Some Forex brokers are proud to report that they provide their services within the framework of European regulation. It is a kind of sign of quality for many traders.
Legal basis of Forex regulation in the EU
It is immediately worth noting that the European Union doesn’t have a single regulator, unlike other countries. However, this does not mean that no one controls Forex brokers in Europe. Each member state of the EU has its organization, whose functions include the regulation of activities in the financial markets. In contrast, each of the regulators has its own rules and requirements within the framework of their countries’ legislation.In some countries, the regulators are the Central Bank (Ireland, Czech Republic), and in some countries, these are specially created organizations. The most famous of them are:
- The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of the United Kingdom;
- Federal Office of Financial Control (BaFin) of Germany;
- Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC);
- Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).
Requirements and features of the MiFID II Directive
One of the key features of the MiFID II directive is the possibility of so-called passporting within the EU. A Forex broker with a MiFID II license issued by one of the regulators has the right to operate throughout the EU, not only in the country whose regulator issued this license.As mentioned above, each regulator makes its own requirements to the applicant. In turn, the MiFID II directive defines a minimum threshold for regulation, and the management of the regulator can tighten them following its national legislation.
For this reason, most Forex brokers seek to obtain a MiFID II license from the regulators of Malta and Cyprus, where they are not subject to such strict requirements as, for example, in the UK.
In general, the MiFID II directive is not a strict law but rather defines the framework within which the EU countries’ Forex regulators are required to carry out their activities.
Accordingly, some regulators are content with the minimum, while others are on the path of tightening their requirements to the directive’s values. The MiFID II directive has become a fairly effective tool and the companies from Forex broker ranking 2021 who have received a license enjoy very high confidence among traders.
How to choose a reliable Forex Broker
Since there is a large-scale competition between Forex brokers, they offer a whole range of different opportunities and advantages. However, choosing a broker is not an easy task for both new and experienced traders. Several key points, such as regulation and capitalization, estimate the reliability and competence of the organization. Certain objective criteria can measure these indicators.However, when choosing a Forex broker, the most important thing is to determine which parameters are of interest to you. Considering your needs and your trading style, you will be able to detect not only outstanding characteristics but also potential bottlenecks.
Here is a list of questions that we suggest you decide on when choosing a broker:
- Areas of activity of a Forex broker.
- Is the broker/dealer activity regulated? If so, in which country is the regulation implemented
- How reliable is the broker's trading platform?
- Capitalization
- Is the company a broker or a dealer?
- Customer support
- Expenses: Structure of payments and commissions
- Account Types
- Does the broker offer any additional services?
- How are leverage and margin calls calculated?
You need to know this
Not all countries regulate in the same way, and they have different characteristics and requirements for financial registration.Therefore, any investor/trader is recommended to choose a Forex broker registered in a country where a regulatory agency controls its activities. In addition, it is important to know whether the broker/dealer’s activities are regulated in an offshore territory or not since registration requirements are usually much more liberal in offshore countries.
How reliable is the broker's trading platform?
Depending on a particular trader’s hardware and software features, they may need either an installed program or an online application. Choosing the optimal platform for yourself is crucial for successful trading. Take a look at Forex broker ranking 2021 and decide about the best one.In addition, it is essential to make sure that the trading platform is not subject to frequent crashes or freezes, especially during the release of economic news of global significance or global events when traders need a stable operation of the system.
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