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WebIRESS is one of the most commonly used CFD and Share trading platforms in Australia, being adopted by some of the country's largest online brokers and leading CFD providers. In recent times webIRESS has undergone a makeover, with the latest version webIRESS Plus recently being launched.

WebIRESS Plus offers day traders and scalpers a number of significant advantages over it's predecessor, with the most noticeable being the speed of order execution, additional advanced order types and visual improvements. The significant improvements of webIRESS Plus make it the ideal CFD trading platform for day traders and scalpers looking to take advantage of rapid CFD price movements in the opening and closing phases of the market and during market volatility.

WebIRESS Plus is fast becoming the most popular CFD trading platform in the market due to the significant edge traders are able to gain as a result of the platforms dramatic speed improvement. In addition to the speed improvements in webIRESS Plus, there are now also a number of new order varieties including if-done orders, meaning CFD traders now have more control over their trades with the ability to set and forget orders.

Despite the significant advantages webIRESS Plus offers day traders and scalpers it is important to note that the speed advantages of webIRESS Plus are dependent on the internet connection being used. As an active trader it is always advisable to ensure that you have the fastest and most reliable internet connection possible, this may mean having an ADSL2 or cable broadband connection. Most active traders will always have two internet connections to ensure redundancy should one connection fail.

Active day traders often use the webIRESS Plus platform alongside an advanced charting package or market scanning tool. One of the more common and readily available charting packages is MetaStock another lesser known package is Spark. Spark is popular with more active day traders who monitor many CFDs at the same time and require detailed real-time information relating to price and volume changes which when combined with chart formations allow them to identify trading opportunities such as price and volume breakouts.

Of course a great trading platform, charting package and internet connection alone will not make anyone a successful trader. These are simply tools that will give you the edge over other traders in the market. The most important components of trading are information flow and discipline which when combined with a proper trading plan and tools will help you on your way to becoming a successful trader.

Currently webIRESS Plus is only available from IC Markets. You can download a webIRESS demo to see whether the platform suits your needs.

Day traders and scalpers are always looking to gain an edge in the market that will give them a real trading advantage, however most traders often go searching for faster PC's, internet connections or a better charting package, many often overlook the fundamental basics like the trading platform that they are using or the broker that they are dealing with.
 
The most important element in any DMA CFD traders arsenal is their trading platform as this is their connection to the market. May DMA CFD day traders and scalpers assume that their broker has the fastest market connectivity and trading engine behind their platform, however unfortunately in reality there are some brokers that do not have the correct infrastructure to enable sub-second order execution into global exchanges.

As a CFD day trader or scalper it is critical to ensure that your DMA CFD broker has the fastest market connectivity possible. In many cases DMA CFD providers outsource their execution services to their prime broker, although this allows the DMA CFD provider to achieve cost efficiencies it does not always help you as a day trader. In-fact outsourcing CFD execution to a global investment bank may mean that your trades are routed through one of the main regional hubs being London, New York or Hong Kong before they reach the market and appear as a filled order on your trading platform. Some global investment banks do however have localised infrastructure meaning that your orders are not sent around the world before they reach the exchange. When choosing a DMA CFD provider it is important that you ask them whether their orders are routed locally or through their prime brokers global infrastructure as this will have a significant effect on the speed of your order execution.

Aside from good market connectivity the other core element is the trading platform that you use. There are many trading platforms available to retail DMA CFD day traders and scalpers, however by far the most popular is the webIRESS platform. Many CFD providers are able to offer you the webIRESS platform however there are very few providers that are able to offer webIRESS plus. WebIRESS plus is faster than conventional webIRESS and offers split second order execution. 

As a DMA CFD day trader is important to choose a CFD provider that can give you split second order execution allowing you to acheive a CFD trading edge. Of course before you start trading you should evaluate the pro's and con's of each CFD provider and download a few trading platforms to ensure that the CFD provider you select does in fact give you an edge in the market.

To find out more about trading CFDs you should download this free CFD Guide.

The webIRESS trading platform has been available as a share trading platform since 2000, it was only in late 2003 that the platform was adapted to suit CFD trading. The early adopters of the platform led its development and consequently forged a new wave of trader, the DMA CFD trader.

