2, 2026)
    In trading, both at the retail and institutional level, the most common trading mistake is believing that the past controls the future.

James Barra on social media