Forex trading companies

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.

My list of forex bonuses

25 Best UK Forex Brokers for 2021, forex trading companies.

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25 best UK forex brokers for 2021

The forexbrokers.Com annual forex broker review (five years running) is the most cited in the industry. With over 50,000 words of research across the site, we spend hundreds of hours testing forex brokers each year. How we test.

Trading forex (currencies) in the united kingdom (UK) is popular among residents. Before any fx broker can accept UK forex and CFD traders as clients, they must become authorised by the financial conduct authority (FCA), which is the financial regulatory body in the UK. The FCA's website is FCA.Org.Uk. We recommend UK residents also follow the FCA on twitter, @thefca.

The FCA was formed out of the financial services act of 2012, effectively replacing its predecessor, the financial services authority (FSA). For a historical breakdown, here's a link to financial conduct authority webpage on wikipedia.

Best UK forex brokers for 2021

To find the best forex brokers in the UK, we created a list of all FCA authorised brokers, then ranked brokers by their trust score. Here is our list of the top UK forex brokers.

IG - best overall broker 2021, most trusted

Saxo bank - best for research, trusted global brand

CMC markets - best web platform, most currency pairs

Interactive brokers - great for professionals and institutions

City index - excellent all-round offering

XTB - best customer service, great trading platform

FOREX.Com - great all-round offering

Etoro - best copy trading platform

Best forex brokers UK comparison

Compare UK authorised forex and cfds brokers side by side using the forex broker comparison tool or the summary table below. This broker list is sorted by the firm's forexbrokers.Com trust score.

Forex broker	accepts GB residents	authorised or regulated by the FCA	average spread EUR/USD - standard	minimum initial deposit	trust score	overall	visit site
IG	yes	yes	0.745	£250.00	99	5 stars	visit site
saxo bank	yes	yes	0.800	$10,000.00	99	5 stars	visit site
CMC markets	yes	yes	0.740	$0.00	99	5 stars	visit site
interactive brokers	yes	yes	N/A	$0	94	4.5 stars	N/A
city index	yes	yes	1.100	£50.00	93	4.5 stars	N/A
XTB	yes	yes	0.860	$0.00	92	4.5 stars	visit site
FOREX.Com	yes	yes	1.400	$100.00	93	4.5 stars	N/A
etoro	yes	yes	1.00	$200	91	4 stars	visit site
swissquote	yes	yes	N/A	$1000.00	99	4 stars	N/A
FXCM	yes	yes	1.400	£300	92	4 stars	N/A
avatrade	yes	0.910	$100.00	93	4 stars	visit site
FP markets	yes	1.140	$100 AUD	81	4 stars	visit site
plus500	yes	yes	0.600	€100	98	4 stars	visit site
pepperstone	yes	yes	1.160	$200.00	90	4 stars	visit site
IC markets	yes	0.800	$200	83	4 stars	visit site
tickmill	yes	yes	0.530	$100.00	81	4 stars	visit site
fxpro	yes	yes	1.510	$100.00	89	4 stars	visit site
vantage FX	yes	yes	1.350	$200	79	3.5 stars	N/A
moneta markets	yes	yes	1.300	$200.00	79	3.5 stars	N/A
HYCM	yes	yes	2.00	$100	84	3.5 stars	visit site
eightcap	yes	$100	69	3.5 stars	N/A
VT markets	yes	1.30	$200	79	3.5 stars	N/A
blackbull markets	yes	0.76	$200	70	3.5 stars	N/A
octafx	yes	1.100	$5	59	3.5 stars	N/A
hotforex	yes	yes	1.20	$50	83	4 stars	N/A
easymarkets	yes	0.900	$100.00	81	3.5 stars	N/A

How to verfiy FCA authorisation

To identify if a forex broker is licensed to operate in the united kingdom (UK), the first step is to identify the register number from the disclosure text at the bottom of the broker's UK homepage. For example, here's the key disclosure text from IG's website,

Both IG markets ltd (register number 195355) and IG index ltd (register number 114059) are authorised and regulated by the financial conduct authority."

Next, look up the firm on the FCA website to validate the register number is, in fact, legitimate. Here is the official FCA page for IG markets limited.

Summary

To recap, here are the best UK online forex brokers.

More forex guides

Methodology

For our 2021 forex broker review we assessed, rated, and ranked 27 international forex brokers. Each broker was graded on 108 different variables and, in total, over 50,000 words of research were produced.

All data submitted by brokers is hand-checked for accuracy. Ultimately, our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .1% each year, providing site visitors 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.

About the author: steven hatzakis steven hatzakis is the global director of research for forexbrokers.Com. Steven previously served as an editor for finance magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. Steven is an active fintech and crypto industry researcher and advises blockchain companies at the board level. Over the past 20 years, steven has held numerous positions within the international forex markets, from writing to consulting to serving as a registered commodity futures representative.

