Top Ranking - The Best Heavily Regulated & Licensed Brokers

Full Customer Protection, Guarantees, and Transparency: Fundamental Features for Safe Trading.

• What makes a broker reliable?
• Main regulatory authorities
• HFM
• easyMarkets
• FXPro
• IC Markets
• ACY Securities

What makes a broker reliable?

In recent years, the online trading sector has experienced impressive exponential growth. The number of financial brokerage companies offering their services online (Online brokers, exchanges) has dramatically increased, even tripling in number. Each of these companies offers potential clients trading conditions, services, and various tools, all exclusively aimed at online investments in markets worldwide. Through the selected broker, the trader can essentially:

• Register and open an account (with the registration procedure varying from broker to broker).
• Choose the type of account (which differs in terms of trading conditions, minimum deposit, commissions, etc.).
• Deposit funds (using the allowed channels).
• Start investing.

But beware, like any other sector, online trading has many pitfalls and scams. To best protect themselves, every trader must choose their trusted broker with extreme caution. The first parameter to consider when establishing a broker’s reliability is to verify its registration with a regulatory body. In fact, regardless of the trading conditions offered, which may seem extremely advantageous, every trader should ensure that the chosen broker is strictly regulated (by one or more control entities). Worldwide markets are not devoid of risks, and transparency, legality, and safety are fundamental characteristics for traders intending to invest their funds through an intermediary.

To be considered reliable, online investment brokers must be legal in the country where they intend to offer their services. The regulation ensures that the broker offers a safe, certified service that fully complies with existing laws. To make this possible, they must obtain a license (regulation) from the control body managing the sector. A series of extremely strict checks will allow the entity to decide whether or not to grant the license to the broker.

• Customer protection.
• Efficiency, transparency, and security on investments, sensitive trader data, deposits and withdrawals, trading conditions, etc.

A broker that can be considered reliable will not fuel false hopes with promises of easy and fast profits with a low investment volume. The reality is that online trading is highly risky, and every regulated broker diligently publishes warnings to inform customers of this characteristic.

Regulated brokers, therefore, guarantee the protection provided by current rules for investors, and the control entity will carry out constant checks, which will allow the revocation of the broker’s license if they commit a possible offense.

Before subscribing to the selected broker and opening an account to start investing, it will therefore be essential to make sure that the company:

1. Know the broker’s headquarters. Even if it’s located abroad, verify that there is active regulation for online trading in the country of residence, as many nations lack it and risk running into scams.
2. Verify the number of regulatory bodies the broker refers to. The more control bodies, the higher the level of safety and transparency.
3. Check that the broker’s website contains a page dedicated to regulations, and that all licenses can be viewed on it.

Each regulatory body ensures trader security through a series of checks and imposed rules that the broker must respect if they wish to offer their services.

• Monitors the provision of investment services, obliges companies to provide real and updated information, and oversees the public offers of financial products.
• Allows the broker to publish informative prospectuses relating to: sales and purchase offers, the operation of the markets offered for trading, registrations to sector registers.
• Controls the management of the markets and imposes on the broker transparency and order on the execution of the trader’s investments. It also supervises to ensure transparency and correctness in the operations of intermediaries and financial promoters.
• Has the right to sanction the regulated broker.
• Performs constant checks on information concerning: markets, promotional offers, broker’s accounting documents.
• Ascertains any anomalies in transactions on listed securities and checks if violations of laws concerning market manipulation, abuse of information considered privileged (insider trading) and of stock-jobbing are put into practice.
• All regulated companies must always have their financial statements ready for consultation so that the entity can carry out a periodic control review;
• The trader’s capital must always be detached from the company’s capital. This will make a transaction transparent in every respect.
• All regulated brokers have a duty to respect any rule or regulation imposed by the entity in order to guarantee the maximum protection for the trader.
• Every broker must protect its own customer from insolvency and the failure of the company itself. This characteristic varies based on the country of references of the entity.

Rules to be respected and obligations can vary based on the country in which the regulatory entity operates, but in principle everyone sets as their main objective the protection of the customer and total transparency.

Main Supervisory Authorities

There are numerous authorities worldwide that constantly deal with the supervision of companies offering financial intermediation services. Among these, the main licenses that a Broker can obtain are the following:

Mifid.

MiFID is the acronym for Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (European Union Directive 2004/39/EC. Issued by the European Parliament on April 21, 2004). The main objective of the entity is to contribute to the creation of a well-structured, efficient, and competitive financial market in the European Union, managing its general principles with extreme accuracy.

Consob.

