Somersworth is not a giant market, and that is part of its appeal. Located in Strafford County, New Hampshire, Somersworth has the smallest area and third-lowest population of the state´s 13 cities. Still, it is positioned in the center of New Hampshire’s fastest-growing region, and accessible for business and investments through its Economic Development Office and Development Services. For someone opening a small business, a smaller city can be easier to navigate, and in Somersworth, affordability is combined with a clear permitting path. Somersworth has an active Development Services function covering planning, economic development, and code enforcement.
New Hampshire gives Somersworth-based businesses a statewide tax and operating backdrop that many owners and investors find attractive, as the state has no general sales tax on goods, and the Interest and Dividends Tax was repealed effective January 1, 2025. That does not make New Hampshire “tax free,” because business taxes, property taxes, and sector-specific taxes still exist, but it does impact the economics for business owners and investors.
Opening a business in Somersworth
When opening a business in Somersworth, steps need to be taken both at state level and at the local city level.
State level
Registering the legal entity is something you do at state level, so once you have determined which legal entity and operating model that makes the most sense for your business, you register it with the Secretary of State’s Corporation Division in New Hampshire. This division handles business registration, trade names, and related filings.
Examples of permits that you apply for at the state-level are alcohol, childcare, and professional licenses.
If you want to find out more, the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center offers confidential one-on-one advising at no charge, along with training programs, workshops, and education.
City level
It is also important to look at Somersworth’s local rules and process, and to do so early in the process. A business can be valid at the state-registration level and still run into delays locally regarding things such as occupancy, use, signage, or site-plan issues. It is not nice for a budding business to sign a lease, and only afterwards find out that the use category is wrong or the site needs additional review because of a change in use. Somersworth’s site-plan regulations define “change in use” broadly enough that a new use or a changed nature of use can trigger review even when the building already exists. Local review can involve code enforcement, planning, sign permits, and occupancy approval depending on the project.
When you are looking at a suitable location for your business in Somersworth, make sure to confirm whether that location supports the intended use under Somersworth’s zoning and development rules before you sing any lease or purchase a property. Only after that should you spend on things such as build-out, branding, or specialized location-dependent equipment. This sounds cautious, but it is cheaper than retrofitting a mistake after a lease is signed or a property has been purchased. Somersworth’s Development Services function is built to coordinate planning, code enforcement, and economic-development review, and early contact with the city is more useful than many first-time founders realize.
Permits, occupancy, and local process in Somersworth
At city level, the Certificate of Occupancy is one of the most important documents for a business opening in Somersworth. The city’s current commercial and business Certificate of Occupancy form states that all businesses in Somersworth must have a C/O posted for public view at their location, and new certificates are required for new owners, operators, structures, and when principal use changes. The zoning ordinance is similarly direct: no business opening is allowed without posting a Certificate of Occupancy, and failure to post it can bring a $250-per-day fine.
Contact Somersworth City Hall for certain city-level permits, when applicable for your business, such as building permit, occupancy permit, signage permit, and health inspections. The city’s building permit form states that a C/O must be issued before occupancy of a new commercial structure or where there has been a change of use, and it also lays out permit-fee structure for commercial and industrial work.
Some projects will touch planning-board or site-plan review. Somersworth’s Planning Board states that it reviews commercial and multifamily development and redevelopment under the site-plan and subdivision regulations, including applications for site plans, conditional use permits, and related approvals. That does not mean every small business needs a full planning-board process, but it does mean any owner changing use, expanding materially, or redeveloping property should assume the local land-use layer matters. Submit any site plans or development proposals to the Somersworth Planning Board to ensure compliance with zoning, subdivision rules, and the city master plan.
Financing and support for businesses in New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Business Finance Authority (BFA) was created to foster economic development and expand the availability of credit in the state. Its current programs include Capital Access Program (CAP) loans, loan guarantees, direct gap financing through regional development corporations, and bond-financing tools for larger projects.