Trading cfds, FX, and cryptocurrencies involve a high degree of risk. All providers have a percentage of retail investor accounts that lose money when trading cfds with their company. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money and whether you understand how cfds, FX, and cryptocurrencies work. All data was obtained from a published website as of 12/14/2020 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. The forexbrokers.Com staff is constantly working with its online broker representatives to obtain the latest data. If you believe any data listed above is inaccurate, please contact us using the link at the bottom of this page.

The names, products, services, branding/logos, and other trademarks or images featured or cited within this website (www.Forexbrokers.Com) are the property of their respective owners and the owners retain all legal rights therein. These trademark holders are not affiliated with forexbrokers.Com and the use or display of names, trademarks or service marks of another is not a representation that the other is affiliated with, sponsors, or endorses forexbrokers.Com or any of its reviews, products, or services. Forexbrokers.Com declares no affiliation, sponsorship, nor any partnership with any trademark holders unless otherwise stated.

IG - 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading cfds with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

OANDA - cfds are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 77% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading cfds with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how cfds work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Plus500uk ltd is authorised and regulated by the financial conduct authority (FRN 509909).

Disclaimer: it is our organization's primary mission to provide reviews, commentary, and analysis that are unbiased and objective. While forexbrokers.Com has some data verified by industry participants, it can vary from time to time. Operating as an online business, this site may be compensated through third party advertisers. Our receipt of such compensation shall not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by forexbrokers.Com, nor shall it bias our reviews, analysis, and opinions. Please see our general disclaimers for more information.

Best forex brokers 2021

Forex is one of the most liquid financial markets that attract more investors year by year. By 2019, the total daily turnover is equivalent to $5 trillion, having grown from $1 trillion twenty years ago. This knowledge makes it one of the most liquid and attractive financial markets with 24/7 availability. For successful forex trading, a trader needs to choose a “service provider”, namely a brokerage company. This choice should be approached thoughtfully and thoroughly. The correctness of this choice in the future will depend on your financial success. During this year we have written many articles in which we paid attention to the specifics of the work of brokerage companies. We worked for this score for a long time and now we would like to bring it to your attention.

Easy to start system

Very solid and welcome customer support service

Many deposit methods are available

High leverage

Offers zero spread account

Inactivity fee

Fees on some withdrawal methods

No bonus offers are available

High withdrawal fee for bank transfers

Comprehensive social trading network and products

No commissions

Fee-free deposits

Negative balance protection

Wide range of currency pairs

Cysec (cyprus)

ASIC (australia)

FCA (united kingdom)

Bafin (germany)

CNMV (spain)

ACPR (france)

AFM (netherlands)

Leverage up to 1:888

No commissions

No fees on deposits and withdrawals

Negative balance protection

Wide range of accounts

Inactivity fee

Doesn’t offer services to residents in the USA, canada, israel, and iran

FCA (UK)

ASIC (australia)

FSB (south africa)

FINMA (switzerland)

DFSA (united arab emirates)

MAS (singapore)

JFSA (japan)

Stop-loss system

Well-designed platform

Over hundreds of markets to trade

Retail clients are not allowed to trade on interbank

Support & sales teams are willing to force you to fund an account immediately

There are various fees are present

FSCA (south africa)

FCA (UK)

ASIC (australia)

JFSA (japan)

BVIFSC (british virgin islands)

Over five certificates from the solid regulators

Multi-languages support (15), the user interface is available on 20+ languages

Social trading features

The US investors are not allowed

No NFA’s certificate

Various fees system

There are not enough trading features

Lack of deposit methods

NFA (US)

FCA (UK)

ASIC (australia)

FSA (japan)

IIROC (canada)

CIMA (cayman islands)

SFC (hong kong)

MAS (singapore)

The US-based regulation

8 regulators’ certificates

Very solid app and PC interfaces

Great variety of currency pairs

Lack of deposit methods

Little leverage

High fees

The limited list of products

High level of the minimum deposit

Low level of the leverage

Withdrawing from PAMM before the period comes will charge additional fees

FSA (denmark))

FCA (UK)

FINMA (switzerland)

ASIC (australia)

DFSA (united arab emirates)

MAS (singapore)

SFC (hong kong)

JFSA (japan)

8 regulators’ certificates

High level of the max leverage

Huge amount of currency pairs

Min. Deposit over $500

Specific trading platform

Inactivity fee, high forex and other fees

FCA (UK)

KNF (poland)

IFSC (belize)

CNMV (spain)

ACPR (france)

Bafin (germany)

High leverage

Relatively fast deposit and withdrawal

Good user interface

FCA (UK)

ASIC (australia)

IIROC (canada)

FMA (new zealand)

MAS (singapore)

High leverage

No minimum deposit requirements

Popular among traders broker

Huge amount of currency pairs (over 300)

20+ years online

Low level of min. Deposit

Exclusive features in charting

The most common option in choosing forex broker

Every brokerage company has some criteria and average features to be compared. Let’s take a look at the main of them:

Affordability. Each brokerage company sets its minimum deposit threshold value for funding. Typically, this amount starts at $100. Novice traders must make a balanced decision for themselves on how much they can afford to lose. At the same time, you should pay attention to whether the broker fits for you, or whether you should choose another one that is more suitable, but with a higher minimum level of the first deposit.

