Hi. James here. I find myself in a situation where I can’t find work in South Africa so the only logical alternative is to start Trading. The question is, which Broker do I register with. IC Markets. Oanda. AVATRADE…
Oanda is a well-established broker.
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Hi. Ok great. Who’s your broker Amy
Mastering the holistic skill of trading, particularly when it involves making money, typically requires a dedicated period of 2 to 3 years. Throughout this journey, traders need to uncover numerous trade secrets. However, it is widely acknowledged that less than 10% of individuals who venture into trading eventually achieve success. This path is undeniably challenging. FORTUNATELY, there are demo practice accounts available to enhance our skills while we seek alternative sources of income to support ourselves. Once the demo account consistently demonstrates profitability, it signifies an appropriate time to transition to a live account. UNFORTUNATELY, many individuals entering the forex market are often undercapitalized or driven by desperation, leading them to hastily enter the challenging realm without sufficient preparation.
“One’s trading success is not determined by the power of a single trade, but by the consistency and discipline to make countless well-executed trades.” - One Punch Man
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Hey James! 
- IC Markets: Known for low spreads. Check them if you’re cost-conscious.
- Oanda: Great educational resources. Ideal if you’re a newbie.
- AvaTrade: Diverse financial instruments. Good if you want variety.
Do your homework. Compare platforms, fees, reviews before picking one.
And don’t forget to practice. Consider demo accounts to learn without losing real money.
You have accounts with all 3 of them?
If I was in your position, I certaintly would never trade from financial markets unless I had spent at least two years developing a profitable strategy and a strict process to follow for every trade. The reality is that there is no fast track to anything except for blowing your account.
However, it’s your life and your chosen option, so best of luck.
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start here
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Oooh. 
I have an account with Oanda and I definitely recommend them, but I haven’t really tried out the other two options. 
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Helloooo. I think it’s nice that you’re exploring forex and I would love to also help out with any of your questions. But I was just thinking, is it really the only logical alternative? I hope you don’t take it the wrong way but forex isn’t really something that pays off right away. It might take months or even years before you become profitable, so I hope you continue to also look for a job while you’re learning forex. 
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out of those three, Oanda by far (i have used them on and off for more than 20 years, they are well regulated and honest, have great trading platforms available, and i trust them completely)
the other two you mentioned are both “tricksy” brokerages who run multiple different companies and most of the accounts people open with them are not properly regulated (for example, IC markets claim on their website to be regulated by ASIC but if you don’t live in Australia yourself and open an account with them, your account will not be ASIC-regulated, and that matters!!)
specifically, don’t trust an IC markets high-leverage account (it won’t end well!), and if using Avatrade take great care about where and by whom your account is regulated
with Oanda, in my opinion, you don’t need to be so concerned about the legal stuff - they’re honest and good (and properly regulated, of course)
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Do you remember if I’ve ever mentioned the broker I’m currently using? Usually I don’t share this info because I don’t want anyone to follow my choices just cuz they worked for me. I usually share the most popular, well-reviewed information instead, because I’ve spent a lot of time researching everything I need for my trading. All the info I share, I’ve picked up along the way.
Awesome! Mind sharing a few pros and cons of it?
Here’s a bit of information that it seems a lot of people are unaware of. Some brokers dont accept clients from certain regions.
Welcome to the community, James. Start with the education section here. It’s the best place to start for beginners. Choosing a broker is important but hopefully you acquaint yourself first with foundational knowledge needed in order to trade. . You can try opening a demo account with the brokers you mentioned and see for yourself which one you like the most.
I think it’s really newbie-friendly. 
The interface was pretty easy to use, and even the process of opening a demo account was fast and easy. 
But again, this is just based on my own experience.
That makes sense! But there’s also nothing wrong with sharing or drawing your opinions from your experiences, so I guess once you feel comfortable to share, I hope you do!
Oanda is one I’d like to open account with to test a different strategy! Right now though I’m with forex.com which I just now realize, what an amazing company name 
Wonder how much they paid for that domain.
Yeah, I noticed that too during my research and various checks. They also have good educational resources.
You know, I’m the type of person who tends to blame myself. I’ll blame myself for even thinking that something I say could make someone feel bad or experience a loss. But you know what? This mindset has actually helped me a lot. It pushes me to keep improving and strive to be better each day than I was on yesterday.