FCA (Financial Conduct Authority)

The Financial Conduct Authority is the UK's top-tier financial regulator. It oversees banks, brokers, asset managers, and other financial services firms operating in the UK. The FCA is widely considered one of the strictest and most respected regulators in the world, and FCA-regulated brokers typically provide the highest level of client protection available in retail forex. FCA rules require brokers to: segregate client funds from company funds, provide transparent pricing, limit retail leverage to 1:30 on majors, offer negative balance protection (you can never lose more than you deposit), and participate in the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) — which covers clients up to £85,000 per broker if the broker goes insolvent. If your broker is FCA-regulated, you can sleep better at night. The trade-off is lower leverage compared to offshore brokers — but the client protection more than compensates.