Deposits and withdrawing. This option is no less important than the previous one. You, as a trader, should easily manage your funds and, if necessary, withdraw them quickly and without high commissions. The broker’s money returning duty determines its decency and reliability.

Market coverage. You have to check the availability of trading needed currency pairs.

Trading terms and trading fees. This option is very important because the appetites of forex brokers can vary dozens of times. Before you get started, you should calm down and calculate how much you’ll give to the brokerage company from the moment you start trading until withdrawing your money in a way that is convenient for you.

Trading platforms. There are many of them. They’re a sword and shield of yours. Depends on features that you allow to customize and working speed you’ll be able to experience which one suits you the best. Personal presets are a huge part of your trading success.

Mobile app. A lot of people prefer fully-automated trading robots. Their performance can be checked without a PC. It’s an important option that allows you not to work on a PC and be mobile.

Customer support. It’s a very important option, especially for beginners, but it’s hard to check it without directly contacting the support.

Reputation. It’s an important part because trading is all about trust. If you see people angry at the company, so, you can entrust your funds and feel that your money is in safety.

Regulation. Before getting started, you have to check how the brokerage company works with your country’s laws. A lot of them have got some restrictions. If you skip this step, you’ll probably be able to fund the account, but you’ll have a huge problem with withdrawing.

The base of knowledge. The solid brokerage company provides a lot of courses, as well as, literature and material to let you get a smoother start in forex trading.

User interface. Everything should be simple and predictable in order to help you to make quicker decisions and be a better trader.

Picking the best forex brokerage company: completed guide

Let’s describe more detailed some of the most important brokerage company’s features.

Market regulators

Here we go “regulation”. In our opinion, this is the most important and fundamental option in the broker’s work, directly related to how much investors will trust it with their money. Regulators are interested in the stability of the forex market and the transparency of financial transactions. Due to the huge volume of assets (more than $5 trillion), there is always a risk that drug dealers, arms dealers, corrupt officials, and other dishonest people and organizations want to use forex as a laundry machine for their capital.

We would like to note that there are several regulatory organizations. As a rule, the more solid and successful the broker, the longer it operates on the market and the more capital traders manage through it, the more organizations assign it an appropriate level of security and transparency.

The list of the most influential regulators look like:

NFA (the national futures association) in the united states;

ASIC (australian securities and investments commission) in australia;

Cysec (cyprus securities and exchange commission) in europe;

FCA (financial conduct authority) in the united kingdom.

There are other regulators, such as those based on offshore islands. We believe that companies that have received certificates in offshore jurisdictions cannot be as reliable as brokers who received them from our listed regulatory authorities.

Types of the provided accounts

There are few types of account brokers can offer.

The first type is a live account. You fund it and trade for real money. Everything you do on the account becomes your gain or loss.

The second type is a demo account.

Most demo accounts are designed to let new traders try the service, see how a brokerage company works and can test the application of various strategies before investing in real money in trading.

Platform for trading

Choosing a trading platform you’re most comfortable working with is no less important than choosing a broker. The main thing for the trader is not only that the platform lets you easily manage every day’s duties, but also the broker supports the work with this platform.

Ctrader and metatrader are the most popular across the traders’ platforms. Metatrader provides two versions of it: metatrader 4 and metatrader 5. These platforms are quite complicated for beginners. Ctrader is a wise simpler one and fits for every skill of traders from professional ones to brand new investors.

You should also pay attention to how convenient and fast the android or IOS based applications. It can be either a proprietary application from a broker or a metatrader one.

Forex broker types

There exist several types of brokers: market maker brokerage companies and direct market access ones. DMA brokers separated into two types ECN and ECN/STP.

Electronic communication network (ECN) brokers allow you to trade only between other traders. So if no liquidity is on the market, your trades will get slippage, and you get a requote. ECN system removes the base of the potential conflict of interests between a trader and brokerage company.

Using ECN allows you to trade throw large financial institutions or global banks. The traders got access to the interbank market directly to see a clear picture of what’s happening in markets.

ECN/STP. Straight through processing is the technology used by ECN brokers for placing trades on the market. FIX (financial information exchange) protocol uses to place orders to the counterparty.

The FIX protocol is needed to decrease the needed time for performing trades, reduces slippage and make sure that traders get the best possible price. Some of these brokers can prevent requoting and reduce slippage.

Depending on trades and trader account the system decides what performing method is the best for the customer.

STP is applied when there’s enough liquidity to a particular trade. If there’s a lack of it, ECN takes liquidity from the inner network.

ECN/STP combination allows traders to perform their deals faster.

Market makers (dealing desks). It’s a type of brokerage companies where the company becomes a market maker the brokerage company always provides needed liquidity but, as well as, always trade against its customers that can be a reason for a conflict of interests.

Conditions for trading

Leverage is necessary so that traders with small capital can benefit from trading. This capital gives loans to a liquidity provider through a forex broker directly to a trader to expand trading volumes. The trader himself or herself is fully responsible for these funds and their return. Leverage is usually displayed in a ratio format, for example, 100:1, which means that one unit of trader’s money for one hundred borrowed units. This also means that trading volume will increase one hundred times. Using large leverage significantly increases the risk of trading. In turn, many regulators can limit the maximum allowable leverage that a broker can offer its clients.

