Reviews

Home / Reviews / FOREX.com / Regulation

FOREX.com regulation

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

Facts last checked . Read the full FOREX.com review.

Regulation and safety

Regulated by
CFTC/NFA (0339826); FCA; ASIC; CIRO; CIMA; MAS; JFSA; CySEC
Regulator tier
Tier 1
Register entry
NFA BASIC, NFA ID 0339826
Client money segregated
Yes
Held at
Global network of investment-grade custodian banks
Negative balance protection
Yes for eligible retail CFD clients; not universally applicable to US forex accounts
Compensation scheme
FSCS up to £85,000 for eligible UK clients; CIPF protection for eligible Canadian clients; ICF up to €20,000 for eligible CySEC clients; no equivalent statutory US forex compensation scheme
Audited by
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Not available to
Jurisdiction-dependent; services unavailable where prohibited by local law, with CFD products unavailable to US residents

Check the licence yourself: NFA BASIC, the FCA Register, ASIC Connect, the MAS Financial Institutions Directory, the CySEC register of investment firms.

What this means

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

FOREX.com holds tier-one authorisations from ASIC, FCA, CySEC, MAS, CFTC/NFA and CIRO. 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 (CIMA). 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.

CySEC licences passport across the EU and follow the 1:30 retail leverage cap, with the Investor Compensation Fund covering eligible claims.

Client money is held separately from the firm's own money, at Global network of investment-grade custodian banks. 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 up to £85,000 for eligible UK clients; CIPF protection for eligible Canadian clients; ICF up to €20,000 for eligible CySEC clients; no equivalent statutory US forex compensation scheme, which pays eligible clients up to its limit if the firm fails owing client money.

Questions about FOREX.com regulation

Who regulates FOREX.com?

FOREX.com is regulated by CFTC/NFA (0339826); FCA; ASIC; CIRO; CIMA; MAS; JFSA; CySEC.

Is client money segregated at FOREX.com?

Yes. FOREX.com holds client money separately from its own funds, at Global network of investment-grade custodian banks.

Does FOREX.com offer negative balance protection?

Yes. FOREX.com 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 FOREX.com