Regulators

Financial Services Regulatory Authority ADGM is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

ADGM provides client-money, custody, capital and complaints safeguards, but no fixed statutory compensation amount applies to all investment clients.

Protection depends on the firm’s permissions, client classification and whether assets are held under client-money rules.

Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

The Dutch investor compensation scheme covers up to EUR 20,000 per investor when a licensed investment firm fails and cannot return financial instruments or money.

Does not cover market losses, investment advice losses or crypto-assets. Confirm that the contracting institution is covered.

Autorite des Marches Financiers is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

France’s securities guarantee may cover up to EUR 70,000 of missing securities when an investment firm fails; treatment of associated cash depends on the institution type.

Covers securities or associated funds that cannot be returned, not trading or market losses. Product and entity eligibility must be checked.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Australia’s Compensation Scheme of Last Resort may pay up to AUD 150,000 for eligible unpaid AFCA determinations in specified subsectors.

Not general broker insolvency insurance. It only covers statutory subsectors including personal financial advice, securities dealing and certain credit services; do not assume forex or CFD accounts qualify.

Federal Financial Supervisory Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Germany’s investor compensation scheme generally covers 90% of eligible claims, up to EUR 20,000 per investor.

Applies when a participating investment firm cannot return client money or securities. It is distinct from EUR 100,000 bank deposit protection and does not cover market losses.

Central Bank of Ireland is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Ireland’s Investor Compensation Scheme covers 90% of an eligible investor’s net loss, up to EUR 20,000.

Applies when a member investment firm cannot return client money or investments, not to poor performance or market losses.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

The US has no general federal investor compensation insurance for futures or retail forex accounts. Regulated futures customer funds are generally segregated, but segregation does not guarantee full recovery.

SIPC generally does not cover commodity futures or retail forex contracts. Verify the FCM/RFED status and applicable customer-fund rules.

Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

The Canadian Investor Protection Fund generally covers up to CAD 1 million for an individual’s general accounts when a CIRO member becomes insolvent and client property is missing.

Covers eligible property held by a CIPF member and not returned after insolvency, not market losses. Separate account categories may have separate limits.

Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Spain’s FOGAIN covers up to EUR 100,000 per customer when a member investment firm is insolvent and cannot return entrusted cash or securities.

Does not cover investment value declines. The firm, client and assets must be eligible under FOGAIN.

Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Italy’s investor compensation arrangements apply to eligible claims when a participating investment intermediary cannot return client assets, under the EU investor-compensation framework.

Coverage and calculation depend on scheme membership, claim date and client eligibility. Market losses are not covered.

Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Luxembourg’s SIIL covers up to EUR 20,000 per person and institution when a member cannot return financial instruments or eligible investment claims.

Does not cover market-price changes. Both the client and institution must meet SIIL eligibility rules.

Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Cyprus’s Investor Compensation Fund covers the lower of 90% of eligible cumulative claims and EUR 20,000.

Only applies to fund members, eligible retail clients and covered services. Normal trading losses are not compensated.

Dubai Financial Services Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

The DFSA provides client-money, custody, capital and complaints safeguards, but no universal statutory investor compensation fund limit.

Check that the contracting entity is in the DIFC, its permission covers the product, and whether the client is retail or professional.

Danish Financial Supervisory Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Denmark’s Guarantee Fund covers up to the equivalent of EUR 20,000 per investor when a covered institution cannot return securities belonging to the investor.

Covers the value of securities that cannot be returned, not market losses. The institution must be covered by the investor guarantee scheme.

Estonian Financial Supervision and Resolution Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Estonia’s Guarantee Fund protects eligible investments up to EUR 20,000 per investor when a regulated investment institution cannot return them.

Excludes statutory categories such as professional investors and does not compensate market-price losses.

Financial Conduct Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

The UK FSCS may cover eligible investment claims up to GBP 85,000 per eligible person, per failed firm.

The provider, service and product must be regulated by the FCA/PRA. Poor investment performance is not covered. This is separate from the GBP 120,000 bank-deposit limit.

Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Eligible Swiss bank deposits are protected up to CHF 100,000 per client and bank under esisuisse; custody securities are generally segregated and returned.

This is bank-deposit protection, not universal compensation for every FINMA-licensed broker or forex/CFD loss. Check whether the entity is a member bank and whether the funds are qualifying deposits.

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

US SIPC protection covers up to USD 500,000 per customer, including up to USD 250,000 for cash, when a member securities broker fails and customer property is missing.

Only applies to eligible securities accounts at SIPC members. It does not cover market losses, and commodity futures or retail forex are generally excluded.

Financial Markets Authority New Zealand is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

New Zealand has no general statutory investor compensation fund covering all investment-firm failures.