Spreads are measured in pips and show the difference between buying and selling one currency to another in a currency pair. This is a kind of brokerage commission for access to the market. You can also get a lot of very important information from the spreads.

For example, the closer the buy and sell prices are, the more profitable it’s for a trader to work with this broker for these currency pairs. That’s why, often, traders choose different brokers for different currency pairs.

Trading assets

The better than the average broker has got over 40-50 forex pairs to trade.

The hedging option is designed to have insurance in case of adverse market conditions. One of the most common strategies is direct hedging. Brokers themselves do not always support this option for their clients.

Scalping strategy

The scalping strategy allows the trader to profit from quick, usually associated with news, price changes. This strategy is designed to make a profit in a short period of time until the market calms down. Traders applying this strategy usually trade during the day and close all their deals in the evening.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do the first looking for the forex brokerage company?

First of all, you have to take a look at the amount and availability of demo accounts. The new investor has to know what’s going on in the market, how to customize metatrader or one of the other platforms. It takes some time before you get ready to fund the first real account of yours. Usually, demo accounts expire quickly, so you’ll be able to renew it (them) to practice more. During this period you have to read some books about trading strategy and you should pick one that fits you the best. As well as, books there are infinity video courses and various webinars from educational to “the next week trading goals” ones.

How do I know the brokerage company is good for me?

So… it’s the complicated question to answer to. First of all, if you’re a beginner, check the availability of demo accounts. The second one is the fees. It’s very important to know exactly from the start how much money you’ll have to pay from each, as an example, $1000 profit from the moment of having this amount of money on the account for withdrawing it by the payment system that fits you the best. The third one, check the broker’s certificate. You’d better start working with the forex broker that has got a certificate provided by the regulator from your area, where your country from in order to not mess up with financial regulators, as well as, the texas department.

These three are must follow criteria.

How often a brokerage company trades against me?

It’s the wrong question. The broker will be trading against you only if you’re willing it choosing a brokerage company with market maker type. If you’re not okay with that, ask the broker’s support to know what kind of the brokerage company they really are.

Where is a broker’s profit?

How we told before market makers get money trading against you. If we talk about all trading companies in general, all brokerage company makes money from the difference between buying and selling prices, as well as, for charging fees and commissions.

May I deposit my account by bitcoin?

Brokerage companies are interested in providing various payment methods for their customers. Usually, bitcoins are acceptable, but other cryptocurrencies are not. Don’t forget most of the brokerage companies allow withdraw only by the payment method you fund the account for avoiding money laundering.

Fxdailyreport.Com

Till about a decade ago, you had to make use of the telephone if you wanted to invest in the financial markets. You had to call up your broker for placing as well as closing orders. Introduction of online trading has, however, simplified every aspect of the investment process. You can carry out trades from the convenience of your home or on-the-go using the platform provided by brokers. Sounds simple, but the problem is there are umpteen number of forex brokers that offer trading platforms out there in the market. And, you need to work with the best forex broker if you want to achieve your financial goals. So, it all boils down to identifying the right broker to work with and it is definitely not an easy task. Read on to find out as to how you can identify the best forex brokers. In this post, various aspects you need to take into consideration when choosing a forex broker are discussed in detail so that the selection process becomes simpler and easier for you.

Top recommended and the best forex brokers for 2021

info	bonus	open account
min deposit: $5 spread: from 0.2 pips leverage: 500:1 regulation: FSA (saint vincent and the grenadines), cysec	50% deposit bonus, real contest 1st prize luxury car BMW X5 M, copy trading, trade&win.	Visit broker
min deposit: $1 spread: from 0 pips leverage: 3000:1 regulation: cysec, IFSC	$100 no-deposit bonus, 100% deposit bonus	visit broker
min deposit: $5 spread: from 0 pips leverage: 888:1 “*this leverage does not apply to all the entities of XM group.” regulation: ASIC, cysec, IFSC belize	“50% +20% deposit bonus up to $5,000, loyalty program bonus “*clients registered under the EU regulated entity of the group are not eligible for the bonus and the loyalty program”	visit broker
min deposit: $1 spread: from 0 pips leverage: 2000:1 regulation: FCA UK, cysec, FSP, bafin, CRFIN	35% of the account deposit	visit broker
min deposit: $100 spread: starting 0 pips leverage: up to 400:1 regulation: FCA UK, NFA, CFTC, ASIC, IIROC, FSA, CIMA	visit broker
min deposit: $300 spread: floating, from 0 pips leverage: 500:1 regulation: FCA UK reference number 579202	visit broker
min deposit: $200 spread: starting 0 pips leverage: 500:1 regulation: ASIC australia, FCA UK	visit broker
min deposit: no minimum deposit spread: 1.2 pips leverage: 50:1 regulation: CFTC, NFA, FCA, MAS, ASIC, IIROC	visit broker
min deposit: $10 spread: leverage: regulation: cysec	-	visit broker
min deposit: $200 spread: from 3 pips leverage: 400:1 regulation: NFA, FCA, cysec	visit broker
min deposit: $100 spread: starting 0 pips leverage: up to 500:1 regulation: FCA UK, ASIC australia, MAS singapore	visit broker
min deposit: $1 spread: fixed spread from 3 pips leverage: up to 1:1000 regulation: CBR, cysec and FFMS	30% forex deposit bonus	visit broker
min deposit: $250 spread: as low as 0.1 pips leverage: up to 400:1 regulation: ASIC australia and FCA UK	visit broker
min deposit: €100 spread: the spread can be as low as 0.01%” (0.01% = spread for EUR/USD) leverage: 1:294 regulation: ASIC, cysec, FCA (UK)	visit broker
min deposit: $100 spread: starting from 0.9 pips leverage: 400:1 regulation: MIFID, FSB & ASIC	visit broker

