The Bahamas or the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the first-ever island settlement by humans, goes a long way back in history, around 500AD and 800AD. Its capital is Nassau, and the official language spoken here is English. The Bahamas became independent in 1973 and is now known as one of America’s richest countries, with its economy mostly based on offshore finance and tourism. Its currency is the Bahamian Dollar, which stands at the same value as the US dollar.

Financial Market In Bahamas

The Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) is the Securities Exchange market in the Bahamas. It was founded in 1999 and had headquarters in Nassau. Due to the absence of any income tax, capital gain, corporate tax, etc., the country has attracted several businesses. 

Stock trading is also very active in the Bahamas. Whether you are a local trader or an international trader, it is always advised to look for a regulated trader. To get more information about the Bahamas Brokers and how to trade in the Bahamas, continue reading.

Top Brokerage Firms in the Bahamas
The most famous forex brokers in the Bahamas are, at the same time, top world brokers and well-regulated brokers. The Bahamas is not a big country, but there are a lot of traders from this country. Top Bahamas broker is Hotforex and then Avatrade and XM.

Top Brokerage Firms in the Bahamas are:

Forex broker Review	Visit	Promotions
Hotforex	Hotforex
Instaforex	Instaforex
FxPro	FxPro
Avatrade	Avatrade
Dukascopy	Dukascopy
Exness Reivew	Exness	Exness
XM.com	XM.com

How and What You Can Trade in the Bahamas

Being one of the world’s richest countries, the Bahamas’ Financial Market has a lot to offer to the traders. You have the options to trade in commodities, cryptocurrencies, CFDs, ETFs and Indices, and Forex. A trader must be aware of what he/she wants to trade and then go for the Bahamas Broker, who is suitable for the investment plans.

Let us look at the trading options that are available to the traders in the Bahamas.

• Forex– Forex has great potential in the Bahamas. With over 5.1 Trillion Dollar worth of Forex traded every day worldwide, the Bahamas offer many opportunities to Forex savvy traders. Bahamas Brokers are well equipped with the knowledge of Forex trading, and the technological advances add to the betterment of the trading process. The trader must make sure that the Broker is regulated to avoid any misuse of their money. The Bahamas is very active in imports and exports, so being an important requirement for import & export, Forex becomes an essential part of the financial market. While trading in forex in the Bahamas, the trader must also be well aware of the Bahamas’ tax policies. The tax on Forex income is payable in the Bahamas after a certain income level if achieved from trading. However, the trader or investor must also file returns even if there are negative gains. Make sure to take your broker or a tax professional’s help to be aware of such policies and avoid any misunderstanding.

• Cryptocurrency: Being recently introduced in the Bahamas’ Financial Market, cryptocurrency does not have specific legislation, but the Central Bank of the Bahamas sets the regulations for the trading of cryptocurrencies. Since $6 Billion worth of Cryptocurrency is traded every day globally, the development of its market will really help the Bahamas gain more access to the world market.

• Commodity: the Bahamas is actively trading in agriculture and fisheries, which is solely due to its sunny and tropical climate that allows certain fruits and vegetables to grow in this area. Being surrounded by sea, the Bahamas’ mineral industry export cement and salt. The Bahamas majorly export petroleum and frozen lobsters.

The traders can also trade using Islamic accounts in the Bahamas. Bahamas Brokers offer the traders the option of an Islamic Account regulated by the Islamic Sharia law, which forbids the accumulation of any trading profit. 

Benefits for Bahamas brokers

The Bahamas offers numerous benefits when trading. The Bahamas’ major trading partners are Argentina, Caicos, France, Japan, Panama, Turks, and the UK. The Bahamian Capital market has seen continuous growth. BISX plays a crucial role in trading in the Bahamas. It provides a platform for traders and investors and works as a body to educate and spread knowledge about the trading system and other financial information. Traders can learn all the rules and regulations from the BISX website.

The financial services of the Bahamas are also quite famous. After its independence from the UK in 1973, many banks have gained licenses in the Bahamas, and since the Financial Services has contributed a major part to the country’s GDP.

Offshore trading is also an important feature of the Bahamas Financial Market. Widely offered to international traders, offshore trading has benefits like privacy, asset protection, and tax benefits. Bahamas Brokers actively indulge in offshore trading.

