It’s another day, which means, dear reader, that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the largest financial regulator for all financial markets in the United Kingdom (UK).The UK regulator is responsible for the conduct of firms authorized under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Moreover, the FCA is also responsible for the regulation of behavior in retail and wholesale financial markets, supervision of the trading infrastructure that supports those markets, and the prudential regulation of firms not regulated by the PRA. Its rol The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the largest financial regulator for all financial markets in the United Kingdom (UK).The UK regulator is responsible for the conduct of firms authorized under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Moreover, the FCA is also responsible for the regulation of behavior in retail and wholesale financial markets, supervision of the trading infrastructure that supports those markets, and the prudential regulation of firms not regulated by the PRA. Its rol Read this Term) has released more warnings about FX brokers operating on the UK’s regal shores without the proper regulatory approval. The British regulator confirmed yesterday that Forex Forex Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Foreign exchange or forex is the act of converting one nation’s currency into another nation’s currency (that possesses a different currency); for example, the converting of British Pounds into US Dollars, and vice versa. The exchange of currencies can be done over a physical counter, such as at a Bureau de Change, or over the internet via broker platforms, where currency speculation takes place, known as forex trading.The foreign exchange market, by its very nature, is the world’s largest tradi Read this Term Grand and Broker XP have been operating in the UK without its authorization.

It has been a busy month for the illicit FX brokerage industry. So many firms have popped up on the FCA’s radar that the regulator has had to issue near-daily warnings, often issuing several a day.

The first to be listed on the regulator’s warning list yesterday was Broker XP. The firm shares an address in the Marshall Islands, that hub of business activity, with another unregulated broker, Stratx Markets.

Broker XP purports to have a Scottish office and lists it quite openly on its website. According to Companies House, the UK’s registrar of companies, this office, which appears to be comprised of one room, is also used by over 500 other companies. Unless it's one very big room, or the various employees of these 500 companies don’t mind working in an office akin to a cattle-car, the chances are Broker XP has no presence in the UK at all.

An inspiring story

The other broker added to yesterday’s warning is Forex Grand, which shares an address in the Marshall Islands with Broker XP. This author does not recommend trading with Forex Grand, but it is certainly worth visiting their website for your amusement.

The owner of the company calls himself Grand, and he even has a cartoon picture of himself, complete with Victorian mustache, which demonstrates his pristine origins. The best part, however, is the ‘about me’ section, written in Borat-esque English, in which Grand claims that he descends from a long line of distinguished figures, all of whom worked for the East India Company as accountants. This is what inspired him to move to the Marshall Islands and start life as an FX broker.

As this author’s father happens to be an accountant, I can confirm that it is indeed a noble profession but that it has yet to inspire me to open an unregulated FX brokerage. That may be because, to the best of my knowledge, none of my ancestors worked for the East India Company. After I’ve finished this article, I’ll be sure to start putting together my family tree. Who knows, perhaps in the future, Grand and I shall be working hand-in-hand.