Brokers outsmart Mifid

The imposition of a more stringent global regulatory regime for all financial markets is the talk of the town at the moment. So it is somewhat surprising to discover that the implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive in the EU in November 2007 resulted in a huge decrease in the number of FX brokers registered with the FSA.

 I wonder if this was the intended effect? And if you think it’s simply because they were all too thick to pass the exams, you are wrong.

Neither the FSA nor the broking firms I spoke to will say how many brokers have let their registrations lapse. Clearly there is a cost involved in registering, and while I’m not suggesting the firms are acting in any way improperly, I doubt Mifid was ever intended to give brokers a chance to save a few bob on their annual registrations.

Access intelligence that drives action

To unlock this research, enter your email to log in or enquire about access