Forex.com

TVSM-BR v1.0.1 · custodial-safety model
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76/100
Strongof scored brokerages
Scored Entity · Canadian view
EntityGAIN Capital — FOREX.com Canada LtdJurisdictionCanada — no entity mismatch (Canadian CIRO/CIPF entity onboards Canadians)RegulatorCIRO (Investment Dealer) + StoneX Group NASDAQ parentSchemeCIPF CAD $1M per account category (no excess insurance)
Dimension breakdown
Regulatory StandingPrimary driver9.0/1025%
Investor Protection8.7/1020%
Asset Segregation & CustodyLargest drag6.2/1020%

Asset-segregation composite governed by the weaker axis — (segregation × ) = 6.2, (custody tier) = 7.0. Dimension score = 6.2.

Financial Strength & Stability7.5/1014%
Withdrawal & Account Integrity6.2/1013%
Transparency & Conduct7.0/108%
Verdict

GAIN Capital — FOREX.com Canada scores 76/100 (Strong) — CIRO Investment Dealer and CIPF member with full Canadian regulatory coverage. Primary driver is D1 Regulatory Standing (9.0/10): full CIRO supervision, mandatory CIPF CAD $1M per account category, and StoneX Group parent (NASDAQ: SNEX, $61B revenue FY2025) providing strong public financial-strength visibility. The largest structural drag is D3 Segregation and Custody (6.2/10): FOREX.com Canada operates as a principal FX dealer, meaning client margin is used as operational capital supporting open positions — no independent CDS custodian holds those funds separately from GAIN Capital's trading capital. This is inherent to all FX/CFD principal dealers, not a Forex.com-specific deficiency, but it is the real custodial distinction relative to equity brokers with Tier-1 CSD custody. D6 is pulled down by a December 2022 NFA enforcement finding: GAIN Capital Group LLC was fined $700,000 after negatively adjusting 17 retail customers' accounts by approximately $2.84M to recover losses from its own platform malfunction — NFA found this improper treatment of customers and a supervision failure; rung 4, client-harm finding, resolved. D5 NBP ceiling fires but is non-binding: D5 raw 6.154 is already below the 7.0 ceiling; disclose per Display Contract A §10.

Best for

Canadian FX and CFD traders who want a CIRO/CIPF-regulated entity and accept the principal dealer execution model — counterparty conflict is fully disclosed and structurally inherent to the FX market-maker model; StoneX institutional FX infrastructure provides deep instrument breadth and 20+ years of brand continuity

Skip if

investors who require Tier-1 CSD custody (FX margin deposits are not CDS-custodied under the principal model); traders who want agency or DMA execution without disclosed counterparty conflict; anyone for whom a client-harm enforcement finding in the trailing 60 months is disqualifying

TraderVerdict brokerage scores assess custodial safety from a Canadian investor perspective. Scores do not constitute investment advice. Verify all details directly with the broker before opening an account.

Evidence & Sources

Scores are on a 1–10 scale. = one step on the scoring ladder. Source links open primary evidence.

d1 entity tier9/10Source ↗

GAIN Capital — FOREX.com Canada Ltd listed as active CIRO Investment Dealer; CIPF participant. StoneX Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SNEX) parent; US parent (GAIN Capital Group LLC) subject to NFA/CFTC oversight.

d1 supervision scope9/10Source ↗

CIRO Dealer Members subject to full prudential (capital adequacy, Form 1, segregation) and conduct (best execution, KYC, suitability) supervision across all product lines including FX/CFD.

d2 scheme membership10/10Source ↗

GAIN Capital — FOREX.com Canada Ltd listed in CIPF Current CIPF Members directory. CIPF membership is mandatory for all CIRO Investment Dealer members.

d2 coverage limit8/10Source ↗

$1 million for all general accounts combined...plus $1 million for all registered retirement accounts combined...plus $1 million for all registered education savings plans (RESPs) combined.

d2 excess insurance6/10Source ↗

No excess-CIPF or named private insurer found in FOREX.com Canada client agreement, terms of service, or risk disclosure documents reviewed 2026-06-07.

