Financial regulator rankings
Compare financial authorities using documented powers, public registers, enforcement transparency, complaint routes and available retail-client protections. This comparison describes regulatory frameworks; it does not guarantee the conduct or solvency of a licensed firm.
Strongest forex regulatory frameworks
Compare authorities with broad supervisory powers and documented retail-trading rules. Primary evidence: Statutory remit, licensing, supervision and enforcement.
| Rank | Authority | Jurisdiction | Tier | Measure | Connected records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ASIC Australian Securities and Investments Commission | Australia | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 40 |
| 2 | FCA Financial Conduct Authority | United Kingdom | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 39 |
| 3 | MAS Monetary Authority of Singapore | Singapore | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 10 |
| 4 | CFTC/NFA Commodity Futures Trading Commission and National Futures Association | United States | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 7 |
| 5 | FSA (Japan) Financial Services Agency | Japan | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 7 |
| 6 | BaFin Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht | Germany | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 5 |
| 7 | FINMA Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority | Switzerland | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 4 |
| 8 | SFC (Hong Kong) Securities and Futures Commission | Hong Kong | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 4 |
| 9 | SEC/FINRA Securities and Exchange Commission and FINRA | United States | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 2 |
| 10 | FINRA Financial Industry Regulatory Authority | United States | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 2 |
| 11 | SEC Securities and Exchange Commission | United States | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 2 |
| 12 | CFTC Commodity Futures Trading Commission | United States | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 1 |
| 13 | NFA National Futures Association | United States | Tier one | AAA: Strongest assessed environment | 1 |
| 14 | CySEC Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission | Cyprus | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 40 |
| 15 | DFSA (DIFC) Dubai Financial Services Authority | United Arab Emirates | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 14 |
| 16 | CIRO Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization | Canada | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 6 |
| 17 | FMA (New Zealand) Financial Markets Authority | New Zealand | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 6 |
| 18 | FSRA (ADGM) Financial Services Regulatory Authority | United Arab Emirates | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 2 |
| 19 | Central Bank of Ireland Central Bank of Ireland | Ireland | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 1 |
| 20 | CONSOB Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa | Italy | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 1 |
| 21 | AMF Autorité des Marchés Financiers | France | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 1 |
| 22 | KNF Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego | Poland | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 1 |
| 23 | CMVM Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários | Portugal | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 1 |
| 24 | MFSA Malta Financial Services Authority | Malta | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 1 |
| 25 | FSA (Denmark) Finanstilsynet | Denmark | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 1 |
| 26 | Bank of Italy Banca d'Italia | Italy | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 1 |
| 27 | ECB European Central Bank | European Union | Tier one | AA: Very strong | 1 |
| 28 | FSCA (South Africa) Financial Sector Conduct Authority | South Africa | Tier two | A: Established | 29 |
| 29 | SCA (UAE) Securities and Commodities Authority | United Arab Emirates | Tier two | A: Established | 3 |
| 30 | ISA (Israel) Israel Securities Authority | Israel | Tier two | A: Established | 3 |
| 31 | EFSA (Estonia) Finantsinspektsioon | Estonia | Tier two | A: Established | 2 |
| 32 | FSC (Bulgaria) Financial Supervision Commission | Bulgaria | Tier two | A: Established | 1 |
| 33 | Bank of Latvia Latvijas Banka | Latvia | Tier two | A: Established | 1 |
| 34 | FFAJ (Japan) Financial Futures Association of Japan | Japan | Tier two | A: Established | 1 |
| 35 | FSC (Mauritius) Financial Services Commission | Mauritius | Tier two | B: Limited | 31 |
| 36 | CMA (Kenya) Capital Markets Authority | Kenya | Tier two | B: Limited | 10 |
| 37 | CMA (UAE) Capital Market Authority (as recorded on broker material) | United Arab Emirates | Tier two | B: Limited | 9 |
| 38 | JSC (Jordan) Jordan Securities Commission | Jordan | Tier two | B: Limited | 3 |
| 39 | SERC (Cambodia) Securities and Exchange Regulator of Cambodia | Cambodia | Tier two | B: Limited | 1 |
| 40 | FSA (Seychelles) Financial Services Authority | Seychelles | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 30 |
| 41 | FSC (BVI) Financial Services Commission | British Virgin Islands | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 8 |
| 42 | FSC (Belize) Financial Services Commission | Belize | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 8 |
| 43 | SCB (Bahamas) Securities Commission of The Bahamas | Bahamas | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 8 |
| 44 | VFSC (Vanuatu) Vanuatu Financial Services Commission | Vanuatu | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 7 |
| 45 | CIMA (Cayman Islands) Cayman Islands Monetary Authority | Cayman Islands | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 6 |
| 46 | MISA (Comoros) Mwali International Services Authority | Comoros | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 4 |
| 47 | BMA (Bermuda) Bermuda Monetary Authority | Bermuda | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 1 |
| 48 | CBCS (Curaçao) Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten | Curaçao | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 1 |
| 49 | CBA (Armenia) Central Bank of Armenia | Armenia | Tier three | C: Weak or limited safeguards | 1 |
Best investor-protection frameworks
Compare documented client-money, disclosure, leverage, conduct and compensation arrangements. Primary evidence: Applicable rules and eligibility limits.
