Factors to Consider When Choosing a Indices Broker
Indices Trading Choose a Indices Broker
Factors to look for & consider when selecting a indices trading broker
Regulation is one of the guideline of choosing a broker. As a new trader your first challenge is to choose the right one. The best ones are those that are regulated. This should be the type of firm that you should choose: a regulated indices trading broker.
It is not as easy as it sounds to select a good one & the whole searching process might leave you confused due to the huge competition between them, as they all offer different trading platforms, trading services, order execution & capabilities. The best criteria in selecting is to find a regulated one.
Regulated brokers have to submit all their transactions every year to the regulation authority for audit. This means that these companies cannot participate in any illegal activity such as money laundering. This is why your indices broker asks for Identification documents & proof of residence from traders when they are registering, so when as a trader you are signing up & are asked for these documents when opening an account, you'll know why they are being asked for.
Some of These Stock Indices Trading Broker Regulatory Authorities are Listed Below:
National Futures Association (NFA ) - USA
The NFA regulates all us based financial firms, official web site for NFA is https://www.nfa.futures.org/ where list of USA indices brokers are listed. NFA doesn't issue license to other international ones, unlike other regulatory authorities, NFA will only license US based firms. NFA just like CFTC have very overbearing regulation rules that are not favorable to the traders themselves. After these 2 NFA and CFTC introduced these rules many international indices brokers closed down their US based branches, Those that did not have US branches were forced to close & transfer the accounts of USA citizens because CFTC threatened to sue any indices trading based firms that is not from America if they open trading accounts for USA Citizens. This is why most indices brokers will not accept USA Clients.
Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) - USA
The CFTC regulates all US based financial firms, CFTC is Similar to NFA
Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC ) - Cyprus
The CySEC regulates all Cyprus financial firms, the official website is https://www.cysec.gov.cy where you can search for the registration and licenses number of those Indices brokers licensed by this regulator. The CySEC regulates brokers operating within the European Union Jurisdiction of Cyprus Member Country.
FCA - Financial Conduct Authority as of 2013 - UK
NOW FSA has changed name FCA, and regulation details can bound from either FSA or FCA.
The FSA regulates all financial firms in UK, the official web site for FSA is https://www.fsa.gov.uk/ this website contains a list of stock indices brokers licensed in the UK. FSA also registers other international firms & indices trading based firms from other countries that have an operating office within UK. To check whether the financial institution you are trading with is regulated in UK just navigate to FSA Register.
German Federal Labor Market Authority (BaFin ) - Germany
The BaFIN regulates all German financial institutions, the site for BaFin is https://www.bafin.de & BaFin is the German Federal Supervisory Authority for Investment brokers & institutions operating within German.
Australian Securities and Investments Commission ( ASIC) - Australia
The ASIC regulates all firms in Australia
The Financial Futures Association of Japan ( FFAJ) - Japan
Regulates all Japan based firms
Swiss Federal Department of Finance ( FDF) - Switzerland
The FDF regulates all Swiss based firms
Canadian Investor Protection Fund ( CIPF) - Canada
The CIPF regulates all Canadian firms
MiFID, Markets in Financial Instruments Directive
MIFID is more of a Regulation Standard for European Union Brokers, than a Regulation Authority.
International Financial Services Centre ( IFSC) - Mauritius
The IFSC regulates all Mauritius firms
Above Regulatory authorities are the most trusted and the most famous regulatory authorities, it's best to open an account with a regulated broker that's licensed by one these regulatory authorities that are most popular regulators.
About USA Based Stock Indices Trading Broker Regulations & America Regulatory Authorities
NB: One thing you should know about regulators is that you might not want to chose NFA or CFTC American Regulators, who have these very strict rules:
- Max Indices Trading Leverage 50:1
- First In First Out FIFO Trading (open trades in 123 order, must close then in 123 order, not 321, not 312, not 213 trading order)
- No Stop Loss Indices Order Setting
It is for the above rule that most traders will not open a trading account with USA brokers, most traders who traded with America index brokers closed their index trading accounts & transferred them overseas with the coming of these rules, his is around the year 2010.
In addition these regulators, will take to court any indices trading financial broker that opens an account for USA citizens, this is why no stock index broker will open a index trading account for an American Citizen, Only those in USA can open an Account for An American Citizen. The only brokers accepting US clients are only those brokers based in USA.