A Capital Access Program (CAP) loan is a type of small business loan designed to make it easier for businesses, especially new or higher-risk ones, to get financing. The New Hampshire BFA CAP program can support term loans and lines of credit up to $500,000 with a 100% guarantee structure, while its loan-guarantees can go up to 75% on lines of credit and 90% on term loans.
That does not mean every Somersworth business should borrow early; it simply means the financing map is broader than “use personal savings or give up”. For many budding business owners, the best sequence is still to start lean, prove revenue, and then use debt or guarantees only when the capital has a clear job to do, e.g. funding working inventory, equipment with measurable productivity value or paying for a build-out tied to known demand.
Examples of Taxes in New Hampshire and Somersworth
Important: Always check applicable rules and numbers directly with New Hampshire’s Department of Revenue, as they are subject to change.
As mentioned above, New Hampshire has no general sales tax on goods, and the Interest and Dividends Tax was repealed effective January 1, 2025.
New Hampshire’s Department of Revenue maintains business taxes, including the Business Profits Tax (BPT) and the Business Enterprise Tax (BET). The published state rates show the BPT at 7.5% for taxable periods ending on or after December 31, 2023, and the BET at 0.55% for taxable periods ending on or after December 31, 2023. The BPT filing threshold has been increased, so gross business income over $109,000 now triggers filing.
New Hampshire imposes a real-estate transfer tax on contractual transfers unless specifically exempt.
New Hampshire’s Meals and Rooms Tax remains in force at 8.5% for taxable periods beginning October 1, 2021. That applies to restaurants, lodging, and related operators.
Somersworth has local redevelopment rules that matters for property taxes in the downtown area. The RSA 79-E downtown revitalization tax relief can be helpful for rehabilitation projects in the downtown district, provided they qualify. For an investor or owner-operator considering a downtown building, mixed-use property, or renovation project, this matters because property-tax treatment can materially affect return assumptions.
What is the BPT?
The Business Profits Tax (BPT) is a state-level tax on the net profits of businesses operating in New Hampshire. It was enacted to replace part of the old Interest & Dividends Tax as a broader source of revenue from businesses. The BPT taxes profits of corporations, partnerships, and LLCs doing business in NH.
As of 2026, the tax is 7.5% of net profits. There are exceptions, including an exceptions for small businesses with very low profits.
The BPT applied to both in-state and certain out-of-state businesses that derive income from NH operations.
Today, the BPT is one of New Hampshire’s main sources of tax paid by businesses. It is used to fund various public services, including schools and roads.
What is the BET?
The Business Enterprise Tax (BET) is a broad tax on business activity, designed to capture revenue from businesses regardless of profitability. It is known as a “gross receipts-type tax” because it taxes compensation, interest, and dividends paid by a business, rather than net profits. Even business with low or negative profits contribute to state revenue through the BET.
As of 2026, the tax is 0.55% of the business enterprise tax base.
The tax base is compensation paid to employees, interest paid on debt, and dividends paid to shareholders. Most businesses operating in NH pays this tax, including corporations and LLCs.
The BET complements that BPT by reducing dependence on volatile company profits.
What is the Meals and Rooms Tax?
The New Hampshire Meals and Rooms Tax is a consumption tax on certain goods and services, primarily meals and lodging. It is often described as NH’s closest equivalent to a sales tax. The tax applies to things such as restaurant meals, hotel and motel rooms, and short-term vacation rentals. Exemptions are in place for certain government and nonprofit purchases.
As of 2026, the Meals and Rooms Tax is 8.5% of the purchase price. The tax is a major source of revenue form the tourism and hospitality industries. It is collected by businesses and remitted to the state, who keeps most of the money to fund statewide programs. Some municipalities, especially those with heavy tourism, may receive a small portion back through grants for tourism promotion and infrastructure or community support programs. This is not a direct retention of the tax, but the formula does favors areas with higher taxable sales (e.g. Portsmouth, Laconia, and Meredith).
