Regulation & safety
Check the regulation before you fund the account
Regulation is the single biggest factor in whether you get your money back if things go wrong. It's weighted 25% in our score — more than anything else.
The tiers
Not all licences are equal
Tier 1
FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), SEC/FINRA (US), and equivalents. Strict capital rules, segregation, compensation schemes and conduct enforcement.
Tier 2
CySEC (Cyprus), FSCA (South Africa) and similar. Real oversight, often lighter compensation cover.
Offshore
Seychelles, St. Vincent and similar. Minimal protection. Often used to offer extreme leverage. Treat with caution.
Ranked
Platforms by regulation score
| Platform | Reg. score | Regulators | Segregated |
|---|---|---|---|
 Pepperstone | 93 | FCAASICCySECDFSA | Yes |
 FP Markets | 86 | ASICCySECFSCA | Yes |
 FXTM | 85 | FCACySECFSCACMA | Yes |
 Vantage Markets | 80 | ASICFSCACIMA | Yes |
 VT Markets | 76 | ASICFSCAFSC | Yes |
| StarTrader | 66 | FSCAFSC | Yes |
 RoboForex | 60 | FSC | Yes |
 PU Prime | 60 | SCBFSCA | Yes |
 LiteFinance | 58 | CySEC (historic)MISA | Yes |