Trust is the only thing a broker-research site really has. So here is exactly how we work — including the limits of what we do. We’d rather under-claim and be right than over-claim and mislead you about money.
Regulation comes first, always
Before anything else — spreads, platforms, bonuses — we establish whether a broker is legally allowed to serve you. For Canadian readers that means verifying CIRO registration of the Canadian legal entity and confirming CIPF membership. A broker with great pricing and no valid licence for your region isn’t a good broker; it’s a risk wearing a discount.
Our rating factors, in priority order
- Regulation & investor protection — CIRO registration, CIPF membership, and the regulatory track record. This is the gate everything else passes through.
- Transparency — how clearly the broker discloses its legal entity, terms, and risks.
- Platforms & tools — quality and suitability of trading platforms for different trader types.
- Cost structure — how spreads, commissions and swaps are presented (we describe the model rather than quoting live numbers we haven’t re-confirmed).
- Market access — range of pairs and instruments.
- Suitability — who the broker genuinely fits, and who it doesn’t.
What our research is built on
- CIRO’s public dealer directory and disciplinary records
- Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) National Registration Search
- CIPF membership records
- Provincial securities regulators (OSC, AMF, ASC, BCSC and others)
- Each broker’s own legal entity disclosures, account terms, and platform documentation
What we do NOT do (and why that’s honest)
We do not open live-funded accounts to test execution speed or live spreads. Sites that do that well provide real value, and we’ll point you to primary data where live numbers matter. But we won’t pretend to have measured something we didn’t. When you see a spread or promotion figure referenced on this site, treat it as a starting point to confirm on the broker’s own site, because those numbers change constantly. Pretending to live-test when you don’t is exactly the kind of thing that erodes trust — so we don’t.
How money flows — our conflict of interest, stated plainly
We may earn a commission when you open an account through certain links. That’s how the site is funded. Our hard rule: commission never changes a safety verdict. When a broker isn’t appropriate or legal for a reader’s province, we say so, even though it means we earn nothing. A broker-research site that only ever says “sign up here” is worthless — and search engines treat it that way too.
Corrections
We date our pages and fix errors quickly. If you can point us to a primary source showing something is out of date, contact us and we’ll update it and note the change. Full funding details are on our affiliate disclosure page.
Frequently asked questions
Do you test brokers with real money?
No. We’re transparent about this: our ratings are research-based, not built on live-funded accounts. We rely on regulatory databases, public disclosures, documented broker terms, and platform documentation. Where live-trading data matters, we say so and point you to primary sources.
How do you make money?
We may earn affiliate commissions when readers open accounts through some links, at no extra cost. This never changes our regulatory assessment — we tell you when a broker isn’t safe even though that means no commission.
How often do you update broker information?
Regulatory status can change, so we re-verify periodically and date our pages. If you spot something out of date, tell us via the contact page and we’ll review it against primary sources.