Spain’s regulator CNMV warns against Globalix

CNMV logo

Spain’s financial markets and services regulator CNMV has issued a warning against Globalix. According to the public warning notice, Globalix is not authorized to provide investment services or investment advice and auxiliary services, including foreign currency transactions in Spain.

The National Securities Market Commission (often abbreviated as CNMV) is the Spanish government agency responsible for the financial regulation of the securities markets in Spain. It is an independent agency that falls under the Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness. The regulator maintains a register with investment companies that are authorized to operate in Spain.

Globalix logo

Globalix is a forex broker, owned and operated by Globalix Ltd. The company is based in the Marshall Islands, which means it is an offshore entity and there is a high risk for the customers when dealing with this firm. 

The website mentions a contact phone number with a British country code, which means the company has been targeting people from this country. Although, the company is not licensed in the UK, and there is no regulatory body that monitors its activity to ensure it sticks to best practices. 

Trading on Crypto Currency, Share or Forex is financial investment service, that needs to be regulated by your government's regulator. In order to operate legally, investment firms need a license by the local relevant authorities or the authorities of any other EU member state. We strongly advise traders to select among brokerages authorized by reputable regulators, such as EU ones (FCA, CySEC) or Australia’s ASIC. You can read our review on this broker here.

FCA alerts investors of Primus Forex Financial Group clone firm

FCA logo

The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned that Primus Forex Financial Group is a clone of the renown forex brokerage Primus Capital Markets UK Limited, which holds a license from FCA, among others. According to FCA, Primus Forex Financial Group is not authorized to carry out regulated financial services in the UK.

Primus Capital Markets UK was founded in the year 2008 by experienced Forex traders and offers a platform to trade in CFDs for foreign exchange, commodities, energy sources and other indices. The firm is registered in England and Wales with company number 06592025. It is also authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Primus Capital Markets UK logo

The clone company operates on the http://www.primusasia.com website and provides the address that actually belongs to the original company Primus Capital Markets UK Limited (https://primuscapital.uk). Also, the clone is not regulated by FCA or any other authorities.

Clone firms use some or all of the details of a genuine entity, aiming to convince investors they are indeed the authorized company or that they work with them.

The UK is a strong forex market with tight regulation. The FCA is renowned for its strict standards and tight supervision. The regulator keeps a register of unauthorized forex brokers that target local citizens and regularly issues alerts against entities that could potentially hurt local investors. Be aware of such companies before dealing with any brokerage company.

You can read our review on this broker here.

Revolution Variable Systems broker was added to FCA’s warning list

UK financial regulator Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued its another warning against the unauthorized broker. This time it is against the Revolution Variable Systems (RVS), the firm that is providing financial services to British residents without being authorized. The company operated on the www.marketsystems.co.uk website and British domain is basically the only sign that it might be located in UK. There is no other information about phone number, address or even email of the broker firm can be found on the website or on the net. Also the website itself is not informative at all. There are no explanations of the trading conditions. The info on the website states that the company develops a range of advanced trading platforms for the stock, option and forex markets and provides clients support. It really looks like they just advertising some softwares: trading systems (RVS trade assist portal, RVS day trading and RVS Forex system). It is difficult to understand whether the company is a broker or just a software provider. The lack of the information or the deluding information shows that it's better not to deal with RVS and choose among one of the regulated by FCA companies. The UK financial regulator advises traders to check forex trading company names in the Financial Services Register, provided by FCA. It is important to remember that the invested funds will not be covered by the broker if the company is not regulated by FCA (or any other regulator, depending on the country).   

New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority warns of Golden Financial

FMA logo

New Zealand’s Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has issued a warning against the Forex broker Golden Financial. The regulator states that GFS is not regulated in New Zealand as claimed on its websites and GFS is not licensed to issue derivative products (CFDs) to New Zealand retail investors.
The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) plays a critical role in regulating capital markets and financial services in New Zealand. It is the New Zealand government agency responsible for enforcing securities, financial reporting, and company law as they apply to financial services and securities markets.

