MAS

Read the activity beneath the institution’s name

A Singapore company, a MAS-regulated institution and a person appointed to represent it are three different checks. Start with the legal entity in the agreement, then establish what that entity may do and how it will actually serve you.

The MAS Directories page describes the Financial Institutions Directory as a list of regulated institutions and their authorised activities. Search the Directory by the exact company name. Open its detail, read “Licence Type/Status” and the activities under each heading, then compare the official contact information with the person or website approaching you.

MAS’s CMS licence guidance lists several regulated activities and product classes. A licence for dealing in one product class is not permission to provide every service. The guidance also says entities that cease to hold a CMS licence are removed from the Directory; a current search is not a complete historical record.

The search page warns that one institution can have multiple licences. In the OANDA search checked for this guide, the page reported two results but displayed one company with two qualification headings. Do not turn a licence count into a count of different firms.

OANDA Asia Pacific: compare permission, contract and contact

The actual MAS detail for OANDA Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. says it is incorporated in Singapore. Its displayed page date is 25 August 2026; the following fields were checked on 9 October.

The provider’s customer agreement effective 15 August 2025 identifies OANDA Asia Pacific Private Limited, company number 200704926K. Clauses 4.3–4.4 say it acts as principal on an execution-only basis; clause 5.1 excludes personal recommendations. The Directory’s financial-adviser heading therefore does not mean this trading contract includes personal advice.

Both sources give 1 Raffles Place #26-02, One Raffles Place Tower 1, Singapore 048616. The Directory displays http://www.oanda.sg and +65 6579 8288, while the agreement gives +65 6579 8289 and [email protected]. The February 2026 complaint policy instead lists a customer-service hotline of +65 6911 1889. These are different published contact fields. Confirm the current route through official channels rather than declaring the numbers interchangeable or proof of fraud.

This check concerns the Singapore company. An OANDA Europe or OANDA Australia agreement belongs to a different legal entity. The FXCN OANDA profile separately explains selected UK and US arrangements.

Verify the person through the principal institution

The Financial Institution Representatives Register records individuals notified to MAS to conduct SFA-regulated activities or FAA advisory services. Search an exact representative number or a partial name, then match the current principal company to the institution you checked.

The register explains that the appointing institution’s CEO or director certifies the individual against MAS’s fit-and-proper criteria. It also explicitly warns that listed representatives are not MAS employees. A matching name does not authenticate a telephone caller: contact the principal through independently checked details to confirm the person, appointment and proposed service.

Ask which entity will sign the agreement and receive funds. A person’s appointment and an institution’s permission do not establish that a particular message, payment destination or investment offer is genuine. No individual representative was selected or certified in this review.

A knowledge assessment is not a loss limit

MoneySense’s SIP guide distinguishes a Customer Account Review for listed Specified Investment Products from a Customer Knowledge Assessment for unlisted SIPs. It says the CKA outcome is valid for one year, followed by a fresh assessment, and distinguishes knowledge assessment from suitability assessment. Ask your institution which process and safeguards apply to your account.

Its CFD guide identifies CFDs as unlisted SIPs, explains the CKA requirement and warns that leveraged losses can exceed the initial investment. Trading a CFD does not confer ownership of the underlying asset. A passed assessment does not certify that a trade is suitable or profitable.

For the named OANDA Singapore agreement, clause 6.2 says negative balance protection is not provided and clients remain liable for negative balances. Do not import the Australian retail CFD rule or a UK account’s protection into this contract. Read the actual margin, close-out, liability and client-classification clauses before funding.

Keep the dated agreement, risk disclosure and applicable fee sheet with the official Directory result. If offered a different client classification or overseas entity, request its separate terms and an explanation of the protections that change. This page does not calculate a universal leverage limit or determine your eligibility.

Check FIDReC eligibility before relying on a claim limit

MoneySense’s dispute guide starts with the financial institution: explain the problem and the remedy you want. It separates that process from reporting suspected misleading advice, misrepresentation or other misconduct to MAS. MAS cannot resolve a commercial contractual dispute or order the institution to compensate you.

For the example here, the FIDReC subscriber list, searched as “*OANDA”, displayed OANDA Asia Pacific Pte Ltd under Capital Markets Service Licence Holders, with 6579 8289 and [email protected]. That confirms the displayed subscriber entry on the check date; it does not establish that your particular complaint is eligible.

1. Give the institution an opportunity to resolve it. Save your complaint, attachments, dates and final reply. OANDA’s February 2026 policy specifies a written response within 48 hours and a final-response timetable of 28 business days, with an explanation if delayed. These are its published commitments, not a timetable for every Singapore institution.
2. Check the deadline and subject matter. FIDReC’s jurisdiction page requires a subscriber/customer relationship and excludes, among other matters, pricing policies and cases solely about investment performance. It also identifies complaints more than six months after the institution’s final reply as excluded. Ask FIDReC about your circumstances promptly.
3. Distinguish mediation from adjudication. The jurisdiction page sets no mediation claim limit. Its adjudication ceiling is S$150,000 per claim filed on or after 1 July 2024; the earlier ceiling is S$100,000. A ceiling is neither an automatic award nor insurance for trading losses.
4. Choose the next stage deliberately. The process guide explains mediation followed by optional adjudication if unresolved. Filing is free; adjudication has a fee. Check its current fee schedule and terms before proceeding.

Use MAS’s guided contact page for a regulatory report. An FXCN complaint report does not lodge a FIDReC claim, report to MAS or preserve either process’s deadlines.

The Alert List does not list every impersonator

The Investor Alert List is not exhaustive. Its current notice says MAS will no longer publish the names and online identifiers of entities impersonating MAS-regulated institutions. An absent website or name is therefore especially weak evidence of authenticity.

Read a warning’s exact name and description; do not transfer an allegation to another company with a similar name. Return to the Directory and verify the institution and contact channel before sharing information or sending money. The FXCN domain tool can organise a preliminary comparison but cannot certify MAS permission or safe withdrawals.

Questions and limits

Checked 9 October 2026. The named MAS institution detail and FIDReC subscriber entry are dated checks; repeat them if the company, contact or account terms change. No individual complaint, representative, full licence conditions, account performance or other linked broker was certified. Other languages and existing directory scores retain their separate review history. Send a correction.