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Rankings updated October 2026

Best Brokers With Negative Balance Protection 2026

The best brokers with negative balance protection ensure that you can’t lose more than your deposited funds, even in volatile markets. This crucial safeguard helps active traders manage risk when using leverage, though it’s not foolproof.

Explore our top brokers for negative balance protection, rigorously tested by our industry experts and experienced traders.

Best Brokers With Negative Balance Protection 2026

These are the top 6 brokers with negative balance protection based on our hands-on tests:

Tested with a live trading account Accepts traders from Iraq Your capital is at risk. Trade only with funds you can afford to lose.
  1. Our top pick in Iraq
    • Demo account
    • Platforms: MT4, MT5, TradingCentral
    • Min. deposit: $5
    • Demo account
    • Regulator: FSC
    • Platforms: R StocksTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView
    • Demo account
    • Regulator: ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, BVI FSC
    • Platforms: Web Platform, MT4, MT5, TradingCentral
    • Demo account
    • Instruments: CFDs, Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities
    • Regulator: ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSC
    • Demo account
    • Regulator: FMA, FSA
    • Min. deposit: $0
    • Demo account
    • Platforms: eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral
    • Min. deposit: $50
    61% of retail CFD accounts lose money. eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.

Learn how we test brokers and why you can trust our ratings.

Why Are These the Best Brokers With Negative Balance Protection?

Here's our brief take on what makes these brokers the best if you want negative balance protection:

  1. XM is the best broker with negative balance protection in Iraq in 2026 4.8/5 XM is a globally recognized forex and CFD broker with 20+ million clients in 190+ countries. Since 2009, this trusted broker has been delivering low trading fees across its growing roster of 1000+ instruments. It also offers a comprehensive MetaTrader experience that we've observed firsthand placing test trades.
  2. RoboForex 4.5/5 RoboForex is an online broker, established in 2009 and registered with the FSC in Belize. Traders can choose from five accounts (Prime, ECN, R StocksTrader, ProCent, Pro) catering to different needs with trades from 0.01 lots and spreads from 0 pips. RoboForex has also enhanced its offering over the years, adding CFD instruments and launching its stock trading platform, plus the CopyFX system.
  3. Markets.com 4.4/5 Established in 2008, Markets.com is a long-standing, multi-regulated broker with oversight from the CySEC and FSCA. It offers unique features to track hedge fund moves and insider trades, while providing stock signals to alert traders to market opportunities. Its choice of accounts (Classic to Professional) caters to all levels of active trader. 72.3% of retail accounts lose money.
  4. FBS 4.3/5 Founded in 2009, FBS is an award-winning CFD broker operating in over 150 countries with a client base exceeding 27 million traders. Traders are supported at every stage of their journey with 24/7 assistance, market analytics, trading calculators, and competitive pricing with zero commissions.
  5. BlackBull 4.5/5 BlackBull is a New Zealand-based CFD broker providing diverse trading opportunities on over 2,180 instruments. After undergoing a rebrand in 2023, it now sports a modern look and feel complete with professional-grade trading tools and ultra-fast execution speeds averaging 20ms.
  6. eToro 4.0/5 eToro is a top-rated multi-asset platform which offers trading services in thousands of CFDs, stocks and cryptoassets. Launched in 2007, the brand has millions of active traders globally and is authorized by tier one regulators, including the FCA and CySEC. The brand is particularly popular for its comprehensive social trading platform. Crypto investments are risky and may not suit retail investors. You could lose your entire investment. Understand the risks here. 61% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Compare the Top Brokers for Negative Balance Protection on Key Attributes

Find the perfect broker for you based on our comparison of key features important to traders looking for account safeguards:

Compare the Top Brokers for Negative Balance Protection on Key Attributes
BrokerMinimum DepositPlatformsRegulators
XM $5MT4, MT5, TradingCentralCySEC, DFSA, FSCA, SCA, FSA, FSC-Belize, FSC-Mauritius, CMA-Kenya, CMA-UAE
RoboForex $10R StocksTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingViewFSC
Markets.com $200Web Platform, MT4, MT5, TradingCentralASIC, CySEC, FSCA, BVI FSC
FBS $5FBS App, MT4, MT5ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSC
BlackBull $0BlackBull Invest, BlackBull CopyTrader, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartistFMA, FSA
eToro $50eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentralFCA, CySEC, MiCA, MFSA, FSRA, ASIC, FSAS, MAS, GFSC

How Safe Are These Brokers With Negative Account Protection?

