You can pose the question this way; becoming a broker in the U.S. is not as easy as registering an offshore brokerage company.
The answer lies in regulatory requirements. All U.S. brokers must be registered with the NFA (National Futures Association).
While registration itself is not an issue, membership in a group of NFA regulated brokers requires strict NFA regulations.
What to Become a U.S. Forex Broker?
All U.S. forex brokers must be registered with the NFA.
All U.S. Forex Introducing Brokers must also be registered with the NFA.
Forex Broker – RFED – A foreign exchange trader must send the following to the NFA:
1. Online Form 7-R
2. Documents:
– Financial report,
– Methods of combating money laundering,
– Methods of business continuity and disaster recovery
– Methods of providing advertising materials,
– Surveillance of related persons,
– Customer complaint procedures,
– An asset source letter describing the source of the firm’s current assets
3. Non-refundable application fee of USD 500
4. RFED (Retail Foreign Exchange Dealer) membership fees of USD 125,000
For a complete list of any additional documents, see the following sections:
High Leverage U.S. Forex Brokers?
All U.S. brokers must provide leverage of no more than 50: 1 by CFTC 50: 1 Rules. This margin will be offered to all U.S. citizens without exception.
Non-U.S. residents who seek to open an account with a U.S. broker can obtain higher leverage for their trading accounts. This option is often available when the broker has multiple branches around the world.
| Forex brokers | Min account size | Max leverage | A type | financing method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATC Brokers | $ 5000 | 50: 1 | ECN / STP & STP | Bank transfer, check, debit cards |
| CMS Forex | $ 250 | 50: 1 | Market maker | Bank Transfer, Check |
| FIPFX | $ 500 | 50: 1 | Market maker | Bank transfer |
| FIPFX GLOBAL | $ 500 | 400: 1 | STP & Market Maker | Bank transfer |
| FastBrokers | $ 2500 | 50: 1 | ECN / STP & Market Maker | Bank transfer, check |
| FOREXer | $ 200 | 500: 1 | Market maker | Bank transfer |
| Forex.com | $ 250 | 50: 1 | Market maker | Bank transfer, check, debit cards |
| Fortress Capital | $ 2000 | 50: 1 | STP | Bank transfer, debit cards |
| FXCM | $ 2000 | 50: 1 | STP | Bank Transfer, Check, Debit Cards, ACH |
| GAIN Capital Group | no | 50: 1 | ECN / STP & Market Maker | Bank transfer, check, debit cards |
| iClickNTrade | $ 250 | 500: 1 | STP | Bank transfer, credit cards, debit cards |
| IKON Global Markets | $ 1000 | 50: 1 | ECN / STP & Market Maker | Bank transfer |
| Interactive Brokers | no | 40: 1 | ECN / STP | Bank Transfer, Check, ACH |
| MB Trading | $ 400 | 50: 1 | ECN / STP | Bank Transfer, Check, Debit Cards, ACH |
| M2 Forex | $ 2000 | 50: 1 | Market maker | Bank Transfer, Check, Debit Cards, ACH |
| OANDA | $ 1 | 50: 1 | Market maker | Bank transfer, check, debit cards |
| Thinkorswim | $ 500 | 50: 1 | Market maker | Bank Transfer, Check, ACH |
| TradeKing | $ 500 | 50: 1 | Market maker | Bank Transfer, Check, Debit Cards, ACH |
| TradersChoiceFX | $ 250 | 50: 1 | ECN / STP & STP & Market Maker | Bank transfer, check, debit cards |
| TradeStation Securities | $ 2000 | 50: 1 | DMA / STP | Bank transfer, check |
Among these brokers:
ATC Brokers – 1:100 leverage for non-US accounts
CitiFX Pro – 1:100 leverage for non-US accounts
CMS Forex – 1:100 leverage for non-US accounts
FastBrokers – 1:200 leverage for non-US accounts
FOREX.com – 1:200 leverage for non-US accounts
U.S. Forex Brokers vs. Other Brokers
So, what is the odd between U.S. brokers and other Forex brokers?
Two striking differences:
– leverage options
– regulation mode
U.S. brokers offer relatively low leverage of 50: 1 (NFA regulations) compared to other brokers who can withdraw up to 1000: 1 or higher without any consequences. This makes U.S. brokers less competitive in the eyes of many novice traders, who usually require increased leverage from the outset.
Forex brokers in the U.S. are among the most regulated brokers in the world. NFA’s regime and penalties are high and severe. This fact certainly provides a high level of trust in U.S. brokers.
Alternatives to U.S. Forex Brokers
Are there any good alternatives to American Forex companies?
While traders won’t find better-regulated forex brokers than the United States, other countries to consider are the U.K., Australia, and Switzerland.