Summary Table | |
---|---|
⚖️Regulator | Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) |
💰Negative Balance Protection | Yes |
💰Compensation Scheme | up to £85,000 |
🎮Is it Safe to Trade? | Yes |
💱Leverage Allowed | 1:30 |
As with most countries in Western Europe, forex trading has seen a significant increase in popularity across the UK over the past few years. Forex trading is legal in the UK and brokers offering brokerage services to the residents of the UK need to be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – https://www.fca.org.uk/
If you want to learn more about forex trading and how it works, click here to visit our Beginners Guide to Forex.
Forex Regulation in the UK
The Financial Conduct Authority is the regulatory body for all financial services and activities in the UK. It was established in 2013 and acts independently from the UK government bodies. Nevertheless, it is not absolutely required to get authorization from the FCA, in order to offer financial services and forex trading to the residents of the UK. Many offshore and EU-regulated brokers offer services to the residents of the UK.
However, it is advised to choose a regulated broker with a Tier 1 license like Cysec, FCA, FSCA, or ASIC to make sure your funds are protected.
A trustworthy broker will always be regulated by an official regulator designed to protect and promote the integrity of brokerage operations. This critical information will usually be listed in the About Us section of the broker’s website.
Operating under the FCA
When it comes to forex trading in the UK it is best to be aware of the customs, laws, rules, and regulations which govern all trading procedures. In the UK there are three leading institutions and agencies which are tasked with this responsibility.
These institutions ensure that all traders will be provided with fair conditions, and their funds will not be subject to scams with the most vital of these institutions being the FCA, Financial Conduct Authority. The FCA or Financial Conduct Authority is independent of other organizational entities and is additionally tasked with the management and legality of all UK companies as well as individual investors who contribute to Forex trading.
The FCA works with the interest of consumers in mind and it can assist in controlling a trader’s loss based on their capacity by engaging a leverage limit on forex trading. Brokers which are regulated by the FCA or Financial Conduct Authority must comply with strict UK regulations and in the event of any consumer abuse or fraud, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has to conduct an inquiry and investigate accordingly.
Safety Of Funds Under The FCA
Regulated brokers must comply with a set of rules designed to safeguard investor assets. Multiple forex brokerages are available to choose from which may make the decision of whom to choose very dauntingly, especially for traders who are just starting off in the market. Any would-be trader should pay attention to certain features that determine a company’s competitive edge, and we have listed the 15 Best Forex Brokers and Platforms in the UK for traders to consider.
Forex Trading in the UK After Brexit
The uncertainty created by Brexit hasn’t spared the forex trading market or forex traders based in or trading through platforms based in the UK.
With Brexit complete and its impact on forex evolving over time, many traders have questions about the implications of this political and economic move not only on the rules and regulations of forex trading but also the trading opportunities created by this shift.
Increased forex volatility turned Brexit into a trading opportunity
The volatility Brexit caused in financial markets gave Valutrades clients lots of trading opportunities, increasing trading activity and improving Valutrades commission income. While the timeline for this continued volatility is subject to change, traders eager to capitalize on Brexit’s economic influence should move quickly to build a trading strategy around this political and economic event.
For the best results, traders should pay close attention to political and economic news coming out of Great Britain and the European Union. Especially on topics where differing tactics and results may produce different outcomes for these economies.
The “Trading Brexit” strategy is expected to last into the future
Due to the ongoing volatility created by both the pandemic recovery and Brexit in general, many forex experts believe that the so-called “Trading Brexit” trend will continue at least through 2021.
Forex traders may be on the lookout for both long and short positions that capitalize on GBP volatility to maximize returns. All economic signs point to this strategy having enough legs that you can generate real profit from augmenting your trade strategy to account for these new economic conditions on both sides of the GBP/EUR divide.
Implications for Financial Services Providers
Contrary to some traders’ concerns, Brexit has not changed any financial services rules. The Financial Conduct Authority regulation remains one of the strictest and safest in the world.
