Everything you need to know about Swiss Forex trading

When most people think of Switzerland, besides the Alps and chocolate, the main thing that comes to mind is their amazing banking and financial environment. Switzerland is one of the biggest financial hubs not only in Europe but in the whole world. Throughout past years, Switzerland has displayed what an epitome of organized, effective, and secure banking is, and many countries can learn a lot from them.

Banking aside, Switzerland offers some of the best Forex trading opportunities in the world. For everyone interested in Forex trading in Switzerland, you can expect an environment where you can trade safely and securely while having access to a very wide array of options that a true financial hub can offer.

In this guide, we will be discussing what the Swiss Forex market is like, what are its strong points, what are the legal and security specifics, what are the popular trading avenues to explore, and much more. This guide is written for an average person who is looking to get a general overview of what to expect from the Swiss Forex market, and who is interested in getting started “on the right foot”. If you are interested in getting started but are a bit overwhelmed with all the info available online, then this guide is for you! Here, we will distill all that information to the most interesting bits, so you can get started right away.

Our list of Forex brokers in Switzerland

Before you go ahead with the guide, if you would like to see what the best-of-the-best Forex brokers look like in Switzerland, then check out this list! Considering the strict requirements of the Swiss government, there are not all that many Forex brokers in Switzerland, but the standard and quality are much higher in return! Therefore, with all the brokers listed below, you can expect full safety and security, availability of options, and much more.

XM

Min. Depo

Licences

FCA, CySEC, IFSC, ASIC, DFSA

Leverage

1:888

1:200

Platforms

MT4, WebTrader, Copykat

Global GT

Min. Depo

Licences

FSA, FSCA

Leverage

1:1000

Platforms

MT5,

Plus500

Min. Depo

$100

Licences

FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSCA, FMA, MAS

Leverage

1:30

Platforms

WebTrader, Windows 10 Trader

Switzerland’s economy

Before we talk about any Forex-related specifics of Switzerland, it’s important to discuss Switzerland’s economic situation itself. Much of Switzerland’s success as a great country for Forex trading is directly related to Switzerland’s very economic environment. Although not the biggest country with the biggest population and the biggest economy, Switzerland has managed to remain as one of the key pieces of the global financial markets’ puzzle.

Switzerland is known to be the “personal banker of the world”. Why? Because they are world-renowned to provide some of the best banking services in the world. Thanks to their approach to the matter, focusing on the privacy and safety of one’s information, Switzerland has been one of the primary destinations for international companies and business representatives to store their funds. In fact, although this has changed in the last few years, Switzerland was believed to be the home to at least a third of all offshore funds in the world. With numbers of this magnitude, it’s easy to see why the country’s 11% of GDP would be related to financial services.

The country has very low unemployment levels, among the lowest in the world actually, which is another great support to their economy. One thing that Switzerland doesn’t excel at is manufacturing, although it should be noted that Switzerland is in a really good spot with its pharmaceuticals, electric machinery, and chemicals industries. Additionally, the service industry is one of the key pieces of the country’s economy, which is easy to understand why, as we just discussed Switzerland’s ability to provide banking services to the rest of the world.

All in all, although the country’s economy is definitely not the strongest in the world, it can be said that it’s one of the best for Forex trading specifically. Let’s take a detailed look at what other factors, besides the economy itself, help the Swiss Forex market be one of the leading ones in the world.

Forex regulation in Switzerland

Switzerland has a very effective regulatory environment, which also happens to be one of the most interesting ones. In what way? Well, mainly in its uniqueness. Despite the fact that Switzerland is one of the most secure places to be trading Forex, it also happens to offer some relatively relaxed laws and regulations in certain respects. This, in no way, is at the expense of security, and on the contrary, as mentioned, Switzerland is one of the most secure Forex countries in the world. Let’s make a quick overview of the regulatory environment in the country, discuss who the legal entities in charge are, how they work exactly, and what are their specific approaches to regulating the market.

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority

The official regulatory body for all Forex brokers in Switzerland is the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), which oversees all the financial activities of institutions like banks, stock exchanges, insurance companies, brokers, and many more. Despite their scope of supervision being so wide, FINMA does an excellent job of regulating the market and has played a major role in allowing Switzerland’s market to become what it is today.

There are many different things that FINMA implemented to allow the growth and progress of the market. All of these implementations are different in their own right yet at the same time quite similar to some of the internationally-popular and common measures that many effective financial regulators use all over the world. Let’s discuss some of these specifics, starting from the licensing process that the brokers have to go through in Switzerland.

FINMA License

First and foremost, for a broker to operate in Switzerland, they need to possess a license from FINMA. The requirements for the license are quite strict, which is either good or bad, depending on your viewpoint. On the one hand, this is good, as it sets the bar high, meaning that the brokers would have to satisfy a certain level of standard for them to be allowed to operate. This is great for the traders, as it ensures that they are given the best of the best brokers and the highest quality of service possible. On the other hand, this also limits the options for the traders, as there would be fewer brokers that would be able to offer their services to the Swiss traders.