| Rank | Authority | Jurisdiction | Tier | Measure | Connected records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FCA Financial Conduct Authority | United Kingdom | Tier one | 7 of 8 protections confirmed | 39 |
| 2 | CFTC/NFA Commodity Futures Trading Commission and National Futures Association | United States | Tier one | 7 of 8 protections confirmed | 7 |
| 3 | CySEC Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission | Cyprus | Tier one | 7 of 8 protections confirmed | 40 |
| 4 | ASIC Australian Securities and Investments Commission | Australia | Tier one | 6 of 8 protections confirmed | 40 |
| 5 | BaFin Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht | Germany | Tier one | 5 of 8 protections confirmed | 5 |
| 6 | MAS Monetary Authority of Singapore | Singapore | Tier one | 5 of 8 protections confirmed | 10 |
| 7 | Central Bank of Ireland Central Bank of Ireland | Ireland | Tier one | 5 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 8 | SEC/FINRA Securities and Exchange Commission and FINRA | United States | Tier one | 4 of 8 protections confirmed | 2 |
| 9 | FINMA Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority | Switzerland | Tier one | 4 of 8 protections confirmed | 4 |
| 10 | FSA (Japan) Financial Services Agency | Japan | Tier one | 4 of 8 protections confirmed | 7 |
| 11 | CIRO Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization | Canada | Tier one | 4 of 8 protections confirmed | 6 |
| 12 | CONSOB Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa | Italy | Tier one | 4 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 13 | AMF Autorité des Marchés Financiers | France | Tier one | 4 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 14 | KNF Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego | Poland | Tier one | 4 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 15 | MFSA Malta Financial Services Authority | Malta | Tier one | 4 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 16 | SFC (Hong Kong) Securities and Futures Commission | Hong Kong | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 4 |
| 17 | FINRA Financial Industry Regulatory Authority | United States | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 2 |
| 18 | SEC Securities and Exchange Commission | United States | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 2 |
| 19 | CFTC Commodity Futures Trading Commission | United States | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 20 | NFA National Futures Association | United States | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 21 | DFSA (DIFC) Dubai Financial Services Authority | United Arab Emirates | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 14 |
| 22 | FSRA (ADGM) Financial Services Regulatory Authority | United Arab Emirates | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 2 |
| 23 | FMA (New Zealand) Financial Markets Authority | New Zealand | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 6 |
| 24 | CMVM Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários | Portugal | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 25 | FSA (Denmark) Finanstilsynet | Denmark | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 26 | Bank of Italy Banca d'Italia | Italy | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 27 | ECB European Central Bank | European Union | Tier one | 3 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 28 | FSCA (South Africa) Financial Sector Conduct Authority | South Africa | Tier two | 1 of 8 protections confirmed | 29 |
| 29 | CMA (Kenya) Capital Markets Authority | Kenya | Tier two | 1 of 8 protections confirmed | 10 |
| 30 | FSC (Mauritius) Financial Services Commission | Mauritius | Tier two | 1 of 8 protections confirmed | 31 |
| 31 | VFSC (Vanuatu) Vanuatu Financial Services Commission | Vanuatu | Tier three | 1 of 8 protections confirmed | 7 |
| 32 | SCA (UAE) Securities and Commodities Authority | United Arab Emirates | Tier two | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 3 |
| 33 | ISA (Israel) Israel Securities Authority | Israel | Tier two | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 3 |
| 34 | FSC (Bulgaria) Financial Supervision Commission | Bulgaria | Tier two | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 35 | Bank of Latvia Latvijas Banka | Latvia | Tier two | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 36 | EFSA (Estonia) Finantsinspektsioon | Estonia | Tier two | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 2 |
| 37 | FFAJ (Japan) Financial Futures Association of Japan | Japan | Tier two | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 38 | CMA (UAE) Capital Market Authority (as recorded on broker material) | United Arab Emirates | Tier two | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 9 |
| 39 | JSC (Jordan) Jordan Securities Commission | Jordan | Tier two | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 3 |
| 40 | SERC (Cambodia) Securities and Exchange Regulator of Cambodia | Cambodia | Tier two | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 41 | FSA (Seychelles) Financial Services Authority | Seychelles | Tier three | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 30 |
| 42 | FSC (BVI) Financial Services Commission | British Virgin Islands | Tier three | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 8 |
| 43 | FSC (Belize) Financial Services Commission | Belize | Tier three | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 8 |
| 44 | SCB (Bahamas) Securities Commission of The Bahamas | Bahamas | Tier three | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 8 |
| 45 | CIMA (Cayman Islands) Cayman Islands Monetary Authority | Cayman Islands | Tier three | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 6 |
| 46 | BMA (Bermuda) Bermuda Monetary Authority | Bermuda | Tier three | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 47 | MISA (Comoros) Mwali International Services Authority | Comoros | Tier three | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 4 |
| 48 | CBCS (Curaçao) Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten | Curaçao | Tier three | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
| 49 | CBA (Armenia) Central Bank of Armenia | Armenia | Tier three | 0 of 8 protections confirmed | 1 |
Most transparent regulator registers
Compare the accessibility and completeness of public licence, status and enforcement records. Primary evidence: Public-register fields and update availability.
