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Best CFD Brokers For US Citizens: Is It Legal?

Read a complete guide to start trading with CFD brokers for US citizens in 2024. Notably, strict CFTC regulations prohibit CFD trading in the USA. In fact, US citizens can no longer trade CFDs with hedge funds – even with offshore brokerage platforms.

As a US resident yourself, carefully analyze restrictions, regulations, and limitations on CFD trading in the country. Since CFDs are over-the-counter investments, the USA’s financial regulation authorities prohibit Contract-of-Differences in America. Additionally, the high leverage requirements for CFD trading exceed the USA’s limits on online trading – forcing authorities to impose complete bans. Read on for a complete guide to trade with CFD brokers for US-based traders.

Understand CFD Trading Limitations In The US

First, understand the limitations enforced on trading CFD brokers for US citizens. In 2008, the CFTC and SEC restricted CFD trading across the United States to mitigate the consequences of a financial crisis. Similar to other over-the-counter investment products – regular US financial regulations cannot overlook CFDs.

If you’re wondering any of the following:

  • Can I trade CFD in USA?
  • Is trading CFDs in USA legal?
  • Are CFDs illegal in the US?
  • Is it illegal to trade CFDs in the USA?

Yes, trading CFDs, such as those provided by futures CFD brokers is illegal in the United States of America.

As a result, US traders are restricted from trading CFDs for any financial asset – including forex, commodities, and indices. While these regulations protect US traders from major risk exposure, many citizens still fall victim to offshore forex broker scams. Definitely, read a complete CFD brokers for USA-based traders guide to understand limitations in the country.

Offshore CFD Brokerage Platform

At your own risk, you may try to join an offshore CFD broker accepting US citizens in 2024.

Some US based traders have taken an offshore company approach to trade CFDs. This may have significant legal and financial implications.

According to the CFD trading guide, some US citizens open accounts with offshore brokers to trade CFDs. While the USA’s regulatory requirements restrict offshore CFD trading, you can still find a few brokers accepting American clients. Follow these factors to join a trusted offshore broker for day trading:

  • Look for regulated partners holding licenses from reputable authorities
  • Choose brokers with competitive trading fees for CFDs
  • Analyze support for advanced algorithmic, copy trading, and proprietary platforms
  • Evaluate additional trading charges – including deposit, withdrawal, and inactivity fees
  • Consider the availability of CFD brokers with the lowest spreads.

You should also evaluate broker’s account insurance policies to protect your personal funds during unexpected market conditions. Definitely, evaluate an offshore brokerage platform before you start trading CFDs from the United States.

Analyze Broker’s Fund Protection Policies

Next, analyze fund protection policies CFD broker offers for US clients. Typically, fund protection policies vary for all offshore brokers. Regulated FX trading brokers accepting US clients may offer negative fund protection to minimize major losses. Additionally, these brokers also segregate client’s funds into separate forex broker accounts to protect your personal capital from market volatility. Despite these policies, you can take a few additional steps to protect your funds:

  • Diversify your investments across multiple markets to spread your risks between various securities
  • Continuously monitor your account statements to identify any unauthorized transactions.
  • Contact your broker immediately in case of fraud transactions

Of course, you can also contact the broker’s customer support team directly to analyze the unique terms further and conditions of fund protection policies. Of course, these policies will vary in each country – primarily depending on local financial jurisdictions. Before trading with a CFD broker, carefully analyze the fund protection policies for American citizens.

Evaluate Minimum Deposit Requirements

While trading with CFD brokers as US citizens, evaluate the minimum deposit requirements. Most offshore CFD brokers require US traders to deposit a certain amount to start trading. Typically, these initial deposits are required to cover any potential losses, account inactivities, and withdrawals. Always evaluate a CFD forex broker’s minimum deposit requirements to protect your personal capital. Additionally, follow these strategies to reduce account minimums on an offshore trading account:

  • Take advantage of welcome bonuses offered for new US traders
  • Apply for deposit bonuses to reduce your trading costs
  • Open a brokerage account with no-minimum deposit forex brokers

For US citizens, offshore brokers support multiple payment methods to make the deposit. Based on the selected broker – you can utilize wire transfers, credit/debit cards, or crypto wallets to submit your deposit from the USA. Certainly, evaluate minimum deposit requirements to start trading with CFD brokers for US traders.

Consider Alternative Investment Options

Consider alternative investment options to CFD brokerage for US traders. US financial jurisdictions may not impose the same strict policies on other financial products. Experienced US traders like you can choose high-leverage investment options, including:

  • Forex
  • ETFs
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Commodities
  • Gold
  • Energy

Of course, always look for CFTC-regulated forex brokers in America to take advantage of high leverage, educational resources, and a safe trading environment. For more conservative traders, many US brokers support forex derivatives with limited collateral to limit your losses on each trade. Definitely, look for alternatives to CFD brokerage for US citizens to start trading in 2024.