The state of New Hampshire does not get much Meals and Rooms Tax from Somersworth, since the city is not a major tourist destination. The city has some restaurants, small hotels, and B&Bs, but the overall volume of taxable meals and lodging is modest.
Are there any Opportunity Zones in Somersworth?
New Hampshire has designated Opportunity Zones, which are specific geographic areas where investors can get federal tax benefits for putting money into local businesses or real estate projects. The Opportunity Zones have been created under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and are overseen by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). New Hampshire, like every state, nominated certain low- to moderate-income census tracts to be designated as Opportunity Zones, and you can now find Opportunity Zones scattered across New Hampshire, including one in Somersworth.
So far, there is only one designated Opportunity Zone in Somersworth, Census Tract 33017083001, but that single tract covers nearly 60% of the city´s total population. The tract includes parts of downtown / central Somersworth, and some surrounding residential and mixed-used areas. The tract qualifies as a low-income community under federal rules, since the tract has a lower median income than the state average, a higher poverty rate, and lower home values.
To take advantage of the tax benefits in Census Tract 33017083001 in Somersworth, it is necessary to invest correctly through a Qualified Opportunity Fund. If done correctly, you can enjoy deferral of capital gains taxes, reduction of taxes (if held long enough) and/or zero tax on new gains if the investment is held long enough. Examples of project types that can qualify are real estate development or redevelopment, expanding or starting businesses, and mixed-use projects (housing + retail, etc.) The investment must substantially improve the property or actively operate a business there.
It is important to take into account that the tax benefits apply only to capital gains and not to regular income. You must invest through a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF), and there are strict rules on both timelines and structure. You can not assume that your project will qualify simply because it falls within the Census Tract 33017083001 Opportunity Zone in Somersworth.
The main purpose behind the Opportunity Zone in Somersworth is to revitalize underdeveloped areas, support job creation, and attract outside investments.
From where does the City of Somersworth get most of their revenue?
For Somersworth, most of the city’s revenue comes from local property taxes, with smaller contributions from state-shared revenues and business-related taxes.
The General Fund is the main operating budget for city services in Somersworth, such as police, firefighting, and public works. According to the 2025–2026 adopted budget, Municipal Property Taxes accounted for 60-65% of the revenue, and amounted to nearly $11 million. Roughly $3.6 million came from “Other Local Sources”, followed by circa $2.3 million from Licensed, Permits & Fees. There was also $1.4 million in Intergovernmental Revenue and $145,000 coming in from Interests & Penalties.
As you can see, property taxes (including both residential, commercial and other properties) are the largest revenue stream for Somersworth by a wide margin, and something you need to take into account when you plan to start a business in Somersworth or invest in real estate. Property taxes are used to fund things such as public schools, municipal services, and local infrastructure, including roads, parks, and sidewalks. For 2025, the Somersworth property tax was $19.27 per $1,000 of assessed value (including municipal, county, and school portions).
The “Other Local Sources” that brought in roughly $3.6 million is a broad category that includes things such as charges for water/sewer and rental income from municipal properties. Licensed, Permits & Fees include things such as building permits, local business licenses, and inspection fees.
The state-shared revenue that arrives to Somersworth include state education aid for public schools, highway and other infrastructure funding, and ear-marked revenue sharing for local programs. In this context, it is important to remember that BPT and BET are both state-level business taxes, and so is the Meals & Room tax. BPT, BET and M&R taxes originating in Somersworth will flow to the state level, and not to the city, although some of the money can come back in the form of state-shared revenue. Somersworth do receives state funds, but they are relatively modest compared to what the city raises locally via property taxes and local fees.
Getting in touch with the right entity in NH and Somersworth
Secretary of State’s Corporation Division in New Hampshire
The Corporation Division is part of the New Hampshire Secretary of State office, and its main role is to handle all official business registrations and records in the state of New Hampshire.