d3 segregation model8/10Source ↗

CIRO Rule 17.2 requires client assets to be segregated in separate trust accounts; FOREX.com Canada as a CIRO Investment Dealer must comply with segregation requirements regardless of FX market-maker execution model.

d3 rehypothecation3/10Source ↗

GAIN Capital — FOREX.com Canada Ltd acts as principal counterparty to all client trades. Client margin deposits are used as operational capital supporting client positions; no independent custodian holds client margin separate from trading capital.

d3 custody tier7/10Source ↗

Client funds held in trust accounts at a Canadian chartered bank per CIRO Dealer Member Rules s.17.2. No independent Tier-1 CSD (CDS) involvement for FX margin accounts. Specific chartered bank not named in public disclosure.

d4 regulatory capital8/10Source ↗

StoneX Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SNEX) Q4 FY2025: total stockholders' equity $1.54B; total assets $25.9B; regulatory capital ratios maintained above regulatory minimums for all subsidiaries.

d1 license status9/10Source ↗

GAIN Capital — FOREX.com Canada Ltd: active CIRO Investment Dealer registration; Investment Dealer category, FX/CFD products; no conditions noted on public register.

d4 operational history8/10Source ↗

FOREX.com brand established 2001; GAIN Capital Holdings acquired by StoneX Group 2020; Canadian operations through GAIN Capital — FOREX.com Canada Ltd under CIRO/IIROC registration since approximately 2008.

d4 parent backing7/10Source ↗

StoneX Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SNEX): NYSE-listed global financial services firm; revenues $61B (FY2025); 4,000+ employees; regulated in 40+ jurisdictions. Not a bank — financial services holding company.

d4 client scale6/10Source ↗

FOREX.com claims 300,000+ active traders globally; significant presence in North American FX retail market. Canadian entity is a regional book of a global FX brand.

d5 withdrawal reliability8/10Source ↗

Withdrawals processed within 2–5 business days depending on method. Wire transfers and bank account ACH withdrawals available. No documented systemic withdrawal delays on regulatory complaint databases.

d5 withdrawal friction4/10Source ↗

Wire transfer fee: $25 for withdrawals under $10,000 USD equivalent. No fee on bank withdrawals above threshold. Currency conversion at prevailing FX rate (spread applies).

d5 account erosion4/10Source ↗

Inactive accounts subject to monthly inactivity fee after 12 months of no trading activity; fee schedule published in terms of service.

d6 ownership transparency10/10Source ↗

StoneX Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SNEX): full SEC public company with quarterly 10-Q and annual 10-K filings. GAIN Capital — FOREX.com Canada Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of StoneX Group Inc. Beneficial ownership fully disclosed.

d6 enforcement history4/10Source ↗

NFA Business Conduct Committee, December 8, 2022: $700K fine against GAIN Capital Group LLC (d/b/a FOREX.com). March-April 2021 platform malfunction: GAIN incurred ~$3M loss on executed customer orders, then negatively adjusted 17 retail customers' accounts by ~$2.84M to recover its own trading loss. NFA found this improper treatment of customers and a supervision failure. Post-2020 StoneX-era action, direct client-harm finding. Group context: StoneX Markets LLC (separate subsidiary, swap dealer) also carries NFA $1M (Jan 2023, compliance failures) + CFTC $650K (Sep 2023, PTMMM violations) — two degrees removed from Forex.com Canada entity.

d6 execution conflict7/10Source ↗

FOREX.com Canada acts as principal counterparty to all client FX/CFD trades. Conflict of interest disclosed: gains may occur when clients lose; pricing set internally based on interbank liquidity plus spread.

d5 extractive fees8/10Source ↗

No percentage-of-withdrawal fee. Flat wire fee ($25) for sub-threshold amounts. Spread-only pricing on FX transactions; no percentage management fee on account assets.

Primary sources

Every Forex.com variable score traces to a public, primary source. The full verbatim extract and verification date for each is in the Evidence tab above; the underlying documents are listed here.

Regulatory registers we cross-check

TVSM cross-checks each firm’s regulatory standing and any disciplinary history against these public registers as part of the stability and transparency assessment.

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