Archives: Brokers

Is Gallant Finance Scam or Legit Broker?

We advise our readers, not to use Gallant Finance as it is an offshore entity. Gallant Finance is owned by Allmedia LTD., which is an offshore company registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadine. 

• St. Vincent and the Grenadines is notorious for its practically absent requirements and regulations. Due to the setup low cost, it does not regulate forex trading. Therefore, it became an offshore zone for shady forex brokers such as Brokerz (Read Brokerz review by link), TraderUR, and more. You can read our detailed article about the risk of trading with brokers from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

What is Gallant Finance?

Gallant Finance is an offshore Forex and CFD broker owned and operated by Allmedia LTD, based in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The registered address of the broker is also at St Vincent and the Grenadines, but they provide British contact phone numbers, which means they are targeting UK residents without being regulated there.

• Moreover, the FCA has issued a warning against Gallant Finance. The SVGFSA (Financial Services Authority of St Vincent and the Grenadines) is famous for its low capital requirements – you can open a forex broker, by having only USD 2,000 in the capital.
• As a comparison, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), demands a minimum of EUR 125,000 for STP license. Find the list of FCA-regulated brokers here.

Gallant Finance Review Conclusion

We strongly advise opening a trading account only with brokers that are regulated by respected world authorities and comply with the required set of rules with a good reputation through the delivered timeframe of operations. Traders should trade with well-regulated brokers such as UK brokers or brokers in Australia and reliable brokers such as FP Markets and BlackBull Markets.

Gallant Finance Update

Our findings showed that Gallant Finance is no longer active. The broker’s website is unavailable to reach. Besides, there is no evidence of whether the broker operates or not. We recommend avoiding any offshore-based brokers due to their instability and lack of serious regulations.  

Is Blue Trading Scam or Legit Broker?

No, it is not safe to trade with Blue Trading. Blue Trading is owned by BluVenture Group Ltd., a company registered in Japan.  The company is not registered with the reputable authorities, yet states its memberships in various initiatives and associations since at this time major regulators do not regulate this type of trading:

What is Blue Trading?

Blue Trading serves numerous offices globally, and offers financial trading and investment opportunities on a range of instruments, but mainly focuses on Cryptocurrencies (Read HYCM broker review, which offers cryptocurrency trading).

• “Blue Trading is a signatory to the IFMRRC, Foreign Exchange Global Committee. A new initiative was created by the Foreign Exchange Global Committee, a signatory of the International Decentralized Association of Cryptocurrency and Blockchain (IDACB). And is a full member of the Crypto Valley Switzerland ethics organization. At this time major regulators such as the British FCA or German BaFin do not regulate this type of trading, therefore, registration opportunities still remain unavailable. We look forward to pursuing new registration opportunities as they become available.”
• Nevertheless, that statement sounds not very reliable to us and recently the company even lost its membership, which means the unregulated nature of their business fail to its promised obligations. In addition, the regulatory authority in the UK Financial Conduct Authority (Check out FCA Regulated Eightcap & LegacyFX brokers ) has issued its warning to the public investors since the company target UK residents without its legal permission to do so.

"BluVenture Group Ltd and its affiliated brands BlueBroker and BlueTrading were expelled from membership with the Financial Commission due to repeated violations and failures to adhere to membership Rules and Guidelines."

The Financial Commission. September 26, 2018.

"We believe this firm Blue Trading / Bluetrading.com / Blue Group has been providing financial services or products in the UK without our authorization."

FCA, September 2018

Blue Trading Review Conclusion

In conclusion, it is advised to avoid trading with the broker even though their offering might seem competitive and attractive. The safety of funds is always first, therefore we recommend choosing among regulated brokers. Traders should trade with well-regulated brokers such as UK brokers or brokers in Australia and reliable brokers such as FP Markets and TMGM.

Blue Trading Update

Based on our research, the Blue Trading website is inactive. This means the broker has muted its trading offering and does not operate. However, we recommend avoiding and staying alert in case of any proposals. 

Is Binary Uno Scam or Legit Broker?

No, Binary Uno is not safe to trade with it. Besides the fact that offshore companies are considered to be a risky business and are not advised as trustable brokers, Binary Uno also gained a negative reputation on internet sources and among traders.

What is Binary Uno?

Binary Uno states the global presentation of a brand that is focused on the provision of the best possible trading service in CFD trading, while the mentioned office concludes Glasgow, Scotland. Yet, the revealed information showed that in fact the holding company is located in Seychelles and does not hold a serious license, and is not overseen by the respected authority.

• Besides, the company was issued warnings by the UK’s FCA, Australian ASIC, and other entities.

  “We believe this firm Uno Media Solutions trading as Binary Uno has been providing financial services or products in the UK without our authorization. Find out why to be especially wary of dealing with this unauthorized firm and how to protect yourself from scammers.”  

  FCA, UK. May 2018.

  “The business listed below Binary Uno has made unsolicited calls or sent emails about investing, financial advice, credit or loans and does not hold a current Australian Financial Services (AFS) license or an Australian Credit license from ASIC.”