This is the place you contact when you need to:
- Register LLCs, corporations, nonprofits, and partnerships
- Record business names (DBAs / trade names)
- File trademarks and service marks
- File annual reports for your business
- Update company information
- Access the public record of any business in New Hampshire
If you want to invest in an existing business in Somersworth, or any other part of New Hampshire, the Corporation Division can help you verify that the company legally exists, check its ownership and filing history, and confirm its status (active, dissolved, etc).
Contact information
Address:
Corporation Division, NH Department of State
107 North Main Street, Room 204
Concord, NH 03301-4989, USA
Phone numbers:
603-271-3246
603-271-3242
Email:
corporate@sos.nh.gov
Online services:
https://secretaryofstate.com/new-hampshire
New Hampshire’s Department of Revenue
The New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) is the state agency responsible for taxes and revenue collection in New Hampshire. Among other things, it administers and collects state taxes, enforces tax laws and compliance, and provides tax guidance to businesses and individuals. After registering your business with the Corporation Division, you often must register separately with the DRA for taxes.
You can contact the NH DRA to find out more about taxes such as Business Profits Tax (BPT), Business Enterprise Tax (BET), Meals & Rentals Tax, Property Tax, and Interest & Dividends Tax. You can also use the DRA to check if a company in NH is tax-compliant, and this is important information for investors who plan to put their money into an existing NH business.
Contact information
Office address:
Governor Hugh Gallen State Office Park
109 Pleasant Street (Medical & Surgical Building)
Concord, NH 03301, USA
Mailing address:
PO Box 457
Concord, NH 03302-0457
Phone numbers:
603-230-5000 (main line)
603-230-5920 (tax payer assistance)
TDD relay is 800-735-2964
Email:
revpr@dor.nh.gov
Web site:
Revenue.nh.gov
The New Hampshire Business Finance Authority (BFA)
The New Hampshire Business Finance Authority is a state-created financing agency that helps businesses in New Hampshire get access to funding. It was established in 1992 to support economic development, help businesses grow, and promote job creation in New Hampshire.
The NH BFA offers both direct lending programs and loan guarantees. This is important for businesses, since it can a business get funding when a bank won´t approve a normal application or the terms and conditions offered are awful.
The BFA issues these tax-exempt bonds and passes the proceeds to eligible businesses for specific purposes. Bonds can for instance be used to fund land purchases, the construction of a new facility, machinery and equipment, and expansion projects.
When it comes to real estate and expansion financing, BFA can help within financing for new facilities, renovations, and business relocation.
Contact information
Address:
135 North State Street
Concord, NH 03301, USA
Phone numbers:
603-415-0190
Email:
info@nhbfa.com
Web site:
https://nhbfa.com
New Hampshire Small Business Development Center
The New Hampshire Small Business Development Center is a state-supported resource network that helps entrepreneurs and small business owners start, manage, and grow their businesses in New Hampshire. It’s nonprofit and advisory-focused, and works in partnership with universities, community colleges, and business leaders. It is not a lender or regulator, and it is funded through a mix of federal, state, and local support.
The NH SBDC provides free or low-cost business consulting and training in areas like business planning, funding and financing guidance, marketing and sales, taxes, HR, and administration. They can for instance teach you how to navigate state filings and permits.
Contact information
Address:
University of New Hampshire
20 Academic Way, Suite 2300
Durham, NH 03824, USA
Phone numbers:
603-862-3456
Email:
info@nhsbd.com
Web site:
https://www.nhsbdc.org
Somersworth’s Economic Development Office and Development Services
The Economic Development Office in Somersworth, NH, is a city government office that helps attract, retain, and support businesses in the city. It helps both new businesses and existing businesses with resources, permits, and guidance. If you want to start or expand a business in Somersworth, this office is a very good first stop for guidance. It can help reduce delays and misunderstandings involving permits and local regulations, and the office can also help connect you to relevant state programs, such as the NH BFA or Small Business Development Center.
