Finding a trustworthy broker can be extremely challenging. There are numerous options, yet you cannot know for sure which one is suitable unless you give it a try. Besides, you can also find regulated brokers, but these usually come with limitations in terms of trading conditions and instruments.
Thus, an unregulated offshore forex broker seems like a much better opportunity. Still, you might worry about the safety of such an option. Can you trust an offshore broker that is not regulated? We recommend that you keep on reading to find out the answer.
Unregulated Offshore Forex Brokers – What You Need to Know
An unregulated offshore forex broker registered its office in certain jurisdictions in order to avoid abiding by some regulations.
When you check regulated brokers, you will notice that they are controlled by popular regulatory bodies and follow strict guidelines. For instance, forex brokers from the U.S. must follow the guidelines of the National Futures Association and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. These entities have very complex rules about transparency, financial instruments, and capital requirements.
On the other hand, unregulated brokers usually operate from offshore locations, which means that they do not abide by the strict regulations imposed by regulatory bodies.
For example, some offshore brokers operate from Vanuatu, Seychelles, the British Virgin Islands, and other locations. Therefore, you should be instantly suspicious if a broker claims to be regulated by any of these entities. For instance, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Financial Services Authority stated that they do not supervise, regulate, monitor, or license CFD/forex brokers.
What Are the Benefits of Unregulated Offshore Brokers?
Obviously, people choose unregulated offshore brokers because they provide a lot of advantages. Here is what you can enjoy if you select a broker that isn’t regulated:
- Less Paperwork Necessary
Most regulated financial institutions use KYC. With KYC, new customers have to provide a lot of paperwork when signing up, as their identities must be verified. You will usually not be able to make a deposit and start trading before sending copies of important documents.
With many offshore brokers, this is not a concern, as they may only ask for an ID and nothing else depending on the case.
- No Trading Style Restrictions
You will not see trading style restrictions on unregulated offshore brokers, something that is different from regulated ones. So, if you’re scalping or want to use an expert advisor, you will not be able to operate on regulated brokers.
- More High-Risk Financial Instruments Offered
Most of the time, unregulated offshore brokers offer CFDs and other high-risk financial instruments. You do not see these on American-regulated brokers or other regulated platforms.
Downsides of Offshore Brokers
Unregulated offshore brokers also come with a few disadvantages, such as:
- No Transparency – Less information is available for unregulated offshore brokers. Meanwhile, you can always find anything you need about regulated brokers.
- Deposit Risks – Many unregulated brokers are scams, and if you deposit money, you may end up losing it.
- No Capital Requirement – Regulated brokers usually have an emergency fund or capital in case market conditions are unpredictable. Unregulated brokers do not have this requirement, which puts them at risk.
Final Thoughts
Unregulated brokers are quite risky compared to regulated ones. While you can definitely find trustworthy options, you should spend a lot of time researching the best alternative for you.
