Pacific Financial Derivatives Limited (PFD-NZ) may be based in New Zealand, but its Forex services have a decidedly global reach.  The company is authorized by the Financial Markets Authority in New Zealand and is a member of Dubai Gold Commodities Exchange.  It is also a member of the Financial Dispute Resolution scheme in New Zealand, a third party service that helps settle resolutions between companies and their clients.  And yet, while this is comforting, we would expect that you should have no reason to launch a claim against PFD-NZ, as throughout our dealings with the company during our Pacific Financial Derivatives review, they seemed entirely approachable and willing to help.

Traders looking for a platform that varies from the standard MT4 platform will appreciate the Kiwi Trader platform offered by Pacific Financial Derivatives.  Although it looks quite similar to the standard MetaTrader 4 platform, the company has clearly made an effort to personalize the platform and to reduce the clutter that plagues many MT4 users.  PFD-NZ platform includes advanced charting abilities, customizable sounds, and the integration of critical indicators, among other benefits.  Traders who prefer web-based trading can try out the PFD Trader platform, which offers online Forex trading in a web-based MT4 platform.

The Kiwi Trader platform is available for both standard accounts and Kiwi Trader Gold accounts.  The differences are as follows:

Kiwi Trader Gold Zero

Minimum deposit: $200

Minimum deal size: 0.01 lot (micro lot)

Maximum leverage: 1:500

Spread: 0 pips on EUR/USD, USD/JPY

Commission: 1 pip on profitable trades, no commission for losing trades

Kiwi Trader Gold

Minimum deposit: $200

Minimum deal size: 0.01 lot (micro lot)

Maximum leverage: 1:500

Spread: 0.8 pips on EUR/USD, USD/JPY

Commission: None

There’s no question that PFD-NZ offers excellent trading conditions in both accounts, though we could not find information about spreads for other currency pairs on the site.  Customer service can be reached via email, phone (with a local New Zealand number only), or via Skype.  We missed the option of a live chat, though traders who have Skype accounts may find it useful to have Pacific Financial Derivatives always accessible on Skype.   It should be noted, however, that the company must first approve your Skype invite, which may mean that you won’t have immediate assistance when you first attempt to contact the company.

During the course of our Pacific Financial review we were satisfied to see that most information about the service was listed clearly on their website.   The website is clear, intuitive and suited to new users who want to learn about the company without being distracted by irrelevant or unnecessary features.  One thing we did notice missing during our PFD review was whether the company offers regular market analysis as so many other brokerages do.

With PFD-NZ, Traders can register online or can fill out printable paperwork and send it in to the company.  Funds can be deposited and withdrawn via credit card, MoneyBookers or bank transfer.