The highest Italian control authority on financial markets, the National Commission for Companies and the Stock Exchange (Consob), is an entirely independent body created in 1974 with the intent to separate politics from these responsibilities (despite the appointment of the commission president and the rules to be respected being created by the Government and Parliament). It works closely with the Bank of Italy, with the aim of supervising the activities of Italian credit institutions or foreign law operating in Italy.

CySEC.

CySEC is the acronym for Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, the body that oversees the Cyprus-based. Considered a tax haven until 2004, it subsequently entered the European Union. To adhere to European regulations, CySEC implemented a radical update of its structure, through the creation of an extremely strict regulation. Today, among all the regulations on the web, CySEC is one of the most important in Europe.

FCA.

The Financial Conduct Authority actively controls about 51,000 financial services companies and financial markets in the UK including banks, insurance, financial consultants, and brokers. The authority carries out its role independently from the UK government. The funds that allow it to operate mainly come from the fees collected from companies and the financial services sector. Its main objective is to make the markets efficient for traders, companies of any size, and for the country’s economy.

Asic.

It is the Australian financial markets supervisory body. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is responsible for: regulating financial and business services, protecting Australian consumers, investors, and creditors. The agency holds company registers and anyone can consult them online. It regularly checks registered companies, associations, foreign companies, unregistered brokers, etc.

DFSA.

The DFSA is the independent control body based in Dubai that is responsible for the supervision and regulation of wealth management, credit and banking services, collective investment funds, securities, futures trading, Islamic finance, international stock exchange, insurance, international trade derivatives exchange. In addition, the DFSA plays a crucial role in operations against money laundering and against the financing of terrorism. To ensure maximum security and legality, the entity has the right to initiate investigations into the conduct of regulated brokers, suspected of breaking the rules.

FSA.

Acronym for Seychelles Financial Services Authority, the FSA is the authority responsible for non-bank financial services in the Seychelles. The authority supervises the conduct of transactions in the non-bank financial services sector, ensures that the current rules are not violated and, if necessary, applies disciplinary measures.

Obviously, in addition to those just listed, there are other control authorities in the world that operate for the protection of the customer and respect for the current rules and that allow (through the acquisition of a regular license) the broker to offer services in the reference country. Among these we can notice:

1. France: Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR)
2. Germany: Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin)
3. Spain: National Securities Market Commission (CNMV)
4. Malta: Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)

As we just saw, although there are numerous supervisory authorities in the world for the protection of the customer and compliance with existing rules, there are unauthorized brokers who, not being subject to any kind of control, offer no guarantee nor forms of protection provided by the authorities. The trader will have to pay the utmost attention to not risk their capital and personal information.

This clearly indicates that a broker with a considerable number of licenses offers a guaranteed, legal, and transparent service. The more regulatory bodies the broker has applied for a license from, the higher the level of security will be.

But in this regard, which are the safest brokers in the world? Which ones offer a safe and transparent service? In this article, it will be possible to learn about the most regulated brokers in the world.

HFM

Arguably one of the most used financial intermediaries in the world for trading in the markets, HFM is a leading online broker in the industry that offers traders an impeccable trading environment. With a wide range of products available (including forex, metals, energies, stocks, indices, commodities, ETF bonds, and cryptocurrencies), cutting-edge tools, and services, it allows both scalpers and traders who rely on expert consultants, virtually unlimited access to their liquidity.

But regardless of the excellence of the service offered and the advantageous trading conditions, the broker carries out its work in total transparency and legality. HF Markets Group is a company that offers online trading services all over the world that boasts a list of regulations that are nothing short of impressive. In every region of the planet, a company that is part of the HF Markets Group is strictly regulated. A structure of legality and transparency on the services offered, which is practically close to perfection.

By visiting the official website, any trader can quickly realize how important the broker is:

1. Protect their customer with regard to deposits, withdrawals, data handling, and excessive losses.
2. Offer a clear service, without unclear clauses or hidden fees.
3. Full compliance with the rules set by the regulatory body.

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The list of regulations is as follows:

HF Markets Ltd (Europe)

It is strictly regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) with license number 183/12. The type of license obtained by the broker is “cross-border”, allowing the company to provide international trading services.

HF Markets Group

• FCA (Financial Conduct Authority in the UK): HF Markets (UK) Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with reference number 801701.
• DFSA (Dubai Financial Services Authority): HF Markets (DIFC) Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) with license number F004885.
• FSCA (Financial Sector Conduct Authority in South Africa): HF Markets SA (PTY) Ltd is authorized and regulated as a financial service provider by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa, with license number 46632. It’s important to note that the FSCA is an independent body created to oversee the non-banking financial services sector in South Africa. It mainly regulates the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the most important stock exchange on the African continent.
• FSA (Financial Services Authority in Seychelles): HF Markets (Seychelles) Ltd is regulated with registration number 8419176-1, and is under the supervision of the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA) with the license number of Securities Dealer SD015.
• CM (Capital Markets Authority Kenya): HFM Investments Ltd is regulated by the Capital Markets Authority in the Republic of Kenya. The acquired license no. 155 allows the company to act as a no-dealing desk online exchange broker. The CMA is the regulatory body that oversees, authorizes and monitors the activities of brokers in the Kenyan market.