At any rate, thanks to the licensing process and its demands, Switzerland has some of the best brokers in the world. Here, you can only expect the brokers of the highest quality possible. Now let’s discuss some of the other requirements that FINMA imposes on the licensed brokers.

Minimum required capital

One common tool that many international regulatory bodies use to increase the safety and the standard of service on the market is the minimum required capitals. By necessitating the brokers to have a certain minimum of operating capital, these regulators are able to increase the safety of the traders. These minimum requirements make sure, that only the companies that are truly dedicated and capable of providing a high quality of service are given the license.

Having a large reserve of operating capital is one of the key pieces of ensuring that the company is able to operate smoothly, and shield and absorb any possible financial damage that may be a threat to the investors’ well-being. According to FINMA’s requirements, the brokers in Switzerland must have no less than CHF 20 million of operating capital available at all times, which is over $20 million dollars.

While this requirement of minimum capital is common across most other regulators, this kind of number is quite rare. In fact, it is only the United States with its $20 million minimum requirement that comes close. Other countries have much lower requirements, ranging from somewhere around €100,000 to a few million dollars.

As you can see, just by this metric, Switzerland takes the safety and security of the traders very seriously. By setting the bar high for the brokers, Switzerland ensures that only the qualified and well-meaning brokers are able to offer services, which gives you complete peace of mind as a trader.

Constant audits and reviews

To ensure that the brokers are complying with all the relevant laws and rules, as well as that they are doing everything that needs to be done to maintain the traders’ safety, FINMA requires these brokers to submit regular audits and reviews. This is also a common practice across many different Forex markets and is one of the most effective tools for increasing safety for all parties.

What’s important to note is that brokers are required to conduct not only internal audits themselves but external audits as well, conducted by external auditors. The audits will be focusing on details such as financial statements of the broker, as well as close examination on whether or not they are following the various banking and financial rules in Switzerland. The results and conclusions made from these external audits are always sent to FINMA first, to ensure credibility.

What this all means for you, the average trader is that your safety and well-being is cared for by your very government. What’s more, this supervision is constant, as FINMA is always diligently looking out for any and all possible details that can be taken into account and improved upon, so you can always feel safe and secure.

Change to management in case of need

One very interesting practice implemented by FINMA is the mandatory change of management upon request. As an example, if upon examination FINMA determines that the brokerage doesn’t have a competent management team, it may require the broker to make the changes to its management team, and install someone more competent.

As a regulator that is looking out to make sure that the brokers are able to perform well so that the traders’ financial well-being is ensured, FINMA always ensures, that the success of the brokerages, and therefore the well-being of the traders, are always in good, competent hands.

Mandatory risk disclosure and spread of awareness

Forex trading is risky. This is not news, and we all know that. However, this risk is also a rather complex subject, with a lot of underlying themes and details that may not be so apparent in the beginning, especially for the beginner traders who are not experienced and are not aware of much of the things that relate to their safety.

Because of this, FINMA demands that the brokers release constant disclaimers and explanations of exactly how much risk the traders are facing by participating in Forex. Additionally, the brokers have to release relevant information disclosing their current financial situation constantly, allowing the readers to know the financial position and state of their broker.

On leverage

As we mentioned, the regulatory environment in Switzerland is a bit different in its own right. How? Well, despite the fact that it does an excellent job of making the market secure for the traders, it also gives them a lot of flexibility and a lot of room for maneuverability. Swiss Forex market is ideal for traders who are looking to have more freedom while trading and are open to trying out a lot of different things.

As an example, in Switzerland, the rules are quite relaxed on leverage. In fact, there are no actual caps set on leverage in Switzerland, which is one of the very few countries to do so. This is one of those subjects where there has always been a lot of differing opinions. On the one hand, this is great for traders who are looking for more freedom in their approach, but on the other hand, leverage specifically, has been one of the main things that have lead to a lot of people losing a lot of money. This, of course, applies only to people who are unaware of how to utilize it correctly, but the point still stands.

Your stance on the matter should be based on what your goals are. If you are one of the people who may greatly benefit from using leverage, then great – more power to you. However, if you are a beginner just getting started, then it might be a better idea to go a bit slow with leverage and other risky tools that the brokers may offer you. It all depends. With that being said, the point here is that you are given this option from the Swiss Forex market, which is rather rare with other Forex markets.

Switzerland – the ultimate Forex regulatory environment?