Examples of how the Economic Development Office can be helpful when you want to start a business or invest in Somersworth:
Business support
Advise on starting or expanding a business in Somersworth
Guiding for local permits, zoning, and licensing
Information on incentives, grants, and tax benefits
Site selection
The Office helps businesses find commercial or industrial property
The Office coordinates with real estate owners and developers
Workforce development
The Office supports programs that improve workforce training and community infrastructure
Liaison with government
The Office can be a point of contact for state and local regulations, and help businesses interact with city planning, building, and public works departments.
Contact information
Address:
Economic Development Office / Development Services
Somersworth City Hall
41 Highland Street
Somersworth, NH 03878, USA
Phone numbers:
603-692-9507
Email:
economicdevelopment@somersworth.com
Web site:
https://www.somersworthnh.gov/economic-development
Somersworth’s Planning Board
Somersworth’s Planning Board is the local government body that approves or rejects applications for new construction, subdivisions, site plans, and changes to property use in Somersworth, to ensure that development follows city ordinances, zoning laws, and master plans. Think of it as the gatekeeper for how land and buildings are developed in Somersworth.
Before building, expanding, or relocating, your project must be approved by the Planning Board to ensure your project complies with local zoning. The Planning Board can advise on permit requirements and planning regulations, and contacting them at an early stage is a good move to reduce delays.
Contact information
Address:
Somersworth Planning Board
Somersworth City Hall
1 Government Way
Somersworth, NH 03878, USA
Phone numbers:
603-692-9519
Email:
planning@somersworth.com
Web site:
https://www.somersworthnh.gov/planning-board
Somersworth City Hall
Depending on your business, you might also need other various permits from Somersworth City Hall. This includes things such as occupancy permit, signage permit, and health inspection.
Somersworth City Hall is the central administrative office for the city government of Somersworth, and it houses several department, including Planning (see above), Building, Health, and Licensing offices. It is a hub where many different business-related approvals and records are handled. If you want to open or operate a business in Somersworth, City Hall is your main point of contact for local compliance.
Examples:
- Signage permits for outdoor signs, banners, and illuminated signage.
- Health and safety permits for businesses handling food, beverages, or certain public services.
- Special event permit
- Street usage permit
- Taxi/transport license
Contact information
Address:
Somersworth City Hall
1 Government Way,
Somersworth, NH 03878, USA.
Phone numbers:
603-692-9507
Email:
klapanne@somersworthnh.gov
Web site:
https://www.somersworthnh.gov/departments
Understanding Somersworth
Somersworth is a small city in eastern Strafford County, bordered by the Salmon Falls River which is also the boundary to Maine. The city´s name has its origins in the 1700s, when ministers would preach here during the summer. The parish was named Summersworth until a clerical error changed the spelling to Somersworth.
Somersworth developed where the Salmon Falls River drops 100 feet over a mile, and used to be a mill town with both gristmills and sawmills. In the 1800s, the Great Falls Manufacturing Company was established here, operating three mills for spinning thread and weaving cotton and wool. Eventually, bleaching operations and dye works along the river also become important for the local economy. Until the railroad reached Somersworth in the 1840s, the products were transported to Dover by cart.
The New England textile eventually declined, chiefly due to competition from the southern United States. Cotton was grown in the south, labor was cheaper, and New Hampshire charged an inventory tax. The Great Depression of the 1930s was the final strike for many of the regional textile firms.
Today, Somersworth retain a quantity of Victorian architecture as evidence of the town´s heydays during the mill era. In the 1980s, the Great Falls Manufacturing Company´s big mill was redeveloped into new use, and some antique residences have also been restored, most notably in the historic district known locally as The Hill.
Many of the people who now live in Somersworth commute to nearby cities in the region or to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. But there is life in the community, and the upper end of High Street is still filled with shops and other businesses catering to local residents. The New Hampshire Route 9 is the main road through the city, leading south to Dover and north to Berwick in nearby Maine.