Discover the complete guide to trading with CFD brokers for US citizens. Before starting your trading journey, clearly evaluate CFD trading limitations in the USA – imposed by national financial authorities. Notably, US traders can join offshore CFD brokers to manage contracts for multiple financial assets.

Of course, clearly analyze individual fund protection policies, minimum deposit requirements, and withdrawal charges to join a legitimate forex broker. To trade in a safer environment, you can also consider CFD alternatives available for US-based clients. Follow the guide above to start trading with CFD brokers for US citizens.

Best CFD Brokers For US Clients In 2024

Discover the best CFD trading brokers for US clients in 2024. Choosing the right international offshore CFD broker can be challenging – especially when Contract of Differences are not permitted in the United States. Ultimately, a CFD broker acts as an intermediary platform between the two parties to execute a new transaction.

If you’re planning to trade CFDs from the United States, choose an adequately regulated broker to eliminate additional risks. To help you choose wisely, BrokerageToday has thoroughly reviewed, compared, and examined the most reliable forex brokers to trade CFDs in the United States. Read on for the best CFD brokerage platforms for traders in the USA.

IG: Multi-Asset CFD Broker

IG is a multi-asset forex broker for CFD trading in the US. Established in 1974, IG is among the largest CFD brokers in the world. Particularly, US-based customers can access CFDs on a wide range of instruments – including forex, stocks, indices, and commodities. A few additional reasons to choose IG as your brokerage partner in the USA include:

  • Low competitive spreads for beginners and high-volume traders
  • Advanced charting tools to analyze market trends, opportunities, and profitable trades
  • Comprehensive training resources for novice traders

Keep in mind IG requires comparatively higher account minimums to start trading on CFD account in the US. Indeed, IG is a top-rated CFD broker for US citizens in 2024.

Plus500: Best For Professional Traders

Plus500 is a reputable forex broker for US-based professional CFD traders. This international offshore CFD broker charges zero commission to trade CFDs for various financial instruments. Instead, Plus500 generates profits through spreads charged from US-based traders like yourself.

As a professional trader, you can also access the Plus500 app to monitor your trades right on your mobile. Leverage these advanced platforms to manage CFDs on multiple assets and diversify your trading portfolio. Indeed, start trading CFDs from the US with Plus500 offshore broker.

Oanda: 50:1 Leverage For US Clients

Oanda is among the top-rated CFD brokers with higher leverage for US-based clients. While Oanda’s leverage varies for every country – US traders can take advantage of higher 50:1 margins. With an offshore account, you can even trade with a considerably higher leverage of up to 200:1. Despite competitive leverage, Oanda offers complete client protection.  

  • Place guaranteed stop-loss orders to avoid major losses
  • Safeguard your personal deposits with Oanda’s negative balance protection
  • Two-factor authentication to protect your personal details

Similar to CFDs, Oanda offers other derivatives to expand your trading portfolios. Tradovate vs NinjaTrader comparison also highlights Oanda’s support for advanced trading platforms. Definitely, take advantage of higher 50:1 leverage on CFD trading brokerage accounts with Oanda.

Pepperstone: Support For ZuluTrade

Pepperstone is a professional ZuluTrade supported broker that allows CFD trading for US clients. Access their proprietary trading platforms to manage your CFDs on the web and mobile. According to Pepperstone review, you can trade with ZuluTrade integration copying global traders and taking advantage of their profitable strategies. To select a copy trader, you can directly analyze previous performance, risk parameters, and profitability over time. Here’s how to select a trader on ZuluTrade using Pepperstone:

  • Evaluate a trader’s strategy based on your risk appetite, investment goals, and trading style
  • Choose traders with a diversified portfolio to earn profits from different markets
  • Before investing in live markets, access Pepperstone’s demo accounts to test a trader’s strategies.

Indeed, PepperStone is among the best CFD brokers for US citizens with ZuluTrade support.

There are only a few reputable forex brokers that allow CFD trading for US clients. Choose IG to manage CFDs on a wide range of trading instruments. In addition, Plus500 offers the most competitive trading conditions for professional American clients looking to trade bigger. If you want to maximize your profits, open an offshore account with Oanda to take advantage of competitive 50:1 leverage. Finally, beginner copy traders should consider Pepperstone to access social trading platform ZuluTrade. Read above for the best CFD brokers for US citizens.

Author of this article

Picture of Chad Axelrod

Chad Axelrod

Chad Axelrod is a professional forex trader and market analyst with 15+ years of industry experience. Starting his career on Wall Street, he quickly realized his passion for writing and finance, working with a national publication for a decade. Through his posts, reviews, and broker comparisons - he believes beginner and seasoned traders should make informed decisions while selecting a broker. Leading the team at BrokerageToday.com, Chad prioritizes publishing unbiased and transparent reviews for traders in the industry.

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