fm intelligence
Germany's 14.1 Million Investors Mask a Much Smaller CFD Market
- Only 63,000 people traded CFDs or FX, exposing a wide gap between mainstream investing and leveraged products.
- Launching a fully licensed local brokerage may require €4.1 million to €9.3 million, about $4.7 million to $10.6 million, in first-year funding.
Wednesday, 29/07/2026 | 18:35 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Cyprus vs Poland for CFD Brokers: The Tax Edge May Not Pay Until Profit Nears EUR 3 Million
- Cyprus cut its tax advantage over Poland to four points as Poland added record retail accounts.
- FM Intelligence models the crossover near EUR 3 million of profit, a level smaller brokers rarely clear.
Wednesday, 29/07/2026 | 10:08 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Interactive Brokers' Q2 Growth Came From Its Balance Sheet, Not Higher Rates
- An FM Intelligence deep dive finds customer margin loans rose 67% in Q2, outpacing account and equity growth, as net interest margin fell to 1.93%.
- The analysis sets the quarter against the previous ten and models 2026 net interest income across three interest-rate paths.
Wednesday, 22/07/2026 | 20:05 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Two Brokers Cross $2 Trillion Monthly Volume Mark in Q2, FM Intelligence Says
- EC Markets and TMGM recorded the highest average monthly trading volume in FM Intelligence's Q2 2026 report.
- The result came as total volumes across the tracked broker cohort fell back from the record set in the previous quarter.
Monday, 20/07/2026 | 06:39 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Your Wrist Might Be Costing You Money, and Here's the Data
- A widely shared Reddit post described a smartwatch triggering an unwanted trade, drawing hundreds of comments and as much doubt as sympathy.
- FM Intelligence research finds push alerts raise trading frequency, even as most broker watch apps still cannot place a trade.
Wednesday, 15/07/2026 | 19:01 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Retail Trading Roared Back in June, but Crypto Missed the Rally
- Robinhood event contracts tracked about 136% above analyst consensus in preliminary June figures.
- Interactive Brokers DARTs rose 53% year-over-year and Cboe options average daily volume set a monthly record.
Thursday, 09/07/2026 | 19:30 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
One FXPA Document, Five Ways the FX Industry Reads It
- New FXPA guidance recasts FX spread grids as non-binding references, and FM Intelligence reads the shift as a conduct-risk question.
- With spot FX sitting outside formal best-execution law, a 2016 settlement worth $382.4 million stands as the closest precedent for any future dispute.
Monday, 06/07/2026 | 19:00 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Poland Added a Record 700K Retail Accounts. Here's the Case for Basing a CFD Business There
- A new FM Intelligence study breaks down the entry costs, the talent pool and the regulatory trade-offs for any firm eyeing Poland as an EU base.
- The country now matches Cyprus on capital, while offering cheaper talent and a leverage option ESMA does not allow.
Tuesday, 30/06/2026 | 19:46 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Investment Scams Are Australia's Largest Loss Category. ASIC's Whitelist Hinges on Three Conditions
- New FM Intelligence analysis weighs the register against ASIC's two-year takedown record and the 2026 loss trajectory.
- Whether it lowers losses will turn on broker participation, ad-platform verification, and the treatment of authorized representatives.
Friday, 19/06/2026 | 10:19 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Brokers Aren't Always the Bad Guys: Here's What 1,500 Disputes Revealed
- FM Intelligence reviewed every FX/CFD complaint the Financial Commission adjudicated in 2025, and the panel cleared the broker in 95% of them.
- The same data set documents the abuse running the other way, from negative balance exploits to clients blacklisted for deliberate misconduct.
Tuesday, 16/06/2026 | 07:28 GMT by
China Just Gave Offshore Brokers Two Years to Exit the Mainland
- The SRC fined Futu and Tiger Brokers parent UP Fintech a combined $331 million, then gave the entire cross-border model two years to wind down.
- A new FM Intelligence analysis maps how much of the mainland revenue actually survives the forced runoff.
Thursday, 04/06/2026 | 16:00 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
AUSTRAC Names AI and Crypto as New Laundering Layers Seven Weeks Before 80,000 New Firms Enter Regime
- Three risk updates flag AI-enabled identity fraud, virtual assets and trade-based laundering as fast-moving threats.
- The agency disclosed that North Korea-linked actors stole more than $2 billion in crypto from Bybit in 2025.
Wednesday, 13/05/2026 | 16:00 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
!"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|} !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}