How dependable are the top trading accounts with negative balance protection and do they have other measures that help safeguard your funds?

How Safe Are These Brokers With Negative Account Protection?
BrokerTrust RatingGuaranteed Stop LossNegative Balance ProtectionSegregated Accounts
XM 4.5 / 5✘No✔Yes✔Yes
RoboForex 3.3 / 5✘No✔Yes✔Yes
Markets.com 3.9 / 5✔Yes✔Yes✔Yes
FBS 3.3 / 5✘No✔Yes✔Yes
BlackBull 4.1 / 5✘No✔Yes✔Yes
eToro 4.3 / 5✘No✔Yes✔Yes

Compare Mobile Trading

Are these brokers good for trading on mobile and tablet devices?

Compare Mobile Trading
BrokerMobile AppsiOS RatingAndroid RatingSmart Watch App
XM iOS, Android & Windows4.7 / 53.9 / 5✘No
RoboForex iOS & Android, R StocksTrader, Telegram Mini App4.7 / 54.4 / 5✘No
Markets.com iOS, Android3.1 / 53.5 / 5✘No
FBS iOS & Android4.6 / 54.9 / 5✘No
BlackBull iOS & Android3.7 / 53.7 / 5✘No
eToro iOS & Android4.0 / 53.8 / 5✘No

Are the Top Brokers Brokers Offering Negative Balance Safeguards Good for Beginners?

Beginners should use brokers that allow trading with a demo account and have other features that aspiring traders need:

Are the Top Brokers Brokers Offering Negative Balance Safeguards Good for Beginners?
BrokerDemo AccountMinimum DepositMinimum TradeEducation RatingSupport Rating
XM ✔Yes$50.01 Lots4.8 / 54.9 / 5
RoboForex ✔Yes$100.01 Lots4.1 / 54.6 / 5
Markets.com ✔Yes$2000.01 Lots3.8 / 54.1 / 5
FBS ✔Yes$50.01 Lots3.5 / 53.8 / 5
BlackBull ✔Yes$00.01 Lots4.3 / 54.0 / 5
eToro ✔Yes$50$104.0 / 52.5 / 5

Are the Top Brokers Ensuring No Negative Account Balances Good for Advanced Traders?

Alongside account protection, experienced traders should look for sophisticated features to bolster the trading experience:

Are the Top Brokers Ensuring No Negative Account Balances Good for Advanced Traders?
BrokerAutomated TradingVPSAIPro AccountLeverageLow LatencyExtended Hours
XM Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader✔Yes✔Yes✘No1:1000✔Yes✘No
RoboForex Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, Strategy Builder in R StocksTrader✔Yes✘No✘No1:2000✘No✘No
Markets.com Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader✘No✘No✔Yes1:500✔Yes✘No
FBS Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader✔Yes✔Yes✘No1:3000✔Yes✘No
BlackBull Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader✔Yes✔Yes✘No1:500✔Yes✘No
eToro Automate your trades via CopyTrader - follow profitable traders. Open and close trades automatically when they do.✘No✔Yes✘No1:30 EU✘No✔Yes

Compare the Ratings of Our Top Brokers With Account Protection

See how the top brokers who prevent accounts going below zero compare in all key areas after our latest investigation:

Compare the Ratings of Our Top Brokers With Account Protection
BrokerTrustPlatformsAssetsMobileFeesAccountsResearchEducationSupport
XM 4.5 / 54.8 / 54.5 / 54.3 / 54.0 / 54.5 / 54.3 / 54.8 / 54.9 / 5
RoboForex 3.3 / 54.2 / 54.0 / 54.6 / 53.8 / 54.3 / 54.4 / 54.1 / 54.6 / 5
Markets.com 3.9 / 54.0 / 53.9 / 53.3 / 53.8 / 53.8 / 53.9 / 53.8 / 54.1 / 5
FBS 3.3 / 53.5 / 53.7 / 54.8 / 54.0 / 53.5 / 53.8 / 53.5 / 53.8 / 5
BlackBull 4.1 / 54.6 / 54.0 / 53.7 / 53.9 / 54.3 / 54.0 / 54.3 / 54.0 / 5
eToro 4.3 / 52.8 / 53.8 / 53.9 / 53.4 / 54.1 / 54.3 / 54.0 / 52.5 / 5

