Regulation is key, some of the best which come to mind are ASIC from Austalia and FCA from the UK. To be honest I would rather my broker has 1 regulator in my opinion.
On the topic of fund safety, make sure the broker has a reliable history. Has anyone been following FXCM recently?
" Its shareholders have lost 98% of their investment since January 2015. Its parent company, Global Brokerage, Inc.,[4] has expressed "substantial doubt about [its] ability to continue as a going concern."
That's a quote. Crazy stuff! Also for funds make sure the funds sit in a safe country. Too many have there funds sitting in Cyprus and all. I'd rather my money in a more stronger economy in case anything happens.
I think above else what you should look at is if the broker is A-block or B-block, or perhaps some hybrid model. You don't want the broker hedging against you. If they are then they are not necessarily working in your interests.
So for a 'good' broker first and foremost a good regulator, make sure it has a strong performance history, and that the funds are in a 'safer' country.
In terms of trading with them and following their analyst reports you must be very careful that they don't hedge against you.
What are all your thoughts? Did I miss anything? It took a bit of looking around but now I know I'm with the right broker