Utility · last checked 2026-07-08
Risk Warning
Forex, CFDs, spread betting and other leveraged products can wipe out your deposit faster than most new traders expect. Read this before you compare any broker.
Leverage cuts both ways
Forex and CFD trading uses leverage, which means both profits and losses are calculated on a position far larger than your deposit. A position moving 1% against you on 1:100 leverage wipes out your margin. European regulators require brokers to publish loss rates, and the published figures are consistently in the range of 60–80% of retail accounts losing money. Those numbers come from the brokers themselves.
The risks that don't show up on a chart
Market risk is only part of the picture. Slippage and widened spreads around news events can turn a planned small loss into a large one. Offshore entities may hold your funds without segregation or any compensation scheme. Clone firms copy the names and licence numbers of real brokers to collect deposits — the FCA maintains a public list of them. And bonus terms sometimes lock your balance until you meet turnover requirements most depositors never reach.
Minimum precautions before depositing
Confirm the legal entity in the account agreement and look it up in the regulator's register directly, not through a link the broker gives you. Start with an amount you can afford to lose completely. Test the withdrawal process with a small sum before scaling up. And if anyone — a manager, a signal seller, a stranger with a screenshot of profits — pressures you to deposit more, treat that pressure itself as the red flag.
Common questions
Is this trading advice?
No. We publish broker research, comparisons and risk notes. What you do with your money is your decision, ideally made after your own checks.
Can broker information change?
Constantly. Regulation, availability, platforms, payment methods and fees change by legal entity and over time, which is why every page shows when it was last checked.
Are your scores safety ratings?
No. A score is a side-by-side comparison aid. A high score is not proof a broker is safe, and we'd rather you treat it that way.
Check the details yourself
These are the pages we relied on. Read them before you open an account or send money anywhere.