Lesson 6 of 82:485 Sources
What a broker does
Recorded. Publishing soon
Educational content, not investment advice. Nour explains how markets work. She never tells you what to buy or sell.
A broker opens your account, gives you a trading platform such as MetaTrader, and routes your orders to liquidity providers (large banks and institutions) that quote buy and sell prices.
- Brokers earn from the spread, commissions on some accounts, and swaps.
- Two execution models: passing trades to the market, or acting as market maker (taking the other side). Many combine both.
- Regulated brokers keep client money segregated from company money; many regulators also require negative balance protection for retail clients.
- Verify the licence yourself on the regulator's website; beware guaranteed profits, pressure to deposit, bonus traps, and withdrawal delays. Test a small withdrawal early.
Quick check
Three questions. Pick an answer to see why.
1.Where should you verify a broker's licence?
2.Which is NOT one of the broker's main revenue sources mentioned in the lesson?
3.What does client fund segregation mean at a regulated broker?
Sources
Every fact in this lesson is backed by the sources below.
- 1.FCA Handbook – CASS 7.13 Segregation of client moneyClient money must be held in accounts separate from the firm's own money as a key safeguard
- 2.ESMA – Prohibition of binary options and restriction of CFDs (2018)Analyses found 74–89% of retail CFD accounts typically lose money; leverage limits 30:1–2:1; negative balance protection; standardised risk warning
- 3.FCA PS19/18 – Restricting CFD products sold to retail clientsRetail CFD leverage limited to 30:1–2:1; 50% margin close-out; negative balance protection; risk warning showing % of the firm's retail accounts that lose money
- 4.FCA ScamSmart – How to avoid investment scamsWarning signs: unexpected contact, pressure/bonuses to invest quickly, too-good-to-be-true returns; verify firms on the regulator's register
- 5.CFTC – Fraud Advisory: Foreign currency (forex) fraudForex fraud red flags; check a firm's registration and disciplinary history with the regulator
Educational content, not investment advice. Risk warning: trading forex, CFDs, gold and crypto carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for everyone. You can lose more than you put in. Souq Daily is an education platform. Nothing here is investment advice, a recommendation or an offer, and past performance does not predict future results.