Many traders in the stock market have lost money, while few have made money. And no matter how easy online e-books say dabbling in this market is, it actually isn’t. Financial spread betting is another matter entirely, it is a different way of trading in stocks and shares, and online traders are able to speculate on the prices of stocks and shares without any assistance from stockbrokers.

Speculation on the movement of stocks and shares when you don’t have to pay commissions to a broker has its benefits. It basically means that the trader makes more profits. The trader is required to place a wager on financial markets and if the prices of these will increase or fall.

A spread is a sell or buy price, which is calculated by the spread betting company. It means they add or subtract points from or to an existing live market value and quote that value. For instance if the FTSE is at 4729, they quote a price of say 4727 – 4731, the spread better then places a wager on this price and what they think its movements will be.

To open a new position in the market a very small deposit is required, generally about dollar, euro, pound10 – 40. Each bet is on each point or tick in which the market moves, either up or down. The stake is usually 1 on each point of movement and will represent either profit or loss.

Each financial market has their own maximum stake allowed, so you bet your 1 pound, dollar or euro per tick (point), choosing a bet that the market price will increase or alternatively, drop. If your wager is correct then you win or rather make a profit which is the amount of your wager or stake multiplied by the amount in which the market moves in your favor. If you wager is incorrect you lose your stake multiplied by the amount of points the market moves in the opposite direction.

It is simple to see why and how profits can be made and the odds are pretty good considering the wager is on one of two options. As long as the trader knows he is just as able to lose as make a profit eh will be fine. The growth in the popularity of making profits through this system has increased by more than 1500% in recent years.

In the UK profits from spread betting are considered to be the winning of a “bet” and this makes them free of Capital Gains and Income Tax.

New spread betters should always practice with a demo account first to see if they are able to grasp the concept. Learning about spread betting first without any financial risk is the best approach. The demo account will emulate precisely how a live account will react and it comes with a guide for beginners.

Being exposed to the spread betting system with no risk involved is the best way to learn all about it. Only once the trader is confident that they have the concept firmly in their grasp should they consider opening a new position in a live account. Make sure the company you choose provides a demo account and beginners guide!