Risk warning: cfds are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76.4% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading cfds with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how cfds work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Main parameters to be checked for identifying the best forex brokers:

#1: regulations and licenses

It is highly recommended that you choose only forex brokers that are regulated or authorized by leading regulatory bodies such as commodity futures trading commission (CFTC), national futures association (NFA) and financial conduct authority (FCA in UK), among many others. This is because regulated brokers are more reliable than their non-regulated counterparts. Further, your hard earned money remains safe with such brokers for two reasons: they will be appropriately capitalized and they maintain segregated accounts for theirs as well as traders’ funds.

#2: forex trading platform

The online trading platforms that recommended forex brokers provide would not only be simple, but also intuitive and easy to operate or navigate. It, therefore, makes sense to try out a few online forex platforms and see for yourself as to which one has a better user interface and is easily navigable.

#3: customer support services

Customer support is a key aspect that you need to evaluate. Best fx brokers would often be aware of the needs of the traders and provide good, efficient and responsive customer support services. During the course of trading forex on an online broker’s platform, there will be times when you need certain time sensitive clarifications. If the customer support service of the broker you are planning to work with is not good enough, you could end up losing money. It is, therefore, recommended that you evaluate the brokers’ customer support service both by speaking to their representatives on telephone and by communicating with them through email.

Leverage offered for forex trading varies from one broker to another. If the leverage is high, the trader can make more profits. However, the risk of accumulating losses is also equally higher. Therefore, you should choose a broker that offers leverage suiting to your needs and based on your style of trading.

Brokers often try to attract you by offering high capital bonuses when you make your first deposit. This is good because you get more money for trading. You can choose the broker that offers the highest first deposit bonus, but you should make sure other aspects discussed above and those that are discussed below suit your needs.

#6: deposits and withdrawals

It is important that you understand the brokers’ policies related to deposits and withdrawals. The features to be evaluated when choosing top forex brokers are minimum amount to be deposited to start trading, deposit methods offered, currency options provided, minimum withdrawal amount specified and waiting time for withdrawals, among others. Further, it makes sense to go through all other written policies in detail.

Brokers make money by charging a fee for each of the trading transactions that you execute on the forex trading platform provided by them. As far as the broker and you are concerned, the significant source of revenue would be the spread, the difference between ask and bid prices. It pays, therefore, to check as to how the brokers you have shortlisted handle spreads:

Do they offer fixed or variable spreads?
What is the average and maximum spread for the currency pairs that you are planning to trade?
What spreads are offered when the volatility is very high?
Do you have to pay any commission for each trade apart from the spread?

Before buying a car, you always go for a test drive. Similarly, look for forex brokers that offer demo accounts. This helps you to open a practice account. You can try out their platform and find out for yourself as to which of the shortlisted brokers is best suited to your requirements. Most brokers offer practice accounts these days. So, it is easy for you to get a feel of the brokers’ platform before committing to depositing money and trading.

#9: other parameters for identifying the best forex brokers

The forex brokerages that offer very low account minimums can be considered for evaluation under the category “best forex brokers”. This is good because you don’t have to deposit large amounts of money in order to trade forex. Minimum account balance can be as low as $5 in the case of some of the reliable forex brokers.

Online forex brokers often try to snatch business through promotions. Do not fall prey to their sales gimmicks. Best forex brokers would never make unbelievable and unachievable promotional offers. It is true that cash and prizes form part of the game, but they should be reasonable.

Another aspect to look for when evaluating online forex brokers is the educational services offered by them. This helps you to master the art of forex trading. Brokers that provide you with a variety of educational tools for assisting you in assessing the forex market are the best forex brokers to work with.

Why expert traders trade with regulated forex brokers

If you’re looking to become a successful forex trader, then working with a skilled and trustworthy broker is very crucial. In the forex market, the two main types of brokers you’ll get include the regulated and the non-regulated brokers. Obviously, the former typically operates under regulations stipulated by a forex regulator. Regulated forex brokers must also be fully licensed and registered in their country of operation, unlike their non-regulated counterparts.

