Table of content
If you have ever tried to find the best Forex broker in the United States, you will know that you do not really have a lot of companies to choose from. This happens because of the fact that most of the international FX brokers are not allowed to offer their services to the citizens of the USA. The field is very strictly regulated and only some manage to get authorization from the government.
Having said that, there still are some of the greatest FX brokers that function successfully in the country, the only thing is that they are local companies that have been functioning in the country for some time now. We have worked very hard to create a comprehensive guide that will help you better understand the field of Forex in the USA, so read this guide carefully to choose top brokers in the USA!
The one thing that you could use for your advantage is that there are not many companies that give authorizations to the local brokers in the United States, so you don’t have to check different websites to make sure that you are trusting the right broker. Because of the very strict regulations, only brokers that are authorized by the National Futures Association (NFA) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are allowed to function legally in the country.
The United States of America is one of those countries where Forex is very strictly regulated. And we believe that you should use this opportunity for your own gain and always be sure to be trading with a broker that has authorization from the governing bodies. To make sure that your funds are safe and you are trading with the broker that is regulated by NFA/CFTC, check the website of the broker well. In most cases, the information regarding authorizations is shown at the end of the page. However, always be sure to contact the regulatory company directly to check the information that was provided by the broker.
Our list of top American Forex brokers
Our analysts browsed through dozens of brokerage firms that operate in the US and tried to determine which ones are the most trustworthy. The methodology used during this selection process consisted of hundreds of different criteria points, among which we concentrated more on regulation, trading platforms, commission levels, and fund protection measures.
The result of all this research is our selection of the best Forex brokers in the US that are both safe and lucrative to trade with. These are the brokers:
How are the top Forex brokers in the USA regulated?
The United States is one of the countries which has very strict regulations when it comes to the field of Forex. The Forex market is one of the hardest ones to regulate in the world of finance, it does not have a central exchange where FX traders are carrying out activities, because of that, controlling it is very hard for the government. To ensure that the investors in the market would be as safe as possible, the United States has come up with many different types of ideas and regulations that require all financial services providers to be registered or own some type of automation from the regulatory bodies.
The basics of the regulatory system in the USA is that a broker needs to be a member of NFA or the CFTC, where the NFA represents the main regulatory body of the country. It is a non-profit, self-regulatory organization established in 1982 it approves licenses of FX brokers, ensures that the brokers are in line with the requirements, monitors the activities of the company, and reacts to any violation accordingly.
In other words, the NFA guarantees the credibility, accountability, and compliance of all brokers working in the U.S. financial exchange industry. The NFA also created a program known as the Background Affiliation Status Information Center (BASIC) to help forex traders check the regulatory status of the brokers, where traders may log in and check that the broker is an accredited broker who meets all regulatory criteria.
This is a great opportunity for Forex traders in the United States because it gives them the ability to check the information that was provided by the broker and be sure that they can trust the company they are going to be trading with. Many people are saying that regulations are not important and all they do is that they hurt the field, however, we want you to remember that regulations are a way for you to make sure that your funds can stay safe.
There are many brokers that do not own authorization in the US and they are doing their job illegally, most of them even say that they are regulated by the governing bodies. This information can not be trusted in many cases, which is why we want you to focus as much as you can on the information that is provided by NFA. Use their searching tools to learn more about the broker that you going to start trading with, after all, remember that the knowledge and information that you have is your biggest companion in the world of Forex.
The national currency of the USA and its role in Forex trading
The US dollar is the world’s biggest national currency and the world’s top reserve currency. Also named ‘The Greenback,’ the USD can be a preferred instrument for buyers to purchase commodities from or in the USA. When the aversion to risk is strong, traders often try to buy American treasures that make USD even more popular around the world.
The US dollar has a very long history and is considered to be one of the most used currencies in the world of Forex. There are many people who are trading pairs out of which one is USD and the number is rising every day. The US dollar is also very actively used outside of the country because of its stability.
What are the fees and taxes applied to online Forex traders in the US?
While trading Forex, keeping an eye on the fees that are applied while you are making deposits and withdrawals is a very important thing. Keep in mind that no matter which payment method you are using, it depends on the broker a lot how much fees will be applied to your payments.
So, always be sure to check the fees you’re charged with before you start trading. This proves once again how important it is to try to focus on details as much as possible. Most of the time, brokers have detailed information regarding the fees and waiting times for payments, so be sure to check them out carefully.
