Forex Brokers that are not Regulated
Forex brokers can fall into two key categories, regulated brokers and unregulated brokers. The main difference between each of these types of forex broker is the protection and products that they can provide clients with. The majority of traders and investors are probably going to look for a regulated forex broker so that they can trade and invest with peace of mind that they have protection in place should something go wrong. However, there are those who would still consider an unregulated forex broker as they be able to offer certain trading products that a regulated broker cannot.
What is an unregulated forex broker?
An unregulated forex broker is a company that does not have a particular financial license to provide online trading services. This means that they do not need to follow any strict rules or procedures so can offer things such as higher leverage and cryptocurrency trading. They can also have faster and less stringent KYC procedures which make for a quick account opening.
However, unregulated forex brokers cannot provide you with the same protection as a regulated forex broker can. If the company was to go out of business then you may lose all of your funds. You might also get a conflict of interest when trading with an unregulated forex brokerage as they can manipulate price if they wish. That does not mean that all unregulated brokers are bad, but you should certainly do your due diligence if you are considering an offshore forex broker.
The foreign exchange market (forex) has been largely unregulated, because regulators considered it “too big to be manipulated”. It is decentralized in a sense that no one single authority, such as an international agency or government, controls it. The major players in the market are governments (usually through their central banks) and commercial banks. Using a regulated broker helps to give traders confidence and protection that is not always evident in the forex market.
Regulated vs unregulated forex brokers
The global supervisory bodies regulate forex by setting standards which all brokers under their jurisdiction must comply with. These standards include being registered and licensed with the regulatory body, undergoing regular audits, communicating certain changes of service to their clients, and more.
If a forex broker is not regulated, then they do not need to follow these rules as a regulated forex broker would have to. The cost involved with obtaining licensing can easily cost millions, which is a massive deterrent for those starting a brokerage firm. In saying that, there are unregulated forex brokers who are working towards getting regulated once they have grown enough in stature to warrant it being a sound investment decision from their perspective.
You will find that some brokers are regulated in one jurisdiction but not regulated in others. For example, you could trade forex with an ASIC regulated forex broker which may give Australian clients different protection compared to overseas clients. You will also see that some forex brokers are regulated in multiple jurisdictions and allow you to choose the entity that you wish to trade with depending on your location ad specific requirements.
Who are the best unregulated forex brokers?
I cannot really comment on the best unregulated forex broker as it really depends on what you are looking for in a broker. If you just want to buy and sell currency pairs, then I would focus on the unregulated forex brokers that have been around the longest. This is about as much confidence as you can get in terms of safety. Take a look at broker reviews to make sure there haven’t been any issues with trading conditions and withdrawals.
In addition to safety, you will want to consider things such as the minimum deposit, spreads, execution policy, forex account types, financial instruments, funding, platform, tools, education and support. You can see a selection of our top unregulated forex brokers below.
Unregulated forex brokers pros & cons
Pros
- Higher leverage
- Cryptocurrency funding and trading
- Quicker sign-up process
- Different trading conditions
- Unique trading products and services
- Not restricted by regulators
Cons
- Lack of protection
- Less transparency
- Lots of scam brokers out there
Conclusion: is it safe to use an unregulated forex broker?
When a broker is unregulated, this means that there is no regulatory organization or group of persons monitoring them, in other words, they can take your money and disappear. This is the reason why you see lists of online forex brokers described as scams or frauds.
However, it is not fair to immediately suggest an unregulated forex broker is a scam. There are brokerage firms who choose not to be regulated as they want the flexibility to be able to provide clients with certain trading products and services that other regulated brokers cannot.
You just need to decide if you require such features and if you are willing to take the risk of having no protection should things go wrong. As there are so many good regulated forex brokers, I don’t really see the need of using an unregulated forex broker unless you want higher leverage or access to come specific cryptocurrency products that are not currently well regulated.
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