Methodology

How every verdict is reached.

This page documents how we assess brokers, prop firms and trading educators: what we measure, where our data comes from, the limits of what we can know, and how a record can be challenged.

Run a free checkRequest a correction

Last reviewed October 2026

Four rules, no exceptions

  • Independent

    No income from any entity we rate. A record cannot be bought, improved or removed by its subject.

  • Consistent

    Assessments follow a fixed, rule-based model. The same facts produce the same result for every entity.

  • Sourced

    We do not record a negative finding against a named party without a documented, official source, which we cite.

  • Current

    Records are reviewed on a rolling basis and revised as circumstances change. A record reflects the latest review, not a permanent label.

The process

From public record to verdict

Every record on the platform goes through the same four steps.

  1. 1

    Collect

    Regulator registers, warning lists, enforcement records and the firm's own published terms.

  2. 2

    Apply the model

    The same fixed rules run for every entity in a category. No manual nudging.

  3. 3

    Show the source

    Every finding links to the regulator entry or document behind it.

  4. 4

    Review and update

    Records are re-checked on a rolling basis and each shows its latest review date.

What we assess

Three categories, assessed differently

Brokers, prop firms and educators carry different risks, so each has its own criteria.

Regulation-led

Brokers

A broker holds your money, so who regulates it, and how well your funds are protected, matter most.

Country fit

We also check whether the broker holds a licence where you live. Without a local or passported licence your own country's protections may not apply, so the score you see for your country can be lower than the global one, or the broker can show as not available to you.

Regulation (40)
The best active licence verified on a regulator's register, and whether the entity that serves retail clients holds it. Top-tier oversight (e.g. FCA, ASIC) counts for far more than offshore licences, and a company registration is not a licence.
Client protection (20)
Segregation of client money, compensation-scheme cover and negative balance protection.
Regulatory conduct (25)
Fines, enforcement and warnings on record, weighted by how recent and how serious they are.
Track record (10)
Length of verifiable operating history.
Transparency (5)
Named legal and servicing entities, a working website and published withdrawal terms.

Data sources

Where our information comes from

Assessments draw on documented, verifiable sources, not anonymous reviews alone.

  • Official regulators

    Public registers and warning lists (e.g. the FCA register and unauthorised-firm warnings) and equivalent authorities.

  • Public enforcement records

    Documented court actions, sanctions and regulatory decisions.

  • Firm-published terms

    Operators' own published rules, leverage and licensing claims.

  • Documented complaint patterns

    Public, attributable records of withdrawal and payout issues, assessed for pattern, not isolated reports.

Funding & independence

How we're funded

verify.trading earns revenue from user subscriptions. We do not accept affiliate commissions, referral fees, discount-code revenue or paid placements from any broker, prop firm or educator listed on the platform. No rated entity can pay to change, improve or remove its record.

This matters because most broker and prop firm review sites operate on affiliate revenue: they earn a commission when a reader signs up with a listed firm. That model creates an incentive to recommend, not to warn. Our subscription model removes that incentive: our assessment is independent of any commercial relationship with the entities we assess.

Who paysReview sites: Listed firms, via commissionverify.trading: Traders, via subscription
Built-in incentiveReview sites: Recommend a sign-upverify.trading: Report the record, good or bad
Changing a recordReview sites: Commercial relationshipverify.trading: Only with a primary source

Limitations

What this assessment does and doesn't tell you

In the interest of transparency, the limits of our records.

  • A high score is an assessment of documented evidence, not a guarantee of future conduct or safety.
  • An “Unverified” educator is not accused of anything. It means no confirmed record exists either way.
  • Records reflect information available at the last review; circumstances can change between reviews.
  • We assess entities against documented criteria. We do not, and cannot, predict whether any individual trade or account will be profitable.
  • Nothing on the platform is financial advice or a personal recommendation.

The platform

What you can do with verify.trading

The verification above is free for everyone. Paid features do not affect any verdict: the methodology applies identically whether you pay or not.

  • Free

    Verification checks

    Check any broker, prop firm or educator against our records. The verdict itself is never behind a paywall.

  • Pro

    Markets & economic calendar

    Session context and a high-impact news calendar, including the events most prop firm rules restrict trading around.

  • Pro

    Trading journal

    Auto-imported trades and performance analytics, so you can see what's actually working over time.

  • Pro

    Psychology tracking

    Patterns in your own behaviour (overtrading, revenge trading, tilt after losses) surfaced before they cost you.

  • Free · Pro

    Deeper analysis (Ask)

    Ask questions about any entity and get sourced answers. Free users get a daily allowance; Pro raises it.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Still stuck? Contact us.

Is this financial advice?
No. We publish verification records and factual analysis to help you make your own informed decisions. We do not tell you what to trade, buy or sell, and nothing on the platform is a personal recommendation.
How are you different from review and comparison sites?
Most comparison sites are paid by the firms they rank. We take no affiliate commissions, rated entities can't be our affiliates, and verdicts aren't for sale. Records come from regulators and primary sources with citations, not marketing copy.
Why don't you give educators a numeric score?
A person isn't a balance sheet, and a decimal would imply precision we don't have. Educators get one of three plain labels instead (Verified, Unverified or Caution), based only on whether an independently verified track record exists, or a documented action does.
Does a “Caution” status mean a firm or person is a scam?
No. Caution means there's a documented regulator or court action on file, with the official citation shown. It's a prompt to read the source and judge for yourself, not a verdict that something is a scam. Equally, the absence of a Caution is not an endorsement.
Do paid features change a verdict?
Never. A status or band is computed from the records and can't be bought. Paid plans unlock tools, but they don't move a single verdict.
Can a firm get its record changed?
Only with evidence. A firm or individual can request a correction by sending a primary source, such as a register entry or a court document. Payment, pressure or advertising never changes a record.

Check any name for free

See the record for yourself before your money moves.

Run your first checkTrust & independence