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Tier one United Kingdom

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Authorises and supervises firms offering CFDs and spread betting to UK retail clients, with conduct rules covering marketing, execution and client money.

Jurisdiction

The United Kingdom. The FCA authorises firms serving UK residents; after Brexit, UK licences no longer passport into the EU and EU licences no longer cover the UK.

Role

Sets and enforces conduct rules for brokers: client money segregation, best execution, negative balance protection, a 1:30 retail leverage cap on major pairs, a ban on retail bonuses and on CFD crypto for retail clients, and detailed disclosure and marketing rules. Membership of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme is compulsory.

Segregated client money, negative balance protection and a compensation scheme or its equivalent. Retail leverage cap: 1:30 on major currency pairs.

Licence verification

Search the Financial Services Register at register.fca.org.uk by the firm's legal name or reference number, confirm the status is authorised, check the permitted activities include dealing in investments, and compare the website listed with the one you are on. The FCA publishes clone warnings daily.

Open the FCA register (opens in a new tab) FCA website

Client protections

Segregated client money, negative balance protection, FSCS cover up to 85,000 pounds per person per firm on insolvency, and access to the Financial Ombudsman Service for disputes.

Tier	Tier one: Segregated client money, negative balance protection and a compensation scheme or its equivalent.
Investor protection	Client money must be held in segregated trust accounts. Retail clients have negative balance protection.
Retail leverage cap	1:30 on major currency pairs
Compensation	Financial Services Compensation Scheme, up to £85,000 per person per firm
Complaints	Financial Ombudsman Service
Established	2013

Brokers regulated by FCA

36 brokers in our database hold a FCA licence through at least one entity. The licence applies to that entity only; check which one serves your country.

FxPro 9.1/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, FSCA, SCB Bahamas, Seychelles FSA

Admirals 8.9/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSCA, Seychelles FSA, JSC Jordan, CMA Kenya, EFSA

Plus500 8.9/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FMA, FSCA, MAS, Seychelles FSA, DFSA, EFSA, SCB Bahamas, CIRO, ISA, JFSA, SCA, CFTC/NFA

eToro 8.8/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, ASIC, Seychelles FSA, ADGM FSRA, MAS, SEC/FINRA

Eightcap 8.7/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, FCA, CySEC, SCB Bahamas, Seychelles FSA, Mauritius FSC

HF Markets 8.5/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, FSCA, Seychelles FSA, CMA Kenya, DFSA, Mauritius FSC

ThinkMarkets 8.2/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, FCA, CySEC, FSCA, Seychelles FSA, DFSA, CIMA, Mauritius FSC, New Zealand FMA

CMC Markets 8.0/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, BaFin, MAS, FMA New Zealand, CIRO Canada, DFSA

IG 8.0/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, BaFin, FINMA, MAS, FMA New Zealand, JFSA, DFSA, BMA, NFA/CFTC

Saxo Bank 8.0/10

Tier-one regulated Danish FSA, FCA, ASIC, FINMA, MAS, JFSA, SFC Hong Kong, DFSA, AMF/ACPR, other European regulators

Capital.com 7.9/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC (319/17, 463/25), Securities Commission of The Bahamas, UAE Capital Market Authority

FXOpen 7.9/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC

Axi 7.8/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, FCA, New Zealand FMA, DFSA

Moneta Markets 7.8/10

Tier-one regulated FCA UK, FSCA South Africa, FSC Mauritius, UAE CMA Category 5, Saint Lucia IBC registration

Tickmill 7.8/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, FSCA, Seychelles FSA, DFSA

ActivTrades 7.7/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, Mauritius FSC, Securities Commission of The Bahamas

Exness 7.7/10

Tier-one regulated Seychelles FSA, FSCA South Africa, CySEC, FCA, CBCS Curacao, BVI FSC, Mauritius FSC, Kenya CMA, Jordan JSC, UAE CMA, Belize FSC

FOREX.com 7.7/10

Tier-one regulated CFTC/NFA, FCA, ASIC, CIRO, CIMA, MAS, JFSA, CySEC

Swissquote 7.7/10

Tier-one regulated FINMA, FCA, CySEC, DFSA, MAS, SFC Hong Kong, MFSA

EC Markets 7.6/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, Seychelles FSA, Mauritius FSC, South Africa FSCA

FXCM 7.6/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSCA

HYCM 7.6/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, DFSA

Trade.com 7.5/10

Tier-one regulated Mauritius FSC, CySEC, FCA, FINRA/SEC

Trading.com 7.5/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, CFTC/NFA

XTB 7.5/10

Tier-one regulated KNF Poland, FCA, CySEC, DFSA, FSC Belize, additional regional authorisations

ATFX 7.3/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, Hong Kong SFC, South Africa FSCA, Mauritius FSC, Seychelles FSA, UAE CMA, Cambodia SERC

Fortrade 7.3/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, CySEC, CIRO Canada, Mauritius FSC, DFSA

Tradu 7.3/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CySEC, ASIC, FSCA, Israel Securities Authority, Seychelles FSA

ATC Brokers 7.1/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, CIMA, Seychelles FSA

Trade Nation 7.1/10

Tier-one regulated FCA 525164, ASIC AFSL 422661, CMVM 601, FSCA 49846, SCB SIA-F216, Seychelles FSA SD150

Interactive Brokers 6.5/10

Tier-one regulated SEC, FINRA, CFTC/NFA, FCA, ASIC, Central Bank of Ireland, CIRO, MAS, SFC, others

Equiti 6.4/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, UAE SCA, Jordan JSC, Kenya CMA, Seychelles FSA, Armenia CBA

OANDA 6.4/10

Tier-one regulated CFTC/NFA, FCA, ASIC, CIRO, MAS, JFSA, other regional regulators

Vantage 6.4/10

Tier-one regulated ASIC, FCA, FSCA, Cayman Islands CIMA, Vanuatu VFSC

City Index 6.3/10

Tier-one regulated FCA, ASIC, MAS, other StoneX group regulators

Trading 212 6.3/10

Tier-one regulated FCA 609146, BaFin 10109603, CySEC 398/21, ASIC AFSL 541122, Bulgarian FSC RG-03-0237

Regulatory facts are the authority's own published position at the last check. Verify any licence on the register before depositing.