Broker-dealers
For U.S. securities, check the firm and individual in FINRA BrokerCheck and confirm the exact legal name, registration status, disclosures, and disciplinary history.
Open FINRA BrokerCheck ↗
Products & Services
A platform relationship you can verify.
Understand the roles, protections, costs, and responsibilities involved before opening or funding a trading account.
WHY REGULATION MATTERS
Oversight creates rules, records, and routes for complaints.
Regulation cannot prevent market losses or every fraud. It can require registration, financial standards, disclosures, supervision, recordkeeping, and formal dispute processes.
VERIFY BY MARKET
Different products have different oversight.
Investment advisers
If a person selects or manages investments for compensation, check SEC or state adviser records, Form ADV, fees, conflicts, and disciplinary disclosures through IAPD.
Open SEC IAPD ↗Retail foreign exchange
U.S. customers should verify CFTC registration and NFA membership in BASIC. OTC forex is dealer-based; registration does not remove counterparty, leverage, or withdrawal risk.
Use CFTC registration checks ↗Permissions and disclosure
Listed options require broker approval based on experience and financial information. Read the standardized options disclosure and understand assignment, expiration, liquidity, and potentially substantial loss.
Read FINRA’s options overview ↗WHAT TO CONFIRM
Look beyond the license number.
Understand who actually holds cash and securities, whether customer assets are segregated, which clearing firm is used, and how statements are delivered.
Confirm whether protection applies to the entity and product. SIPC may help when a U.S. member broker fails and assets are missing; it does not insure market loss, performance promises, or most forex trades.
Fund only an account in your name using instructions shown inside the verified provider.
Read commissions, spreads, data fees, financing, inactivity and withdrawal charges, order-routing disclosures, and how every person involved is paid.
Use unique credentials and multifactor authentication. Keep direct access to statements and withdrawals, and know how to close positions if the primary platform fails.
PLATFORM CHECKLIST
What to confirm before funding.
- Confirm the broker’s legal name, website, regulator record, and account agreement all refer to the same verified entity.
- Open the trading account in your own name so you retain ownership, statements, funding control, and withdrawal authority.
- Account funding should go to a trading person only through your verified trading account platform.
- Enable multifactor authentication, keep your login details private, and review account activity directly from the broker dashboard.
- Test the support process and withdrawal process early so you understand timelines, fees, documentation, and escalation channels.
Trading involves risk, including the loss of capital. Use these materials for education, verify important information independently, and make decisions that fit your own circumstances.
Read the full disclaimer →