Beware! Active Financial is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.
RECOMMENDED FOREX BROKERS
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Open trading accounts with at least two brokers.
Active Financial presents itself as a forex broker whose mission is our success. But the reality is quite different – this is just another scam website, targeting people who are looking for passive income, but do not have enough knowledge about financial markets. In this review we will present the evidence that Active Financial is not a legitimate broker and offer you credible alternatives.
Active Financial Regulation and safety of funds
Guaranteed Funds | Segregated Accounts | Negative balance protection | |
Active Financial | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
UK regulated brokers | £85 000 | Yes | Yes |
EU regulated brokers | €20 000 | Yes | Yes |
AU regulated brokers | No | Yes | Yes |
US regulted brokers | Yes | Yes | No |
The most important information about a financial services provider is its regulatory status. Licensed brokers provide detailed information about which company runs them, where it is based, which jurisdictions it is authorised in and which regulatory bodies oversee its activities.
It is a complete mystery who is behind the Active Financial website. Nowhere is a company name mentioned, not even in the text of the Terms and Conditions and other legal documents. No contact address is provided. This anonymity is a big enough red flag that we are dealing with a scam.
The Terms and Conditions specify Poland as the applicable jurisdiction, but Active Financial cannot be found among the brokers authorised by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority.
Another European regulator, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA),, has blacklisted Active Financial The institution warns that Active Financial is trying to imitate a legitimate company operating in the UK.
There are many benefits for retail traders to trade through a licensed broker in the EU. These brokers must maintain a minimum net capital of at least EUR 730 000, which guarantees that the company is financially stable and has a serious long-term approach. When clients deposit money in their trading accounts, they are kept segregated from the broker’s operating funds in separate bank accounts. Thus the clients’ money remains shielded in case of mishaps like a broker’s bankruptcy.
All brokers licensed in Cyprus and other EU countries are members of the Investor Compensation Fund, which may cover a maximum of EUR 20,000 per person in the event of broker insolvency. EU forex brokers are required to report their clients’ transactions on a regular basis. This requirement is designed to improve investor protection and promote market integrity and transparency.
Active Financial Trading software
Analytical tools | Auto trading | Custom indicators | Mobile apps | |
Active Financial platform | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
MT4 | 30+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
MT5 | 50+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
cTrader | 40+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
Active Financial uses fairly standard web-based trading software. Here’s what it looks like:
While this platform has the basic functionality to place orders, it cannot compare to the capabilities provided by MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). It is no coincidence that these platforms have established themselves as the industry standard. They offer a wide range of features, including a variety of options for customization, multiple account usage, designing and implementing custom scripts for automated trading and backtesting trade strategies.
It should be noted that the presence of some kind of trading software is no guarantee that this is a genuine broker. Financial scammers often use rigged trading platforms to fool their victims that their money is actually being invested. However, this trading is entirely fictitious and the money goes directly into the scammers’ pockets.
Active Financial Trading instruments
Currency | Stocks | Indices | Crypto | Commodities | |
Active Financial | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
XM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
FBS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
FXTM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Active Financial advertises trading in all major asset classes. But as stated we have no good reason to believe that this anonymous website offers real trading.
Active Financial Spreads and cost of trading
Active Financial | XM | FBS | FXTM | |
Spread EURUSD | 3 | 1.7 | 1 | 1.1 |
Spread GBPUSD | 3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
Spread USDJPY | 3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
In the trading platform we see a spread of 3 pips. This level is twice as high as usual for the industry and is extremely unprofitable for the trader.
Active Financial Maximum leverage
Forex | Stocks | Crypto | Gold | Indices | |
Active Financial broker | 200:1 | 100:1 | 10:1 | 100:1 | 100:1 |
UK regulated brokers | 30:1 | 5:1 | ❌ | 10:1 | 10:1 |
EU regulated brokers | 30:1 | 5:1 | 2:1 | 10:1 | 10:1 |
AU regulated brokers | 30:1 | 5:1 | 2:1 | 10:1 | 10:1 |
US regulated brokers | 50:1 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Active Financial offers leverage up to 1:200, which is further evidence that it is not a licensed broker.
Regulated brokers do not offer such levels to retail traders as trading with high leverage carries risks of sudden and excessive losses. Higher levels of leverage are only offered to professional clients who trade entirely at their own risk.
Another such piece of evidence is the claim that Active Financial offers bonuses. Regulated brokers are prohibited from offering bonuses and promotions. Scammers often use promises of supposedly generous bonuses to tie their potential victims to extortionate terms.
If you are nevertheless willing to take the risk of high-leverage trading and want to take advantage of bonuses, promotions and prize games, the best option is to use the services of offshore brokers operating under an established brand.
Active Financial Deposit and withdrawal methods
Deposit time | Withdrawal time | Price | |
Bank wire | 2-5 business days | 2-5 business days | $25+ |
Credit card | Instant | 24 hours | Free |
Crypto | 24 hours | 24 hours | Fee depends on crypto |
In the menu for Active Financial deposit you can see a choice between many cryptocurrencies and credit cards. Scammers generally prefer cryptocurrencies because these transactions are not subject to refunds.
Legitimate brokers typically offer clients a wide choice of transparent payment methods, including established e-wallets such as PayPal, Skrill or Neteller.
Active Financial Minimum deposit
Active Financial | XM | FBS | FXTM | |
Minimum deposit | $250 | $5 | $10 | $5 |
Active Financial specifies a minimum deposit of 250 USD, which is the industry standard. But this means that for the same amount you could open a trading account with an established and duly licensed forex broker. Some of the leading brands in the industry offer Micro and Cent accounts with a very low entry threshold that are suitable for novice investors.
Active Financial Withdrawal requirements
Trading volume | Fee/Tax on withdrawal | Minimum withdrawal | |
Active Financial | Bonus x25 | Not specified | Not specified |
UK regulated brokers | No | No | No |
EU regulated brokers | No | No | No |
AU regulated brokers | No | No | No |
US regulated brokers | No | No | No |
If the account has received a bonus it can withdraw funds only after it has met the minimum traded volume requirements – 25 times the deposit amount plus the bonus. Scammers use such clauses to block any withdrawal requests.