You can keep track of your trades by:

• Telephone - You are able to place a trade by calling the City Index trading desk.
• Online - we have a fully interactive real time trading platform offering you the opportunity to utilise advanced tools normally only available to professional City traders.
• Mobile - When you're spread betting we know you don't want to leave anything to chance. So our new mobile trading makes complete sense. You never need to be far away from the action, with access to the latest prices and the ability to trade in real time, all from your handset.

Types of order

Spread bets allow you to magnify your profit/loss potential, but you can put the brakes on losses by using one of our range of order types. City Index offers a range of order types to help you manage your trading.

Limit Order
A limit order is an order to buy or sell at a better price than the currently prevailing market price e.g. an order to buy at a lower price than the current market price (possibly because you believe that this will be a good entry point and you may not be watching the market at the appropriate time). The limit order will be executed at the next available market price immediately after the order is triggered, which means that any slippage improves the execution price.

Stop Order
A Stop order is an instruction to buy or sell a market at a price which is worse than that prevailing at the time of placing the order. You can use a stop order to do the following:

• Open a new long position (Stop Buy)
• Close an existing long position to cap a loss (Stop Sell)
• Close an existing short position to cap a loss (Stop Buy)
• Open a new short position (Stop Sell)

Stop Loss Order
A stop loss is a stop order directly linked to an open position, which will automatically close the position when it has reached a predefined value. They are an important tool to ensure that losses do not get out of control.

A stop loss order is set at a price which, when reached, automatically triggers a trade to close your position. The closing trade is executed at the next available price immediately after the order is triggered. This can be at the same, better or worse price than the specified level (the trigger level). In most cases, the order is executed at the same price as the stop loss level but it is possible that the execution price is at a worse level (known as slippage) and in cases of severe gapping the execution price may be at a substantially worse price.

Stop loss orders are triggered and executed on the basis of City Index spread bet prices (known as basis 'our quote') and are assumed to be good until cancelled (GTC) unless otherwise specified.

Guaranteed Stop Loss Order
If you feel that you need greater comfort than that afforded by a simple stop lss then you may be able to opt for a guaranteed stop loss. Guaranteed stop losses are not available on all instruments. As the name suggests a guaranteed stop loss guarantees that you will obtain your stop loss trigger value.

There is an additional charge for this type of order known as the guaranteed stop loss premium and there are minimum distances that orders must be placed away from the current price.

There is no additional charge for using a stop loss.

Example of how a Guaranteed Stop Loss Order works:
Selling the Quarterly DEF plc future using a Guaranteed Stop Loss

Opening Bet
DEF plc is trading at 2078/2079 and you think the share price may fall. The City Index quote for March DEF plc is 2092/2104 and you sell £5 per penny (equivalent to 500 shares).

Your position is opened at 2092 - 21 = 2071 (the GSL premium is 1% of the City Index price). You decide to set your guaranteed stop loss at 2200 (129 points away from your opening level).

Closing Bet
In February, the market gaps higher to 2280 from 2092 as the market anticipates a merger with JKL Inc. Your position is automatically closed at 2200.

Closing Price - 2200
Opening Price - 2071
Difference - 129
Loss on bet - 129 x £5 = £645

If you had carried out this bet without a guaranteed stop loss in place you would have lost £1,045.

Linked Order
A Linked Order is a combination of two orders placed on a trade: a stop order and a limit order.

Should one be triggered, this will automatically cancel the other. Should you close the position, both orders will be cancelled.

Out of Hours Order
You are able to place orders to open positions when the markets are closed:

You can use a stop order:

• Open a new long position (Stop Buy)
• Open a new short position (Stop Sell)

You can use a limit order to:

• Open a new long position (Limit Buy)
• Open a new short position (Limit Sell)

Your order will be placed during City Index trading hours and executed at the next available market price immediately after the order is triggered which means that any slippage improves the execution price.

General note
Unless specified by you the client at the time of placing the order, City Index will assume that orders are basis 'City Index Quote' / 'Our Quote' and assumed to be good till cancelled (GTC).

There are some important considerations regarding orders which are outlined below. For further information please read our Terms and Conditions.

• Please note that all orders are basis 'City Index Quote' / 'Our Quote' and assumed to be Good Until Cancelled (GTC).
• With the exception of Guaranteed Stops, none of these orer types are guaranteed.
• Orders which are left to open a position are subject to normal credit procedures.
• If an order to open were to result in additional margin being required the trade may not be opened at the absolute discretion of City Index.
• Equally stop loss orders may not be moved, at the absolute discretion of City Index, if it were to result in a margin call.
• Stop loss orders are attached to a particular trade, so that if the trade is closed online or on the phone the stop loss is cancelled.