B

Bell Direct

5.6/10

City Of Investment

5.1/10
3/10RegulationWinner5/10
6/10WinnerFees0/10
7/10PlatformsWinner9/10
6/10WinnerEducation & Research4/10
4/10Deposits & WithdrawalsTied4/10
10/10SupportTied10/10

BrokerDataNet earns affiliate commission from brokers listed on this site. This does not affect our ratings or editorial independence.

Overview

Bell Direct was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in New Zealand, while City Of Investment was established in 2009 and is based in United Kingdom. Both brokers are regulated by Financial Markets Authority (FMA), among other authorities. Bell Direct serves 10,000+ clients worldwide; City Of Investment has 10,000+. The minimum deposit is $100 at Bell Direct and $3000 at City Of Investment.

Bell Direct wins this category
FeatureBell DirectCity Of Investment
Min. Deposit$100$3000
RegulationFinancial Markets Authority (FMA)Financial Markets Authority (FMA)
Founded19832009
CountryNew ZealandUnited Kingdom
Clients10,000+10,000+

Fees

Fees are a critical factor when choosing between Bell Direct and City Of Investment, directly affecting your bottom line as a trader. Bell Direct has a lower barrier to entry with a minimum deposit of $100 (vs $3000 at City Of Investment). City Of Investment charges withdrawal fees while Bell Direct does not, giving Bell Direct an edge for frequent withdrawers. Both brokers charge inactivity fees on dormant accounts, worth noting if you trade infrequently. City Of Investment charges deposit fees; Bell Direct does not. Overall, Bell Direct scores higher on fees in our assessment.

Bell Direct wins this category
FeatureBell DirectCity Of Investment
Min. Deposit$100$3000
Withdrawal FeesNoYes
Inactivity FeesYesYes
Deposit FeesNoYes
CFD FeesYesYes

Platforms

Bell Direct offers MT5, cTrader, while City Of Investment supports MT4, MT5, cTrader. Both brokers provide mobile trading apps for iOS and Android. City Of Investment edges ahead on platform breadth and functionality in our scoring.

City Of Investment wins this category
FeatureBell DirectCity Of Investment
MT4NoYes
MT5YesYes
cTraderYesYes
Windows AppYesYes
iOS AppYesYes
Android AppYesYes
Trading PlatformsAndroid,WEB,Desktop,iPhone,MacAndroid Apps,iPhone/iPad,Desktop

Education & Research

Education and research tools help traders at every level make more informed decisions, and here's how Bell Direct and City Of Investment compare. Bell Direct runs regular live webinars; City Of Investment does not. Both provide video tutorials. Bell Direct publishes daily market commentary; City Of Investment does not. Both integrate third-party research tools. Bell Direct maintains an archive of past webinars for on-demand viewing. Bell Direct scores higher overall in education and research.

Bell Direct wins this category
FeatureBell DirectCity Of Investment
Forex EducationNoYes
CFD EducationYesNo
Weekly WebinarsYesNo
Daily CommentaryYesNo
Trading CentralYesNo
AutochartistNoYes

Deposits & Withdrawals

Convenient deposit and withdrawal options reduce friction for traders, especially important when managing positions across time zones. Bell Direct accepts 2 of the tracked payment methods (bank transfer, credit/debit card), while City Of Investment supports 2 (bank transfer, credit/debit card). Both brokers support the same set of payment methods.

Tied
FeatureBell DirectCity Of Investment
Bank TransferYesYes
Credit CardYesYes
PayPalNoNo
SkrillNoNo
NetellerNoNo

Support

Responsive customer support matters most when you're locked out of your account or need urgent help with a trade. Both Bell Direct and City Of Investment offer live chat support. Both provide phone support. Email support is available at both brokers. Both brokers offer support in 2 languages. Both brokers are comparable on support quality.

Tied
FeatureBell DirectCity Of Investment
Live ChatYesYes
Phone SupportYesYes
Email SupportYesYes
LanguagesEnglish, and ChineseEnglish, and Chinese