IG Logo

IG regulation

Your expert
Gyula L.
Fact checked by
Tamás D.
Updated
2w ago
Personally tested
Data-driven
Independent

Is IG regulated?

Trying to find out whether IG is regulated? Not sure which authorities are overseeing IG and why this matters?

Rest assured, the lack of regulation at IG is not a reason for worry. Our brokerage experts have determined that IG is a fully regulated broker, overseen in UK, EU, Switzerland, USA, Singapore, Japan, South Africa, UAE, Australia, New Zealand. We gathered all the information on the regulatory profile of IG and will explain why this matters.

Why IG is trustworthy
Gyula
Gyula Lencsés, CFA
Forex • Derivatives • Market Analysis

I have personally tested several brokers globally and I am familiar with the regulatory and licensing procedures of at least a dozen financial authorities globally. Here are my key insights into the regulatory status of IG as of September 2024:

  • IG is regulated by several authorities of which at least one is top-tier, which is vital for safeguarding your money.
  • IG must separate client funds/assets from its own operations; this makes all the difference for the safety of your investments.
  • As IG is regulated by several authorities, it is super important that you open an account with an entity that has top-tier regulation.
  • Explore the services of IG in our comprehensive IG review for 2024 and browse other top-tier regulated brokers with our unique Find My Broker tool.
Overall score
4.5/5
Minimum deposit
$0
FX fee
Low
Index CFD fee
Low
Withdrawal fee
$0
Account opening
1-3 days
Visit IG

75% of retail CFD accounts lose money

IG has top-tier regulation

Think of a broker with strict regulatory oversight like a lifeguard at the beach. Just as the lifeguard keeps you safe in the water, offering immediate help when you need it, brokers operating with top-tier regulation protect your investments. They make sure your investments are secure and handled with integrity and transparency.

IG operates in several countries and is supervised by the following financial authorities:

  • UK - Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
  • Europe - Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin)
  • Switzerland - Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA)
  • USA - Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), National Futures Association (NFA)
  • Australia - Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)
  • New Zealand - Financial Markets Authority (FMA)
  • Singapore - Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
  • Japan - Japanese Financial Services Authority (FSA)
  • South Africa - Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)
  • UAE - Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA)
  • All other clients - Bermuda Monetary Authority

Why does all this matter? We are contacted by an alarming number of people who ended up working with unregulated brokers and they share with us some sad and frightening stories. Here’s an example.

Your can protect your money by choosing a well-regulated broker.

Marco invested a substantial amount using what appeared to be a credible online trading platform. Initially, his investments showed gains, and he was able to make several withdrawals without issues. Encouraged, he increased his investments, but when he tried to withdraw some profits after a successful trade, his requests went unanswered, and customer service became unreachable. Further investigation revealed the broker was not regulated by any financial authority. Eventually, the platform vanished overnight, taking John's investments with it, leaving him with no recourse to recover his funds.

Choosing a broker with top-tier regulation means you're in safe hands. This level of strict oversight ensures that your investments are protected, you're getting fair pricing, and trading conditions are transparent and favorable.

Client fund segregation: your ultimate safeguard

As a broker with top-tier regulation, IG is legally required to keep the funds and assets of its clients separate from its own money. This is a game changer in terms of the safety of your investments.

Client fund segregation is like having your money in a separate safe from IG’s own cash. Thus, if your broker ever runs into financial trouble, your funds won't be touched to settle their debts - they're entirely off-limits. It’s a crucial setup because it protects your money, ensuring that what you’ve invested stays secure and accessible only to you. This segregation is a requirement imposed by top-tier regulators and not something you can request your broker to do. You will only have access to this safety net if your broker has the appropriate regulation.

In the highly unlikely event that IG commits fraud and uses client assets for its own purposes, you can still recover your money if you have access to investor protection.

This is important for you because the investor protection amount and theregulator differ based on which entity you belong to.

IG legal entities
Client Protection amount Regulator Legal entity
UK £85,000 Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) IG Markets Ltd
IG Index Ltd*
Europe, excluding UK and Switzerland €20,000 Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) IG Europe GmbH
Switzerland CHF 100,000 Swiss Financial Markets Supervisory Authority (FINMA) IG Bank S.A.
USA No protection Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)
National Futures Association (NFA)
IG US LLC
Australia No protection Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) IG Markets Ltd, Australia
New Zealand No protection Financial Markets Authority (FMA) IG Markets Ltd, Australia
Singapore No protection Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) IG Asia Pte Ltd
Japan No protection Japanese Financial Services Authority (FSA) IG Securities Ltd
South Africa No protection Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) IG Markets South Africa Limited
United Arab Emirates No protection Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) IG Limited
International No protection Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) IG International Limited

*If you choose a spread betting account, you will belong to this legal entity.
IG provides negative balance protection for forex spot and CFD trading, but only to retail clients from the European Union. Professional and non-EU clients are not covered with any negative balance protection.

Choose your brokerage entity smartly

Since IG is regulated by multiple authorities, it's crucial to open an account with an entity that has top-tier regulation. This ensures your investments are always protected under the highest standards.

Whenever possible, avoid signing up with entities that are regulated in off-shore countries such as the Seychelles, the Bahamas, St. Vincent and Grenadine, etc. While you may have access to a much higher level of leverage for your trades, this is extremely risky and you run a much higher risk of losing all your invested money.

In addition, rules and regulations imposed by regulators in these countries are typically less severe, potentially damaging the safety of your investments. If you are offered the option to choose which entity you open an account with, go with the one that operates under a stricter regulator.

Get to know IG better and browse other top-tier regulated brokers

For detailed insights into trading conditions, costs, and service quality at IG, check out BrokerChooser's IG review for 2024. All our broker reviews are based on the analysis of nearly 600 data points and direct experience. When we review a broker, we go hands-on by opening a real-money account and trading on its platforms, giving us a complete view of what it offers and how it performs.

The BrokerChooser team has personally tested and reviewed more than 100 brokers globally, all of which have top-tier regulation. All our experience and expertise is included in the Find My Broker tool. Simply answer a few questions and get a personalized broker list.

Get a personalized broker recommendation

125,500 people have already found a broker using this tool!
Each answer refines your broker toplist.

Where do you live?

Why it matters
United States
Start matching me with the best brokers

Check out this short video for a behind-the-scenes peek into how our experts personally test and evaluate brokers.

Got questions?
Engage with our growing community of traders and investors like you to find your answers.
Join now

Further reading

Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.

author
Gyula Lencsés, CFA
Author of this article
Gyula is a former analyst expert and Head of Content at BrokerChooser. With over a decade in finance, he led content creation at BrokerChooser and personally evaluated some of our 100+ listed brokers. He opened real-money accounts, executed transactions, and engaged with customer services, offering firsthand assessments. Prior to BrokerChooser, he managed mutual funds in wealth management, trading stocks, ETFs, bonds, commodities, forex, and derivatives. His goal: simplify the hunt for top brokers in a dynamic investment landscape.
Visit IG 75% of retail CFD accounts lose money
×
I'd like to trade with...