Last Updated on July 11, 2023
Somewhat new to the trading software field, Finamark was launched in 2016 to meet a particular need – to give traders an aesthetic, functional platform that isn’t burdensome to lower-end computers.
As one of the few web-based trading software solutions, Finamark lets traders access futures and forex trading while providing access to a universe of indicators, breaking news, and other essential trading tools. The accessibility in both system requirements and user interface means Finamark is an excellent option for newer traders. However, it also has a lot to offer to the more sophisticated and seasoned traders.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- A browser-based system that negates the need for high-end computing
- A customizable suite of widgets for all levels of trading experience and strategies
- A free 14-day trial
Cons:
- A limited educational library beyond the user manual. Inexperienced traders will have to learn the theory behind forex and futures elsewhere
- Beginners may be overwhelmed by the abundance of options if they aren’t familiar with typical trading widget functions
Finamark Features
Finamark has various features and functionalities, but they are primarily centered around accessibility and ensuring an intuitive, comprehensive experience for traders of all skill and experience levels. The central focus of that accessibility is web trading and emphasis on widgets over an immutable layout. We’ll discuss each in-depth, but here is the full spectrum of the most essential Finamark features:
Web-Based
Many trading platforms are cumbersome and demanding on computer systems. For even moderately equipped machines, downloaded trading software often brings operations to a crawl. This is the last thing a trader needs when trying to quickly enter and exit positions. As a result, in many cases, newer traders interested in learning the market firsthand could only get started with a complete overhaul and upgrade of their computer system. This effectively cut out entire market segments from even getting started.
Recognizing that need, Finamark developed a browser-based trading platform to run more smoothly across various computing capabilities. This is, of course, great for beginner traders who don’t want to commit to extensive upgrades. At the same time, it also suits the needs of more experienced traders with high-tech rigs at home or who want to trade on the go with a laptop.
Ultimately, Finamark’s web-based experience means that you can log in from anywhere instantly without waiting for a download. It runs on lower-end machines, with little to no drop in performance across devices. Besides, your widgets and windows will remain as-is regardless of where you log in from.
Widget-Centered
Finamark’s web-based platform is built around widgets rather than fixed displays. Each chart, data source, indicator, etc., has its own widget that can be resized and dragged wherever is convenient for the trader.
Finamark breaks its widgets into groups by function and type. The widgets can be saved to a custom layout that can be universally used across devices.
While Finamark supports various widgets and the development team expands the options with each update, here are some of the most popular:
Recurring Functions
P/L: Tracks profit or loss for an account. Finamark will display P/L for the account’s lifetime when trading forex. However, with futures trading, the platform only displays the P/L for the particular day. This is different from position P/L, which tracks the profit and loss of an individual trade and is shown in other widgets.
Symbol: The symbol shows the name of the traded asset. The widget has a dropdown and a search feature to easily filter and find the asset you’re looking for.
Quantity calculations: The widget lets you calculate position sizing to optimize your capital and reduce your risk.
Buy/Sell: The functionality allows you to enter and exit positions at the current market price (for quick order execution) or to open an order window and customize your preferred trading terms.
Prices: Asset prices are displayed on several widgets, but the standalone price widget shows the last price and bid/ask spread. You can also see volume at bid/ask for an order flow and market depth snapshot.
Chart
Charting widgets are the focus of Finamark’s browser platform and can display (depending on preference) the following:
- Asset symbol
- Current price
- Time
- Bid/ask
- Execute buy order
- Execute sell order
- Drawing tools
- Flags
- 1-Click Trading authorization to speed executions without relying on hotkeys
- Symbol searching
Drawing Tools
In addition to indicators, many traders like to use drawing tools to highlight particular areas of the chart. Finamark has a robust drawing toolset within its widgets and allows you to draw the following:
- Vertical lines
- Horizontal lines
- Trendlines
- Channels
- Arrows
- Fibonnaci retracement
- Boxes
- Colors
- Text
Accounts
The account widget can show as much account information as needed or as little if you find it distracting. Options include:
- Balance
- Margin available
- Margin used
- Financing fees (forex only)
- P/L
- Daily P/L
- Open P/L
Reconstructed Tape
This eminently helpful widget lets traders see a full report of their futures trading activity. The order flow can help uncover market dynamics and open up opportunities to jump on a trade.