Before webIRESS the only DMA CFD trading platform available was complicated and clunky, the webIRESS trading platform set the new benchmark for DMA CFD trading amongst retail investors in Australia. Recently the DMA CFD offering on the webIRESS trading platform has been extended beyond DMA CFDs on Australian shares to incorporate CFDs over shares listed in the US and on several European exchanges along with forex and indices.

The webIRESS trading platform is web-based meaning it can be accessed from any PC with on-line access and can be utilized from behind a firewall in an office or from an internet cafe. The superior mobility of the platform has made it extremely popular amongst casual and professional traders.

It is not only the mobility of the platform and range of products offered that makes webIRESS so popular but it's also the platforms speed, functionality and ease of use. The webIRESS trading platform is one of the fastest DMA CFD trading platforms available, orders are executed in less than one tenth of a second, much quicker than the majority of other platforms. The platforms speed combined with its vast array of order types including trailing stop-loss orders and contingent orders make it the ideal platform for active traders.

The webIRESS trading platform has a number of great features including a market map and ability the see the entire market depth and course of sales of share CFDs, most platforms limit market depth to five levels and course of sales to the last one hundred trades. The market map is particularly useful as it offers a visible illustration of the shares that are moving within a particular sector and the market capitalization of the share relative to the sector. Traders regularly use the market map as a tool to recognize undervalued shares within a sector.

Since the CFDs traded on the webIRESS platform are DMA all orders are transmitted directly to the exchange order book of the stock over which the CFD is based. Being able to participate in the market of the underlying financial instrument means you can be a price maker and trade in the opening and closing phases. These are normally the phases of the market where a large amount of volume occurs, meaning more trading opportunities.

Before you start using the webIRESS platform you should download a demo that will allow you test many of its great features before you start trading for real.

To learn more about DMA CFD trading on the webIRESS platform you should download a free webIRESS demo.

WebIRESS is one of the most popular trading platforms for DMA CFDs in Australia and is offered by most of the major on-line brokers. WebIRESS is popular in the share trading community as well as with DMA CFD traders. Traders using WebIRESS are able to trade both shares and DMA CFDs using the same WebIRESS login.

Most CFD and on-line share brokers in Australia are able to offer a WebIRESS demo for prospective traders to download any try prior to opening a real trading account. It is important to note that WebIRESS demo accounts do not allow you to place orders or view your portfolio, the reason for this is that WebIRESS must be connected to an IRESS Order System (IOS) in order to function and place orders, demo accounts are usually not connected to an IOS.

As WebIRESS is a web-based trading platform demo accounts are accessed on-line utilising your web browser, however it is important to note that WebIRESS requires Java to be installed on your PC in order to operate correctly. When first installing WebIRESS you will be prompted to install the most recent version of Java. It is critical that the most recent version be installed as your webIRESS may not function correctly on older versions of Java.

Upon first glance your WebIRESS demo will appear quite basic with the workspace layout being divided into four frames, however when switching to the multiple document interface (MDI) mode you will quickly realise the power of the WebIRESS desktop interface. In the MDI mode you are able to freely move windows across multiple monitors and easily create customisable workspace tabs.

When fist logging into your WebIRESS demo you will find that it will most likely have delayed market prices and only one level of depth, this is normal. After opening a real trading account you will be given the option to subscribe to live data at a cost of around $38.50 for ASX data, upon subscription you will have full access to live market data, course of sales and full market depth.

One of the great features of webIRESS is the market map. The market map is essentially a heat map of the market providing a visual representation of the market movement of stocks in each of the sectors in real-time. The size of the squares in the map represent the market capitalisation of each of the stocks and the shades of red or green provide an illustration of how much the stock has moved up or down. The market map is great for traders looking for a quick snapshot of the movement of stocks in relation to their sector and the overall market.

After you have spent some time navigating the menu items, creating watch lists and customising a layout it is advisable to explore the charting functionality of your WebIRESS demo and become familiar with the chart indicators and layouts and how you can adapt them to suit your trading strategies.

Once you decide whether WebIRESS is the right trading platform it is important to factor its cost into your trading budget, most brokers and CFD providers offer the WebIRESS platform at a cost of somewhere between $55 to $88. When combined with ASX data fees your total monthly cost will come to around $95 to $125. If you are a frequent trader you will likely find that your broker or CFD provider will cover the WebIRESS cost on your behalf, however if you are not a frequent trader it is important for you to determine whether the added features available on the WebIRESS platform are worth paying for as there are many free CFD platforms available that offer similar features.