| Rank | Authority | Jurisdiction | Tier | Measure | Connected records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ASIC Australian Securities and Investments Commission | Australia | Tier one | Public register available | 40 |
| 2 | CySEC Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission | Cyprus | Tier one | Public register available | 40 |
| 3 | FCA Financial Conduct Authority | United Kingdom | Tier one | Public register available | 39 |
| 4 | DFSA (DIFC) Dubai Financial Services Authority | United Arab Emirates | Tier one | Public register available | 14 |
| 5 | MAS Monetary Authority of Singapore | Singapore | Tier one | Public register available | 10 |
| 6 | CFTC/NFA Commodity Futures Trading Commission and National Futures Association | United States | Tier one | Public register available | 7 |
| 7 | FMA (New Zealand) Financial Markets Authority | New Zealand | Tier one | Public register available | 6 |
| 8 | SFC (Hong Kong) Securities and Futures Commission | Hong Kong | Tier one | Public register available | 4 |
| 9 | SEC/FINRA Securities and Exchange Commission and FINRA | United States | Tier one | Public register available | 2 |
| 10 | FINRA Financial Industry Regulatory Authority | United States | Tier one | Public register available | 2 |
| 11 | Central Bank of Ireland Central Bank of Ireland | Ireland | Tier one | Public register available | 1 |
| 12 | NFA National Futures Association | United States | Tier one | Public register available | 1 |
| 13 | FSC (Mauritius) Financial Services Commission | Mauritius | Tier two | Public register available | 31 |
| 14 | FSCA (South Africa) Financial Sector Conduct Authority | South Africa | Tier two | Public register available | 29 |
| 15 | FSA (Seychelles) Financial Services Authority | Seychelles | Tier three | Public register available | 30 |
Regulators with complaint channels
Find authorities publishing a complaint or dispute route for eligible clients. Primary evidence: Official complaint and ombudsman information.
| Rank | Authority | Jurisdiction | Tier | Measure | Connected records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FCA Financial Conduct Authority | United Kingdom | Tier one | Financial Ombudsman Service | 39 |
| 2 | ASIC Australian Securities and Investments Commission | Australia | Tier one | Australian Financial Complaints Authority | 40 |
| 3 | CySEC Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission | Cyprus | Tier one | Financial Ombudsman of the Republic of Cyprus | 40 |
| 4 | CFTC/NFA Commodity Futures Trading Commission and National Futures Association | United States | Tier one | NFA arbitration | 7 |
| 5 | FSCA (South Africa) Financial Sector Conduct Authority | South Africa | Tier two | FAIS Ombud | 29 |
Regulators by jurisdiction
Browse financial authorities responsible for retail trading firms in each market. Primary evidence: Canonical jurisdiction and authority remit.
Asia-Pacific
- ASIC Australia
- MAS Singapore
- SFC (Hong Kong) Hong Kong
- FSA (Japan) Japan
- FMA (New Zealand) New Zealand
- FFAJ (Japan) Japan
- SERC (Cambodia) Cambodia
- VFSC (Vanuatu) Vanuatu
Europe
- FCA United Kingdom
- CySEC Cyprus
- BaFin Germany
- FINMA Switzerland
- Central Bank of Ireland Ireland
- CONSOB Italy
- AMF France
- KNF Poland
- CMVM Portugal
- MFSA Malta
- FSA (Denmark) Denmark
- Bank of Italy Italy
- ECB European Union
- FSC (Bulgaria) Bulgaria
- EFSA (Estonia) Estonia
- CBA (Armenia) Armenia
Middle East
- DFSA (DIFC) United Arab Emirates
- FSRA (ADGM) United Arab Emirates
- SCA (UAE) United Arab Emirates
- CMA (UAE) United Arab Emirates
- ISA (Israel) Israel
- JSC (Jordan) Jordan
Africa
- FSCA (South Africa) South Africa
- CMA (Kenya) Kenya
- FSC (Mauritius) Mauritius
- FSA (Seychelles) Seychelles
- MISA (Comoros) Comoros
North America
Latin America
- FSC (Belize) Belize
Caribbean
- FSC (BVI) British Virgin Islands
- SCB (Bahamas) Bahamas
- CIMA (Cayman Islands) Cayman Islands
- BMA (Bermuda) Bermuda
- CBCS (Curaçao) Curaçao
International
- Bank of Latvia Latvia
Regulatory ratings are platform assessments based on defined criteria. They are not credit ratings and should not replace information published by the authority.