Positions
The position widget shows traders the current portfolio outlay by asset. It includes details about the open positions, including symbol, trade date, asset name, entry and current prices, and position P/L. The bottom of the widget shows your open P/L for all open trades and your daily P/L to monitor progress.
Orders
The widget keeps a running log of all order executions and includes working orders, filled orders, and canceled orders. These can be viewed individually or all together for a time-series journal. The widget shows the date/time of the order, quantity, status, and execution price.
Favorites
This customizable widget lets you peek at details you need to know for assets you’re interested in. They can include price, daily percent change, total trade count, and even a line graph of the price to spot trends off-chart.
Depth of Market
It shows order flow and helps traders visualize the running data better by expanding volume at price points into relative bars.
Finamark Setup
Finamark’s setup is beyond convenient – with no software to download, just open a browser and log in. You can maximize your trading experience by setting up features like:
- Create and save a preferred layout, or import an old layout.
- Add and remove widgets.
- Change settings, including color.
You’ll also need to establish a connection with your data provider. Finamark pre-populates data connections to choose from, and users click the unplugged red icon to select the data connection. Disconnecting from a particular provider happens the same way.
Finamark User Interface
Traders aren’t restricted to wasting screen space on data or widgets they don’t intend to use. Instead, they can pick and choose the optimal layout.
With standard hotkey controls, Finamark allows day traders to enter and exit positions as quickly as possible. Pre-enabled, standardized hotkeys include:
- Ctrl + Click: open a limit order at a price clicked.
- Shift + Ctrl + Click: opens a stop order at a price clicked.
- Left and right arrow keys: move the chart left and right in small increments.
- Up and down arrow keys: increase or decrease vertical axis scale.
- Hold Shift + Click and drag on the price axis: Resizes scaling like the above option.
- Mouse scroll: move the chart up and down.
- Search with /: this searches assets by exact code, so you aren’t scrolling through many that you don’t need to find the one you do. For example, searching /ES will show ES, ESQ, EST, and ESK.
What Indicators are Available in Finamark?
Finamark has a rich set of indicators available. You can also group your preferred indicators into collections to switch between them depending on your preferred strategy and asset. Indicators in Finamark include:
- Bollinger Band Width
- Acceleration/Deceleration
- Accumulation/Distribution Line
- Average Directional Index
- Aroon
- Bollinger Bands
- Candlesticks
- Commodity Channel Index
- Chaikin Oscillator
- Chaikin Money Flow
- Detrended Price Oscillator
- Exponential Moving Average
- Ease Of Movement
- Envelopes
- Force Index
- Hull Moving Average
- Keltner Channels
- Moving Average Convergence Divergence
- Mass Index
- Money Flow Index
- Last Trade
- Momentum
- %B
- Performance
- Pivot Points
- Percentage Price Oscillator
- Price Channel
- Parabolic SAR
- Price Volume Trend
- Rate of Change
- Relative Strength Index
- Slow Stochastic Oscillator
- Simple Moving Average
- Stochastic Oscillator
- Triangular Moving Average
- TRIX
- Typical Price
- Value Tag
- Volatility (Std.Dev)
- Volume
- Williams %R
- Weighted Moving Average
Finamark System Requirements
The Finamark team recommends using Google Chrome, where the platform works best. Since Finamark is browser-based, there are no defined minimum operating system requirements. Still, prospective users are encouraged to sign up for Finamark’s free trial to test their browser experience to determine whether their machine can keep up.
Pricing
Finamark offers a free 14-day trial period for testing the platform. After the trial, there are four licensing options:
- Monthly: $49
- Quarterly: $125
- Biannually: $235
- Annually: $450
Support
In addition to setting itself apart through browser-based trading, Finamark also stands out thanks to its superior customer service. It’s one of the few providers that offers live support during market hours.
The support is available directly in the browser, through email, or in the form of a complete user guide and an online community forum.
Past Issues
Users have typically reported issues with trade execution. While this could be attributed to latency in network connection, in each reported case, customer service representatives have walked the user through the problem. As a result, any potential issues will likely see a quick response.
Conclusion
Finamark’s unique positioning as one of the only browser-based futures trading platforms is an excellent option for beginners and experienced traders. The spectrum of widgets and the rich customization opportunities make the platform ideal for all strategies and trading techniques. Finamark is one of the most intuitive and accessible platforms on the market.