It is advisable that you download a WebIRESS demo in order to become familiar with its many features and to determine whether trading CFDs on the WebIRESS platform suits your trading strategy. 

If you would like to learn more about DMA CFDs you can download our free CFD Guide.  

There are many good CFD brokers in Australia, their active marketing and promotions make it difficult to chose, some have advantages over the others but more often than not it is their fancy marketing makes you confident in your choice of provider.

When you sweep away all of the fog and evaluate each of the best CFD brokers on a few key metrics you will soon discover which provider genuinely suits your trading needs.

There are as few key metrics that you should judge your CFD broker on, these are:

• DMA or Market Made
• Web based or Downloadable trading platform
• Product Range

DMA or Market Made
It is important to ensure that you understand the differences between DMA and Market Made CFDs and the pro’s and con’s of each. DMA CFDs offer a few advantages in that they allow you to trade the opening and close phase of the market in addition to allowing you to participate in the market depth. DMA CFD are popular with scalpers and day traders but are not so popular with traders needing exposure to indices or currencies and wanting to place guaranteed stop loss orders, this is where Market Made CFDs have significant advantages over their DMA cousins.

Web Based or Downloadable trading platform
It can be quite confusing when choosing a CFD brokers platform as each platform has benefits and drawbacks. It is important to consider where you will be trading from as this will decide whether you use a web based or downloadable platform. If you intend to trade from work it would be better to choose a web based trading platform for the simple reason that web based platforms do not require a download, this means that they cannot be blocked by the firewall in an office, however, web based platforms come with some downside also in that they tend to lack much of the advanced charting functionality of downloadable platforms. Downloadable platforms a more suitable for home use as they offer significantly more advanced charts and order types in addition to added features such as back testing and customisable multi screen layouts. Professional day-traders and scalpers often prefer using downloadable platforms whereas casual traders tend to choose web based platforms.   

Product Range
It is important that when choosing the best CFD broker for your needs you should assess the products that they offer to ensure that can provide a range of CFDs that suit your trading plan. Some CFD brokers only offer CFDs on Australian Shares however others offer CFDs over stocks, indices and forex. If your trading plan covers all of these products you should be sure to choose a provider that does not restrict you to Australian share CFDs only.

Of course when choosing the best CFD broker for your trading needs you will need to asses all of the metrics above and make your determination based on your trading strategy. It is also advisable to download a few demo trading platforms available in the market, this will help you better understand whether the platform is suitable for your needs and trading style.

To understand CFDs in more detail and to learn how to develop a trading plan you can download our free CFD Guide.

Direct Market Access or DMA is the often used to describe a variety of CFDs that have become popular in the Australia market, these are affectionately known as DMA CFDs. With DMA CFDs your trade is passed directly through to the underlying share market with no dealer or market maker intervention, this means that orders are executed at the true market price and in a timely manner with no re-quotes. Trading DMA CFDs is much like trading shares online.

DMA CFDs provide complete order transparency. Traders are also able to participate in the market depth of the underlying security on which the CFD is based by joining a bid or offer queue, they are also able to participate in the open and closing auction phases of the market. DMA CFDs provide all of the benefits of trading shares with the additional leverage that CFDs offer.

Trading DMA CFDs is very similar to trading shares, traders are able to hit the bid or offer or join the buy or sell queue. DMA CFD traders have significant advantages over traders using market made CFDs in that they have the potential to enter and exit trades at superior prices.

When trading DMA CFDs you will be required to subscribe to exchange data, the cost of data varies from exchange to exchange. Once subscribed you will have access to real time prices and market depth allowing you to see the number of buyers and sellers at each different price level and participate in order queues allowing partial fills and superior execution.

One disadvantage of DMA CFDs is that guaranteed stop losses are not offered, typically DMA CFDs traders use options to manage their downside risk however these can be overly complicated for the novice trader.  

When trading DMA CFDs traders have the ability to become price makers meaning that when an order is placed it is transmitted to the real market and can have an effect on the price of the stock over which the CFD is based.

Trading CFDs using a Direct Market Access (DMA) model is best suited for frequent traders that trade on an intraday basis. Frequent traders will find that DMA CFDs will enable them to trade freely without dealer intervention and obtain better prices when buying and selling. DMA CFDs are also suited to active day traders and scalpers who are looking to profit from small price changes quickly.

