Similar in some respects to the CFD, spread betting can be done on a large number of stocks, and major Stock Indexes such as the FTSE 100 Index, or Dow Jones Index, or the S&P 500 index, etc.
The Daily Journey Of A Day Trader – What Prompted Me To Trade Shares For A Living
Having first dabbled in shares in about 1994 as a way of bettering my C&G savings account, I knew I could do it and would find it interesting (made 24% in year one and 20.4% year two, using only teletext, Investors Chronicle and no computer).
Spread Betting Slowly Evolving Towards Mainstream
The advantage of spread betting, as opposed to buying shares, is that it offers one of the simplest ways to bet on markets moving downwards, as they have in recent months. Moreover, bets are free of stamp duty, while any gains are not subject to capital gains tax (CGT).