Join HF Markets to invest

In addition to the above regulations, to be able to offer their service in countries that require adherence to more specific rules in the sector, the broker has applied for and received licenses in the following jurisdictions:

Go to HFM’s Official Website

For the safeguarding and protection of clients, the broker presents the following features:

Client-oriented: Effective insurance program.

In order to allow clients to operate without any risk arising from errors, omissions, negligence, fraud, and other risks that could cause financial loss, the broker utilizes a civil liability insurance program with a maximum limit of €5,000,000.

A leader in the regulated industry is a guarantee.

A true online trading giant that offers its legal and transparent service to traders worldwide. International recognitions and awards for excellent work are synonymous with a solid reputation that ensures utmost respect for clients and their operations.

The world’s best banks.

HFM collaborates with the best banks in the market to provide clients with the deepest liquidity possible.

Segregated client funds.

The company’s fund management policy ensures that client resources are deposited in separate accounts from those of the company. This way, the broker will not have the means to use them for its own purposes under any circumstances.

Negative balance protection.

A service that prevents clients from losing more than what is deposited in their account.

Excellent risk management.

HFM constantly monitors and evaluates the risks associated with traders’ transactions. This enables the broker to maintain a stable balance, which is essential for easily meeting its financial needs.

Register on HFM for free

easyMarkets

An international broker that not only provides an excellent trading environment with advantageous and cost-effective conditions but also operates based on a fundamental concept: honesty.

The company’s main goal revolves around the safety and protection of clients, especially in highly volatile markets such as crypto.

Simplicity.

Trading with simplicity makes everything more efficient and fast. The broker’s state-of-the-art platform ensures versatile and effective trading.

Honesty.

A broker strictly regulated by multiple supervisory entities that does not change trading conditions based on market volatility. Fixed spreads and zero slippage allow traders to know the costs to be incurred before any trade.

Transparency.

No unclear conditions or hidden commissions. A market maker broker that does not halt trading during extreme market volatility, important economic calendar events, or extreme situations.

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To protect its operations and the trading of its clients worldwide, the broker holds the following regulatory licenses:

1. Easy Forex Trading Ltd, part of the easyMarkets group, is regulated by CySEC with license number 079/07.
2. Easy Markets Pty Ltd is regulated in Australia by ASIC with license number AFS 246566.
3. EF Worldwide Ltd is under the control of the FSA with license number SD056 in the Republic of Seychelles.
4. EF Worldwide Ltd in the British Virgin Islands is regulated by the Financial Services Commission “FSC” with license number SIBA/L/20/1135.

Go to easyMarkets’ website

For the safeguarding of its clients and to provide a secure and transparent service, the broker presents the following features:

Segregated funds.

Client funds are deposited in accounts separate from those of the company. The company cannot use them for any other purposes.

Internationally renowned banks.

easyMarkets only collaborates with banks that have a solid reputation. Maximum security for client funds and low credit risk.

Impeccable asset management.

The capital management policy is efficient. The broker always has the necessary funds to cover all client deposits, potential fluctuations in the company’s currency positions, and outstanding expenses.

Precise risk management.

Regular checks on traders’ operations allow the broker to assess and monitor any risks.

Negative balance protection.

A service that practically prevents traders from losing more than what they have deposited.

Join easyMarkets to invest

FXPro

FXPro is an international no dealing desk broker that has been operating in the industry for almost two decades. Extremely popular among traders for the excellent quality of services offered, the broker allows trading via CFDs on thousands of instruments divided into 6 asset classes.

Regulated by multiple supervisory bodies to enable traders from over 170 countries to invest in markets worldwide, FXPro is based on two key concepts: Transparency and Reliability.

No dealing desk broker.

Traders’ orders are executed without the involvement of any intermediaries. Ultra-fast execution (orders completed in less than 13 milliseconds), anonymous trading (liquidity providers will not have access to any information), deep liquidity.

Transparency.

High standards of fund security for clients. Traders’ capital is held in top-tier banks and fully segregated from the company’s funds. This way, the broker will not have the means to use them for its own purposes.

Safety.

With the implementation of a sophisticated security program, the broker ensures maximum protection and safeguarding of personal information, privacy, and funds.