As you can see, when it comes to safety and security, Switzerland doesn’t hold back, at all! Through their commitment and effort, Switzerland has, without a doubt, created the safest Forex trading country in the world. Thanks to FINMA’s very effective and strict regulatory framework, Switzerland’s Forex market is what everyone can really learn something from. If you are/were interested in getting started with Forex in Switzerland but had a few safety concerns, let us state that you’re absolutely in the right place! If there is one ideal place to do Forex safely and be guaranteed high quality of service, it is Switzerland!

What opportunities are to be expected with the top Swiss Forex brokers?

As an ultimate financial hub, Switzerland is expected to offer a lot of variety and diversity when it comes to actual options that can be explored for the interested traders. Indeed, Switzerland does an amazing job at this, as you can expect some of the most diverse trading options in the world by trading in Switzerland. No matter what kind of a particular trading experience it is that you are after, you can be absolutely sure that you will be able to find it in Switzerland. Why? Because Switzerland is not known as one of the best Forex countries in the world for no reason. Let’s take a quick look at some of the available trading avenues that are to be explored in Switzerland.

Currency trading in Switzerland

Naturally, for a country like Switzerland, currency trading is one of the most popular avenues for Forex trading for most people. The rules around currency trading were rather relaxed in the past. This resulted in making this activity not all that safe, as compared to the other countries. However, thanks to the changes introduced and actions taken by FINMA, the landscape is vastly different now,

Considering the neutrality-based approach of Switzerland to global economical and political matters, it is one of the best Forex countries for currency trading specifically. The country’s economy is not all that sensitive to the condition and current economical state of the other countries in the region. Also, since it is not part of the European Union, it is much less likely to be affected by outside economical factors as are the other countries that are members of the EU. Seeing as Switzerland is the world’s top destination for holding offshore funds, the stability of the economy and its national currency are all buy guaranteed.

All of these factors taken into account show us why currency trading is so popular in Switzerland. The Swiss Franc is among the currencies that rank top in terms of their global liquidity. The most popular pairs traded with CHF are EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, CHF/JPY, and GBP/CHF.

As an individual interested in currency trading, what you can get out of the Swiss market is guaranteed safety, as well as the highest quality of service possible coming from your broker. This combination of safety and quality is one of the main things that has helped the Swiss Forex market become what it is today, and if you want to become a part of that, then now is the best time! If you are not sure where to start, make sure to check out our list of top brokers in Switzerland. Give all of them a look, find the one that fits your interests the best.

Commodity trading in Switzerland

Among the top Forex countries in the world, relatively speaking, Switzerland is one of the countries that really lacks natural resources. Considering this, it is quite fascinating that Switzerland is one of the biggest countries in the world for commodity trading. According to data from a few years ago, Switzerland’s global market share for trading oil was 35%, and 60% for metals. Needless to say, these numbers are extremely impressive and would be putting Switzerland as one of the primary commodity trading hubs in the world. How can a country that has almost no natural resources like oil, gold, etc, be one of the primary countries for commodity trading?

Well, the answer is that international companies that are in the business of these commodities have chosen to register in Switzerland, and have made it the ultimate commodity trading hub in the world. Switzerland is enjoying this position thanks to several things like relaxed laws and regulations and favorable tax conditions. The combination of these things, along with Switzerland’s strong image and reputation as the ultimate financial center, has prompted these big international companies to choose Switzerland as their trading destination.

All of this means, that by going with brokers that are registered and operating in Switzerland, you have access to some of the biggest, most diverse commodity trading opportunities in the world. All traders have their own preferences and goals that they are looking for in each market. Some of them are interested in the high-risk, high-reward type of trading, while others are looking to be involved in something stable, which may offer lower earning potential. The more of these options are available on your market, the easier it will be for you to make a choice and get started. Thanks to Switzerland’s status as the ultimate trading and financial hub, you can enjoy its amazingly big variety and diversity of choice when it comes to what you can trade on.

Forex trading in Switzerland – your ultimate experience

There are quite a few countries where you can have a decent experience trading Forex, with lots of opportunities for making a lot of money. However, Switzerland is one of those options that are as close to perfect as it gets. When you look at its strong sides, it’s really hard to find any counter-arguments to that:

Proven to be the safest Forex trading country in the world
Financial/banking capital of the world
One of the most stable economies in the world, thanks to Switzerland’s “neutrality” approach
The amazingly effective regulatory environment

When you consider all of these things, then you can see why Switzerland is regarded as one of the best countries for Forex in the world. If you are a Swiss citizen interested in getting started with Forex, don’t look anywhere else – you’re exactly where you need to be! Get started with trading as soon as possible, and start taking advantage of your country’s amazing market as soon as possible. If you haven’t chosen your first Forex broker in Switzerland, it won’t be too hard – thanks to the strict standards set by FINMA, there are not too many brokers in Switzerland, and the ones that are, all satisfy very high standards. If you still need help with choosing your very first broker to start your trading adventure, make sure to check out our top picks for Swiss Forex brokers.