AMP Global: The Broker For Every Man, That Few Know…
AMP was founded in 2004 on the banks of Lake Michigan in the not so humble town of Chicago, IL. Now, a short 17 years later the doors of its corporate headquarters stand a 13-minute walk away from the second largest derivatives exchange on the planet, its business has expanded across multiple continents, and has fathered an international arm to bring the world of the American derivatives market to the European nations. All of this, they have accomplished while having arguably the lowest commissioned broker fees in world of derivative exchanges.
So why are they hard to find online? Maybe the youth of the company? No large marketing budgets? The answer seems unclear to this date, but their users attest that if you have an interest in the futures or foreign exchange market, this broker should be at the top of your considerations.
AMP Products
AMP offers products that include Foreign Exchange, Futures, Options on Futures, and CFDs. Their foreign exchange offering includes a large list of pairs that includes major, minor, and exotic. CFDs and Futures are traded on a list of over 100 available underlying assets that include indices, softs, metals, and currencies to name a few.
Application
The application process for this company is nothing unique as far as brokers go. They request a few pages of personal information to decipher whether you are suitable for trading on their platform. Subsequent to submission, you will receive an approval or denial email in a few business days. Something of note for the AMP Futures application process: as of February, 2025, a beneficiary with secondary account access is no longer required. Opt out of this option or you will be forced to restart the process.
Regulation
AMP has two arms of business. The first, AMP Global Clearing (AKA Amp Futures) from which the company originated, is in the United States. Therefore, it is regulated by the NFA and the CFTC. The other is AMP Global where international investors may access CFD trading and the higher leverage options that come along with it. This arm of the company is regulated by CySec.
Customer Service
Amp’s customer service has proven to be competent as well as polite. AMP Futures, designed for derivate trading for US clients (but open to all), has a 24-hour customer service phone line to speak to a representative as long as the markets are open. AMP Global for CFD trading, aimed at international investors, resorts to chat support with the same hours. The responses and hold times are typically quick and problems within reason are usually resolved.
AMP Funding
Users can fund their accounts over ACH, wire, or check. The easiest way to deposit capital and make the withdrawal process simpler is ACH. Funds will appear in your account within three to five business days, but potentially shorter if funds are deposited via wire. AMP charges nothing for the funding process. Be aware of your banking institution’s fees that accompany a wire transfer. The initial minimum deposit to open an account is $100. You must keep the balance of the account above this minimum to continue trading. There are no maintenance fees or insufficient balance fees.
AMP Platform
AMP itself does not have a trading platform where you can physically place trades. Think of AMP as an intermediary between 3rd party trading platforms and the trading floor. This is both a good and a bad thing.
The con affects users unfamiliar with 3rd party trading stations. It can become confusing due to an excess of options and a lack of centrality for service. There are also occasional synchronization issues between the parties. Most notably are the intraday fee discrepancies. The balance of your account can be slightly inaccurate until the latter portion of the afternoon at which point you may see minor credits or debits to your balance labeled as “corrections” to reflect the actual fees processed during the trading day. As an AMP user, it is encouraged to compare your account with the statement that is sent out every morning.
The better half of this arrangement are the partnerships with over 80 different trading platforms for clients to choose from. By choosing AMP as your broker, many of these 3rd party platforms are often free, or include exclusive pricing for the service. This plethora of alternatives provides maximum effectiveness when executing trades while still enjoying the benefits that come by having your trades processed through AMP such as the low margin requirements and miniscule commission fees.
The flagship options amongst the list of nearly 100 trading platforms are Metatrader 4 or 5, TradingView, and Sierra Charts. Some things to consider when choosing a 3rd party host are:
- the presence of a mobile application for the software
- compatibility with your brand of desktop computer
- the quantity and accuracy of the tools and indicators provided
- Fees, if any, associated with accessing the software
- The satisfaction level with the end user’s interface of charts and trade execution
If you so prefer, the possibility exists to utilize two different platforms simultaneously. For instance, one of our interviewees preferred to place trades on Metatrader5 via their smartphone for the accuracy of the charts and the quick execution, but analyze the markets through TradingView for the benefits of a large quantity of indicators and an effective chart layout. When the interviewee placed a trade on Metatrader5, the position would immediately appear on TradingView where it could be easily monitored free of the constraints experienced on the six-inch screen of a smart phone.
AMP Virtual Trading
AMP Futures does offer 30 days of free simulated trading for you to be able to use their software without having to risk your own capital. The number of 3rd party trading stations you may access during this demo is limited. Therefore, do your research on each before you choose which to utilize during the free trial. Training and education materials for trading the products are included on AMP’s webpage.
AMP Futures Commissions
The low level of commission fees is among the best qualities of this company. AMP claims to have the lowest commission fees of any registered futures commission broker. They take this claim a step farther by providing a landing page to submit any fees that are found to be lower than their own with a guarantee to match or beat it. This massive benefit if optimal for users with less than desired capital to invest into trading or investors placing a massive quantity of trades on a daily basis.
There are three different kinds of fees associated fees when you choose AMP as your broker. **The fees for traders of CFD’s, for the most part, are not included in this paragraph as their fees are encompassed in the dealer-determined spread** First in que are the fees of commission charged by the broker. This varies depending on the product, but are clearly laid out on the company’s website. This way, you may calculate your expected cost based on your trading strategy. Secondly, there is a monthly “data storage fee” that is charged by the exchanges. These are as low as $3 per month depending on the exchange(s) you choose to access. Finally, there is the fee of the 3rd party trading software chosen in order to execute your trades. Many of these software options are free to access, but some do require a low monthly rate for use of their live trading features. In case you haven’t noticed the trend in this article just yet, the fees are low, but more complex than a single flat rate due to the extreme customizations available to tailor each individual’s trading experience.
AMP Futures Margin Requirements
The margin requirements for CFD traders are very low. Yet, CFD trading is currently against legislation for United State Citizens. Never the less, due to the Micro E-mini Futures introduction to the United States market last year, the margin requirements are now as low as $25-$40 for some futures contracts. The margin required varies depending on the underlying asset that is being traded. This information, again, is laid out very clearly on AMP’s website.
Competitors
Charles Schwab offers trading in both securities and
futures. Contracts are $2.25 each, per side. The broker passes exchange fees to its clients. The firm has an advanced platform for futures
trading. Charles Schwab's platform, thinkorswim, is more sophisticated than all others.
Webull is a discount broker who is
much better priced than Charles Schwab. Currently, Webull's commissions on futures trading are $1.25 per contract.
AMP Futures Review Summary
AMP Global brokerages are difficult to find online and seldom listed as the top choices amongst blogs and industry authority reviews. However, once the user has grasped the understanding of how the broker functions in correlation to its many partner’s software, the low commission fees and extreme levels of customizations make it a high-quality candidate when choosing your broker for the foreign exchange, CFD, and the futures markets.
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Updated on 2/7/2025.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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