Trading, in the case of any country, cannot always be associated with profits and benefits. There are always some risks following every type of investment. For instance, offshore can be expensive in the initial stages. Though it is legal, there is evidence of tax invasion associated with it.

Signs of A Good Broker

Finding the right broker can be difficult. And even after selecting the broker of your choice, one cannot be 100% sure that the broker will comply with all the trader’s expectations. To take a step towards selecting a more accurate broker for your portfolio, look for the following signs or factors in your broker’s profile:

1. How long has the Bahamas broker been working in the industry? The experience in the market is significant to understand how knowledgeable your broker is about market trends. The trader must check the broker’s history of at least the past 2 years to get the gist of his or her trading skills. iI you are a novice trader, never trade with a new broker. As you both will lack experience, you will make numerous mistakes, and no one will benefit. 
2. Is the Bahamas broker quick with the transactions? When investing in the financial market, deposits and withdrawals are continuous activities. Traders should get the information or directly ask the broker about the time taken for such transactions. 2 or 3 days is considered ideal. This time period becomes fundamental when you have decided to close or leave a trade. You will not have to wait for weeks or months to get your money.
3. Is the Bahamas broker regulated? Not choosing a regulated broker is the biggest mistake that an investor or trader can make. A regulated broker is the certificate of protection of the trader’s investment. This is important as sometimes brokers can use the trader’s capital as their working capital. A regulatory body will ensure that these two funds (the investor’s money and the broker’s capital) remain separate and that there is no misuse of the trader’s investment.
4. What is the customer support level of the Bahamas broker? A good customer support service implies the work ethics and efficiency of the broker. Trading is an international market, and there are high chances that you and your broker will be living in different countries and speak different languages. If the broker has good customer support with people who work in shifts and speak different languages, trading with them will become significantly easier. If the broker has customer support of 15 or more, consider the broker an efficient one.
5. How recognized is the Bahamas broker in the international market? The broker’s presence and position in the international financial market are important to be considered by the trader. Since you will be investing in the international market, a local broker may not give you access to many things that an internationally recognized broker is capable of. 

One of the countries along the Indus River, sharing its border with developing economies like India and China, Pakistan, has always been in the partition news. The country faced many ups and downs. From IMF declaring KSI (Karachi Stock Index) as the world’s best index to political instabilities causing a downfall in the economy. With the Pakistan government’s semi-industrialized economy and measures to liberalize foreign investment, Pakistan’s financial market found its way back to progress and is growing and creating a strong and steady economy.

Pakistan Financial Market

The two main bodies controlling Pakistan’s financial market are the State bank of Pakistan (Central Bank) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). While the Central Bank regulates the banking activities, SECP is responsible for the rest of the market, including stocks, commodities, forex, etc. 

Top 5 Brokerage Firms in Pakistan

The top 5 Brokerage Firms in Pakistan are Instaforex, Hotforex, Avatrade, Fxpro, and XM. The best broker in Pakistan is Instaforex because this broker is one of the biggest Asian brokers and has very often interesting promotions for traders (live and demo competitions, free car competition, start-up bonus from $1000, etc.). The next one is Hotforex, because excellent support, a huge number of clients, fast deposit and withdrawal.

Pakistan Stock Market

On 11th January 2016, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) was declared by merging the three large stock exchanges of Pakistan, namely the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE), Lahore Stock Exchange, and Islamabad Stock Exchange (ISE). 

Before PSX, Karachi Stock was the largest stock exchange in Pakistan. Being one of the oldest stock exchanges in South Asia, KSE was declared one of the world’s top 10 stock exchanges. In 2020, PSX was declared Asia’s best stock exchange in terms of performance and the fourth position in the world. This was possible because of the stock index of Pakistan Stock Exchange, KSE 100, which made it possible by giving returns on investment equal to 38.4% in dollars, inviting more foreign investment for steady market growth.

The KSE 100 works as a benchmark that analysis and tracks the performance of the large listed companies in the PSX by creating a chart of their stock price index. It focuses on all the companies from different parts of Pakistan’s economy. 

Pakistan stock exchange has both foreign and local and institutional investors with over 400 brokerage houses. Traders can look for the top 10 brokerage houses in Pakistan and select the broker that aligns with their trading plan.

How to become a broker in Pakistan?

