City Index review

The minimum deposit is $0, so an account can be opened without tying up a large sum. Deposits and withdrawals carry no fees, which keeps funding the account costless. Trading costs then sit in the price of each position.

Yes, an inactivity fee of £12 applies, and on the site's comparison City Index sits at 45 of 56 on this measure. Anyone holding a small balance they never trade with is better off closing the account, since the charge applies to the account.

City Index covers stocks, etfs and forex from a single account, mixing cash shares and ETFs with leveraged products such as CFDs, forex and crypto. Readers who want a single platform for several asset classes will find the list broad, though risk differs sharply between owned securities and leveraged positions.

City Index publishes 70% as the share of retail investor accounts that lose money, in line with the standard industry warning. The site's median for retail losses is 70.15%, so City Index sits near the middle of the brokers listed.

On markets, eToro covers stocks, etfs and forex, which adds futures to the stocks, etfs and forex list here, while CFI covers stocks, etfs and forex without spread betting. On starting costs, bunq's minimum deposit is €10 against $0 here.

City Index fits traders who want stocks, ETFs, forex, CFDs, crypto and spread betting in a single place, and who keep the account active, because an inactivity fee of £12 applies to dormant balances. It suits buy and hold investors less well.

Its cost score is 5.2 in the site's ratings, and the inactivity fee of £12 is what holds that figure down. The rest reads better: a $0 minimum deposit and no deposit or withdrawal fees. Traders who stay active sit nearer the good end of that scale.