Guide · 7 min read
How to read a regulator's register in ten minutes
'Regulated' is a claim; a register entry is a fact. Here is how to check one yourself.
Every serious regulator publishes a public register of the firms it authorises. If a broker claims regulation, that claim can be verified in minutes — and the check is worth doing before your first deposit, not after your first problem.
The check, step by step
For any regulator a broker cites:
- Find the regulator's official register — always on the regulator's own domain, never through a link supplied by the broker.
- Search the exact legal entity name, not the brand name. Brands often sit under several entities in several countries.
- Confirm the authorisation covers the service you will actually use (e.g. dealing in securities vs advice).
- Note the registered website domains, if listed. A licence for entity A does not cover brand B operating on another domain.
- Check for active warnings or restrictions — registers usually flag firms under investigation or with suspended permissions.
Why we label things 'Not verified'
On BrokerVersus, a registration appears as verified only after we have repeated exactly this check ourselves and recorded the date. Until then you will see 'Not verified'. It is not an accusation — it is an honest statement of what has and has not been checked.