How To Compare Binary Options Brokers

Too many people approach the task of comparing binary options brokers without any particular method. This leaves you open to the vagaries of advertising, however, and makes the result much too dependent on factors other than the kind of value that you get in return for your money. There are too many binary options brokers that depend more on slick presentation and website design to attract customers in place of offering true value. If you compare your binary options brokers choices with a specific set of criteria in mind, you will be much more likely to be satisfied with your eventual decision.

There are, in general, three key features that you need to pay attention to when choosing a binary options broker. Of course, there will probably be other features that you are looking for in particular, but these three key features are features that most people, if not everyone, will be looking out for.

Payouts

The payouts you receive are probably the most important consideration, because they directly determine the amount of profit that you can make from your trading activities. Different brokers offer different preset percentages on those of your trades that end up in-the-money. Some brokers also offer a certain percentage of your money back on trades that end up out-of-the-money, although this is not offered by all brokers. There is usually a balance between the percentage payout on in-the-money trades and the percentage payout on out-of-the-money trades.

It will be almost impossible, for example, to find a broker that offers a high percentage payout on in-the-money trades and a high percentage payout on out-of-the-money trades. Instead, brokers that offer high percentage payouts on in-the-money trades will likely not return any money on out-of-the-money trades. This makes it a matter of personal preference whether you want to maximize your earnings on in-the-money trades or whether you want to be more cautious and accept lower positive payouts in return for greater protection on losing trades.

Underlying Assets

Another very important factor to consider is the number of type of underlying assets that are offered by the broker. Binary options do not exist on their own, and they depend on the price of various underlying assets. The key categories of underlying assets are stocks, commodities, currencies and indices. The best brokers will offer different options from each of these categories. Some brokers seem to offer a great number of underlying assets, but in reality offer only underlying assets from a single category. This severely limits the range and reach of your trading activities, and curtails your choices.

Expiration Times

Binary options contracts have different expiration times, and different brokers offer them at different expiration times. Some brokers offer options with expiration times ranging from a month to 15 minutes, while others offer a more limited range. These expiration times are important because short expiration times require that you pay constant attention to the market, which some people cannot afford due to their lifestyle or work demands.

A Proper Comparison

When you compare binary options brokers in this way, you have a much better idea of which binary options brokers are suited to your particular needs. This will greatly reduce the likelihood that you choose a broker that you end up disappointed with.