FBS vs IC Markets

The first and most important check is establishing which legal entity of each broker would hold your account. Your country of residence typically decides this, and the entity determines the regulator, leverage rules, protections and complaint routes that apply. Open the account documents each broker presents to residents of your country, note the entity name and license number, and confirm both on the relevant regulator's public register. If anything does not match, pause and ask the broker for clarification in writing before going further.

Key checks: Find the exact legal entity offered to your country at both FBS and IC Markets.; Match each entity's license number against the regulator's own register.; Read the client agreement for leverage caps, protections and dispute procedures.; Get written clarification from the broker if entity details are unclear..

Cost comparisons only hold up when they use the same inputs. Take the current fee schedule and contract specifications from each broker and compare spreads, commissions and overnight financing for the same instrument, account type and position size. Then review non-trading costs: deposit and withdrawal fees, currency conversion on funding, and inactivity charges. Because pricing and account structures are revised over time, date-stamp your notes and repeat the check shortly before you actually open an account.

Key checks: Compare identical instruments and account types across both brokers.; Include swap or financing rates for any positions held overnight.; Document withdrawal, conversion and inactivity fees from official schedules.; Re-check the figures close to the date you plan to open an account..

Whichever broker you shortlist, test it before depositing. Open demo accounts where available and run your normal workflow: order entry, stop placement, position management and statement exports. Confirm which platforms and instruments are available to clients of your specific entity rather than relying on general marketing pages. Contact each broker's support with a concrete question about your intended account and judge the quality of the response. The FBS review and IC Markets review on InvestorTrip list the fields to record, and the compare broker tool lets you compare your findings side by side.

Key checks: Run your real trading workflow on a demo account at each broker.; Verify platform and instrument availability for your entity specifically.; Compare support quality using the same question at both firms.; Review the withdrawal process and verification steps before depositing..