This means you can confidently proceed with forex trading as usual. Consistent regulations will continue to protect both the forex market as a whole and individual forex trading platforms and traders throughout and after this period of transition.
However, with Britain out of the EU, the FCA is looking to take a stronger stance against forex and CFD brokers that try to provide services to UK residents without a license. Therefore, brokers can no longer onboard UK clients with a European license and as seen in the news recently, were asked to stop all operations.
Best Forex Brokers in the UK
Through our thorough review process we chose the following brokers that stand out for their services in Singapore:
- OctaFX – Best for Education, Copy Trading, and Local Support
- Pepperstone – Best Overall and Most Trusted Forex Broker
- BlackBull Markets – Best Web Trading Platform and Instrument Collection
- Vantage – Great for Professional and New Traders
- Avatrade – Best for Beginner Traders, Great Mobile App
1.
OctaFX
- Best for Education, Copy Trading, and Local Support
Regulated By:
SVGFSA(octafx.com), CySec(octafx.eu)
Leverage:
1:500
Min. Deposit:
$25
Trading Instruments:
250+
2.
Pepperstone
- Best Overall and Most Trusted Forex Broker
Regulated By:
FCA , ASIC, CYSEC, BAFIN, CMA, DFSA, SCB
Leverage:
1:30
Min. Deposit:
$200
Trading Instruments:
1000+
3.
BlackBull Markets
- Best Web Trading Platform and Instrument Collection
4.
Vantage
- Great for Professional and New Traders
Regulated By:
ASIC, CIMA, VFSC
Leverage:
1:500
Min. Deposit:
$200
Trading Instruments:
1000+
5.
Avatrade
- Best for Beginner Traders, Great Mobile App
Regulated By:
ASIC, JFSA, FSCA
Leverage:
1:400
Min. Deposit:
$250
Trading Instruments:
250+
UK Forex Brokers Comparison
Broker Name | Accepts the UK Residents |
Regulated by the FCA |
Minimum Deposit |
Visit Broker |
---|---|---|---|---|
OctaFX | Yes | Yes | $200 | Visit Site |
Pepperstone | Yes | No | $25 | Visit Site |
BlackBull Markets | Yes | No | $200 | Visit Site |
Vantage | Yes | No | $200 | Visit Site |
Avatrade | Yes | No | $100 | Visit Site |
XM | Yes | Yes | $5 | Visit Site |
IC Markets | Yes | No | $200 | Visit Site |
XTB | Yes | Yes | $5 | Visit Site |
ActivTrades | Yes | Yes | $200 | Visit Site |
FP Markets | Yes | No | $200 | Visit Site |
Methodology
All brokers listed on our website are regulated by at least one financial regulator and have never been reported as a scam. We analyze more than 3000 data points across 8 key focus areas.
Our reviews are a combination of data research and working alongside the brokers. All information provided by the brokers are double-checked to guarantee 100% accuracy and that we remain unbiased.
2023 Review Methodology
For our 2022 Forex Broker Review, we assessed, rated, and ranked 45 international forex brokers over a three-month time period. Each broker was graded on 108 different variables and, in total, over 100,000 words of research were produced.
While encouraged, broker participation was optional. Each broker had the opportunity to complete an in-depth data profile and provide executive time (live in person or over the web) for an annual update meeting.
All data submitted by brokers is hand-checked for accuracy. Ultimately, our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than 0.1% each year, providing site visitors with quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test.
Forex Risk Disclaimer
There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection, and market volatility that may substantially affect the price or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses. Learn more at Wikipedia.
Chad Smith
Director of Research & Analysis
Chad Smith is the Director of Research & Analysis here at ForexBrokerListing.com.
Chad previously served as an Editor for a number of websites related to finance and trading, where he authored a significant number of published articles about trading and the impact of technology in transforming investing as we know it.
Overall, Chad is an active fintech and crypto industry researcher with more than 15 years of trading experience, and you can find him teaching his dog how to trade in his free time.