Introduction
When forex regulatory agencies are ranked on a strictness scale, the FCA in the UK and the CFTC in the US usually are at the top of the list. In the Asia Pacific region, the top-rated watchdog over forex markets is the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). That agency has more than 20 years of experience under its belt and has oversight responsibility for all financial markets in Australia, including foreign exchange. So when it comes to trading in Australia, you can look to ASIC regulated brokers to avoid forex scams.
The mission of ASIC is to protect, educate, and inform consumers of the risks involved in the forex market and to prevent fraudsters and scammers from impinging the integrity of the Australian financial market environment. Brokers must comply with strict standards to maintain their licences and registration status or risk paying hefty fines or losing their ability to transact business with citizens of Australia.
ASIC often publishes directives to educate the public and warn of bad actors in the brokerage community, especially under-regulated foreign-based brokers who break the rules and market their services online directly to Australians. ASIC requires that its brokers maintain a minimum of $1 million in operating capital and segregate client deposits in substantial banks apart from its operating funds. The agency also maintains a customer compensation scheme for those rare instances when insolvency brings down an ASIC regulated broker.
The Best Five ASIC Regulated Brokers
Based on current reviews, the following five forex brokers received the highest marks for the group of ASIC regulated forex brokers. A table and individual details follow:
| Broker | Features | Min Deposit | EURUSD Spread | ||
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 Between 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs
US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
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$200 | NDD 0.09 / Standard 0.69 |
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Between 74-89 % of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs
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 Your capital is at risk
US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
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$200 | From 0.1 pips | ||
 Your capital is at risk
US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
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– 40% New Member Bonus
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$100 | Fixed |
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Europe* CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 79% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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 76% of CFD traders lose money
US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
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$50 (varying by Country) | from 1 |
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76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
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 Your capital is at risk
US Clients: No Regulated : Yes
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No minimum deposit | From 0.0 pips | ||
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- Pepperstone: Recently awarded “Best Forex Broker in Australia”, Pepperstone was founded in 2010 and has its headquarters in Australia. It complies with several Tier 1 regulators, including ASIC, FCA, and CySEC. Major liquidity providers ensure some of the lowest spreads around and quick order execution on MT4, MT5, and cTrader trading platforms. Educational materials are tops, but product offerings are limited to forex and CFDs.
- IG Group: IG is persistently ranked as one of, if not the best global forex broker. Its status on the London Stock Exchange ensures that it meets high standards of efficiency and transparency. This CFD broker offers a wide range of investment vehicles with competitive fees and spreads. Products from third parties enhance in-house research and proprietary trading platforms, but the quality is always a top priority with IG.
- TMGM: This ASIC sanctioned broker is also headquartered in Australia and has conducted business since 2013. TMGM boasts the broadest product portfolio of the five brokers recommended, comprising 15,000+ tradable instruments, including forex, metals, energies, cryptos, commodities, stocks, and indices. The firm also offers commission-free trading, MetaTrader and IRESS trading platforms, and ECN trading.
- FP Markets: This broker was founded in 2005 and is regulated by ASIC and CySEC. Its claim to fame is that it offers 10,000+ tradable assets with top tier liquidity. It also supports a variety of trading platforms, ECN pricing, excellent charting and trading tools, and educational materials for beginners. Customer service competence is also a plus. The only adverse comment is that its product portfolio is too broad and overwhelming.
- IC Markets: This firm was founded in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 and is regulated by ASIC, CySEC, and the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA). Tight spreads draw advanced and experienced traders to this broker, but there is an emphasis on educational materials for beginners. Customer service reps are very responsive, high leverage levels are available, and spreads rank on the lowest industry scale.
Why trade with an ASIC Regulated broker
ASIC is considered one of the major financial regulators, alongside the FCA in the UK and the CFTC in the United States. In some ways, brokers regard it as less stringent than the latter two agencies. ASIC has a well-deserved reputation for protecting and educating consumers in its jurisdiction and ensuring that the brokerage community adheres to high standards for operational excellence and ethical transparency. ASIC regulated brokers are worth your consideration for those reasons alone.
How to check if a broker is ASIC regulated
Never forget that ASIC is a trader’s friend. The mission and vision of the agency are to enable good consumer and investor outcomes. They are there to ensure that the financial system in Australia is robust and innovative while policing the brokerage industry to rid it of bad actors, both within and without the country.
It is wise to become familiar with the ASIC website and the information it contains. The agency’s search engine is a useful facility that is invaluable when searching for a broker, money manager, or financial professional. If you wish to find more impartial information about ASIC regulated forex brokers, use this tool. The service for checking brokers is called ASIC Connect. Experiment with the various capabilities of this comprehensive tool to evaluate brokerage firm candidates.
Concluding Remarks
ASIC brokers are required from time to time to demonstrate their compliance with regulatory standards to keep their operating licences in force. If there are suggestions of impropriety or non-compliance with strict rules, ASIC will audit and monitor the broker’s dealings with its customers and deal accordingly with its findings. Traders can rest assured that a broker registered and licensed by ASIC does comply with higher standards of fairness and efficiency, a cut above those brokers that do not possess such a credential. The five brokers listed here are some of the finest bearing this ASIC designation.