Selecting a forex broker starts with one simple question: is the company really regulated where it says it is? A licence number on a broker's site is a claim, not proof. This guide explains how to check that claim on the regulator's own register before you send any money, and what to look for once you find the entry.
Reasons to Verify the Regulation First
A authorisation from a strong regulator can offer meaningful protection, such as client money held separately and, in some jurisdictions, a compensation scheme. But, licences change: companies are sold, rebranded, sanctioned or lose their licence. Other firms only hold an offshore company registration, which is not financial supervision at all.
Which Safeguards a Licence Typically Provides
Rules differ by country, but major regulators usually require brokers to keep client money in separate bank accounts, hold a minimum amount of capital, report to the regulator and follow conduct rules on marketing and leverage. In the UK, eligible clients of a failed firm may be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. In the European Union, investor compensation funds offer a lower level of cover. Most offshore jurisdictions offer none of this, so the same brand can give very different protection based on which of its companies opens your account.
Companies Covered on FXSharp
The brokers and platforms below each have an editorial review on FXSharp. Many hold licences from recognised regulators, while some also onboard clients through offshore entities with lighter protection. Find out which company would really open your account, and read the review prior to opening an account.
- Pepperstone
- copyright
- Interactive Brokers
- Saxo Bank
- Charles Schwab
- Webull
- Admirals
- Axi
- Libertex
- RoboForex
- InstaForex
- PU Prime
- StoneX
- Mitrade
- ADSS
- TD365
- Spreadex
- ProRealTime
- GKFX
- AMP Global
How to Check a Broker Yourself
Find the full company name and licence number in the footer of the broker's website or in its client agreement. Then, go to the regulator's website yourself, not through a link from the broker, and search its public register. Search by company name as well as by number, because some registers do not display licence numbers at all. Match the company name, licence status, licence type and, where listed, the approved website address.
Red Flags to Watch For
Be wary if the register shows a similar but different company name, a licence marked as revoked, suspended or surrendered, or a website address that is not the one you are using. Fraudsters often copy the name and licence number of a real company, so check the regulator's warning list for clone firms too. Pressure to deposit quickly, promises of guaranteed returns and requests to pay through unusual channels are further red flags, whatever the website claims about regulation.
Check Again Over Time
A licence that was active when you opened an account may not stay that way. Brokers merge, sell their client books, move clients to another entity or lose their authorisation. Looking at the register again before a large deposit or a withdrawal costs nothing, and supervisors often publish announcements when a firm's status changes.
In short, a couple of minutes on the regulator's register can save you from serious losses. Leveraged trading in forex and CFDs carries a high risk review page of losing money, so check first, then you deposit.