Negative balance protection.

As previously explained, this service prevents traders from losing more than what is deposited in their account.

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The licenses obtained by the broker to operate with clarity and in full compliance with the law are as follows:

• FxPro UK Limited is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 509956.
• FxPro Financial Services Limited is authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission with license number 078/07.
• FxPro Global Markets Limited is authorized and regulated by the Securities Commission of the Bahamas with license number SIA-F184.
• FxPro Financial Services Limited is authorized by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (“FSCA”) with license number 45052.

Go to FXPro’s Official Website

IC Markets

IC Markets is a broker that offers a versatile trading environment suitable for all categories of traders. Both professionals and beginners can benefit from the extraordinary trading conditions offered on state-of-the-art trading platforms with low-latency connectivity and excellent liquidity. Additionally, the broker allows anyone to access prices and liquidity previously available only to large banks and high-ranking investors.

In summary, IC Markets is a reputable broker that, in addition to offering numerous advantages for online trading, is based on transparency and constant support for its clients.

Full compliance with rules.

Regulated by multiple supervisory bodies, the broker strictly commits to complying with relevant laws, regulations, policies, and standards. Constant management and controls focused solely on discipline. As a regulated entity, the company must adhere to rigorous financial standards, including capital adequacy and audit requirements.

Client fund management.

IC Markets’ client funds are held in segregated accounts with top-tier international banks, completely separated from the company’s funds. The broker cannot access or use client funds for any other purposes.

Ongoing verifications

Through an independent external auditor, responsible for refining operational and managerial processes, the broker ensures full regulatory compliance for clients.

Confidentiality.

To ensure maximum security for client data, the broker regularly conducts thorough checks and monitors the exchange of sensitive and confidential information about clients both inbound and outbound from the company. IC Markets, without the right to do so, will not disclose client information unless expressly requested by the client or required by law.

Anti-Money Laundering.

A policy implemented through precise procedures designed to prevent money laundering activities. To protect themselves and their clients, traders will need to provide the necessary documents for verification before opening an account.

Negative balance protection.

Traders cannot lose more than what is deposited in their account.

Invest in Crypto with IC Markets

To offer its services in full transparency and compliance with regulations, the broker is regulated by the following supervisory bodies:

• IC Markets (EU) Ltd is a limited liability company registered in Cyprus with company number HE 356877. It is authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission with license number 362/18. The headquarters address is 86 Franklinou Roosvelt, 4th floor, Office 401, 3011 Omonoia, Limassol, Cyprus.
• Raw Trading Ltd is regulated by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA) with Securities Dealer license number SD018.
• IC Markets is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).

Go to IC Markets’ Website

ACY Securities

ACY Securities is a rapidly growing Australian multi-asset online broker that offers optimal trading conditions with extremely low costs, efficient order execution, advanced account management, and constantly updated market analysis. The cornerstone of its modus operandi is trust. The broker aims to earn the trust of its clients by providing transparent services, continuous support, and excellent quality of available tools.

Among the key features that make ACY a reliable broker to invest with are:

Transparency in client fund management.

Traders’ funds are held in segregated accounts with the Commonwealth Bank and separated from the company’s capital. The broker cannot use these funds for its own purposes.

Professional Indemnity insurance.

Both ACY AU and ACY LTD offer their clients Professional Indemnity insurance, compliant with ASIC Regulatory Guide 126 and VFSC Professional Indemnity insurance requirements.

Financial complaints.

Efficient complaint handling to support clients in case of disputes. The company is a member of an independent system for external dispute resolution. To ensure clients have a clear and quality trading experience, any complaints will be reviewed by the expert support and compliance team. If necessary, traders can escalate the issue externally through AFCA (for ACY AU) and VFSC (for ACY LTD).

Anti-Money Laundering.

In compliance with applicable rules regarding money laundering, the broker requires clients to provide necessary documents to undergo a verification process to confirm their identity and country of origin. Additionally, all deposit and withdrawal transactions must be conducted solely by the account holder. Payments from third parties are not allowed.

Privacy policy.

As a regulated entity, the company is obligated to adhere to rules regarding the treatment of clients’ sensitive data, in accordance with privacy principles outlined in the Privacy Statement. Through the privacy policy, the broker is required to collect, use, disclose, and protect all sensitive information of traders intending to open an account with the broker.

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The company’s regulations are as follows:

• ACY Securities Pty Ltd (“ACY AU”) is authorized and regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission with AFSL license number 403863.
• ACY Capital Australia Limited (“ACY LTD”) is authorized and regulated by the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission with VFSC license number 012868.

Invest securely in crypto with ACY Securities