TRENDSMACRO Review: Zero Commission Trading On All Devices

While it didn’t hit the market until 2020, the TRENDSMACRO management has trading experience spanning back to 1999. As such, this is a provider that certainly knows a thing or two about what makes for an effective brokerage.

The firm, owned and operated by Ascana Group, is registered in the Marshall Islands. Like many offshore trading brokers, there are benefits and drawbacks to joining it as an investor.

At the time of writing, TRENDSMACRO welcomes new traders from all over the globe. A few notable exceptions are the USA, France and Israel. That said, TRENDSMACRO certainly has an international flavour.

The major concern for anyone considering linking up with an offshore firm is the simple question ‘is my money safe?’ Admittedly, regulation for firms on the Marshall Islands is less stringent than it might be for an FCA or CySEC approved broker. But the good news is that TRENDSMACRO holds its client money in segregated funds, so there will always be recompense should the worst happen.

What’s more, the broker also offers negative balance protection too, which shows its commitment to fair trading.

As far as TRENDSMACRO’s offered markets are concerned, there are around 100 different assets available to trade, with zero commission paid across the board. Spreads are variable and so your experience will largely be dictated by the level at which you trade.

In this TRENDSMACRO review, we will explore more about the broker and determine whether this is a firm you can trust to deliver a quality trading offering or not.

TRENDSMACRO Review: Pros & Cons

Broker Information

Platform Info

Table of Contents

Broker Test: Our TRENDSMACRO Experiences

Trading Conditions: Low Spread Trading at a Cost

• Deposit management: free
• Spreads from 0.01 to 2.80 pips
• Leverage up to 1:400
• Zero commission

As is the case with many brokers, TRENDSMACRO has created a platform with four different account types. Which of these you opt for will determine your unique trading conditions.

Bronze account holders are afforded leverage of up to 1:100 on the firm’s range of tradeable assets but note that the spread is 2.80 pips here.

Another useful tool for traders at the Bronze level who might not have a huge amount of capital to their name is the stop out level. At 5%, this is amongst the industry’s most agreeable rates. If you are trading with low margins, this will be a great help to you.

The conditions become even more favourable for Silver and Gold members — and note that Platinum traders can access leverage of up to 1:400 and spreads of 0.1 pips. The downside is that you will need to deposit a cool $50,000 in order to be accepted for Platinum membership.

For all account holders, you can trade from 0.01 to 50 lots at a time, and there are no limits on the number of open positions you can have at a single moment. All traders at TRENDSMACRO have access to a personal account manager, while those at the Silver level and above can utilise the services of an expert advisor.

There are no Islamic or swap-free accounts, while scalping is allowed.

As you can see, your trading conditions will differ based upon the level of account you open. As ever, the more you can invest as an initial deposit, the more hospitable those conditions will be.

Rating: B

Underlying Assets/Trading Platform Offering: Small Scale Trading

When compared to other brokers, we have to surmise that TRENDSMACRO is lagging behind when it comes to the sheer scale of underlying assets available.

That said, you will find coverage across the trading spectrum as you might expect:

• Forex
• Stocks
• Indices
• CFDs
• Precious metals
• Commodities
• Futures

It’s just that the selection is quite limited, with only 50 major and minor forex pairs and 45+ CFDs listed on the broker’s platform.

You can trade stocks too, with positions available in global operators and some up-and-coming firms in trending industries, while indices offered include the Dow Jones, FTSE, DAX and more.

The range of commodities and metals is less than comprehensive, too, although gold, silver and oil are catered for. With 24/7 market coverage offered, you’ll never have to miss an advantageous position.

All of these assets can be traded using the platform that TRENDSMACRO has chosen to deploy — MetaTrader4.

Many of you will already be familiar with MT4, and while not the latest version of the firm’s platform, it remains the most commonly used around the globe. The standard version of MT4, as well as WebTrader and the dedicated mobile app, are offered.

Rating: C

Order Features of the Trading Platform: Execute with a Single Click

One of the real treats of MT4 is that it supports one-click trading, so as soon as you want to open/close a position, you can do so with the minimum of fuss. That time saving can maximise your profit or minimise your loss accordingly.

All of your trades will be completed either STP or at the market, which minimises the delays of going through a dealing desk. This is another feather in the cap of TRENDSMACRO.

Via the broker’s MetaTrader platform, you can perform a number of unique order functions. You can utilise limit and stop orders on the buy and sell side, and make the most of tools such as Stop/Loss and Take Profit in order to make the very most of your open trades or close them appropriately.

All of the above results in TRENDSMACRO offering its traders a fluid ordering system. This enables precise money management and ensures no opportunities missed when your signals/indicators suggest you should be getting involved in the market.

Rating: A

Analysis features of the Trading Platform: All of the Tools of the Trade

The beauty of MT4 is that it offers traders a number of built-in analysis features. So, consequently, TRENDSMACRO clients are well placed to make more informed trading decisions.

Via the MT4 trading software, traders can use a variety of charts and patterns to analyse the tradable assets. At the point of deciding when to open or close a position, candlesticks and line graphs can be used to plot patterns and trade accordingly.

MT4 also offers a series of technical indicators, including RSI, oscillators, moving averages and more, to ensure you in the best position to understand what is happening in the market.

Factor in real-time data, live pricing and other essential information, and you have all of the tools required to be successful at your fingertips.