The Somersworth School District includes Somersworth High School (grades 9–12), Somersworth Middle School (grades 6–8), and the two elementary schools Idlehurst Elementary School and Maple Wood Elementary School. In 2019, Somersworth Middle School received the Middle School of the Year Award from the New Hampshire Department of Education.
Investing in the financial markets while living in Somersworth
When people say they want to invest in Somersworth, they usually mean opening a business here, investing in an existing Somersworth business, or buying local real estate. However, there is also the possibility of living in or near Somersworth while investing in regular financial markets, e.g. through regulated brokerage or retirement accounts.
New Hampshire’s Secretary of State, through its Bureau of Securities Regulation, explicitly frames part of its mission as protecting New Hampshire investors and runs investor-education resources under Invest Smart NH.
There is also a tax angle. New Hampshire’s repeal of the Interest and Dividends Tax beginning in 2025 improves the personal-tax backdrop for investors compared with prior years. That does not remove federal tax obligations, but it does make the state-level treatment of interest and dividend income cleaner than before.
The New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation
New Hampshire’s Secretary of State, through its Bureau of Securities Regulation, regulates securities offerings in New Hampshire (including stocks, bonds, and investment products), while also licensing and supervising brokers, agents, and investment advisors in the state. The Bureau has a mandate to investigate fraud and misconduct, and take enforcement actions in the form of fines, suspensions, and bans.
The Bureau´s education initiative Invest Smart NH focuses on helping everyday people in New Hampshire avoid bad financial decisions. The initiative provide guides on investing and fraud awareness, and also run a special program for senior investor protection since many investment scams specifically target older adults.
Why was the New Hampshire Interest and Dividends Tax repealed (effective January 1, 2025)?
New Hampshire repealed the Interest and Dividends Tax, effective January 1, 2025 because the legislature accelerated the phase-out of the tax to align with a policy goal of eliminating personal income taxation entirely in New Hampshire. Supporters framed it as making the state more competitive and taxation more simple, while critics raised concerns about revenue loss and disproportionate benefit to wealthier households.
To better understand the situation, we need to look at the historical background. For a long time, New Hampshire had one limited form of personal income tax, and it was the Interest and Dividends Tax, first enacted in 1923. It taxed interest and dividend income (e.g., bank interest, bond income, and stock dividends) above a modest exemption. Over time, this tax was gradually reduced from 5% to 3%.
New Hampshire has traditionally market itself as one of the few states without a broad income tax. But even though the Interest and Dividends Tax was not a tax on wages, it was still a tax on investment income, which meant it was a type of personal income tax. Therefore, the Interest and Dividends Tax was gradually being phased out.
In 2023, the New Hampshire legislature passed House Bill 2 (HB 2), which accelerated the existing phase-out of the tax, and mandated that the Interest and Dividends Tax tax be fully repealed effective January 1, 2025.
Starting in tax year 2025, New Hampshire residents do not pay state tax on interest or dividend income. This aligns with New Hampshire’s general reputation as a low-tax state. Proponents of this argue that it makes New Hampshire more attractive for investors and businesses, both due to the lower tax burden and because it simplifies tax administration. The repeal of the Interest and Dividends Tax was part of a broader tax reform push aimed at reducing business and personal tax burdens in the state, and reshape incentives concerning corporate structures and flow-through entities like S-corporations and LLCs.
Opponents of the repeal argue that no longer having any Interest and Dividends Tax in New Hampshire disproportionately benefits wealthier residents, since lower- and middle-income taxpayers typically did not earn enough Interest and Dividends Tax to reach above the exemption and trigger the tax.
Retail financial trading for Somersworth residents
Somersworth does not have its own separate local rulebook for retail trading products. For a resident of Somersworth, the legal question is mostly a U.S. federal question, with New Hampshire securities regulation layered on top. In plain terms, what matters is whether the product is lawful for U.S. retail customers and whether the broker, dealer, or adviser offering it is properly regulated. New Hampshire’s Bureau of Securities Regulation license and supervisebroker-dealers, investment advisers, and related activity in the state.