  ASIC, Australia. October 2017.

Overall Binary Uno Ranking 

Because of the regulation and safety issues we revealed during our research of Binary Uno, we do not rank positively Binary Uno, based on our Expert Opinion with over 10 Years of experience in Forex Trading.

• Binary Uno Overall Ranking is 2 out of 10 based on our testing and compared to 500 other brokers, see Our Ranking below compared to other popular and industry Leading Brokers.

Binary Uno Alternative Brokers

We revealed that Binary Uno has a lot of issues, mainly in respect of its safety and registration. Thus, here are much better Alternatives to Binary Uno with tight regulations and great trading conditions. We select Good Brokers and reliable options for your comparison below: 

• HFM – Good for Currency trading
• FP Markets – Good for CopyTrading
• XM – Good for Beginners

Deposit & Withdrawal

At Binary Uno, making deposits and withdrawals is simple and quick. The broker offers multiple funding options, including Visa and MasterCard, wire transfers, and BITCOIN. 

• The minimum amount for a wire transfer is 250 USD as there are fees that the sending bank and the receiving bank charge. 
• Binary Uno now accepts Bitcoin, allowing traders to deposit the coins into their accounts and trade on currencies, commodities, or indices just as they would with cash. Clients can trade without having to spend any actual money.

Binary Uno Review Conclusion

We never advise trading with an offshore or non-licensed broker, since the financial investment service they deliver is not trustable. Rather than involving yourself with the risk of losing capital, we would recommend choosing among well-regulated and reputable companies. Traders should trade with well-regulated brokers such as UK brokers or brokers in Australia and reliable brokers such as FBS and BlackBull Markets.

• Overall ranking and experience for Binary Uno is Negative

Is BigOption Scam or Legit Broker?

BigOption is not a legit broker as it does not hold any serious license. As a general rule, we recommend avoiding offshore and non-regulated entities as traders who invest in non-regulated firms often cannot recover funds invested or gains received. Thus, we strongly advise against responding to any suspicious offering in regard to trading of financial investments and choosing only among the regulated entities.

• In fact, the Marshall Islands is an offshore zone attracting various firms that for one reason or another escape from serious regulation or compliance to international service providing. However, in the case of financial investment or trading firms, the company should be a very respected entity, as the statistics show that the majority of non-authorized firms never recovered the sums of investors' investments. Therefore, we always advise avoiding offshore or companies with no license as there are too many frauds around.

What is BigOption?

Wirestech Limited is a company that claims to be based in the Marshall Islands and run the trading brand BigOption which offers binary options trading (Check Regulated Binary Options Trading), as well as other derivatives investment opportunity.

• In the case of Wirestech Limited (BigOption), the broker also has appeared in the supervisory authorities of Ontario and British Columbia back in 2016 with the subject of a warning to the investors. While the European authorities warned potential clients and residents about the company offering too, meaning the firm was blacklisted almost by every regulatory entity.

Ontario Securities Commission Warning

“The Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) warns the public against the activities of Wirestech Limited, trading under the name BigOption, a company that offers highly risky investment instruments in Belgium without complying with Belgian financial legislation.”

FMSA, Belgium. March 2017.

BigOption Review Conclusion

We recommend traders sign in with only trustworthy brokers with tight regulations. Therefore, we also advise choosing among the firms with authorization status that have been received from the major regulators from around the world. Check our reviews on regulated brokers like LegacyFX, Eightcap, or FXCC.

BigOption Update

Based on our research, the BigOption website is inactive. This means the broker has muted its trading offering and does not operate. However, we recommend avoiding and staying alert in case of any proposals. 

Is VolumeFX Scam or Legit Broker? 

VolumeFX is not a secure Forex broker since it does not hold a license from any worldwide serious Forex authority. Meaning the broker is suspected of being a fraud company as it was not checked for its compliance before establishment, was never monitored in terms of its safety, and simply may operate the business in any way it wishes.

What is VolumeFX?

VolumeFX is an offshore broker that offers to trade in Forex, Crypto, CFDs, Stocks, Commodities, and Indices. The company is owned and operated by VolumeFX Ltd., based in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. There is no information about broker's regulation, which could be the biggest concern, as unregulated entities have no legal rights to provide financial services.

• Also, St. Vincent & the Grenadines location doesn't mean the broker is regulated there as we have already mentioned that St. Vincent & the Grenadines Financial Services Authority has announced that it does not issue any licenses for forex trading or brokerage nor does it regulate, monitor, supervise or license international companies, which engage in such activities.
• Considering all the mentioned facts, we don’t recommend investing in VolumeFX. There are a lot of other well-regulated brokers to do business with. Regulated brokers are obliged to follow stringent rules, including reporting, keeping all clients' funds in segregated accounts, providing traders with a negative balance protection, and maintaining a certain minimum of operational capital.

VolumeFX Review Conclusion

We don't recommend investing with VolumeFX. Investing with a properly regulated broker is essential for the safety of any investment. Here are some reliable regulators: UK’s FCA, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). Also, it is advisable to make your own research before signing with a broker and pick a tightly regulated broker such as FXTM and XM. 

