Identify the contractual company and regional product first. Compare costs and protection claims only within that confirmed scope.
A brand is not necessarily your counterparty
A broker brand can operate through several companies serving different countries. The website you browse and the company named in your eventual agreement may therefore describe different regional arrangements. Begin by identifying the exact legal entity that would hold your account and provide the product.
IG’s official worldwide-offering page explicitly distinguishes regional arrangements and protections. That is an example of why a global brand label cannot answer every account question. The FXSort broker directory marks the scope of each researched offering; it does not independently verify your eligibility or replace the application documents.
Match the documents before comparing benefits
Read the company name, registered address, regulator references and product terms shown during the actual application. Then compare those with the disclosures and agreement linked from the relevant regional website. If something differs, ask the provider to identify the intended account entity in writing.
As a hypothetical research exercise, imagine two pages from the same brand showing different leverage caps. Rather than picking the larger number, first determine whether the pages concern different jurisdictions, professional classifications or products. A copied headline can be factually correct for another audience while being irrelevant to the account you are considering.
Check protection claims in their proper scope
Questions about client-money handling, negative balance treatment, complaints and compensation arrangements need an entity-specific answer. Do not assume a protection applies because another company in the group mentions it. Product classification and retail or professional status can change the relevant terms.
Use the official public register of the named regulator to independently check the company and permitted activities where relevant. Follow links from the regulator’s own site, and compare its contact details with the company you are dealing with. A commercial comparison listing is not proof of authorisation, safety or compensation eligibility. Resolve discrepancies before transferring funds.
Bring the scope back into the comparison
Once the entity and product are clear, compare the available platforms, account currencies, costs, deposit methods and support channels. Record your country of residence and the date beside those findings. A platform or payment route on a group’s international homepage may not be offered in the regional account.
Keep a copy of the final agreement and ask again if the provider proposes an entity transfer. Read our all-in cost guide only after establishing that scope, otherwise you may calculate charges for an unavailable account. This checklist helps organise research; legal, tax and eligibility questions should be confirmed with the relevant qualified source for your circumstances.
Sources & further reading
Educational research. Examples are hypothetical. Provider terms and regional availability can change. Suggest a correction.
Put the comparison into practice
Open the directory, choose a category and select up to three providers to compare.
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