Review methodology

Broker and platform research on SafeTrading is meant to answer practical questions. Who would you actually be dealing with? Which rules would apply to your account? What would trading cost you, and what could stop you withdrawing your money? We record what we checked and when, so you can check it yourself.

A trading brand is often operated by several companies in different countries, each with its own license and rules. We aim to identify:

• each legal entity operating under the brand, with registered names and numbers from official sources;
• which entity serves customers in which countries, according to the provider’s own terms;
• where the brand directs customers who are outside its main regulated markets.

Where a provider says it is regulated, we check the regulator’s own register rather than the provider’s claims. We look for:

• the exact entity name, reference number, permissions and current status;
• whether the website and contact details match the register entry, because fraudsters can clone the details of authorized firms;
• relevant warnings or enforcement notices published by regulators.

If an entity is unregulated, or regulated only in a jurisdiction with lighter requirements, we say so plainly. A provider’s absence from a warning list is not evidence that it is safe.

Being registered with a regulator does not mean that every customer receives the same protection. What applies to you depends on which entity holds your account and where you live. Protections that can differ include:

• whether client money must be held separately from the firm’s own money;
• access to a compensation scheme if the firm fails, and its limits;
• negative balance protection;
• leverage limits and marketing rules;
• access to an independent complaints or ombudsman service.

Regulation does not protect anyone from trading losses. We describe protections for a specific entity and customer group, not for a brand as a whole.

We work from the provider’s published documents, noting the date and the account type they apply to:

• Trading costs: spreads, commissions, overnight financing and currency conversion;
• Other fees: deposit, withdrawal, inactivity and account charges;
• Products: which instruments are offered and whether they are leveraged derivatives or the underlying asset;
• Platforms: available trading platforms and material features or limitations;
• Restrictions: excluded countries, account requirements and leverage limits;
• Terms: conditions on withdrawals, account closure, bonuses and dispute resolution.

Quoted figures are labeled as typical, minimum or example values, as the source presents them.

Every piece of research states how it was carried out.

• Desk research relies on published documents, regulator records and other sources, without using the service.
• Hands-on testing means we opened an account or used the platform ourselves. We say what we did, when, from which country and with which account type.

We do not describe a provider as tested unless we have tested it.

Each piece of research lists:

• the sources used, linked where public;
• the date each key fact was checked;
• what we could not verify, and why.

When we re-check a page, the date changes only if we actually reviewed the information. See the editorial policy for how updates are recorded.

We do not publish numerical scores, star ratings or awards. If we introduce a rating system, we will publish how it is calculated before using it.

If we have a commercial relationship with a provider, or share ownership with it, that will be disclosed on the research page itself. The affiliate disclosure sets out our current position.