Brokers

Choosing a broker is a decision, not a formality — and it’s usually the first thing new traders get wrong by picking whoever has the flashiest ad. I’ve had a regulated broker collapse under me before. The money came back after six months, but that wait taught me to check for exactly the things most people skip before they deposit a single pound.

What to check before you open an account

• Regulation, and where your funds are actually held
• Spreads and execution speed under real market conditions, not the demo account
• How withdrawals work in practice — not just how deposits work
• What happens to your account if the broker itself runs into trouble

Broker reviews on this site only cover brokers I’ve opened an account with myself. Comparisons go up as they’re tested.