Read the exact error first
Being unable to place a trade almost always comes with a specific message, and that message is the fastest route to the fix. 'Market closed', 'not enough money/margin', 'trade disabled', 'invalid volume' and 'off quotes' all mean different things. Note the wording precisely before assuming the platform is broken.
Many 'my broker won't let me trade' problems are ordinary and instantly fixable once you match the message to its cause.
Account-side reasons
Common account causes: your identity verification is incomplete, so trading is limited until KYC is done; your account is not funded, or your free margin is too low to open the position you want; you are trying to trade a size below the minimum or above the maximum allowed; or your account type simply does not offer that instrument.
Fixes are direct: finish verification, deposit or reduce your intended position size so you have enough free margin, and check the instrument's minimum/maximum trade size in its contract specifications. If free margin is the issue, closing or shrinking an existing position frees some up.
Market-side reasons
Even a perfect account cannot trade a closed market. Every instrument has trading hours; shares, indices and commodities close overnight and on weekends, and some pause around daily rollover or during scheduled maintenance. 'Off quotes' or 'no prices' often just means the market is closed or extremely illiquid at that moment.
Check the instrument's trading hours and the current session. If it is outside hours, the fix is simply to wait for the market to open. Our platform-connection guide covers the case where prices are missing but the market should be open.
When to escalate
If your account is verified and funded, the market is open, your size is valid, and you still cannot trade, contact the broker's support with the exact error message and a screenshot. A genuine technical fault is their job to resolve, and a written record helps if it recurs.
One caution: if a broker blocks you from closing losing trades specifically, or only ever lets you deposit but never trade or withdraw, treat that as a red flag and verify the firm on its regulator's register. Ordinary trade blocks have ordinary explanations; selective blocking does not.