New Hampshire does not create a separate menu of trading products for its residents, but it does regulate brokers and certain other firms in the state. The Bureau of Securities Regulation require broker-dealers, investment advisers, and related persons to register, file notices, and otherwise come within its oversight before doing business in New Hampshire. This means even when a product is lawful at federal level, the intermediary side still matters. A Somersworth resident should not only ask “is this product legal,” but also “is this firm properly registered and legally allowed to deal with me in New Hampshire.” The state bureau’s investor-protection pages and enforcement materials exist for exactly that reason. You can find brokers that offer trading in Somersworth by visiting Broker Listings. A website designed to compare and verify brokers.
In the United States, the broad picture for retail trading is fairly straightforward: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, listed options, and exchange-traded futures are generally permitted. Retail forex is permitted, but only through properly regulated counterparties. CFDs are generally not permitted for U.S. retail customers, and retail binary options are only legal in their narrowly regulated exchange-traded form, and not through the offshore websites that usually market them to U.S. clients. You can learn more about what types of trading that are legal by visiting DayTrading.com
Futures and listed commodity options are generally legal for retail traders when they are traded on CFTC-regulated designated contract markets. The CFTC says designated contract markets are exchanges under its oversight, but this is currently a legal gray area and several cases are being processed to determine the exact rules.
For more information, visit investor.gov. Investor.gov is the official investor education website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It is a free public resource designed to help individuals learn about investing, avoid fraud, and make informed financial decisions. On this site, you will find educational materials on topics such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), risk and return, and diversification. It also offers guidance on how to recognize and avoid investment scams, including how to spot common red flags. In addition, Investor.gov includes tools that allow users to check the registration and background of brokers and investment advisers, helping investors verify whether a financial professional is properly licensed to offer their services to traders in the United States.
Retail forex trading from Somersworth
Retail forex trading is legal in Somersworth and elsewhere in the United States, but not in an unrestricted way. Only firms registered under the Commodity Exchange Act as Retail Foreign Exchange Dealers or Futures Commission Merchants, and that are members of the National Futures Association and regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, are permitted to offer leveraged forex trading to retail customers. Leverage is restricted to a maximum of 50:1 for major currency pairs and 20:1 for other pairs for retail forex traders. These rules are designed to protect investors by limiting risk.
CFD retail trading from Somersworth
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulate derivatives and securities trading in the United States, including CFDs, and they do not permit retail CFD trading. U.S. retail traders can trade similar instruments that are listed on regulated exchanges in the United States, but standard CFDs offered by foreign brokers online cannot legally be marketed or sold to U.S. retail clients. Certain professional or institutional traders may access CFD-like instruments legally, but these are tightly regulated.
Retail Binary Options
Retail binary options are only legally available in the United States if they are traded on a regulated U.S. exchange with the right approval. CBOE (Chicago Board Options Exchange) and Nadex (North American Derivatives Exchange) used to offer a limited selection of exchange-traded binary options, but are not longer doing this. You can learn about legal and off shore binary options trading by visiting BinaryOptions.net.
Designated Contract Markets
In the United States, a Designated Contract Market (DCM) is a type of financial exchange registered with and regulated by the federal government, specifically the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA). A DCM may list for trading futures contracts, options contracts, certain swaps, and event contracts (when federally approved).
The area is legally complex, and currently under development, as many states are criticizing event contracts (also known as prediction markets) for being too similar to gambling. In the United States, gambling is regulated at the state level. Many of the event contracts offered today are based on the outcome of sports and entertainment events, blurring the line between state-regulated wagering and event contracts approved at the federal level by the CFTC.
