Starting with FXTM – what have been the main achievements so far this year, and what are your plans for the remainder of 2015?
FXTM is a young and dynamic company and 2015 has been another exciting year as we continue to develop our products and services to meet the needs of our growing international client base.

In 2015, we have continued to focus on trader education and consider our educational programme to be one of our flagship products. We understand that educated traders are better able to balance the risks and opportunities presented by the market, and are therefore more likely to make successful trades. As such, we provide a wide range of resources on both technical and fundamental analysis and regularly hold educational seminars around the world. Most recently, our training events in Nigeria had over 500 attendees, which was a great achievement for all those involved.

We understand that educated traders are better able to balance the risks and opportunities presented by the market

With FXTM’s growing presence in Asia and the Middle East, we are also busy developing our products and expanding our services for these regions. Earlier this year we launched websites in Thai, Malay, Korean, Indonesian and Urdu, offering our clients the ease of trading in their own language. We are also always seeking ways to tailor our products to our traders around the world, and as such we will shortly be launching a new investment programme, so keep an eye out for that later in the year.

Following the Swiss National Bank (SNB) crisis in January, how was FXTM affected, and what impact did it have on the industry as a whole?
As we know, the Swiss National Bank’s decision to remove the exchange-rate peg led to sudden and unexpected volatility in the market that caught many forex traders and brokers off-guard. Although in the industry we frequently stress the importance of implementing a proper risk management strategy to our clients, this must also apply to the forex brokers themselves. For FXTM, the events in January did not have an adverse effect on our business as we have a robust risk management strategy, and ensure that we are properly capitalised at all times, in line with regulatory guidelines.

However, this ‘Black Swan’ event has most definitely prompted all brokers to re-examine their business models and risk strategies more closely, and considering the current volatility caused by the situation in Greece, they were wise to do so. With regard to the long-term effects, the consequences of the SNB event are continuing to be revealed and we are still feeling the aftershocks throughout the industry.

One of the challenges which has troubled the forex industry in 2015 is that of trust. What are your thoughts on this? What steps is FXTM taking to address this issue?
Without a doubt, over the past several years we have seen the forex industry as a whole mature, however it is disappointing to see that trust remains an ongoing issue, and this is primarily due to the poor behaviour of some unscrupulous and unlicensed forex brokers. In order to tackle this issue, in what is largely a decentralised industry, I believe that regulation is one of the key solutions, and as a company it is something which we strongly welcome. Moreover, regulation plays a key role in gaining the trust of clients and safeguards the interests of both the trader and the broker.

As such, FXTM is regulated by CySEC and registered with the FCA. We constantly strive to ensure the highest standards in our business and to offer a consistently fair and transparent service. Our efforts have been recognised by the industry as a whole, with FXTM winning the award for ‘Most Trusted Broker’ at the 2015 MENA Expo Awards earlier this year. This award is something which we are extremely proud of as time and time again we have demonstrated that we are a broker that our clients can really rely on.

Looking forward to the rest of the year, we often hear how technology is a game-changer within the industry. What is your opinion on this, and what developments can we expect in 2015?
To remain a relevant player within the forex industry it is vital to keep up with, and anticipate, the latest advancements in technology. With the rapidly changing currency markets every second counts when opening or closing a position. Low latency between the broker’s server and the market is vital and it can make or break the trust and consequently the relationship between client and broker. At FXTM we have made use of technology to offer time-efficient solutions to our clients from on-boarding clients with prompt KYC identification processes to the instant processing of payments and withdrawals.

In 2015, one of the hot topics is the shift towards the adoption of mobile trading. This trend is being driven by two factors: firstly the increasing ownership of smartphones and tablets around the world, and in particular in developing markets; and, secondly, the desire from traders for far greater flexibility. With apps now being developed for all kinds of everyday needs, people also want to be able to access their trading accounts on-the-go. At FXTM we’ve taken this on-board and offer our platform on both iOS and Android.

What other opportunities do you foresee for the remainder of 2015 for both FXTM and the forex industry as a whole?
So far in 2015 the dramatic rise in interest towards forex trading has continued, especially in the Middle Eastern and Asian markets. Individuals in these markets are looking for new ways to invest their money and the flexibility of forex provides a great opportunity, due to the ease with which it is possible to start trading. FXTM already has a strong foothold in these regions and we look forward to expanding our reach over the coming year. Winning the Forex Report Award for ‘Best Broker East Asia, including China’ was an excellent start to our year and a testament to the high quality service we provide to our clients in these markets.

FXTM is an international forex broker which provides access to the global currency market and offers trading in forex, precious metals, Share CFDs, ETF CFDs and CFDs on Commodity Futures. Trading is available via the MT4 and MT5 platforms with spreads starting from just 0.5 on Standard trading accounts and from 0.1 on ECN trading accounts. Bespoke trading support and services are provided based on each client’s needs and ambitions – from novices, to experienced traders and institutional investors. ForexTime Limited is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), with license number 185/12 and FT Global Limited is regulated by the International Financial Services Commission (IFSC) with license numbers IFSC/60/345/TS and IFSC/60/345/APM.