Taxes of Forex can be a bit confusing not only for beginners but also for those who have been trading for a long time now. The thing is that the regulations are ever-changing and what you need to do before you start filling out your taxes is to contact a professional to get accurate information. The most common way to fill taxes is the standard 60/40 capital gains tax treatment, which means that 60 percent of total capital gains are taxed at 15 percent while the remaining 40 percent is taxed at your current income tax bracket.
Many Forex traders in the United States are getting confused with the taxes and not for the wrong reason. The regulations are changing every day and so does the taxes, so you need to always be trying your best to stay up to date with the current regulations, look up the official website of organizations like the IRS to have a better understanding of taxes in the country.
Trading platforms and Software available in the US
When it comes to Forex, the software that is used by a broker is very important. There are two types of platforms that are offered by Forex brokers around the world, one type of the Software is the one that was designed and created especially for the broker, and the other one is a platform that is used around the world by many brokers, for example, the MetaTrader by MetaQuotes.
MetaTrader 4 is one of the most popular trading platforms around the world, used by tens of different brokers actively. This software offers traders amazing opportunities and a great trading experience which can not be ignored. MT4 has a newer version, the MetaTrader 5, which was further developed by the company to offer traders even more benefits.
The key difference between the two is that MT4 is using the MQL4 language, while the newer version, MT5, is using the MQL5 language. Also, the MT5 supports more than twice as many frames as MT4, in addition, something that makes MT5 very popular is that it also includes an Economic calendar. However, because of the huge community that MT4 has, it still remains to be very popular among traders and many even prefer it to MT5.
There are many other versions of software that are very popular among Forex traders in the US, like the Sirix Platform, and the cTrader. The great thing you could do is to use a demo account to try out the different types of platforms so you will be able to find the one that works for you the best. Since the trading platform is so important, the top FX brokers in the USA are offering several different versions of them.
What devices can be used for trading?
In most cases, the devices that you can use for trading depends on the broker that you are using. In most cases, you can use the platforms in browsers directly, but they can also be downloaded and installed on your computer or a smartphone. If you are one of those people who is always on a move and want to keep in touch with the world of forex, a great thing is to take advantage of the mobile versions of the platforms.
In most cases, some of the most popular trading platforms are free to use. You can download them for free directly on your device of choice and start trading at any time.
How much money is needed to start trading in the United States?
This is different for every Forex broker in the USA. There are some brokers where you can start trading with a few dollars, while some need a few thousand. However, something that you need to remember is that the money that you deposit on your account should not be seen as a payment at all since it represents an investment.
The money that you use to start trading is something that will benefit you in the future, so always be sure to look it at as an investment and not a payment.
What are the payment methods available in the US?
There are many different types of payment methods available for the Forex traders in the United States. The choice is yours to make, however, there are some benefits that can be enjoyed if you choose some of the payment methods. In the United States, most of the brokers offer everything between traditional means of payments, like wire transfers, credit, and debit cards, or you could even use E-Wallets, which are becoming more and more popular every day.
In most of cases, the time that is needed to make a deposit depends on the broker that you are using, sometimes there are some additional fees as well. However, the top Forex Brokers in the United States are trying their best to make sure that the traders do not have to pay anything in addition or have to wait any amount of time additionally.
As a trader in the United States, you can enjoy anything between PayPal, WesternUnion, Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, and many more. Such a huge list of opportunities makes trading in the country very comfortable for traders, the field is developing every day in the United States and more and more people start trading in the country every day.
What can you do to find the best Forex broker in the US?
If you are looking for the best place to start trading in the United States there are some things you could do. Remember that when it comes to markets like the US, everything comes down to details. So, be sure to always focus on the details that are shown on the website of the broker. Something that you always need to remember is that Forex is a very risky business and you should never go for the brokers that do not have official authorization from the government.
There are many brokers that are saying that their job is perfectly legal, however, to be sure, always check the information that is provided by the broker with the regulatory bodies. The information from NFA/CFTC is something that you can trust, so use this opportunity for your own good.
If you are looking for the best place to trade in the US, you will have to go for the local companies, since international brokers are not allowed to offer their services to the citizens of the country. However, do not be afraid of that, since there are many great brokers that offer traders their services in the United States.
