Is Trading 212 safe?
Trading 212 is regulated by FCA (609146) and 3 more authorities, keeps client funds in segregated accounts, and clients are covered by FSCS (£85,000).
Operating: 4 of 5 register entries hold a live authorisation as of 2026-09-17; the rest no longer take new clients.
Verdict based on verified regulatory data below. We are not affiliated with regulators.
Legal entities behind Trading 212
Each row is one register card, read on the date shown. A brand can span several licences with different statuses — the one you contract with decides your protection.
| Entity | Regulator | Reference | Status | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trading 212 UK Ltd | FCA · United Kingdom | FRN 609146 | AuthorisedRegister wording: Authorised · since 01/10/2014 | 2026-09-17 |
| Trading 212 Markets Ltd | CySEC · Cyprus | 398/21 | AuthorisedRegister wording: Investment Firms (Cypriot) · licence 398/21 of 01/03/2021 | 2026-09-17 |
| Trading 212 EU GmbH | BaFin · Germany | BaFin-ID 10109603 | AuthorisedRegister wording: Wertpapierinstitut | 2026-09-17 |
| Trading 212 Ltd | FSC Bulgaria · Bulgaria | RG-03-0237 | AuthorisedRegister wording: Listed among Investment Firms as TRADING 212 EOODThe FSC's investment-firm list names TRADING 212 EOOD (former name Avus Capital OOD) but prints no licence number; RG-03-0237 is the number Trading 212 publishes. | 2026-09-17 |
| Trading 212 Ltd | FCA · United Kingdom | FRN 569256 | No longer authorisedRegister wording: Cancelled · since 10/05/2024 | 2026-09-17 |
Register records for all brokers (CSV, JSON) · Register change log
Why this broker scores 93/100
Full methodology →⚠ 1 axis accounts for 7 of 7 lost points
How safe is your money
Segregated client accounts
Client funds held separately from operating capital. Required by regulator.
Investor compensation: FSCS (£85,000)
If broker becomes insolvent, your covered assets are reimbursed up to the scheme's limit.
Not a publicly traded company
Private — financials are not disclosed publicly.
22 years of operations
Founded 2004. No major regulatory actions on record.
Negative balance protection
You cannot lose more than your account balance.
CFD/crypto exposure
Offers high-leverage products. 74–89% of retail CFD accounts lose money in the long run.
Independent reviews
What could go wrong
- Not available in CIS countries — UK and EU residents onlyTrading 212 does not accept clients from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Belarus or Uzbekistan. CIS investors should consider Interactive Brokers or Tickmill.
- 0.15% FX conversion on each trade when currencies mismatchIf your account is in GBP and you buy USD-denominated stocks, a 0.15% FX fee applies. At 10 × £500 US trades per month that's £7.50 — low, but not zero.
- CFD product exists alongside Invest — potential for confusionNew users might accidentally open a CFD account (leveraged derivatives) instead of the Invest account (real shares). UI separates them clearly, but the parallel product creates risk.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trading 212 regulated?
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What happens if Trading 212 goes bankrupt?
How we verified this review
Every fact below is verified against primary sources. We refresh on a schedule and on reader feedback.