Role of regulation

Of course, the role of regulation in forex market cannot be underestimated. Regulation ensures that all players in this booming industry are strictly supervised. This way, merchants are protected from the many unscrupulous traders out there looking to swindle them off their hard earned money. Another thing, regulation also builds trust between merchants and their brokers, since most merchants don’t have enough time to monitor every investment.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the leading regulatory agencies:

CFTC and NFA: commodity futures trading commission and national futures association, regulate the financial services sector in united states of america (USA).

Cysec: the cyprus securities and exchange commission is the regulatory watchdog within the cysec domain. It offers services to the EU member states.

FCA: the financial conduct authority regulates the operations of over 56,000 financial services and companies in the UK.

ASIC: the australian securities and investment commission regulate the financial services sector in australia.

FSB: the financial services board is a south african agency which oversees functioning, regulation, and licensing of south african forex brokers.

Bafin: bafin is a financial supervisory authority providing its services to forex companies in germany.

Advantages of regulated forex brokers

With regulated brokers, you’ll always have some peace of mind when carrying out your real-money transactions. To expound more, here are the main reasons why expert traders prefer regulated brokers:

1. Credibility

It’s an open secret that most of us like to deal with trusted organizations, especially when money is involved. That being said, the credibility of any forex broker is greatly enhanced if the company is regulated by the relevant agencies. Remember that all regulated forex brokers are mandated to follow some strict rules put in place by their respective regulatory bodies. Furthermore, their regulatory bodies expect them to regularly present a copy of their audit report. Therefore, if a broker is listed on its regulatory body list, then it’s safe to say that the forex broker has fully complied.

2. Compensation

Getting compensated in case of any unfortunate scenario is arguably the best reason why most expert traders opt for regulated brokers. With most regulated brokers, you can rest assured that all your hard earned money will be refunded in case your brokerage firm goes down. For example, brokers operating under cysec are required to remit their contribution to the ICF (investor compensation fund). This pool of funds is to help settle any form of customer claims in case of any eventuality.

3. Effective customer service

Before choosing a forex broker, it’s always recommended that you settle for one who can effectively and immediately resolve all customer issues. In this case, most regulated brokers are always competent enough when dealing with technical support or account issues. In addition, they are very helpful and kind during the whole account opening process.

4. Quick deposits and withdrawals

Any reputable forex broker will allow their merchants to make deposits and withdrawals without any hassle. A regulated broker should have no reason whatsoever to make your earnings process difficult because they don’t have control over your funds. All they have to do is to facilitate the platform to make it convenient enough for you to trade.

5. Updated trading platform

Most regulated brokers are mandated by their respective regulatory authorities to provide their clients with the latest, powerful, and easy-to-use trading platforms. In fact, most of their platforms will readily provide you with all that you need to begin trading immediately. You’ll get a lot of educational materials including webinars, videos, articles, seminars, and e-courses at no extra charge. It goes without saying that regulated brokers also offer their clients free demo accounts to help them sharpen their skills before going live.

6. Legality

All over the world, governments are struggling to deal with issues concerning money laundering. Some of them have even gone ahead to pass very strict anti-money laundering laws. So to be on the safe side, you should always trade with a regulated broker. Most regulated forex brokers will ask you to provide some of your personal identification documents such as proof of address and photo ID. This might sound tedious to you but it’s always safe to be part of a regulated organization that can prove your money is being used in a legal way.

To sum it up, regulated forex brokers are always the best as well as the safest option to trade with. This is because they are always ahead in terms of legality, security, and safety of your funds. All in all, you can manage your risks better if you opt for a regulated forex broker.

Understanding true ECN vs STP broker

The foreign exchange market, also known as currency market, is a universal decentralized market that provides traders an opportunity to trade currencies. It is a market which incorporates all aspects of buying, selling, and exchanging currencies at the present-day or determined rates.

There are different kinds of forex brokers that you can choose to trade forex with. However, though all the brokers in forex are intended to provide a similar basic solution, the way they operate behind the scenes is different. Different types of brokers have varying techniques of operation, and the specific broker you cooperate with can significantly determine your success rate as a forex trader. Here are some crucial factors that will enable you determine which broker between a true ECN and STP broker is the best one to trade forex with:

Understanding true ECN vs STP broker

True ECN i.E. Electronic communications network brokers operate without their individual dealing desk. These brokers provide an electronic trading platform where professional market makers at monetary organizations such as banks, and other online trading participants including traders can enter bids and offers through their particular systems.

STP i.E. Straight through processing brokers are brokers without a dealing desk also. These brokers apply some of the techniques utilized by market makers to provide their particular clients with trading conditions which are more flexible. By STP brokers hiring some of the tactics of market makers, they are able to bypass the limitations connected to trading exclusively within the interbank market.

General overview of true ECN and STP brokers

Use of scalping techniques

True ECN and STP forex brokers do not care about how much their particular traders make. Therefore, these types of brokers allow traders to utilize scalping techniques to close their respective positions. Note that false ECN and STP brokers cannot allow you to use scalping techniques as a trader since they will be disadvantaged anytime you make small profits.