Golden Financial logo
Let’s take a closer look at the broker itself. Golden Financial operates through the website www.gdfxuk.com and offers trading in foreign exchange, precious metals, securities, futures, stock traders. The company is owned and managed by Golden Financial Service Limited and claims to be located in London, UK. Also, according to the website Golden Financial has licenses from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority and New Zealand's Financial Markets Authority. However, it turned out the broker doesn't hold these licenses and most probably could be involved in a scam.
The negative comments about the Golden Financial on the net also reveal that those who invested are having hard times with withdrawing their money, while the company representatives are cold calling them promising high returns.
Generally, it is highly recommended to avoid dealing with unregulated brokers or, worse still, with ones making false claims like Golden Financial. There are numerous properly licensed brokers, like the ones by FCA or the Australian Securities and Investment Commission to choose from.
You can read our review on this broker here.

Turkey Stops the Supply of Oil not Under Russian Sanctions, Raising Global Supply Concerns

As a result of EU sanctions against Russia, Turkey's newly-imposed insurance and G7 nation price cap regulations have created congestion in the Bosphorus Strait due to tanker delays transporting Kazakh oil.

Turkey Supply Concerns Map

Kazakhstan's natural resources are transported to the global market through Russia, with officials able to verify their provenance through bill of lading records. The port city of Novorossiysk serves as a major hub for this activity and is helping fuel its growth on an international scale.

Approximately $1.2 billion of oil remains stranded due to around 20 million barrels being contained within vessels unable to move.

The Turkish insurance industry has recently implemented stringent restrictions for tankers transporting Russian crude, resulting in a slowdown of traffic between Russia's Black Sea ports and the Mediterranean. This policy shift has had significant implications on maritime trade since its introduction this week – marking an unprecedented move by Turkey’s insurers to regulate oil transportation activity.

Refiners are facing a major challenge as delays accumulate, potentially impacting the supply of gasoline and diesel. To counter this problem, companies may source crude oil from other nations or reduce operational capacity due to lack of availability - raising alarm bells for Andrew Lipow, President of Lipow Oil Associates.

Kazakh oil is a global commodity, with customers spanning from the Far East to Europe and all the way to America's eastern seaboard.

Darren Newton banned by the FCA for misusing client money

FCA logo The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a Decision Notice to ban Darren Lee Newton, the owner of debt management business, from working in any regulated activity in the financial services sector. The investigation conducted by the FCA found that in October 2013 Mr. Newton funded the purchase of a debt reduction service First Step from Christine Whitehurst with £322,500 of client money, when he should have used his own funds. After purchasing the shares of Christine Whitehurst, he became a director of the First Step as she resigned on the same day. The previous owner of the First Step were Christine Whitehurst and her husband, who were also banned by the FCA for misappropriating over £6 million of company's money. The FCA found that Newton knew the money should only be used to pay clients' creditors or to be returned to clients, but despite this, he still allowed the funds to be taken from First Step and paid to the Whitehursts. In the decision notice, the regulator states that Mr. Newton acted with a 'serious lack of honesty and integrity' and caused a serious risk to customers investments. One of his responsibilities was to protect clients and maintain the integrity of the UK financial system. Since failing to maintain his commitment, he got a prohibition order from the FCA. Currently, Mr. Newton is trying to dispute the decision of the FCA and referring the issue to the Upper Tribunal.

FINMA warns against Rocket Consultant Group

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The Switzerland financial markets and service providers regulator FINMA has warned of unregulated forex broker Rocket Consultant Group.
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) is the Swiss government body responsible for financial regulation. This includes the supervision of banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges, and securities dealers, as well as other financial intermediaries in Switzerland. FINMA keeps a close eye on the unregulated brokers and usually warns in a timely manner of those who make false claims of Swiss regulation or location but are not Swiss-regulated.

Rocket Consultant Group logo
The broker Rocket Consultant Group operates through the website www.rocketconsultantgroup.com and provides an online trading platform for Forex, Contracts for Difference and options. The company is owned and operated by Rocket Consultant Group Ltd. that claims to be based in Zurich, Switzerland. The broker also claims to have offices in Panama, Germany, and Hong Kong. In order to do business, the broker would need to get licenses from regulated in specific countries. However, it seems Rocket Consultant Group has been targeting traders from different countries without being authorized there and it is actually not licensed or overseen by any of the financial regulators.
In addition, the broker has one more warning and it is from the British Columbia Securities Commission. In its notice, the regulator states that Rocket Consultant Group accepted funds from a British Columbia (BC) residents to trade with the company. RCG is not registered to trade in, or advise on, securities or exchange contracts in BC.
When engaging with brokers that do not operate on the grounds of a valid license, issued from a trustworthy authority, traders are putting their investments at higher risk. It is better to avoid dealing with offshore brokerages and choose properly regulated and reliable brokers. A good example of such are the ones supervised by the FCA or FINMA.
You can read our review on this broker here.

