I have just read Rory Gillen's booklet - Start Thy Purse to Fattening: A Guide to Sound Investing, which is the subject of a separate thread. I found the booklet very helpful but it has raised a query for me in relation to this thread.
Page 56 deals with security of assets:
'The same regulations apply to all stockbrokers in regard to the security of client assets. For that reason, your assets are as secure with online brokers as they are with traditional brokers. The broker must hold your cash balances through traditional banks and shares and bonds bought on your behalf must be held by a third-party global custodian. These measures ensure, as far as they can, segregation of duties and that your assets remain safe in the event that the stockbroker itself gets into financial difficulty.'
What 'the same regulations' are is unclear to me having read the full booklet. Does this quote apply only to brokers registered with the Central Bank of Ireland? I wish to register with a broker and wonder why these standards do not seem to apply to DeGiro, this seems to be the most likely explanation.