Our research process
- Broker identification. Record the trading name, relevant website, stated markets, and the jurisdictions in which services are offered. Treat brand names as distinct from legal contracting entities.
- Legal entity research. Locate the entity named in the applicable account agreement or client terms. Note when terms differ by country or client category; do not assume a group company is the customer's counterparty.
- Regulation verification. Search the relevant regulator's own register using the legal name and, where available, its firm or licence number. Compare the result with official legal documents and record the checked date and source. Check licence or registration scope, permissions, restrictions and jurisdiction. A register entry alone does not establish that every product, service or customer is covered.
- Platform research. Identify platform names and versions from official broker materials or official app-store listings where available. Distinguish broker-specific features from features of a third-party platform.
- Product research. Record which instruments and account services are described in the applicable product documentation. Avoid treating a marketing list as proof of availability in every region.
- Fee research. Review current schedules and product terms for spreads, commissions, financing, conversion, inactivity, and other stated charges. Note the account, instrument, currency, and conditions when published; do not infer a universal price from a sample.
- Deposit and withdrawal research. Use the broker's published funding terms to identify methods, processing representations, limits, and possible charges. Separate broker terms from fees or delays imposed by banks and payment providers.
- Safety assessment. Describe the verified entity, regulatory scope, client-protection disclosures, and material limitations. Do not convert a regulatory status into a guarantee against loss or insolvency.
- Source cross-checking. Compare material claims with independent primary records where possible. Preserve source links and dates and label unresolved conflicts instead of choosing the more favorable claim.
- Periodic updates. Recheck material facts when authoritative records or terms change, or a credible update is reported. Record what changed and when it was checked; do not imply continuous monitoring.
Our editorial standards follow these research steps. The sources and Last Checked dates on each page indicate the checks documented for that page; they do not imply continuous monitoring.
Our source hierarchy
Sources are assessed for authority, scope, date, and relevance to the specific claim. The order of preference is:
- Official regulator registers, notices, and publications.
- Broker legal agreements, risk disclosures, and fee schedules.
- Other official broker websites and support materials.
- Official platform or app-store listings.
- Independent publications with attributable sourcing.
- User reports, treated as leads or individual experiences.
A lower-priority source may help identify a question but does not by itself verify a regulatory or licensing claim. If authoritative sources conflict or cannot be found, the page should say so.
User reviews are individual experience reports, not universally verified facts. They do not establish the experience of every customer or independently verify a broker's regulatory status.
Scope, Judgement & Limitations
Regulatory records and product terms have jurisdictional scope and can change. Research summaries should state what was checked and avoid implying legal advice, an endorsement, or a guarantee of customer outcomes.
A licence held by one legal entity should not automatically be assumed to cover every account or jurisdiction under the same brand.
Any future rating or comparative assessment should explain its criteria, evidence, and limitations. A rating is editorial analysis, not a regulator approval or a prediction of investment performance.