5 Ways To Avoid a Fraudulent Online Broker

How You Find a Reliable Online Stock Trading Broker

When venturing into the financial markets, everybody expects things to work out as planned and earn profits. However, that’s not always the case, and we have witnessed many traders and investors losing money instead. Most importantly, online stock trading broker scams are these so common that it’s hard to make the difference between real and fake ones.

Besides that, various factors contribute to losses. Most of these reasons are based on poor decisions and bad choices when strategizing. One way to minimize trading risks and maximize profitability is to find a reliable online broker.

There are a gazillion brokers out there, and identifying a trustworthy one can be a daunting task. You must spend time thoroughly testing as many as you can within your region and comparing their features to settle with the one complementing your trading requirements. You could also run them through the website validator to see what rating they get.

Since the research procedure is usually lengthy and can overwhelm some traders and investors, consider reliable experts’ recommendations. You can also find a suitable broker from these trading platforms in you are in the U.K.

Not all online recommendations are legit. Therefore you may want to conduct your own research from scratch. In this regard, we help you through the process by listing below the significant elements to consider to finding a reliable broker.

Here are five ways to verify the validity of a broker and avoid fraudulent ones:

1. Licenses And Regulations Up To date

Always put your security first when looking for a reliable online broker. Failure to consider this element can make you choose a broker that scams you of your money. So, make sure a broker is licensed and regulated by the most respected authorities globally.

For instance, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the only U.K. regulatory authority. Therefore, any broker you choose must be overseen by it. Besides safeguarding your funds, regulated brokers also provide excellent trading and investment conditions. Plus, it is easier to take legal actions against them in case of a conflict.

2. Securities Check

While you want the best broker in the market, make sure they offer the trading securities you are familiar with. These can be stocks, forex, cryptocurrencies, commodities, ETFs, indices, etc. Additionally, decide whether you want to trade or invest and go for a broker that allows you to do so.

3. Legitimate Platform

Trading requires you to be on your toes and take advantage of opportunities to make quick profits. This means that a broker you trade with must execute trades fast so you can never miss out on such opportunities.

Moreover, ensure it offers quality and reliable trading tools, whether they are for research or skills development. On top of that, a reliable broker should have a demo account and mobile app to manage your investments or positions on the go.

4. Decent Charges

If you want to have worthwhile trading or investment experience, find a broker that fits your budget. Do not go into the trading space without a budget since you might find yourself spending much.

Therefore, see whether you can afford a broker by confirming charges, including commissions and spreads, minimum deposit requirement, inactivity fee, transaction costs, overnight financing fees, etc.

5. Solid Customer Service

You will most likely encounter trading challenges in your ventures, and it is crucial to find a broker with a team dedicated to helping you solve them. Remember, brokers’ customer services have different time schedules. So, choose the most flexible one to fully benefit.

The best broker is the one that meets all your investment needs and is regulated by tier-one authorities. While we advise traders and investors to consider their requirements, include previous users’ recommendations from Google Play, Validator, Trustpilot, and the App Store in your research.

This is so you can know brokers’ strengths and weaknesses to make the best choice. As a beginner, take advantage of demo accounts to practice trading or investing while building your skills. Also, invest small amounts of money in minimizing the risk of massive losses.

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How To Report a Stock Trading Scammer

Let your family and online friends know about these 5 tips on how to check an online broker by sharing the article on social media. You can also officially report stock trading scammers and any suspicious activity to the FTC  (Federal Trade Commission) using the form below:

Meanwhile, educate yourself with some other Amazon fraud-related articles right under this paragraph, so that you know how to stay safe online. Last but not least, use the comments section below to expose other scammers.