VolumeFX Update

Based on our research, the VolumeFX website is inactive. This means the broker has muted its trading offering and does not operate. However, we recommend avoiding and staying alert in case of any proposals. 

Is The55thFx Scam or Legit Broker?

No, it is not safe to trade with The55thFx. The broker doesn't disclose much information about the company behind the brand's name, only that it is owned and operated by The55thFx Limited and located in California, USA. According to the website, The55thFx Limited is licensed and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license number 278/07.

• However, there is no record of this company or license number in the regulator's register. It seems like the broker's regulation details are false, which puts clients' investments at high risk. It is not only because the broker lacks regulation, but also because false regulation claims usually mean the broker is a fraud.

What is The55thFx?

The55thFx is a broker that offers to trade in Forex, binary options, and cryptocurrency.

• Anyway, the broker does not provide any reliable information on its regulations. Based on the provided information, The55thFx Limited is licensed and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license number 278/07, yet this information seems to be fake. 
• In addition, ESMA has prohibited binary options (Check out Binary Options Regulated Brokers) trading throughout Europe and the EEA, so those brokers who still offer binary trading can be considered pure scams.

The55thFx Review Conclusion

We advise all investors and traders to avoid The55thFx and other unregulated brokers. The lack of information about the broker’s regulations, trading conditions, and contact details should be the biggest red flag for those who plan to invest with the entity. Usually, such companies run investment scams. Traders should trade with well-regulated brokers such as UK brokers or brokers in Australia and reliable brokers such as Alpari and XM.com.

The55thFx Update

Based on our research, the The55thFx website is inactive. This means the broker has muted its trading offering and does not operate. However, we recommend avoiding and staying alert in case of any proposals. 

Is KapitalSwiss Scam or Legit Broker?

KapitalSwiss is not a secure Forex broker since it does not hold a license from any worldwide serious Forex authority. Meaning the broker is suspected of being a fraud company since it was not checked for its compliance before establishment, was never monitored in terms of its safety, and simply may operate the business in any way it wishes.

What is KapitalSwiss?

KapitalSwiss is a social trading and Investing company that offers Forex and CFDs trading. The broker is owned and operated by Orion International Limited. The company claims to be based in Germany, however, they don't provide any regulatory information, so probably the company is not overseen by any authority. Also, we have checked some details about the company behind the brand name, Orion International Limited, and it turned out the company has been blacklisted by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority.

"We believe this firm has been providing financial services or products in the UK without our authorization."

• The terms and conditions on the website state that KapitalSwiss is under the jurisdiction of Cyprus, but we didn't find any proof of it in the regulator's register. Therefore, no regulatory body is acting as a watchdog overseeing that they comply with best practices in the financial market.
• Broker's website supports English, Italian, and German languages which means the company has been targeting residents of the mentioned countries without being authorized there.

KapitalSwiss Review Conclusion

In order to prevent being scammed by such companies as KapitalSwiss, it is better to deal only with reliable and well-regulated entities. For example, those who want to choose an EU-regulated broker should check the lists of the companies regulated by the FCA, FINMA, or Cyprus. These agencies have a set of requirements for financial services providers and see to their compliance. They aim to protect clients' interests and funds. Check the list of the CySEC-regulated brokers here. To succeed in trading, it is always recommended to choose a reputable firm with good standing and favorable conditions, such as FXTM or XM.

KapitalSwiss Update

Based on our research, the KapitalSwiss website is inactive. This means the broker has muted its trading offering and does not operate. However, we recommend avoiding and staying alert in case of any proposals. 

• Company name: 

BY Trading Limited.

• Registration Address/ License:

Wien, Austria. No License, No Regulation. 

BY Trading is a brokerage firm established in Wien, Austria while claims conduct of trading services on over 15 market destinations. The company offers includes clearing services to institutional and professional traders with specialization in commodities, stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds, CFDs and funds.

There is also mentioning about BY Trading experience and professional providing of practice for 20 years. However, the main question is why the company promises allegedly professional trading service while located within reputable EU jurisdiction and is a non-authorized firm. Still, remains unclear if the state about 20 year of operation is true or false, yet what is definitely the fact that the company which does not hold an FMA, Austria license and is Austrian financial service firm means the entity operates illegally.

In addition to that, of course, the BY Trading firm caught an attention of the respected FMA authority, while the warning to investors was issued and followed by other authorities within EU to spread the state around. (Please check the information hereby)

The regulators' purpose to protect the population from a fraud investment and risky business conclude those particular companies that are not entitled to carry out certain financial transactions or services. That causes for an action and informing the general public is deemed necessary and reasonable with regard to possible disadvantages of the company concerned.

Conclusion

Well respected financial authorities like the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) or the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) are effectively enforcing strict financial and ethical rules on all overseen brokers. That’s why we recommend choosing among the brokers regulated with the mentioned authorities. Traders should trade with well-regulated brokers (Top 10 Forex Brokers in the World) such as UK brokers or brokers in Australia and reliable brokers such as FP Markets and TMGM.