There are a number of CFD platforms that you can trade DMA share CFDs on, the two most common platforms in Australia are webIRESS and ProDeal. Both platforms allow traders to participate in the market depth of the DMA CFD which they are trading. The webIRESS platform is also very popular within the share trading community, mainly because of the variety of order types on offer, whereas ProDeal is very popular amongst CFD traders, this is because of the broad range of CFD on offer and its advanced charting functionality.

It is important to note that before starting to trade DMA CFDs you consider whether this type of CFD suits your trading style, choosing the wrong CFD type will have an effect on the success of your trading strategy.

You can find out more about DMA CFDs by downloading our free CFD Guide.

DMA CFD day traders constantly look for short term trades to take advantage of small market movements on the other hand investors look for medium to long term value. All traders and investors need a strategy even the best day traders and fund managers, here we will examine some of the principles adopted by the best of them.

A DMA CFD trade can last anything from half an hour for short term intraday scalping or even up to four or seven days. You must never let a short term CFD trade to turn into a long term position if it goes against you. You must stick to your original trade parameters. If you don’t, your losses will start to accumulate and you run the risk of wiping out your account. If you have chosen to open a DMA CFD position that you want to run for several days the same rule applies. Don’t let it become an investment that sits on the back burner hoping it will come good.

You should only be holding DMA CFD positions overnight if you are confident in your view, not because you can’t bring yourself to take a loss. This is one of the most common mistakes made by novice traders. As the market close approaches and their positions start moving against them, a lot of traders refuse to accept that their trades were wrong. This leads to unnecessary risk taking and generally ruins the next day’s trading.

When the market starts to turn or go into consolidation phase, good day traders can take long and short positions several times during the trading day. This is only possible if you are flexible and are not looking for big price swings, you must also be prepared to take small loses and move on to the next trade.

The essence of day trading is flexibility. You must be able to bend with the market. Do not take it on. As soon as you have a strong fixed view on where a given price of the CFD is heading you must put stops in place as this is where you can suffer the biggest losses because when the market moves against you all you want to do is increase the size of your position.

On the longer slightly longer term DMA CFD trades i.e. one to seven day duration, you must be looking for at least a profit of 1% and ideally up to 5% to justify your risk exposure. This does not mean you should run a 5% stop loss. If at any point the trade looks incorrect close it out and look for more favourable conditions to re-enter.

Stop loss orders are absolutely vital to your capital survival and your ability to keep day trading. They should be viewed as an insurance policy. Stop losses have been vastly under utilised by DMA CFD traders in the past who were always worried about being stopped only to see their trades go the right direction later on. This will happen, but you must be able to deal with the frustration and move on to the next opportunity. If you don’t, you have adopted an incorrect trading style and will find yourself at the market’s whim.

Trading versus Investing
The difference between trading and investing is the time horizon and expectations. Investing is a long term game that involves committing your money to the market looking for positive capital growth and/or income. Investors look to put their money into the markets for a minimum of at least 10 years. Investors should not look at their CFD portfolio on a day to day basis as this will only affect their overall view of the market as the inevitable large swings would unnerve them.

Warren Buffett said you should not buy a stock if you are concerned it may drop in value by 50 per cent. This is an extreme view, but Buffett is one of the world’s richest men and most successful investors.

One of the problems with long term investing in CFDs is money management and where to put your stop losses. An intraday move could go below your perceived level of an acceptable drawdown, but you have to remember that you are investing for the long term. It requires immense patience to be a long term investor and this style only suits certain people. This why there are many fund managers who look after the money of people who do not have the time or the ability to get involved in the financial markets. Long term investing should be used as part of an overall strategy.

Risk
Risk is always present in the markets. Your trading strategy must address risk management. How much of your capital do you want to risk at any given time?

You must always be looking to reduce risk and this can be done by using stop loss orders. This is particularly important if you are going to use DMA CFDs with low margin requirements where the leverage can be high. You should also ensure that your portfolio is well diversifies and includes DMA CFDs from different industry sectors, this will ensure that you are not solely exposed to the price movement of one CFD.

CFDs can be enormously rewarding if you adopt strict trading rules and are disciplined. Before trading CFDs on-line you should ensure that you read our free CFD Guide.

There are two main types of CFDs, these are:

1. Direct Markets Access and;
2. Market Made

Some CFD providers only offer one type of CFD others offer both. The most common type of CFD is the market made variety, typically this type of CFD is offered by CFD providers that also offer spread betting and originate in the United Kingdom where spread betting is popular.

