Countries with strictest financial regulators and consumer-favourable legal systems significantly reduce risk.
Flexible and large financial sectors mean more choice between brokers, less risk of a cartel operation and hopefully more financially sound firms in these markets so less risk of your broker going belly-up.
Uninterrupted internet, phone and power services are vital. Many countries in Europe cannot guarantee these to all regions all of the time.
Political climate and political stability generally has to be crucial to traders' successes. Who wants to find they're suddenly living under government by a people's republic who make financial speculation a crime on Day 1? Or living and doing business in a country which is unexpectedly annexed by a neighbour? Or where the national currency is suddenly devalued?
The UK offers the usual routes to access the markets but in many jurisdictions across the globe, CFD's and spreadbetting are not even permitted.
He was asking about Estonia, not Moldova or Kosovo. Living standards in cities like Tallinn and Tartu are high.
You can even get your Tesco cookies to keep your British heart content.
With Brexit uncertainty in the air, Estonia is arguably more stable:
"Flexible and large financial sectors mean more choice between brokers, less risk of a cartel operation and hopefully more financially sound firms in these markets so less risk of your broker going belly-up."
It's 2018, trading is electronic and global. You make it sound like we're still in 1975 going to our local bank around the corner. I'm an EU citizen living in Asia, trading via an UK subsidiary of a US brokerage, how about that?
"Who wants to find they're suddenly living under government by a people's republic who make financial speculation a crime on Day 1?"
Estonian gov't is more right wing than the UK, so it's more likely to happen in UK. How often does what you said actually happen in Europe? I haven't seen a country forbid financial speculation anywhere in Europe in my lifetime.
"Or where the national currency is suddenly devalued?"
The currency is Euro.
"Or living and doing business in a country which is unexpectedly annexed by a neighbour?"
This is a risk but if you're renting an apartment and your funds are in an US/UK broker, it will not dramatically alter your life. Besides, if WWIII breaks out, I doubt your money will be any good anywhere.
"Uninterrupted internet, phone and power services are vital. Many countries in Europe cannot guarantee these to all regions all of the time."
Estonia has fiber internet in all cities and you will probably see 3-4 disconnections per year which won't last more than a few seconds.
"The UK offers the usual routes to access the markets but in many jurisdictions across the globe, CFD's and spreadbetting are not even permitted."
In Estonia only certain online gambling sites are banned, same goes for UK I believe.
