Method
Research Methodology
How our desk evaluates trading platforms such as Fjord Markets: the inputs we use, the six criteria we apply, and the boundary between framework and verified fact.
Inputs we use
- Financial research and established market-structure literature
- Publicly available platform documentation and help material
- Industry data on instrument conventions, costs and execution practice
- General market analysis of the asset classes involved
- Platform comparison principles applied uniformly across research files
- Risk-awareness education standards used in trading pedagogy
The six criteria
| # | Criterion | What we look for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Instrument coverage | Asset classes available, and regional or account-type restrictions |
| 2 | Cost transparency | Spread, commission, financing and conversion stated in figures |
| 3 | Order handling | Order types, gap behaviour, slippage and rejection reporting |
| 4 | Risk tooling | Margin display, exposure visibility, close-out rules |
| 5 | Onboarding clarity | Demo access, prominence of risk warnings, quality of education |
| 6 | Support and accountability | Contact channels, published expectations, complaints route |
How findings are written
Each criterion is recorded in one of three states: documented precisely, documented vaguely, or not addressed publicly. We do not convert those states into a score, because a score invites readers to stop reading. The distribution across the three states is the finding.
Why no ratings
A numerical rating implies a measurement that outside research cannot honestly perform. It also ages badly: platforms change costs, instruments and rules while the number stays on the page. We publish a framework the reader can re-run themselves at any time instead.
Review cycle
- Draft against the six criteria using public sources only.
- Internal check for unsupported claims, missing risk statements and vague language.
- Publication with a visible revision date and author attribution.
- Scheduled re-read; substantive changes are noted, not silently applied.
Applying it in practice
The Fjord Markets review is the fullest worked example of this method. For the underlying mechanics that make each criterion meaningful, read how trading platforms work and risk management in trading. Our standards for language, sourcing and corrections are set out in the editorial policy.