Compare Trading Fees

The cost of trading with a broker adds up over time, especially for frequent traders. Here's how our top trading platforms offering account balance protection measure up on costs:

Compare Trading Fees
BrokerCost RatingFixed SpreadsInactivity Fee
XM 4.0 / 5✘No$5
RoboForex 3.8 / 5✘No$0
Markets.com 3.8 / 5✘No$10
FBS 4.0 / 5✘No$0
BlackBull 3.9 / 5✘No$0
eToro 3.4 / 5✔Yes$10

Community Sentiment

See how users rate these brokers based on the average customer ratings submitted on DayTrading.com, plus ratings from Trustpilot, the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Community Sentiment
BrokerOur Users' RatingTrustpilot ScoreTrustpilot ReviewsiOS App RatingAndroid App Rating
XM 4.6 / 52.0 / 530764.7 / 53.9 / 5
RoboForex 4.4 / 52.0 / 57764.7 / 54.4 / 5
Markets.com 1.0 / 53.6 / 512583.1 / 53.5 / 5
FBS 4.6 / 54.3 / 5102334.6 / 54.9 / 5
BlackBull 4.0 / 54.7 / 535203.7 / 53.7 / 5
eToro 4.3 / 54.0 / 5322594.0 / 53.8 / 5

How Popular Are These Brokers Preventing Negative Equity Losses?

Understandably, many traders looking for account security prefer brokers with the highest number of active traders:

Why Trade with XM, a Negative Balance Protection Provider?

With a low $5 minimum deposit, advanced charting platforms in MT4 and MT5, expanding range of markets, and a Zero account offering spreads from 0.0, XM provides all the essentials for active traders.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

XM quick facts

Demo Account
✔Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Thematic Indices, Precious Metals, Energies
Regulator
CySEC, DFSA, FSCA, SCA, FSA, FSC-Belize, FSC-Mauritius, CMA-Kenya, CMA-UAE
Platforms
MT4, MT5, TradingCentral
Minimum Deposit
$5
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, ZAR

Pros

  • XM has rolled out platform upgrades with integrated TradingView charts and an XM AI assistant, delivering faster execution, smarter analysis, and a sleeker, more intuitive trading experience.
  • XM’s customer support has delivered over years of testing, with 24/7 assistance in 30 languages, response times of under 2 minutes and a growing Telegram channel.
  • XM stands out for its commitment to trader education, with a wealth of well-presented resources, including webinars, tutorials, and even real-time trading sessions through XM Live.

Cons

  • XM relies solely on the MetaTrader platforms for desktop trading, so there’s no in-house downloadable solution for a more beginner-friendly user experience with unique features.
  • XM is falling behind the curve by not offering cTrader, which is favored over MetaTrader by some serious traders for its smoother user experience and superior charting package.
  • While the XM app stands out for its usability and exclusive copy trading products, the selection of technical analysis tools needs to be improved to meet the needs of advanced traders.

Why Trade with RoboForex, a Negative Balance Protection Provider?

RoboForex is great if you want a vast range of 12,000+ day trading markets with ECN accounts, powerful charting and loyalty promotions. It also stands out for stock traders with its user-friendly R StocksTrader platform, featuring 3,000+ shares, fees from $0.01 and sophisticated watchlists.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

RoboForex quick facts

Demo Account
✔Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Crypto
Regulator
FSC
Platforms
R StocksTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView
Minimum Deposit
$10
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots
Account Currencies
USD, EUR

Pros

  • In July MobileTrader Telegram Mini App was released - bringing out one of the first solutions we've seen that lets users execute trades and manage positions without leaving the Telegram messaging app.
  • RoboForex is known for its tight spreads starting from 0 pips and low minimum deposits from $10, making it accessible to those on a budget. The ability to trade with micro lots further lowers the barrier to entry for new traders.
  • The R Stocks Trader platform rivals leading solutions like MT4, with netting and hedging capabilities, comprehensive backtesting, Level II pricing, and a flexible workspace.

Cons

  • RoboForex provides a variety of account types, which, while offering flexibility, can be overwhelming for newer traders trying to choose the most suitable option for their trading style. Alternatives, notably eToro, provide a smoother entry into online trading with one retail account.
  • Despite 15+ years in the industry and registering with the Financial Commission, RoboForex is authorized by one ‘Red-Tier’ regulator – the FSC in Belize, lowering the level of regulatory protections for traders.
  • While RoboForex offers competitive spreads, some of its account types come with high trading commissions up to $20 per lot, trailing the cheapest brokers, such as IC Markets.

