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Having been involved in the forex and broader financial markets for years, my approach to brokers like HSBC is always methodical and risk-focused. HSBC is a globally recognized financial institution, regulated by reputable authorities such as the SFC in Hong Kong and LFSA in Malaysia, which does give me a degree of initial reassurance regarding regulatory oversight. However, based on my own due diligence, there are several critical nuances and possible risks that I scrutinize carefully before considering them for trading. First and foremost, despite their significant stature, HSBC does not actually offer forex, commodities, or indices trading to individual clients through their platforms. Their product set is mainly centered around shares, bonds, trusts, structured products, and other investment solutions. For anyone like me who is primarily seeking leveraged forex or derivative exposure, this makes HSBC less suitable, and could lead to a major mismatch between expectations and actual offerings. Additionally, while HSBC’s multi-jurisdictional regulation is reassuring, I do notice that their ASIC (Australia) license is listed as “unverified.” In my experience, any lack of clarity or verifiable regulation in a major forex hub is something I treat cautiously. This unverified status doesn’t necessarily imply wrongdoing, but it does raise a flag for me about the transparency and global consistency of their regulatory footprint. Another pragmatic consideration is the complexity of their fee structures—common with large banks. Although some investment services are commission-free, ancillary costs (like those related to loans, overdrafts, or early insurance policy surrender) can be intricate and potentially erode returns if not managed carefully. Lastly, as a trader keen on having direct access to robust trading platforms, I find HSBC’s proprietary mobile-centric platforms, while convenient, may not provide the advanced analysis or order-type flexibility I’m accustomed to on specialized trading software. For me, these combined factors warrant a conservative, thorough evaluation before opening an account, as ensuring my trading needs align with a broker’s actual services is indispensable for risk management and long-term satisfaction.