How We Check Brokers

What we check first

Before we rank any broker, we confirm that a resident of the UAE can complete the three essential steps: open an account, deposit money, and withdraw profits. For FxPro, we noted that local UAE bank transfer is supported, along with cards (Visa/Mastercard) and e-wallets.

We do not test every payment method ourselves, so we describe what the broker states in its own documents. If a method is listed but we have not used it, we say so rather than assuming it works smoothly.

Where our numbers come from

Every figure we publish comes from the broker's own documents, such as contract specifications, fee schedules, or platform guides. We record the date we read each document, because costs and conditions can change at any time.

We do not invent numbers. If a spread or commission is not stated in a document we have read, we tell you what the cost depends on instead of guessing. For gold, the margin depends on the leverage cap, which in the UAE is up to 1:500 on standard forex accounts within DFSA/SCA-compliant limits.

The honest limits of our testing

We are a small desk and cannot run live trades on every platform or hold accounts with every broker. We read primary documents and cross-check them with public information, but we do not have access to a broker's internal systems.

That means our checks are a snapshot, not a guarantee. You must verify every figure with the broker before you trade, because the broker's terms are the only legally binding version.

How each figure on this site is sourced

Every figure on this site is sourced from one of four channels: broker platform data, broker client agreements, regulatory filings, or direct broker confirmation. For example, the maximum leverage available in the UAE is taken from FxPro's standard forex account terms and is capped at 1:500, within DFSA/SCA-compliant limits. We do not copy figures from third-party comparison sites because those often lag behind official updates. When a figure cannot be verified from a primary source, we do not publish a specific number; instead, we describe what the figure depends on. This keeps the site accurate for UAE readers.

Contract specifications such as the gold instrument details come directly from the trading platform. We confirm that gold is traded as XAU/USD, that one standard lot is 100 ounces, and that one pip equals 0.01. These values are taken from the MT4, MT5, and cTrader symbol properties as provided by FxPro. Because platform specifications can change with broker updates, we note the date of verification for each figure. This ensures that if the broker changes a lot size or pip definition, our readers are not relying on outdated information.

Cost-related figures, such as spreads, commissions, and swaps, are not published as static numbers because they vary with market conditions and account type. Instead, we state what each cost consists of and what it depends on. For instance, a spread on gold may widen during low-liquidity periods, and a swap depends on the interest rate differential between the US dollar and gold. By avoiding fixed numbers for variable costs, we prevent misleading readers with figures that may not apply to their specific trade.

The formulas behind our calculators, explained in words

The margin calculator uses the formula: margin equals position size in lots multiplied by contract size, multiplied by the current price, and then divided by the leverage ratio. For example, at a leverage of 1:500, a 0.10-lot gold position requires about $85.50 in margin. This is calculated as 0.10 lots times 100 ounces per lot times a reference price of $4,275.0, all divided by 500. The result is approximately $85.50. We use the reference price of 4,275.0 only for illustration; live prices will change the margin requirement.

The pip value calculator uses this formula: pip value equals pip size multiplied by contract size. For gold, one pip is 0.01 and one lot is 100 ounces, so one pip per lot equals 1 US dollar. This value is then converted to AED using the current USD/AED exchange rate, which is typically pegged around 3.6725 but may vary slightly between banks and exchange houses. Because the pip value in USD is fixed for one lot, the AED value changes only with the exchange rate, not with the gold price.

The profit and loss calculator uses the formula: profit or loss equals the difference between the exit price and entry price, divided by the pip size, then multiplied by the pip value per lot and the number of lots. For instance, if you buy one lot of gold at 4,270.0 and sell at 4,275.0, the difference is 5.0, which equals 500 pips (since 5.0 divided by 0.01 is 500). Multiplying 500 pips by $1 per pip per lot gives a $500 profit. This amount is then converted to AED for local readers.

What is refreshed automatically versus reviewed by hand

Live gold prices and exchange rates are refreshed automatically from data feeds every few seconds. These feeds come from aggregated market data providers, not from a single broker, to avoid a distorted view. The automatic refresh ensures that the price shown on the site closely matches the current market price, though there can be a delay of a few seconds due to internet latency. We do not manually update live prices because they change too frequently for human review to be practical.

Broker contract specifications, such as leverage caps, lot sizes, and margin requirements, are reviewed by hand on a quarterly basis. This manual review involves checking the broker's official website, platform symbol properties, and client agreement documents. If the broker changes any specification, we update the relevant pages after verifying the change. Manual review is necessary because these specifications do not change minute-to-minute, but they can change without notice, and an automated scraper might miss a subtle change in wording.

Educational content and calculator formulas are reviewed by hand whenever there is a significant industry update or at least once a year. For example, if a regulator changes the maximum leverage for retail clients, we would manually update the leverage figures across the site. The formulas themselves rarely change because they are based on standard financial mathematics, but we still review them to ensure they align with current broker practices. This hybrid approach balances freshness with accuracy.

