SEC
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The SEC regulates US securities markets, not spot forex — a distinction that matters when a broker cites it. The brokers below are SEC-registered for securities business.
Brokers regulated by SEC
Interactive BrokersRead review- US broker with over 40 years in the industry, founded in 1978
- Regulated by multiple top-tier authorities, including the CFTC, FCA, and ASIC
The Securities and Exchange Commission is the United States federal agency regulating securities markets, created in 1934 after the crash of 1929. It supervises exchanges, broker-dealers, investment advisers and public company disclosure — and, importantly for reading a broker's regulatory page, it does not regulate spot foreign exchange.
The jurisdictional line
Retail off-exchange forex falls to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, not the SEC. A firm citing SEC registration in the context of currency trading is either describing a securities business it also runs — stocks, options, ETFs — or is blurring a line that matters.
The distinction has consequences. A broker-dealer registered with the SEC and belonging to FINRA must hold client securities under the Customer Protection Rule and is covered by SIPC for securities and cash held for securities transactions. None of that extends to a spot currency position, which is regulated, capitalised and protected under an entirely separate regime.
What SEC registration requires
A broker-dealer must register with the SEC, join a self-regulatory organisation — in practice FINRA — meet net capital requirements under Rule 15c3-1, and segregate customer assets under Rule 15c3-3. Books, records and financial reporting obligations are detailed and audited.
Where it does apply to a trader
If you trade US equities, options or ETFs alongside currencies, the SEC regime is the one covering that side of the account, and it is a strong one. Multi-asset brokers serving US clients commonly hold both registrations: SEC and FINRA for securities, CFTC and NFA for forex and futures, with the two sides of the account protected differently.
Verifying registration
The SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure and EDGAR systems, and FINRA's BrokerCheck, show registration status and disciplinary history. Confirm which registrations a firm actually holds and match them against the products you intend to trade. ProForexBrokers.com lists the SEC separately from the CFTC because a broker's protections differ by product, and a single "US regulated" claim tells you neither.