Is TradeUP a Scam? Is It Insured? Is It Safe?

Highlights:

• TradeUP’s roots trace back to 1986.

• TradeUP accounts have both regulatory oversight and SIPC protection.

• TradeUP is owned by UP Fintech Holding Limited, whose stock trades on the Nasdaq.

Thinking about opening a brokerage account with TradeUP? Before jumping in, take a look at what we found:

History of TradeUP

TradeUP Securities, Inc. is a brokerage firm owned by UP Fintech Holding Limited, an investment firm headquartered in Singapore. UP Fintech’s stock trades on the Nasdaq in the United States under ticker symbol TIGR.

The symbol comes from Tiger Brokers, another broker-dealer owned by the parent company; Tiger operates in Asia and began in 2014. TradeUP focuses on the U.S. market and other brokerage services.

A predecessor of TradeUP was Marsco Investment Corporation. Marsco was founded in 1986 and was acquired by UP Fintech in 2019. The firm later changed its name to TradeUP Securities, Inc.

Regulatory Environment in the U.S.

TradeUP is a member of FINRA and the SEC, which provide most of the regulatory oversight for securities accounts domiciled in the United States. With the SEC, TradeUP has registration ID 8-36754. With FINRA, the number is 18483.

TradeUP is also a member of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the CBOE EDGX Exchange. These registrations add another layer of oversight and safety for account holders.

Further Regulations:

Tiger Brokers in Asia is not governed by U.S. authorities. Instead, it has its own registrations in the jurisdictions where it operates. For example, in Singapore, the brokerage firm is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. In New Zealand, the outfit is regulated by the Financial Markets Authority.

is TradeUP safe

Track Record

Looking at TradeUP’s BrokerCheck profile, we find just 4 disclosures dating back to 1986, which is a very low number for a firm with such a long history. The issues include:

In April of 2025, FINRA fined TradeUP $700,000 for failing to reasonably implement anti-money laundering procedures and for failing to preserve and supervise internal communications. The case ID is 2022073322301.
In another case brought by FINRA, TradeUP was found to have failed to properly report short interest positions. In docket # 2023077924101, TradeUP paid $300,000 to settle the case without admitting or denying the findings.
In 2010, FINRA brought another charge against the firm when it was still operating as Marsco Investment Corporation, this time over supervisory, electronic communications, and Bank Secrecy Act issues. This case resulted in a smaller $25,000 fine.

Robinhood Promo

Open Robinhood Account

Protections

TradeUP is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, better known in the industry as SIPC. This group protects brokerage accounts up to program limits. These typically cap out at $500,000 per separate capacity, including up to $250,000 for cash. Because SIPC protection depends on account capacity, the exact coverage depends on how the account is registered.

Clearing Arrangement

Some transactions in TradeUP accounts are cleared through Interactive Brokers. IBKR has its own registrations with FINRA and the SEC and is also a member of SIPC.

Level of Transparency

During our review of the TradeUP pricing schedule, we found fees and commissions clearly displayed in a user-friendly format. One fee, the short interest fee, is not listed because it changes daily.

Opinion

Based on the facts uncovered during our review, we conclude that TradeUP and its affiliated companies held through UP Fintech Holding Limited are legitimate operations with multiple safeguards in place for clients. Of course, investing still involves risks, especially the risk of losing principal, and that same risk exists at all brokerage firms.

Updated on 4/14/2026.

Is TradeUP Safe, Legitimate, or a Scam in 2026?