Known limits of our testing method

Our method cannot capture every possible account type or trading condition that a broker offers. We focus on the standard forex account because it is the most common choice for UAE retail traders. However, FxPro may offer other account types with different specifications, such as different leverage or execution models. We do not test every account variation, so a reader using a non-standard account may see different figures. We clearly state when a figure applies only to the standard account.

We cannot test real order execution quality, such as slippage or requotes, because that requires placing live trades with real money. Any claim about execution speed or reliability would be unverifiable from our side. Instead, we rely on the broker's published execution policy and general market structure. This is a known limit because execution quality can vary by time of day and market volatility. We avoid making promises about execution to prevent misleading readers.

Market conditions change constantly, and any static test can become outdated. For example, a spread that is narrow during London hours may widen during Asian hours or during major news events. We do not continuously monitor spreads because they are not published as fixed numbers. This means a reader may see a different spread at the moment of trading than what they might infer from our general descriptions. We address this by explaining what spreads depend on rather than giving a snapshot.

How each broker fact is dated and re-checked

Every broker fact on this site is stamped with the date it was last verified. For example, the leverage cap of 1:500 for standard forex accounts in the UAE was verified on the date of the last update, which is shown on the page footer. We do not publish undated facts because a fact about a broker's terms can change at any time. The date stamp allows a reader to judge how recent the information is. If a fact is more than six months old, we flag it for re-verification.

Re-checking happens on a fixed schedule: contract specifications are checked quarterly, regulatory status is checked monthly, and cost structures are reviewed when there is a major market event or broker announcement. For instance, if FxPro announces a change to its leverage policy, we would re-check the leverage figure immediately. We also re-check when a reader reports a discrepancy. This schedule balances the need for fresh information with the practical limits of manual review.

When a fact is re-checked, we compare the current broker documentation with what we have on the site. If there is no change, we update the verification date only. If there is a change, we update the fact and note the change in our internal log. We do not publish a change history on the page because it would clutter the content. However, the date stamp ensures that readers know when the fact was last confirmed, which is more useful than a long revision history.

How we pin down each number on Practice Ounce

The gold price on our pages comes from aggregated live XAU/USD market feeds, not from any single broker, so you see a mid-market reference near 4275.0 USD per ounce that reflects the global spot market rather than one dealer's markup. We sample multiple liquidity sources and display the median, updating every few seconds, which means the number is always recent but not a tradable quote from FxPro or any other broker. This is deliberate: a reference price lets you compare broker costs against the same baseline, while a broker quote would include that broker's spread and execution model, making it impossible to compare fairly.

Leverage, margin, and contract specifications are taken directly from the broker's published trading conditions and cross-checked against the regulator's stated caps. For the UAE, we use the maximum leverage available on standard forex accounts, which is up to 1:500 within DFSA/SCA-compliant limits, and we treat that as a ceiling rather than a recommendation. The worked margin figure of about 85.50 USD for a 0.10-lot gold position at that leverage comes from the formula: position size in ounces (10) times the reference price (4275.0) divided by the leverage ratio (500), and we recalculate it whenever the price moves materially.

Funding method details, such as support for cards, bank transfer, and e-wallets, come from the broker's official payment pages and are verified by our team through a test deposit where possible. We do not publish minimum deposit amounts or processing times as fixed numbers because they vary by client profile, currency, and method, and stating a single figure would mislead a reader whose own experience might differ. Instead, we describe what the method is, what it costs in general terms, and what factors change the final amount or speed, so you can plan without relying on a number that may not apply to you.

How we decide what to show and what to leave out

We deliberately do not publish spreads, commissions, or swap rates as numbers because those costs are dynamic and account-specific, and any figure we showed would be wrong for most readers within hours. A spread on gold can widen during news or low liquidity, and a swap depends on the position direction, the day of the week, and the underlying interest rates, so a single number would be misleading. Instead, we explain what each cost consists of and what it depends on, such as the spread being the difference between the buy and sell price quoted by the broker, and leave the real-time quote to the broker's own platform, where it is always current.

When two sources disagree on a broker fact, we do not average them or pick the one that looks better; we go back to the primary source, which is the broker's legal documents or the regulator's official register. For example, if a third-party site claims a different maximum leverage than the broker's own terms, we use the broker's terms and note the discrepancy only if it affects a material decision. If the primary source is ambiguous, we mark the fact as under review and remove it from the page until we can confirm it, because a wrong number on a high-risk trading topic is worse than no number.

A reader can reproduce any number on this site by taking the same inputs we used and applying the formula we describe in plain words. For the margin example, you would multiply the lot size in ounces by the current XAU/USD price and divide by the leverage ratio you have chosen, up to the cap of 1:500, then convert to your account currency if needed. The live price we show is a mid-market feed, so your own calculation using a broker's quote will differ by at least half the spread, which is expected and not an error. We explain this so you can use our numbers as a benchmark, not as a promise of what you will be charged.