It doesn’t end there as far as analysis tools are concerned either. You can use the calendar and event schedule features to analyse when price fluctuations might be imminent, for example, ahead of earnings reports. You can analyse price moves in and around this time to determine the relative strength of a stock or use governmental budget announcements to trace forex price moves and so on.

All told, using the analysis tools afforded by MT4 ensures TRENDSMACRO clients are in an excellent position.

Rating: B

Regulation, Deposit Guarantee, and Risk Limitation: Good News and Bad News

When you deposit funds into your TRENDSMACRO wallet, the money is held in a segregated account with a top-tier financial institution. That dictates that if something were to happen to TRENDSMACRO, you should get some, if not all, of your balance back.

For further peace of mind, TRENDSMACRO also deploys negative balance protection. What this means is that you will never lose more than the money in your account, which is a great assurance given the nature of leveraged trading and the volatility of the market.

It's a real positive because a lack of stringent regulation governing offshore brokers means that negative balance protection is not always a given. You will never owe money to TRENDSMACRO should your account balance dip below zero.

As you may have experienced at other lightly regulated brokers, you’ll know that trading strategies such as scalping are not only accepted but welcomed. While this is a practice often frowned upon by brokers operating from more legislature-heavy nations, in this case, it can be considered another perk.

It is worth noting that TRENDSMACRO is registered on the Marshall Islands. Brokers located in this part of the world are free of many of the regulatory commitments that a firm under FCA or CySEC rule would face.

There is no government regulator on the Marshall Islands, even though the Financial Service Provider Commission lays claim to being an authority in these offshore locations.

Traders can use TRENDSMACRO with confidence but must be alert for any red flags that may emerge in the future. 

Rating: D

Automated Trading: Test and Trade

One of the real beauties of having access to MT4 is that you will have a suite of automation options at your fingertips.

There are a number of ‘off the shelf’ tools that let you set up your own signals and triggers when certain characteristics are met, or instead, you can build/import your own custom trading model into the software.

Those familiar with the MQL4 language will already know the potential they have for developing their own indicators. Even if you are new to trading, you can pick up indicator development pretty quickly, with TRENDSMACRO’s team able to offer any assistance you need.

One of the best automated trading tools that is on offer here is the ability to test out your own strategies across multiple assets at any one time, with all data and records tracked and stored on their server.

You can tweak and refine your own automation to see if you have a profitable angle, and using real-time data ensures that accurate market conditions are presented at all times.

If you are interested in automating your trading or already have a successful custom robot built, you will find the options available at TRENDSMACRO via MT4 more than agreeable.

Rating: A

Account Opening and Minimum Deposit: Low Limits and Easy Opening

As is customary these days, TRENDSMACRO offers four different account types that are tailored to the needs of each ‘band’ of traders.

Newcomers to trading and low rollers are likely to opt for the Bronze account, which offers a variety of perks, including a minimum deposit of $250.

Then there’s Silver, Gold and up to Platinum, where the minimum deposit is $50,000.

As you can see, there are some commonalities across the board. Zero commission is paid on all trades, and you can trade unlimited amounts of between 0.01 and 50 lots at a time. All TRENDSMACRO clients have access to a personal account manager.

There are some benefits to opening a higher-level account than Bronze — you’ll enjoy better spreads and can access leverage of up to 1:400. You’ll also be able to take advantage of an expert advisor too.

Whichever account you opt for, you’ll find the process of joining TRENDSMACRO straightforward enough. Simply fill in the necessary personal information after hitting the ‘Start Trading’ button, make your first deposit and start trading.

You will need to verify your identity, and you can do this by emailing or uploading your proof of identity and proof of residence documents. This is performed on a secure server, so you can rest assured your details will be kept perfectly safe.

If you want to ‘try before you buy’, you can open a demo account to test trading strategies without the risk to your capital.

Rating: B

The Broker and Its Competitors: Agreeable Trading Conditions Compared to Rivals

As discussed, TRENDSMACRO is an offshore broker that is slowly gaining traction with traders seeking the benefits of partnering with a firm that is not regulated punitively.

When we compare TRENDSMACRO to the competition, we can reflect on the fact that it charges zero commission and offers leverage of up to 1:400. Good trading conditions indeed.

That said, the broker’s competitors do offer a more comprehensive range of tradeable assets. The lack of crypto within TRENDSMACRO’s repertoire is strange to say the least. There are certainly better ‘entry level’ brokers out there if you wish to try your hand at trading with a demo account or a lower minimum deposit to start.

Rating: C

Additional Services and New-Customer Offers:

Other than the areas already outlined, there’s not a great deal we can file under ‘additional services’ as far as TRENDSMACRO is concerned.

One of the major disappointments of the site is that there’s a complete lack of educational material and research published. As such, there is little value gained by traders from using the site, and that might be enough to push some individuals to a broker that does dedicate time and resources into improving their clients’ knowledge base.

At the time of writing this TRENDSMACRO review, there wasn’t a new customer offer available. However, that could certainly change in the near future.

Rating: D

Customer Service and Website: Personalised Support

Customer service is certainly one of TRENDSMACRO’s strongest departments.

It’s rare for traders at all levels to be given a personal account manager. This is usually reserved for only Platinum or elite account holders, and the fact that a technical advisor is available when required is also very helpful.

All but Bronze account holders can utilise the services of an expert advisor too, which is an excellent addition.

Support is available 24 hours a day, five days a week via email and telephone, and in our research, we found both options to be answered in good time.

A live chat feature would certainly be welcome where an instant answer is required. However, this is a minor gripe in what is an otherwise excellent support service.

Rating: B