Advertiser Disclosure
Trust & Safety
Trust & Safety is one of the most important parts of our broker review process. This category evaluates how safe and reliable a broker appears to be based on its regulatory status, additional licenses, operating history, and the legal entity used to serve clients.
| Sub-Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Main regulatory protection | 70% |
| Additional licenses | 15% |
| Market Presence & Operating History | 15% |
Main Regulatory Protection
| Regulatory Status | Score |
|---|---|
| Tier-1 regulation | 5 |
| Tier-2 regulation | 4 |
| Tier-3 regulation | 3 |
| Offshore regulation | 2 |
| Unregulated | 1 |
Additional Licenses
| Additional Licenses Held | Score |
|---|---|
| No additional licenses | 0 |
| One additional Tier-3 license | 1 |
| One additional Tier-2 license | 2 |
| One additional Tier-1 license | 3 |
| Two or more additional strong licenses | 4 |
| Multiple Tier-1 licenses across major jurisdictions | 5 |
Market Presence & Operating History
| Years in Operation | Score |
|---|---|
| 20+ years | 5 |
| 10–19 years | 4 |
| 5–9 years | 3 |
| 2–4 years | 2 |
| Less than 2 years | 1 |
Trust & Safety Score Caps
Score caps are used to prevent brokers with weak or unclear regulation from receiving a high Trust & Safety score based only on age or secondary features.
| Broker Status | Maximum Trust & Safety Score |
|---|---|
| Unregulated | 1.5 |
| Offshore-only | 2.5 |
| Tier-3 only | 3.5 |
| Tier-2 only | 4.3 |
| Tier-1 regulated | 5.0 |
Red Flags and Score Adjustments
We may reduce a broker’s Trust & Safety score, overall score, or final verdict if we identify material concerns that are not fully captured by the standard scoring tables.
- Regulatory warnings, fines, suspensions, license restrictions, or enforcement actions
- Unclear legal entity, ownership structure, or client onboarding entity
- Unresolved withdrawal complaints or repeated payment issues
- Misleading claims about regulation, fees, execution, bonuses, or trading conditions
- Opaque company information or limited disclosure of key legal documents
- Major inconsistencies between published terms and customer support responses
- Highly restrictive bonus terms that may prevent realistic withdrawals
- Serious platform stability, execution, or order-handling concerns
Red flag adjustments are applied carefully and may vary depending on the severity, recency, frequency, and reliability of the information available. A serious red flag may limit the broker’s final score even if the broker performs well in other categories.