In compliance with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)'s guidelines on Client Categorisation, we classify our clients into three categories: Retail clients, Professional clients, and Eligible counterparties. This ensures that the level of information, services, and protection provided aligns with your specific category.
1. Retail Clients:
- Retail clients are those who do not fall under the categories of professional or eligible counterparties.
- They have a maximum leverage of 30:1.
2. Professional Clients:
- Professional clients can be either per se professional clients or elective professional clients.
3. Eligible Counterparties:
- These clients can be either per se eligible counterparties or elective eligible counterparties.
Qualifying as a Professional Client:
To qualify as an individual professional client, you must meet at least two of the following three criteria:
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Activity: You have engaged in similar trading transactions of significant size.
- For example, you can provide your trading statement.
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Portfolio: You possess savings and investments equal to or greater than €500k (or equivalent in another currency).
- For example, you can provide your latest bank statement.
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Experience: You have worked in the financial services sector for at least one year in a professional position related to the transactions you intend to undertake with Valutrades.
- For example, you can provide your proof of employment.
If you meet at least two of the three qualifications mentioned above or have questions about your eligibility, please send the required documents to our customer support team via email.
Professional Clients gain access to:
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Higher leverage:
- As a professional Valutrades client, you gain access to up to 500 times leverage.
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FSCS Protection:
- Funds for professional clients are not held in segregated client money accounts like retail clients. We do not segregate their funds in Segregated Client Money Accounts as we are not allowed to do this because we have to send the funds to our prime broker as margin for the higher leveraged professional client trades.
- In the event that there is an issue with Valutrades and the business needs to be wound up then this does mean only the retail clients with Segregated Funds get their money back from these funds and then Professional Clients would receive their funds only at the same time as any other parties Valutrades owed funds to.
- Elective Professional Clients have access to the FSCS, therefore, you would still have the same ultimate insurance up to GBP 85,000 just the process of receiving this would be longer than as a retail client who would have first access to the Segregated Funds speeding up the return of funds to them.
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Use of FOS:
- Professional clients who meet the definition of a ‘consumer’ may have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
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Negative Balance Protection:
- Ensures you never lose more than the total sum invested for trading. This applies to both Retail and Elective Professionals.
If you require further assistance from our support team, please contact us during our working hours as stated inside: How do I contact Valutrades Customer Support?