Why Trade with Markets.com, a Negative Balance Protection Provider?

Markets.com is best suited to retail investors who trade frequently but don’t want to calculate commissions, thanks to its spread-only pricing (EUR/USD around 1.3 pips). It especially appeals to short-term traders who value fast execution, flexible asset choice spanning 2,200+ instruments and proprietary tools like hedge fund confidence indices and insider trade alerts.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

Markets.com quick facts

Demo Account
✔Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Commodities, Indices, Crypto, ETFs, Bonds
Regulator
ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, BVI FSC
Platforms
Web Platform, MT4, MT5, TradingCentral
Minimum Deposit
$200
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, ZAR, SEK, NOK, DKK, CHF, PLN, CZK

Pros

  • Switching between the proprietary web platform (great for alerts and quick analysis) and MT5 (strong for algorithmic EAs) was smooth in our tests; positions synced across desktop, web, and mobile without gaps or re-quotes.
  • Markets.com’s Hedge Fund Confidence and Insider Trading tools pulls SEC filings into the dashboard within 24 hours of disclosure, helping to spot fund moves and C-suite buys before most retail newsfeeds updated.
  • Markets.com provides commission-free trading on most assets with spreads starting from around 0.6 pips on major forex pairs, making it cost-effective for casual traders.

Cons

  • During sign-up, we hit unclear account type explanations and got stuck in an email verification loop that locked us out for an hour - way less streamlined than other brokers we’ve tested.
  • While CySEC and FSCA oversight is solid, the SVGFSA and BVIFSC entities offers 1:500 leverage under a light-touch framework, meaning protections like compensation schemes and strict conduct rules lag behind the strictest regulatory standards.
  • Inactivity charges kick in after just 3 months, while variable spreads are wider than top ECN brokers during testing, which may deter day traders and high-frequency traders.

Why Trade with FBS, a Negative Balance Protection Provider?

FBS is an excellent choice for day traders at every level and budget, with just a $5 minimum deposit and intensive academy for aspiring traders alongside access to MT4 and MT5.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

FBS quick facts

Demo Account
✔Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities
Regulator
ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FSC
Platforms
FBS App, MT4, MT5
Minimum Deposit
$5
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, AUD, JPY

Pros

  • 24/7 customer support that performed excellently during testing is available, alongside a $5 minimum deposit, and a huge variety of 200+ funding options, making it ideal for traders with small accounts.
  • The introduction of the FBI Assistant has given active traders useful, AI-powered intelligence to assess charts and patterns with potential trade ideas that can be executed in one click.
  • FBS offers lightning-fast execution speeds from just 10 milliseconds, placing it among the industry leaders for highly active traders like scalpers who demand rapid order processing.

Cons

  • Although the FBS app offers a terrific mobile trading experience for aspiring traders and MT4/MT5 cater to advanced traders, the absence of cTrader and TradingView, which are increasingly offered by alternatives like Pepperstone, will deter day traders familiar with these platforms.
  • There are only four base currencies available - EUR, USD, AUD and JPY (region dependant) - which isn't practical for minimizing currency conversion fees for many global traders, and is especially striking given the broker’s user base spans over 150 nations.
  • Despite enhancing the selection of currency pairs, now providing over 70, FBS still trails industry leaders like BlackBull Markets in its market offering with a particularly narrow selection of commodities and indices.

Why Trade with BlackBull, a Negative Balance Protection Provider?

After improving its trading infrastructure with Equinix servers in London, reducing latency for traders, BlackBull is an obvious choice if you want to day trade stock CFDs with ECN pricing. With competitive spreads and no commission on a growing roster of digital tokens paired with USD, BlackBull also works for active crypto traders.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

BlackBull quick facts

Demo Account
✔Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Crypto
Regulator
FMA, FSA
Platforms
BlackBull Invest, BlackBull CopyTrader, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist
Minimum Deposit
$0
Minimum Trade
0.01 Lots
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, NZD, JPY, ZAR, SGD

Pros

  • BlackBull is a much greater fit for aspiring traders following the overhaul of its ECN Prime account, now featuring improved spreads averaging 0.16 on EUR/USD and a more accessible minimum deposit of $0 compared to the old $2,000.
  • With two ECN-powered accounts (Standard and Prime), plus Prime+ - an active trader rewards program offering trading rebates - BlackBull accommodates beginners through to high-volume active traders.
  • After partnering with ZuluTrade and Myfxbook, alongside improvements to its own CopyTrader, and finally enabling cTrader Copy, BlackBull offers one of the most comprehensive copy trading experiences we've seen.

