B

Bell Direct

5.6/10

Forex Financial Services

5.2/10
3/10RegulationWinner8/10
6/10WinnerFees0/10
7/10PlatformsWinner9/10
6/10WinnerEducation & Research0/10
4/10Deposits & WithdrawalsTied4/10
10/10SupportTied10/10

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Overview

Bell Direct was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in New Zealand, while Forex Financial Services was established in 2008 and is based in Australia. Bell Direct holds licences including Financial Markets Authority (FMA), while Forex Financial Services is regulated by Australian Securities and investment Commission (ASIC) among others. Bell Direct serves 10,000+ clients worldwide; Forex Financial Services has 10,000+. The minimum deposit is $100 at Bell Direct and $2500 at Forex Financial Services.

Bell Direct wins this category
FeatureBell DirectForex Financial Services
Min. Deposit$100$2500
RegulationFinancial Markets Authority (FMA)Australian Securities and investment Commission (ASIC)
Founded19832008
CountryNew ZealandAustralia
Clients10,000+10,000+

Fees

Fees are a critical factor when choosing between Bell Direct and Forex Financial Services, directly affecting your bottom line as a trader. Bell Direct has a lower barrier to entry with a minimum deposit of $100 (vs $2500 at Forex Financial Services). Neither broker charges withdrawal fees. Bell Direct applies inactivity fees on dormant accounts; Forex Financial Services does not. Forex Financial Services charges deposit fees; Bell Direct does not. Overall, Bell Direct scores higher on fees in our assessment.

Bell Direct wins this category
FeatureBell DirectForex Financial Services
Min. Deposit$100$2500
Withdrawal FeesNoNo
Inactivity FeesYesNo
Deposit FeesNoYes
CFD FeesYesNo

Platforms

Bell Direct offers MT5, cTrader, while Forex Financial Services supports MT4, MT5, cTrader. Both brokers provide mobile trading apps for iOS and Android. Forex Financial Services supports social and copy trading features, which Bell Direct does not offer. Forex Financial Services edges ahead on platform breadth and functionality in our scoring.

Forex Financial Services wins this category
FeatureBell DirectForex Financial Services
MT4NoYes
MT5YesYes
cTraderYesYes
Windows AppYesYes
iOS AppYesYes
Android AppYesYes
Trading PlatformsAndroid,WEB,Desktop,iPhone,MacMT4

Education & Research

Education and research tools help traders at every level make more informed decisions, and here's how Bell Direct and Forex Financial Services compare. Bell Direct runs regular live webinars; Forex Financial Services does not. Bell Direct has a video library; Forex Financial Services does not. Bell Direct publishes daily market commentary; Forex Financial Services does not. Bell Direct integrates third-party research tools (Trading Central); Forex Financial Services does not. 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 DirectForex Financial Services
Forex EducationNoNo
CFD EducationYesNo
Weekly WebinarsYesNo
Daily CommentaryYesNo
Trading CentralYesNo
AutochartistNoNo

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 Forex Financial Services supports 2 (bank transfer, credit/debit card). Both brokers support the same set of payment methods.

Tied
FeatureBell DirectForex Financial Services
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 Forex Financial Services 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 DirectForex Financial Services
Live ChatYesYes
Phone SupportYesYes
Email SupportYesYes
LanguagesEnglish, and ChineseEnglish, and Chinese