All CFD traders or potential CFD traders should understand the differences between the mechanics of both types of CFDs and the fee structures associated with them.

Direct Market Access (DMA) CFDs
Direct Market Access (DMA) CFDs mirror the price and liquidity of the underlying instrument on which the CFD is based. DMA CFDs are the most fair and transparent type of CFD available. When trading DMA CFDs the trader is a "price maker". DMA CFD traders can enter and see an equal order flow onto the underlying exchange, this guarantees that at all times they receive true market prices on every trade. DMA CFDs offer traders real time execution, guaranteed market prices and participation in the order book and opening and closing phases of the market this provides a significant advantage for scalpers.

DMA CFD providers do not profit directly from performance of the CFD trader, as all CFD positions are 100% hedged. This means that if you buy the CFD, the provider will instantly buy the underlying equity as their hedge trade. 

Points to note
• The quoted price of DMA CFDs is the same as the price quoted on the underlying exchange;
• DMA CFD orders flow directly onto the underlying exchange;
• DMA CFD traders can be a price takers or makers and participate in the market depth on the  exchange, and;
• DMA CFD traders can participate in opening and closing market auctions.

Market Maker (MM) CFDs
A Market Made CFD does not mirror the price on the underlying market. Market Makers that offer Market Made CFDs derive their CFD prices from the underlying instrument on which the CFD is based rather than quoting the exact exchange price of the instrument like DMA CFD providers. Market Makers act as an intermediary to the CFD trade and have the ability to alter the price of the CFD, price alterations often occur in their favor, often resulting in stop orders being triggered and slippage which can add a significant cost to the trade.

Market Makers do not hedge 100% of their CFD positions, typically they hedge only the resulting amount after their clients long and short positions net each other off, however in many cases they do not hedge at all and often directly profit from their client’s losses. When trading Market Made CFDs trades do not flow directly onto the exchange, they are at the discretion of a dealer as a result orders are filled slower and at inferior prices.

Points to note
• MM CFD traders do not receive the same prices as those quoted on the exchange;
• MM CFD spreads are often widened and orders re-quoted;
• Market Makers are price takers not price makers, this means MM CFD traders cannot participate in the underlying order book;
• MM CFD traders cannot participate in the opening and closing market auctions and;
• Some Market Makers profit from the performance of their clients positions.

Market Made CFDs do have some benefits over DMA CFDs in that they are generally offered over a larger range of stocks and indices. Market Makers are also able to offer additionally liquidity in larger stocks, the reason for this is because they have positions on their internal order book which they would like to clear.  

Market Makers often re-quote clients when they attempt to buy or sell a CFDs, re-quotes occur as a result of the Market Marker adjusting their internal order book to compensate for a lack of liquidity at a particular price level on the underlying exchange.

So which type of CFD should you choose:
When comparing the two types of CFDs you should consider whether you’re trading style and the instruments that you trade suit either a Market Made or Direct Market Access model. Typically scalpers and active traders choose DMA CFDs over MM CFDs as there are no re-quotes and the trader can be a “price maker” through participating in the underlying order book of the stock which they are trading. Market Made CFDs are popular with longer term traders and those that prefer to trade indices and forex. The reason for this is than often Market Markers offer both indices and forex commission free. Often DMA CFD providers do not offer indices and forex on a DMA basis as by their very nature they are a market made product and cannot be traded on an exchange.

Before choosing a CFD provider you should analyse your trading strategy and choose the type of CFD that suits you best. If you are unsure of your trading strategy or would like save the hastle of having multiple CFDs account with multiple providers you should choose a CFD provider that is able to offer you both Market Made CFDs and DMA CFDs.

Other types of CFDs
It is also worth noting that there is a third type of CFD, these are exchange traded or ASX CFDs and are offered by the Australian Stock Exchange. ASX CFDs are not popular amongst traders or investors due to their lack of liquidity and wide spreads. ASX CFDs are only offered over a small range of securities, indices and foreign exchange pairs. ASX CFDs do have the benefit of being cleared and traded on an exchange however as there are no significant advantages of this type of CFD traders prefer either the Market Made or Direct Markets Access CFDs. 

With some CFD providers you can trade either Market Made CFDs or Direct Market Acess CFDs.

To find more helpful information on CFD trading you can download our free CFD Guide.