Cons

  • Unlike most top brokers, BlackBull charges an irritating $5 withdrawal fee, which can detract from the overall cost-effectiveness, especially for active traders who frequently move funds.
  • Although the Education Hub now features improvements like webinars and tutorials, the courses we’ve explored need more focus on explaining the wider economic factors influencing prices.
  • Despite a growing selection of 2,180+ assets, including additions to its Asia Pacific indices, they are mainly stocks with an average selection of currency pairs and indices.

Why Trade with eToro, a Negative Balance Protection Provider?

eToro's social trading platform leads the pack with a terrific user experience and active community chat that can help beginners find opportunities. There are also competitive fees on thousands of CFDs and real stocks, plus excellent rewards for experienced strategy providers.

Christian Harris Christian Harris, Reviewer

eToro quick facts

Demo Account
✔Yes
Instruments
CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, ETFs, Smart Portfolios, Commodities, Futures, Crypto, NFTs
Regulator
FCA, CySEC, MiCA, MFSA, FSRA, ASIC, FSAS, MAS, GFSC
Platforms
eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral
Minimum Deposit
$50
Minimum Trade
$10
Account Currencies
USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, DKK

Pros

  • eToro elevated the social trading experience in 2025, integrating insights from Stocktwits 10M+ users to help gauge market sentiment.
  • eToro introduced EUR and GBP accounts, and more recently BTC and ETH payments, cutting conversion fees and providing a localized trading experience.
  • eToro has bolstered its investment offering, regularly adding new crypto assets, and now offering over 100 digital currencies.

Cons

  • There is a $30 minimum withdrawal amount and a $5 fee, which will affect novices with low capital.
  • There are no guaranteed stop loss orders which would be a useful risk management feature for beginners.
  • The lack of additional charting platforms like MT4 will reduce the appeal for seasoned day traders accustomed to using third-party software.

What Is Negative Balance Protection?

Negative balance protection is a security feature that applies when trading leveraged products.

It prevents users from being able to lose more money than they have in their accounts, no matter how far their open positions drop, stopping them from becoming indebted to their broker.

Generally, this applies to retail clients only and professional traders are not offered the same level of protection.

How Does Negative Balance Protection Work?

Negative balance protection ensures that, whenever you trade with leverage, you cannot lose more money than the balance of your account. It protects retail clients from becoming indebted to brokers.

The best way to explain how this works with one of the best brokers with negative balance protection is through an example…

Let’s say that you have deposited $1,500 into a CFD trading account. The broker you are using offers maximum leverage of 1:30 and you decide to open a position with $1,000 at a leverage rate of 1:5.

This means that the position you actually open is worth $5,000. If the market is particularly volatile and your position suddenly drops by 40%, you will suffer a loss of $2,000, 133% of your account’s deposited funds (not the position margin).

If you did not have negative balance protection, you would owe the broker $500.

However, if you got into this same scenario but your broker does provide negative balance protection, your losses cannot exceed the deposited amount of $1,500.

If the loss starts building, the broker will automatically close the trade when the loss hits $1,500, ensuring that you do not owe the broker money. Negative balance protection only protects funds up to the balance of your account.

If you had more than $2,000 deposited, you would lose the full amount.

It is also worth noting that this is not always a guarantee. Most brokers will close the position as it becomes too large but significant margin volatility could cause the position to drop even further before the order is fulfilled.

When this happens, you may still owe the broker some money. However, the best brokers with negative balance protection will guarantee this and take on that added loss themselves.

Why Did Negative Balance Protection Become Mainstream?

Negative balance protection became particularly prevalent in January 2015. Up to this point, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) had been holding the Swiss Franc (CHF) at a fixed exchange rate with the Euro (EUR), which it had been doing since September 2011.

On January 14th, 2015, the SNB announced that it would stop this practice and, as a result, the Swiss Franc soared against the single market currency.

While this would be seen as a success for the Swiss National Bank, it had some unfortunate repercussions. The Swiss market recorded unforeseen losses as many traders had been shorting the Swiss Franc.

Many of these investors ended up with negative balances as a result and it was feared that the brokers would demand these losses be paid to cover their losses.

Some brokers, including FXCM, chose to “forgive” up to 90% of their clients given the unprecedented nature of the losses.

