The Tool Desk
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What to gather before you search
Write down the firm’s legal entity name, any trading name, the website domain, and the name of the person who contacted you. Identify the country where the account will be held or serviced, and what the offer involves: securities brokerage, investment advice, CFDs, or another financial service.
Regulatory permissions attach to particular firms and activities. A familiar brand name or a general claim that a business is “regulated” does not establish that the entity contacting you can provide the service being offered. Ask the firm for its legal name and registration details if they are unclear, but verify them independently.
Use the official register for the account’s jurisdiction
The tools below cover the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. If your account is in another country, find that country’s securities regulator and use its official register; the tools below should not be assumed to apply worldwide. Registers, permissions, contact details, and warning lists can change, so check them when you are deciding whether to proceed.
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United States: check the broker or adviser and the firm
Start with the SEC’s Investor.gov guide to checking an investment professional, which directs readers to the appropriate search. FINRA BrokerCheck is used for brokers and brokerage firms; the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) system covers SEC- or state-registered investment advisers. The SEC advises checking both the person and the firm where relevant.
BrokerCheck can be searched by name or registration number and provides registration, qualifications, employment, and disclosure information. IAPD provides adviser registration information and filings, including Form ADV, and links to BrokerCheck when needed. Read the actual record and filings rather than relying only on a search result or status label.
United Kingdom: confirm authorisation and the relevant permission
Use the FCA’s Firm Checker to confirm that the firm is authorised and has permission for the service you intend to use. The Financial Services Register is the official public record for firms and individuals and includes regulatory history. Search the FCA Warning List for known unauthorised firms.
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The FCA says: “If a firm isn’t authorised or doesn’t have permission for the financial services you’re looking for, you should avoid dealing with them.” A firm’s name appearing in a register does not by itself confirm that it has permission for the product or service being offered.
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Use the CIRO firm directory to check whether an investment or mutual fund dealer is regulated. CIRO’s AdvisorReport can provide information about an advisor approved with an investment dealer, including approval categories, jurisdictions, terms and conditions, employment history, and disciplinary disclosures where a report is available.
AdvisorReport does not cover every case: reports are unavailable for some former advisors and people registered under the Mutual Fund Dealer category. For relevant searches, CIRO points readers to the CSA National Registration Search.
Match the record to the platform and service
A search result with a similar name is not enough. Compare the register’s entry with the actual website, account application, and contact details in front of you. Check these points:
- Legal identity: Does the exact legal entity match, rather than only a similar trading name?
- Domain and contact details: Do the official website or domain, address, and phone number match the broker you are dealing with?
- Individual and firm connection: Where an individual lookup applies, is the person listed with or associated with the stated firm?
- Service and product permission: Does the regulator’s record cover the specific activity being offered, not merely some other financial service?
- Status and record: Is the registration current, and are there disclosures or regulatory matters that warrant further questions?
For example, a broker’s name might resemble a registered firm’s name while the website domain or phone number differs. Treat that as an identity mismatch to resolve—not as a close enough match. The FCA specifically advises checking permission for the product or service; SEC guidance advises checking the broker and firm.
Check for impersonation and warnings
Fraudsters can copy a legitimate firm’s name, address, registration number, logo, photograph, or website appearance. Use contact information independently obtained from the regulator’s record to verify a concern. Do not rely only on a link, phone number, or contact person supplied in an unsolicited message. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy advises investors to “Verify the identity of anyone offering you an investment.”
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Search the relevant regulator’s warning list, but interpret a clean result carefully. A warning list identifies known warnings; absence from it is not a positive authorisation record and does not prove that a firm or contact is legitimate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Read disclosures, not just the registration label
United States
BrokerCheck includes background such as licenses, exams, employment history, and reported customer or regulatory matters. IAPD includes adviser registration information and Form ADV filings, which describe business practices and disclosures. Review the underlying information rather than treating registration as an endorsement.
United Kingdom
The FCA Register includes regulatory history, including matters such as historic fines and the firm’s ability to handle client money. Read the entry for the firm and, where relevant, the individual.
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Canada
Where an AdvisorReport is available, review its approval categories, jurisdictions, terms and conditions, employment history, and disciplinary disclosures. If the advisor’s category or history is not covered by that report, use the registration-search route CIRO identifies for the relevant case.
These records help you assess who you are dealing with and what they are permitted to do. They do not settle whether an investment, fee structure, or service is right for you.
When to stop and verify independently
Pause before sending money or personal information if any of these checks fails:
- You cannot find the firm or the relevant individual in the appropriate official search.
- The legal name, website domain, address, phone number, or person does not match the official record.
- The firm appears in a register but lacks permission for the service or product being offered.
- The regulator has issued a relevant warning.
- The firm or contact pressures you to proceed before you can resolve a discrepancy.
Contact the regulator through a website or phone number independently obtained from its official record. Do not use contact details supplied by the person whose identity you are trying to verify. The FCA says to avoid firms that are not authorised or lack the relevant permission.
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Check each candidate against the same points so that a polished website or familiar name does not distract from a mismatch:
| Check | What to compare |
|---|---|
| Legal entity and jurisdiction | The registered entity against the company named in the account documents, and the country where the account is held or serviced. |
| Registration status | The regulator’s current record for the relevant firm and, where applicable, individual. |
| Permission | Whether the firm is authorised for the exact service or product being offered. |
| Identity match | The official domain, address, phone number, and person against the platform and the contact details you received. |
| Background and warnings | Disciplinary or other available disclosures and relevant regulator warnings. |
Do not treat a regulatory match as a guarantee that an investment will be profitable, suitable, or free from fraud. It confirms a registration or permission only to the extent stated in the regulator’s record.
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