Further complicating things, event contracts are available based on the outcome of elections. Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) 2 U.S.C. § 441i and related statutes restrict financial transactions intended to influence elections, and 18 U.S.C. § 1301 et seq. prohibits wagering on federal elections through unauthorized channels. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and associated amendments explicitly exempt certain regulated derivatives, but general election betting is treated as illegal gambling for federal purposes, except in regulated contracts (like some CFTC-approved markets). The CFTC has historically approved a few election contracts on DCMs in a limited fashion, but these require strict federal oversight, and the contracts must not violate UIGEA or other federal election gambling prohibitions. States have pushed back, arguing that even federally regulated contracts are still illegal under local gambling law.
We are currently in a time of high jurisdictional tension between the federal position and many states. The CFTC argues that event contracts are financial derivatives and fall solely under CFTC jurisdiction, preempting state laws. State regulators claim that such contracts are effectively gambling and must be subject to state gambling regulation/licensing, especially when they involve sports, elections, or other non-commodity events. This conflict has triggered multiple lawsuits and enforcement actions across the U.S. and the situation is far from settled.
So far, New Hampshire has not been a legal battleground in this fight. As of early 2026, there is no prominent legal case or specific action showing New Hampshire taking a stance in the federal–state conflict over prediction markets or derivatives.
Examples of states in other parts of the United States that have blocked or criminally charged the well-known DCM Kalshi are Nevada, Massachusetts, and Arizona. Nevada courts issued a restraining order stopping Kalshi from offering prediction contracts without a state gambling license, rejecting the argument that federal regulation preempts state authority. A Massachusetts court temporarily barred Kalshi from offering sports markets under state gambling laws (preliminary injunction). Arizona filed criminal charges accusing Kalshi of running an illegal gambling operation by offering event wagers without a license.
New Hampshire Investment & Networking Groups
The Seacoast Real Estate Investor Group
The Seacoast Real Estate Investor Group is a local networking and educational meetup for people interested in real estate investing in southern New Hampshire, southern Maine, and the North Shore of Massachusetts. The group brings together local investors, industry professionals, and people curious about real estate with the goal of learning, networking, and sharing experience. Not only real estate investors attend, but also lenders, brokers, and property managers in the region.
The group hosts monthly meetups, with each meetup focused on a specific topic relevant to real estate investing, within broader categories such as tenant law, real estate financing, multifamily property management, or real estate market trends in the region. Meetings typically include speakers and specialist vendors.
The group has roughly 700 members.
IMPORTANT
Historically, the group met at 6-8 pm on the second Monday of each month, but meetups are currently on hold because the venue at 83 Main Street, Dover, NH is no longer available. The organizers are looking for a new space to restart meetings. If meeting were to commence again in Dover, it will be very convenient for Somersworth residents, as Dover is less than 10 minutes by car from Somersworth.
In the past, Seacoast Real Estate Investor Group meetings have also occasionally been held in Portsmouth, which is roughly 25 minutes by car from Somersworth.
Candor Investment Meetups
The Candor Investment Meetups are monthly investor meetups in New Hampshire held in either Manchester or Portsmouth. Manchester is roughly an hour-long drive from Somersworth, while driving from Somersworth to Portsmouth takes only half an hour.
The Candor Investment Meetups cover real estate and general investing topics, while also providing networking opportunities for local investors and professionals. They are free, in-person events that attract investors, agents, lenders, brokers, property managers, and other professionals interested in real estate investing. Topics often include market trends, deal analysis, financing strategies, and sharing experiences among attendees. The idea is to keep it educational, practical, and networking-focused, and not let it derail into sales pitches. Events tend to last about two hours.
Candor Investment Meetups are not limited to New Hampshire; they are part of a broader regional investor networking program that includes events throughout New England and beyond, including Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut. Investors living in Somersworth might for instance be interested in attending meetings in Biddeford, ME, since the drive from Somersworth is just 45 minutes. The meetings in Biddeford are arranged by the Southern Maine meetup community.