What is FCA?

The Financial Conduct Authority is the UK regulator that authorises and supervises financial firms, including brokers serving UK customers. Working under its authorisation means the firm is subject to rules on how it is run and on how client money is handled.

The firms here are regulated in different combinations. Admirals is listed with FCA, CySEC and ASIC, and AJ Bell with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Alchemy Markets appears with FSA, FCA and MFSA.

You can check a firm on the regulator's own register, which lists its licence number and the permissions it holds. For Alchemy Markets, the licence number listed is 612233.