True ECN and STP brokers are types of forex brokers without a say when it comes to control on spread provided. These brokers have no control on spread offered since it’s the liquidity provider that determines the spread which is to be provided.

Though true ECN and STP brokers can add markups when necessary, they cannot in any way take it further down than the amount provided.

Difference between true ECN and STP brokers

Commission charged

On true ECN accounts, as a trader you will be required to pay a fixed commission to open and close trades. The spreads offered on true ECN accounts are determined by the rates of liquidity providers.

When using STP accounts as a trader, you will not be required to pay any commissions.

Pros of trading forex with a true STP broker

Cannot bankrupt themselves

True ECN brokers cannot trade against their specific clients to bankrupts themselves.

Similar price rates

If you are a forex trader, trading with a true ECN broker means you are guaranteed of price rates that are similar to those of the interbank market.

Negative balance protection

As a trader utilizing the trading account of a true ECN broker, the broker will be accountable for any dues with liquidity providers should your account read negative as a result of any reason beyond their control.

Cons of choosing a true ECN broker

Dealing with a true ECN broker will require you to pay rollover fees and commission at times.

Pros of trading forex with an STP broker

Their rates and the interbank prices are same

They provide their clients low entry capital requirements

Cons of choosing an STP broker

Choosing an STP forex broker means when you enter a trade you’ll not be informed what spread to expect.

Most true ECN and STP brokers are linked to several liquidity providers at the same time period. Despite both true ECN and STP brokers having incredible trading solutions which can meet your needs as a trader, their terms of operation vary. Whether you will choose a true ECN or STP broker, the rule of thumb is always ensuring you minimize losses and maximize profits as much as you can when trading forex. Ensure you compare carefully the terms of service of both a true ECN and STP broker before you choose one to handle your trading needs.

Forex: largest, most liquid market for trading currencies

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Regularly updated and carefully selected learning materials and forex strategies, described by professional traders.

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Become the best in trading forex,cfds, shares, indices, gold, oil, and other commodities and win up to $4000 on your live ECN account for trading

Optimal choice for opening a forex account

Provided for any category of traders, including professional ECN accounts with floating spreads and unlimited trading strategies

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Most popular professional trading platforms metatrader 4 and metatrader 5 and their mobile and web versions

Some of the lowest spreads in the forex market

And over 145 tools for successful trading

Variety of deposit/withdrawal methods

The latest analytical materials are at your command as well.

The art of analysis from claws&horns

Experienced experts at claws&horns master the art of analysis as no one else. All sorts of analysis, latest forecasts, unique reviews, expert opinions and many other analytical materials that are indispensable to trading success are now freely available to liteforex's clients.

The material published on this page is produced by the claws&horns company jointly with liteforex and should not be considered as the provision of investment advice for the purposes of directive 2004/39/EC; furthermore it has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.

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Risk warning: trading on financial markets carries risks. Contracts for difference (‘cfds’) are complex financial products that are traded on margin. Trading cfds carries a high level of risk since leverage can work both to your advantage and disadvantage. As a result, cfds may not be suitable for all investors because you may lose all your invested capital. You should not risk more than you are prepared to lose. Before deciding to trade, you need to ensure that you understand the risks involved and taking into account your investment objectives and level of experience. Click here for our full risk disclosure.

The website is owned by liteforex group of companies.

Liteforex investments limited registered in the marshall islands (registration number 63888) and regulated in accordance with marshall islands business corporation act. The company’s address: ajeltake road, ajeltake island, majuro, marshall islands MH96960. Email:

Liteforex investments limited does not provide service to residents of the EEA countries, USA, israel, and japan.

25 best UK forex brokers for 2021

Best UK forex brokers for 2021

To find the best forex brokers in the UK, we created a list of all FCA authorised brokers, then ranked brokers by their trust score. Here is our list of the top UK forex brokers.

IG - best overall broker 2021, most trusted

Saxo bank - best for research, trusted global brand

CMC markets - best web platform, most currency pairs

Interactive brokers - great for professionals and institutions

City index - excellent all-round offering

XTB - best customer service, great trading platform

FOREX.Com - great all-round offering

Etoro - best copy trading platform

Best forex brokers UK comparison

Compare UK authorised forex and cfds brokers side by side using the forex broker comparison tool or the summary table below. This broker list is sorted by the firm's forexbrokers.Com trust score.

