Guides
Forex guides
Independent, honest forex guides: how to verify a broker's licence, platform basics and beginner risk. Trading is high-risk.
How to check if a forex or CFD broker is on a regulator warning list
EU and UK regulators publish free warning lists of unauthorised forex and CFD firms. Here is exactly where to check, how to read an entry, and what a listing does — and does not — mean.
Read the guide →How to verify a forex broker is licensed
A step-by-step guide to checking a forex broker's licence on the official regulator register, finding the entity that serves your country, and spotting clone-firm scams. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →ESMA rules explained: leverage caps, negative-balance protection and the bonus ban
What the EU-wide ESMA retail rules actually mean for forex and CFD traders: the 30:1 leverage cap, negative-balance protection, the bonus ban and the standardised risk warning. The UK applies an equivalent regime. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →CFD costs explained: spread, commission and overnight financing
What forex and CFD trading actually costs: the spread, any commission, overnight financing (swap), and the fees brokers don't put in the headline. The all-in cost, not the advertised spread, is what matters. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →Best forex brokers UK 2026: FCA-regulated and reviewed
IG Markets, CMC Markets and Pepperstone lead our FCA-regulated forex broker shortlist for UK traders in 2026. Every licence cross-checked against the FCA Financial Services Register. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →Leverage and margin explained
What leverage and margin actually mean in forex and CFD trading, how the EU/UK 30:1 retail cap works, and why leverage magnifies losses as much as gains. A plain-language explainer, not advice. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →What is a clone firm, and how do you spot one?
A clone firm is a scam that copies a genuinely regulated broker's name, licence number and details to appear authorised. Here is how the scam works and how to spot it on a regulator's register before you deposit. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →Professional vs retail client: what changes, and what you give up
What it means to be classified as a retail or professional client under EU/UK rules, the strict criteria to opt up, and the protections you lose for the higher leverage. A plain-language explainer, not advice. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →Forex and CFD glossary: key terms explained
Plain definitions of 60 forex and CFD trading terms — pip, lot, leverage, spread, swap, margin call, CFD, basis point, slippage and more — written for a European retail audience under ESMA regulation. Educational only; not advice.
Read the guide →Risk management for forex traders: stop-loss, position sizing and risk-reward
How stop-loss orders, position sizing and risk-reward ratios work in practice for European retail forex and CFD traders. Educational explainer only — no signals, no advice, no entry or exit calls. Trading is high-risk.
Read the guide →What moves currency prices: central-bank rates, inflation and macro policy
Why central-bank interest-rate decisions by the ECB, Bank of England and Federal Reserve move currency prices, and how inflation data and monetary-policy signals transmit into EUR/USD, GBP/USD and EUR/GBP. Explanatory only; not advice.
Read the guide →Forex trading statistics 2026: market size, UK share and retail profitability
Key forex market statistics sourced from the BIS Triennial Survey, FCA and ESMA: $7.5 trillion daily global FX turnover, UK's 38% global share and the 70-80% retail account loss rate mandated for disclosure. Educational only; not advice.
Read the guide →How forex brokers make money: spreads, commissions and swap fees explained
How FCA-regulated forex brokers generate revenue: spread markup, ECN commissions, overnight swap fees and the market-maker vs ECN/STP conflict of interest. Includes FCA rules on PFOF and transparency. Educational only; not advice.
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