A company trying to become a broker in Pakistan must be a registered company of Pakistan/International Origin OR their authorized business partner with a registered office in Karachi, Pakistan. Relevant Experience Vendor must have at least 5 Years of experience in application development/support in the Financial Industry.

Cryptocurrency Trading in Pakistan

In 2018, the State Bank of Pakistan declared that any virtual currency trading or holding, like bitcoin or cryptocurrency, is banned in Pakistan. If anyone is found to be trading in such securities will not be provided any help in case of any dispute. The government is not responsible for and does not support such activities. The step was taken to protect the economy from issues like terrorist financing and money laundering.

Forex Trading in Pakistan

Unlike cryptocurrency, Forex trading is legal for the residents of Pakistan. However, the Pakistan Stock Exchange has stated that the brokers need to be regulated by the SECP (Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan). Many local brokers are not following this rule. There are many cases of fraud and misconduct by domestic brokers. So, most traders either look for the regulated domestic brokers or go for international forex brokerage companies to enter Pakistan’s forex market. It is legal for foreign brokers to trade in Pakistan.

The regulatory body states that Forex traders are not exempt from paying taxes. They can either file an income tax return (if they are residents of the country) or give a certain percentage to the government. Although, in the initial stages of forex trading in Pakistan, forex traders were exempt from income tax, making it entirely tax-free. The government introduced this law later to prevent any unnecessary outflow of the capital from the country.

Commodity Trading in Pakistan

Commodity trading in Pakistan is centralized and regulated by the Pakistan Mercantile Exchange. It is the only company that provides a platform for commodity future trading in Pakistan. The Exchange provides a technologically advanced web platform for commodity trading under the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. 

When the exchange was first commenced in 2007, it had only gold as a listed commodity. The trade grew in further years, and now the Pakistan Mercantile Exchange trades in crude oil, gold, and silver as their main commodities.

The Checklist For Pakistan Brokers

There are certain factors and aspects that need careful consideration before selecting a broker. You can refer to our checklist given below to find the right broker in Pakistan:

• Cost, fees, and charges

Trading does not mean just investing the capital available with a trader in the stock market. It is a whole process before the investment decision is taken, and the process comes with its own cost. Some fees need to be paid apart from the investment capital. These charges include broker’s fees, trading commission, the minimum amount for opening a trading account, and many more. It is advised to do research on these charges for the market or ask the broker.

• International recognition

By international recognition, we mean the position of each broker in the international financial market. Each broker has its own sources and experience, which provides him with a foreign market stance. Brokers with good sources and a better position can help the trader gain access to the trading opportunities that other traders might not provide.

• Trading experience

An experienced broker may come with a higher cost than an inexperienced broker, but going for the experienced one is worth your investment. The brokers with considerable trading experience in the market can provide you all the necessary information about the trading techniques, trends, types of accounts and securities available, the best trading platform, etc.

• Customer support

Customer support refers to the broker’s assistance to extend to the trader (the customer). How quick is the broker to keep up with your trading demands? Is he able to answer all your queries? Will he be able to help you solve disputes in case any arises? How has he been with other customers? These are some of the questions that help the trader understand the customer support level of the broker. 

• Security or securities

Sometimes a trader may wish to trade in more than one type of security. For that, he/she must make sure what type of securities the trader is capable of trading in, or maybe he is versed with only one type of security trading. It is better to choose a broker who can trade in all the security options the trader wants to trade in rather than choosing a different broker for every different security. 

• Regulated

The presence of a regulatory body works as a stamp of security. Make sure your Pakistani broker is regulated under the SECP for the safeguard of your funds. You cannot protect your investment from the strong forces of the market, but you can always protect them from being misused by the broker for his own personal needs, which is unlawful. 

Conclusion

The financial market of Pakistan has a lot to offer to the traders. As one of the oldest exchanges in Asia, there is a sense of steadiness here. But no matter how strong the market is, there is always a risk of dynamic market forces that a trader and the broker must look out for. As a top-ranked entity in the list of the world’s stock exchanges and the liberalized laws for foreign investors, it has attracted several foreign traders providing growth opportunities and favorable returns to the investments.

However, as all the local brokers are not regulated under the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, there is always a risk of misuse of trader’s capital. So, the trader must make sure that the broker he/she is choosing is regulated.