Protection mainly comes from client-money and custody rules, licensee obligations and approved financial dispute-resolution schemes.

Japan Financial Services Agency is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

The Japan Investor Protection Fund may compensate up to JPY 10 million per customer when a member securities firm fails and cannot return customer assets.

Covers eligible member securities firms and missing customer cash or securities, not market losses. Check the legal entity and fund membership for leveraged FX accounts.

Financial Services Commission Korea is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Korean securities clients are mainly protected through segregation, depository and clearing arrangements; no universal fixed investment-compensation limit applies to every securities or derivatives client.

Bank deposit insurance and securities investor protection are different regimes. Check the contracting institution and asset type.

Hong Kong Monetary Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Hong Kong’s Deposit Protection Scheme covers eligible deposits up to HKD 800,000 per depositor, per Scheme member bank.

Only qualifying bank deposits are covered. Structured deposits, investment products and forex/CFD trading accounts are generally not protected deposits.

Japan Financial Services Agency is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

The Japan Investor Protection Fund may compensate up to JPY 10 million per customer when a member securities firm fails and cannot return customer assets.

Covers eligible member securities firms and missing customer cash or securities, not market losses. Check the legal entity and fund membership for leveraged FX accounts.

Polish Financial Supervision Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Poland’s scheme pays 100% of the first EUR 3,000 and 90% above that; eligible assets are capped at EUR 22,000, producing maximum compensation of EUR 20,100.

Applies when a participating licensed brokerage provider cannot return client cash or financial instruments. Investment losses are not covered.

Monetary Authority of Singapore is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Singapore’s Deposit Insurance Scheme covers eligible Singapore-dollar deposits up to SGD 100,000 at scheme members.

Investment products, foreign-currency deposits and ordinary forex/CFD trading funds are not deposit-insured. Investment clients mainly rely on client-asset segregation and custody rules.

Malta Financial Services Authority is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Malta’s Investor Compensation Scheme covers 90% of an eligible net loss, up to EUR 20,000 per investor.

Only applies to participating MFSA-licensed investment firms and eligible investments. Market movements, poor performance and properly executed losing investments are not covered.

National Futures Association is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

The US does not provide a general statutory compensation insurance scheme for futures or retail forex accounts at NFA members.

Futures customer funds are generally subject to segregation rules, while retail forex funds are treated differently. SIPC generally does not cover forex or commodity futures contracts.

Securities and Exchange Board of India is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Indian securities exchanges maintain investor protection funds, but eligibility and limits depend on the specific exchange and its rules rather than one national amount.

Mainly applies to specified events such as exchange-member defaults. OTC forex, CFDs or unauthorized platforms should not be assumed to be covered.

Securities and Exchange Commission is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

US SIPC protection covers up to USD 500,000 per customer, including up to USD 250,000 for cash, when a member securities broker fails and customer property is missing.

The broker must be a SIPC member and the account property eligible. Market losses are not covered, and retail forex and most commodity futures are outside scope.

Securities and Futures Commission Hong Kong is a top-tier regulator with strict licensing, client-money and conduct requirements.

Hong Kong’s Investor Compensation Fund covers eligible exchange-traded securities and futures losses caused by intermediary default, up to HKD 500,000 per investor for securities and futures respectively.

Covers Hong Kong exchange-traded products and eligible northbound Stock Connect securities. Leveraged foreign exchange trading is expressly excluded.

Commodity Futures Trading Regulatory Agency is an established regulator offering meaningful supervision and investor safeguards.

Protection for Indonesian futures-broker clients mainly relies on segregated customer accounts, futures exchanges and clearing arrangements; the official broker directory does not state one fixed statutory per-client compensation limit.

Verify the broker, exchange and clearing membership, and that deposits are sent to an officially recognized segregated customer account.

Jordan Securities Commission is an established regulator offering meaningful supervision and investor safeguards.

Jordan’s capital-market framework provides licensing, client-asset and complaints safeguards; no universal fixed compensation limit was identified for all investment firms.

Recourse depends on the licensed entity, trading venue, custody arrangement and applicable dispute process.

Capital Markets Authority Kenya is an established regulator offering meaningful supervision and investor safeguards.

Kenya’s Investor Compensation Fund may cover eligible losses from a licensed stockbroker or dealer failing to meet contractual obligations, up to KES 50,000 per investor.

Primarily applies to licensed capital-market stockbrokers or dealers and should not be assumed to cover every forex or CFD business.

Comissao de Valores Mobiliarios is an established regulator offering meaningful supervision and investor safeguards.

