Verify the legal entity
A familiar brand name is not enough. The important details are the company named in the customer agreement, its licence number and the regulator responsible for that entity.
Licence claims should be checked against the regulator’s own register rather than relying only on a broker website badge.
Protections differ
Rules can differ on client-money handling, leverage limits, complaints, disclosures and compensation arrangements. The same brand may therefore offer different protections in different jurisdictions.
An offshore licence and a licence from a major domestic regulator should not automatically be treated as equivalent.
Regulation does not remove market risk
A regulated provider can still offer products that lose money. Regulation is mainly about how the firm operates and what rules it must follow; it is not a guarantee of investment performance.
Regulation is one part of provider research, alongside costs, execution, funding and withdrawal terms.
General information only. Investment products can lose value, and terms, fees and regulation can change.