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EC Markets regulation

Across a hundred brokers, the licence is what separates the field fastest. Here is EC Markets's regulatory record in full.

Facts last checked . Read the full EC Markets review.

Regulation and safety

Regulated by
FCA (571881); ASIC (AFSL 388737); Seychelles FSA (SD009); Mauritius FSC (GB2100130); South Africa FSCA (51842)
Regulator tier
Tier 1
Register entry
FCA Financial Services Register, FRN 571881
Client money segregated
Yes
Held at
Regulated banking institutions; specific arrangements vary by entity
Negative balance protection
Yes for eligible retail clients; entity-dependent
Compensation scheme
FSCS protection for eligible UK clients up to £85,000; none under several international entities
Audited by
Independent external/statutory auditors
Not available to
United States and jurisdictions where provision of services would violate local laws

Check the licence yourself: the FCA Register, ASIC Connect, the Seychelles FSA list of regulated entities, the Mauritius FSC register of licensees, the FSCA search of financial services providers.

What this means

Across a hundred brokers, the licence is what separates the field fastest.

EC Markets holds tier-one authorisations from ASIC and FCA. That matters more than any headline spread: it determines your leverage cap, whether losses can exceed your deposit, and what happens to your money if the firm fails.

It also operates an offshore entity (FSC and FSA). Which one you are onboarded to depends on where you live, and the two carry very different protections - worth confirming before you deposit.

ASIC caps retail leverage at 1:30, requires negative balance protection, and obliges the broker to hold client money in a separate trust account.

The FCA caps retail leverage at 1:30, mandates negative balance protection, and covers eligible clients under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

The FSCA licenses derivative providers in South Africa without a fixed retail leverage cap, so headline leverage is often higher than an FCA or ASIC entity may offer.

Client money is held separately from the firm's own money, at Regulated banking institutions; specific arrangements vary by entity. That separation is what makes your balance recoverable if the company fails, rather than part of the pool its creditors divide up.

Negative balance protection applies, so a losing position cannot take the account below zero and leave you owing the broker money.

Covered by FSCS protection for eligible UK clients up to £85,000; none under several international entities, which pays eligible clients up to its limit if the firm fails owing client money.

Questions about EC Markets regulation

Who regulates EC Markets?

EC Markets is regulated by FCA (571881); ASIC (AFSL 388737); Seychelles FSA (SD009); Mauritius FSC (GB2100130); South Africa FSCA (51842).

Is client money segregated at EC Markets?

Yes. EC Markets holds client money separately from its own funds, at Regulated banking institutions; specific arrangements vary by entity.

Does EC Markets offer negative balance protection?

Yes. EC Markets offers negative balance protection, so a losing position cannot leave you owing the broker more than your account held.

Regulation at brokers under the same regulator

More about EC Markets