Brazil’s B3 Loss Reimbursement Mechanism may reimburse up to BRL 200,000 per event for specified operational or conduct failures by brokers in B3 markets.

Only applies to operations and services covered by B3/BSM rules. It is not insurance against all investment losses or every OTC forex/CFD product.

Financial Sector Conduct Authority is an established regulator offering meaningful supervision and investor safeguards.

South Africa has no universal statutory compensation fund limit for every FSCA-licensed investment or forex client.

Protection mainly comes from client-money rules, licensee duties, ombud channels and liquidation claims. Verify the specific FSP permission.

Israel Securities Authority is an established regulator offering meaningful supervision and investor safeguards.

Israel provides licensing, capital, client-asset and market-infrastructure safeguards, but no universal fixed compensation limit was identified for all investment or forex clients.

Protection depends on the institution type, custody structure, product and client agreement.

Indonesia Financial Services Authority is an established regulator offering meaningful supervision and investor safeguards.

Indonesia’s Securities Investor Protection Fund may compensate eligible custody-asset losses up to IDR 200 million per investor.

Applies to eligible capital-market assets held through fund-member custodians. It does not automatically cover BAPPEBTI futures accounts, crypto-assets or all investment losses.

Capital Market Authority UAE is an established regulator offering meaningful supervision and investor safeguards.

The UAE onshore securities regime provides client-money, custody, licensing and complaints safeguards, but no universal statutory compensation limit for all retail investment clients.

Distinguish UAE CMA, DFSA and ADGM-FSRA entities, and verify product permissions and client-money arrangements. UAE CMA was formerly the SCA.

Securities and Exchange Commission Thailand is an established regulator offering meaningful supervision and investor safeguards.

Thailand’s Securities Investor Protection Fund covers specified failures by voluntarily participating brokers, up to THB 1 million per investor, per member broker.

The broker must be an SIPF member and coverage mainly concerns SET securities. Derivatives use a separate DIPF, and forex/CFD accounts should not be assumed covered.

British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission provides limited regulatory supervision. Confirm the broker entity and license before trading.

No general statutory investor compensation scheme or fixed limit was identified for retail forex or CFD clients.

Protection mainly depends on client-money arrangements, contractual rights, complaints and insolvency proceedings.

Central Bank of Curacao and Sint Maarten provides limited regulatory supervision. Confirm the broker entity and license before trading.

No universal statutory compensation limit was identified for all Curaçao and Sint Maarten licensed investment or forex clients.

Verify the licence class, contracting entity, location of custody and local complaint and liquidation channels.

Cayman Islands Monetary Authority provides limited regulatory supervision. Confirm the broker entity and license before trading.

The Cayman Islands has no universal statutory investor compensation fund limit covering all securities or forex clients.

Protection focuses on licensing, prudential requirements, client assets and complaints. Legal segregation of fund or securities assets must be checked separately.

Financial Services Authority Seychelles provides limited regulatory supervision. Confirm the broker entity and license before trading.

Seychelles does not publish a universal statutory compensation fund limit for all retail securities-dealer or forex clients.

Licensees may be subject to capital, client-money and audit requirements, but these are not a government guarantee of principal.

Financial Services Commission Mauritius provides limited regulatory supervision. Confirm the broker entity and license before trading.

Mauritius does not publish one fixed statutory compensation limit covering every investment dealer, forex or CFD client.

Protection depends on licence category, client-money segregation, custody arrangements and complaint or liquidation procedures.

Financial Services Commission Belize provides limited regulatory supervision. Confirm the broker entity and license before trading.

No general statutory compensation limit was identified for retail forex or CFD clients. A licence does not mean the government will compensate clients if a firm fails.

Protection mainly depends on the firm’s client-money arrangements, contractual rights, complaints process and liquidation.

Financial Services Commission Belize provides limited regulatory supervision. Confirm the broker entity and license before trading.

No general statutory compensation limit was identified for retail forex or CFD clients. A licence does not mean the government will compensate clients if a firm fails.

Protection mainly depends on the firm’s client-money arrangements, contractual rights, complaints process and liquidation.

Labuan Financial Services Authority provides limited regulatory supervision. Confirm the broker entity and license before trading.

Labuan has no universal statutory investor compensation fund limit covering every licensed investment, forex or CFD client.

Protection mainly comes from licensing, capital, client-money, custody and complaints rules. Verify the entity’s exact permission.

Securities Commission of The Bahamas provides limited regulatory supervision. Confirm the broker entity and license before trading.

The Bahamas does not publish one fixed statutory compensation fund limit applicable to every securities firm, forex or CFD client.

Investors should verify registration category, client-asset arrangements, complaint channels and liquidation rights.