Spread betting is increasingly being used to handle trading opportunities arising as a result of the increased volatility of markets.

A tool for all eventualities With the impact of the credit crisis on the financial markets, Spread Betting has seen an increase in volumes traded in 2008. Four market experts give their opinions on the emerging trends that are driving the market. A guide to financial spread betting Financial spread betting is a way of trading on a financial market or product such as a share or a commodity without having to physically own it. The Guide on this page provides an overview of the main questions investors ask about how they can go about engaging in this form of tax efficient trading and hedging. Spread betting is best seen as a risk management tool; it enables the user to both take on and offload risk, and thereby hedge, or offset, underlying risk that might exist within other long or short positions. Because of the potential leverage possible through spread betting, it can magnify risk positions, and thus care and due consideration must always be foremost in engaging in any trading activity.