BDSwiss Faces €100,000 Fine Over Regulatory Violations with Offshore Entities

BDSwiss Review

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has fined BDSwiss Holding Ltd, a Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF), a hefty €100,000 for enabling offshore companies to mislead customers by referencing its CIF status. The hefty penalty comes after BDSwiss was found redirecting customers to offshore entities that were not regulated.

In 2021, FCA similarly banned the broker after a comprehensive investigation found UK clients were predominantly onboarded to groups regulated elsewhere.

The CySEC probe discovered that BDSwiss had allowed its offshore associates to capitalize on the CIF status to attract clients, offering them investment services in Contract for Differences (CFDs) without the necessary initial margin protection and requisite risk warnings. By doing so, the broker effectively circumvented the statutory requirements of a regulated CIF provider.

  • The fine of €100,000 imposed on BDSwiss is for breaching Article 42 of Regulation (EU) 600/2014, as specified in Paragraph 5 of DI87-09, during the year 2021. The violation involves activities leading to the avoidance of the requirements of paragraph 4(1)(a) (initial margin) and (e) (risk warning) of DI87-09 by enabling offshore entities associated with BDSwiss to refer to the CIF status, without the necessary customer protections in place.

A similar course of events led to broker's ban in the UK in 2021. BDSwiss Holding and its associated brands were prohibited from operating in the UK after the FCA discovered investors were being offered high-risk CFDs using social media endorsements. The FCA concluded that BDSwiss Group had misrepresented the fact that one of its entities was regulated in the UK to lend an air of legitimacy to the group as a whole.

This misrepresentation misled investors to believe that all of the firm's activities were regulated by the FCA, whereas the reality was quite different. The overseas firms associated with BDSwiss did not adhere to the FCA's restrictions concerning the marketing and sale of CFDs to retail consumers.

The broker operates several brands regulated by various international entities, including Seychelles’ Financial Services Commission, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), and the Financial Services Commission (FSC – Mauritius).

Interactive Brokers Introduces Nasdaq Copenhagen and Prague Stock Exchange Trading, Offers Fractional Trading

Interactive Brokers (IB) Review

Interactive Brokers (NASDAQ:IBKR), a leading electronic trading company, has expanded its services to allow clients worldwide to trade shares on Nasdaq Copenhagen (CPH) and the Prague Stock Exchange (PSE). In an announcement today, the broker revealed that fractional trading of eligible Nasdaq Copenhagen shares is now available. (Read our detailed review of Interactive Brokers)

Interactive Brokers caters to clients in more than 200 countries and territories, offering access to over 150 global markets. Their platform serves a diverse range of investors, including self-directed individuals, sophisticated traders, advisors, hedge funds, and institutional investors. Clients can invest in various asset classes such as stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds. They also have the flexibility to fund and trade accounts in up to 26 different currencies, including the Danish Krone (DKK) and Czech Koruna (CZK).

Milan Galik, the Chief Executive Officer of Interactive Brokers, expressed the company's commitment to providing clients with an extensive range of investment options. He stated, "Clients seeking to diversify and capitalize on new trading opportunities across Europe and the world can now incorporate Danish and Czech stocks into their portfolios. They will benefit from Interactive Brokers' competitive costs and the convenience of trading various products from a unified platform."

Interactive Brokers maintains transparent trading costs. For Danish stocks, commissions range from 0.015% to 0.05% of the trade value, with a minimum of DKK 10.00 per order for tiered pricing based on monthly volume. Alternatively, fixed pricing incurs a commission of 0.05% of the trade value, with a minimum of DKK 49.00 per order. Regarding Czech stocks, fixed commissions amount to 0.15% of the trade value, with a minimum of CZK 70 per order.