Forex broker	accepts GB residents	authorised or regulated by the FCA	average spread EUR/USD - standard	minimum initial deposit	trust score	overall	visit site
IG	yes	yes	0.745	£250.00	99	5 stars	visit site
saxo bank	yes	yes	0.800	$10,000.00	99	5 stars	visit site
CMC markets	yes	yes	0.740	$0.00	99	5 stars	visit site
interactive brokers	yes	yes	N/A	$0	94	4.5 stars	N/A
city index	yes	yes	1.100	£50.00	93	4.5 stars	N/A
XTB	yes	yes	0.860	$0.00	92	4.5 stars	visit site
FOREX.Com	yes	yes	1.400	$100.00	93	4.5 stars	N/A
etoro	yes	yes	1.00	$200	91	4 stars	visit site
swissquote	yes	yes	N/A	$1000.00	99	4 stars	N/A
FXCM	yes	yes	1.400	£300	92	4 stars	N/A
avatrade	yes	0.910	$100.00	93	4 stars	visit site
FP markets	yes	1.140	$100 AUD	81	4 stars	visit site
plus500	yes	yes	0.600	€100	98	4 stars	visit site
pepperstone	yes	yes	1.160	$200.00	90	4 stars	visit site
IC markets	yes	0.800	$200	83	4 stars	visit site
tickmill	yes	yes	0.530	$100.00	81	4 stars	visit site
fxpro	yes	yes	1.510	$100.00	89	4 stars	visit site
vantage FX	yes	yes	1.350	$200	79	3.5 stars	N/A
moneta markets	yes	yes	1.300	$200.00	79	3.5 stars	N/A
HYCM	yes	yes	2.00	$100	84	3.5 stars	visit site
eightcap	yes	$100	69	3.5 stars	N/A
VT markets	yes	1.30	$200	79	3.5 stars	N/A
blackbull markets	yes	0.76	$200	70	3.5 stars	N/A
octafx	yes	1.100	$5	59	3.5 stars	N/A
hotforex	yes	yes	1.20	$50	83	4 stars	N/A
easymarkets	yes	0.900	$100.00	81	3.5 stars	N/A

How to verfiy FCA authorisation

Both IG markets ltd (register number 195355) and IG index ltd (register number 114059) are authorised and regulated by the financial conduct authority."

Next, look up the firm on the FCA website to validate the register number is, in fact, legitimate. Here is the official FCA page for IG markets limited.

Summary

To recap, here are the best UK online forex brokers.

More forex guides

Methodology

Forex risk disclaimer

IG - 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading cfds with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Plus500uk ltd is authorised and regulated by the financial conduct authority (FRN 509909).

Forex trading scams

Find out how unauthorised forex trading and brokerage firms work, how to avoid scams and what to do if you are scammed.

UK consumers are being increasingly targeted by unauthorised forex trading and brokerage firms offering the chance to trade in foreign exchange, contracts for difference, binary options, cryptoassets and other commodities.

They promise very high returns and guaranteed profits, either through a managed account where the firm makes trades on the investor’s behalf or by trading using the firm’s trading platform.

We are aware that scammers are targeting consumers searching for investments online, in particular through search engines like google and bing. Although some scammers offer high returns to tempt you into investing, they may also offer realistic returns to make their offer appear more legitimate. Those offering or promoting products or investment opportunities found through search engines are not necessarily authorised or regulated by the FCA. You can check the FCA warning list for firms to avoid.

How forex (FX) trading and brokerage scams work

Most consumers report they have initially received some returns from the firm to give the impression that their trading has been a success.

They will then be encouraged to invest more money but at this stage or soon after the returns stop, their account is suspended and there’s no further contact with the firm.

Many scam firms claim to be based in the UK and even claim to be FCA authorised.

Beware of clone firms

Many bogus trading and brokerage firms will use the name, ‘firm registration number’ (FRN) and address of firms and individuals who are FCA authorised. This is called a ‘clone firm’.

The scammers then give their own phone number, address and website details, sometimes claiming that a firm's contact details on the register are out of date.

Scammers might also claim to be an overseas firm, which don’t always have their full contact and website details listed on the register.

Scammers may even copy the website of an authorised firm, making subtle changes such as the phone number.

How to protect yourself

You should check the FCA register of authorised firms before dealing with any firm. If they’re not authorised by us, it’s probably a scam. You can also check our warning list of firms to avoid.

If the firm’s contact details aren’t on the register or the firm claims they’re out of date, call our consumer helpline on 0800 111 6768.

You should check the firm isn’t a clone firm by asking for their firm reference number (FRN) and contact details and then calling them back on the switchboard number on our register – never use a link in an email or website from the firm offering you an investment.

Always be wary if you’re contacted out of the blue, pressured to invest quickly or promised returns that sound too good to be true.

You should seriously consider seeking financial advice or guidance before investing. You should make sure that any firm you deal with is regulated by us and never take investment advice from the company that contacted you, as this may be part of the scam.

The money advice service has information on investing and about how to find a financial adviser. Alternatively, you could get further information from a group that represents advisers such as PIMFA.

If you have been scammed

You can report the firm or scam to us by contacting our consumer helpline on 0800 111 6768 or using our reporting form.

If you’ve invested with a firm that’s not authorised by the FCA, your investment is not protected by the UK’s financial services complaints and compensation scheme.

If you have already invested in a scam, fraudsters are likely to target you again or sell your details to other criminals.

The follow-up scam may be completely separate or related to the previous fraud, such as an offer to get your money back or to buy back the investment after you pay a fee.

If you have any concerns at all about a potential scam, contact us immediately.

So, let's see, what we have: to find the best forex broker in the UK, we created a list of all FCA authorised brokers, then ranked brokers by both trustworthiness, as well as their overall ranking. At forex trading companies