The main outcome was that negative balance protection entered the limelight and regulatory bodies started to create measures to prevent such drastic losses from happening again.

Pros

  • Prevents large losses
  • Helps traders to manage risk
  • Saves traders from large debts
  • Protects against high market volatility
  • Prevents further events like the Swiss Franc scandal

How Is Negative Balance Protection Regulated?

Following the events in 2015, many regulators have implemented different rules when it comes to negative balance protection. It is important to check each individual broker but here is an overview of some of the main regulatory bodies policies.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK’s regulatory body, has implemented rules to ensure negative balance protection is offered. They have stated that firms offering CFDs and CFD-like assets must guarantee that a client cannot lose more than the total funds in their trading account.

Additionally, they must close out a customer’s position when their funds fall to 50% of the margin needed to maintain the open position on their CFD account. This applies to retail clients only, professional traders do not receive the same protection. The FCA’s supervisory team will work with brokers to ensure the proper management of negative balance protection.

The Cyprus Securities and Exchanges Commission (CySEC) is a regulatory body based in Cyprus and one of the main regulators for EU brokers. CySEC has taken a more lenient route for the implementation of negative balance protection.

Under them, brokers must implement it on a per-account basis. This means that a client who has one large leveraged position within a portfolio can still lose more than the value of the initial position.

The other positions or funds the client has will be used to cover the negative balance. Overall, a customer’s account can never have a negative balance and, if it does, that loss falls to the broker.

Australia’s regulatory body, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), also implemented similar rule changes in 2021. In addition to limiting the leverage offered on different assets to a maximum of 1:30, they have stated that brokers must provide negative balance protection.

This ensures that clients losses are limited to the funds available in their account. As with the FCA and CySEC, these rules only apply to retail traders, professional traders still stand to lose more than their available funds.

Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, better known as BaFin, also requires negative balance protection to be offered to clients. B

aFin did not introduce a limit on leverage in 2017 but they have stated that all licensed brokers must offer negative balance protection to customers, ensuring retail clients cannot lose more than they have deposited into their accounts. Any losses on top of this are borne by the broker.

How To Choose Brokers With Negative Balance Protection

When choosing from the best brokers with negative balance protection, there are many things to look out for. Below we have outlined our top recommendations.

One of the first things to check is which agency the broker is regulated by. Try to ensure that you use a broker who is regulated by a top-tier regulatory body, such as the FCA, CySEC or ASIC. On top of requiring that brokers offer negative balance protection, they implement fund segregation rules, offer dispute meditation and provide insurance cover.

Check each broker’s website and find the section on security. Here, it should clearly mention whether they offer negative balance protection, alongside other things like cybersecurity, login protection and two-factor authentication (2FA).

Customer reviews are a great way to learn about a broker’s practices. Many people will note down their experiences with brokers, positive or negative, on online forums and websites. Visit these to learn about brokers and how they deal with issues like negative balance, fund withdrawal issues and more.

Look at the funding procedures a broker provides. Check that they provide a variety of payment methods and that withdrawals and deposits are processed within a few working days. This allows you to trust that your funds will go through successfully and you do not have to worry about your money being lost. Lots of payment methods is also an indication of privacy and security levels, as each provider will have required standards.

Additionally, there are a host of other things to check when comparing the best brokers with negative balance protection. You should ensure that the chosen broker offers the assets you want to trade, be that forex or stock CFDs, for example.

Moreover, compare fees and spreads, trading platforms, mobile apps and additional features.

Bottom Line

Opening accounts with the brokers providing negative balance protection helps protect your funds from serious market downturns and volatility. It ensures that, when trading a leveraged position, you cannot lose more than the amount you have deposited in your account,  preventing retail clients from becoming indebted to brokers.

When choosing a broker, try to ensure that they offer negative balance protection as markets are volatile and you do not want unexpected losses. Additionally, follow our guide above to ensure you pick brokers that you can trade safely with.

FAQ


Do The Best Brokers With Negative Balance Protection Prevent Big Losses?

Brokers with negative balance protection don’t just automatically stop any major losses from hitting your account, they only protect you from a net zero balance. This means that major losses that don’t completely wipe out your capital are still let through, so you should still implement robust risk management.

Do The Best Brokers With Negative Balance Protection Remove Risk?

Negative balance protection removes the risk of being indebted to the broker, though general financial risk is still very much present and you can still lose your entire account balance.