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As an experienced trader with a focus on transparency and capital preservation, my approach to any broker is to deeply scrutinize all cost components before trading—especially with instruments like indices. However, based on my direct research and the broker’s documentation, E*TRADE does not offer trading in indices such as the US100 (Nasdaq 100), either as CFDs or spot trading products. Their instrument offering centers around stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, bonds, and futures. While futures contracts might offer exposure to indices, it’s crucial to note that E*TRADE’s regulatory standing is highly questionable, with the NFA status being an alleged clone and no currently valid regulation. If a trader were to seek index exposure on E*TRADE—potentially via index ETFs or index futures—the explicit disclosed costs would involve commission fees, such as $1.50 per futures contract. For ETFs, commission-free trading is offered on many, but not all, ETFs. For futures, traders who place fewer than 30 trades per quarter would also face higher per-contract fees on certain instruments. It’s equally important for me, particularly when funds safety is paramount, to factor in non-transparent costs like slippage, overnight margin, and even the genuine risk that an unregulated environment carries in terms of order execution and account security. Ultimately, for trading indices specifically, the lack of clear, regulated index trading options and the absence of valid regulatory oversight means I would avoid E*TRADE for this purpose and recommend extreme caution for anyone considering it.