FX
Rank #10 of 10
- FCA
- ASIC
- CySEC
- FSCA
6.4
out of 10
editorial rating
FXCM now trades as part of Stratos Group and has licensed entities in the UK (FCA), EU (CySEC), Australia (ASIC), South Africa (FSCA) and Israel. Its global website, however, is operated by Stratos Global LLC in St Vincent and the Grenadines, which states it is not required to hold a financial services licence there. The pricing information we could find is stale, and ownership has changed hands, so a careful look at which entity you would join matters here.
At a glance
| Group | FXCM, now part of Stratos Group. Jefferies is reported by FX News Group to own 100% of Stratos after a September 2023 foreclosure on the former parent’s stake. |
| Regulation | Stratos Markets Ltd (FCA 217689), Stratos Europe Ltd (CySEC), Stratos Trading Pty Ltd (ASIC AFSL 309763), Stratos South Africa (FSCA) and Stratos Light Ltd (Israel ISA). |
| Platforms | Trading Station (desktop, web, mobile), MT4, TradingView and FXCM Plus. We did not find MT5. |
| Minimum deposit | The global site states ‘no account minimums’. UK and Australian minimums were not found. |
| Pricing | FXCM says you pay only the spread on forex, with reduced pricing for high-volume investors. The only average spread figures found (EUR/USD 1.3 pips) are dated May 2023. |
| Markets | Forex majors, minors and exotics, share CFDs, indices, commodities, crypto and baskets. Counts are not published. |
| Availability | The global entity is not intended for residents of the US, Canada, EU, Japan, Hong Kong or Australia. |
| Client funds | The UK page says retail clients cannot lose more than deposited funds. We did not find segregation or compensation details on the pages we fetched. |
| Retail-loss disclosure | 65% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with Stratos Markets Ltd (UK), per FXCM’s UK site. |
What we like
- Licensed UK, EU, Australian and South African entities under the FCA, CySEC, ASIC and FSCA.
- Trading Station, MT4 and TradingView integration, with a US$20,000 virtual-fund demo.
- The global site states no minimum deposit.
What to weigh up
- The global entity, Stratos Global LLC (St Vincent and the Grenadines), states it is not required to hold a licence, so clients of it lose FCA, CySEC and ASIC protection.
- The only spread averages we found are 2023 figures, so current pricing needs checking on the platform.
- Ownership has been in transition since Jefferies took control of Stratos in 2023.
Regulation and entities
| Entity | Regulator | Serves |
|---|---|---|
| Stratos Markets Ltd | FCA (217689) | United Kingdom |
| Stratos Europe Ltd | CySEC | EU |
| Stratos Trading Pty Ltd | ASIC (AFSL 309763) | Australia |
| Stratos South Africa (Pty) Ltd | FSCA | South Africa |
| Stratos Light Ltd | Israel Securities Authority | Israel |
| Stratos Global LLC | None required in St Vincent and the Grenadines, per FXCM’s disclaimer | Global site |
Which entity are you joining?
FXCM’s global site states that Stratos Global LLC is not required to hold any financial services licence in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and is not intended for residents of the US, Canada, EU, Japan, Hong Kong or Australia. If you are eligible, choose a regulated FXCM entity rather than the global one.
Costs and pricing
FXCM’s forex page says traders pay only the spread, with reduced pricing for high-volume clients. The accounts page still shows average EUR/USD of 1.3 pips and GBP/USD of 1.8 pips dated 17 May 2023, so we do not treat these as current. FXCM’s spread-costs page says spreads are variable and that compensation comes through spreads, commissions and rollover markups depending on account type. Default regulated-entity leverage is 30:1 on majors, 5:1 on equities and 2:1 on crypto.
Platforms, tools and education
FXCM offers its proprietary Trading Station, MetaTrader 4, TradingView integration and FXCM Plus. The demo starts with US$20,000 in virtual funds, and the site offers a market scanner, economic calendar and education guides. Active Trader accounts (commission-based) are listed on the Australian page.
Deposits and withdrawals
On the UK page FXCM lists bank transfer, Visa, Mastercard, open banking, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Neteller and Skrill. Fee details were not clearly published.
Regulatory record
We found no regulator fines in the last four years. Older items reported on secondary sources include a GBP 4 million FCA fine in 2014 and a 2017 CFTC order barring FXCM from the US market.
Who it suits
A good fit: Traders eligible for the UK, EU, Australian or South African entities who want Trading Station and TradingView.
Look elsewhere if: Clients who would be placed on the global entity, or who want current, published raw pricing.
How we rated it
Ratings are BrokersPulse editorial opinion, scored against the criteria in How we rate. They reflect public information as of September 2026, not live-account testing.
Sources
- FXCM: is FXCM Markets regulated?
- FXCM: accounts
- FXCM: platforms
- FXCM: spread costs
- FXCM UK
- FX News Group: Jefferies and Stratos
Compiled from the provider’s own pages, regulator registers and the outlets listed above in September 2026. Providers change terms often, so confirm details with the provider before you deposit.
General information for education only, not financial advice. Trading forex and CFDs carries a high risk of loss. Read the disclaimer.