Do I need a brokerage account? Personal experience

Greetings, novice investors! I am sure that my review today will please many of you. I thought for a long time about what to devote this article to, and suddenly I realized that it is impossible for ordinary private investors to get into the stock market. In this regard, every single transaction on the stock exchange can be carried out only through professional intermediaries - brokers. It is for those who are already thinking about how to choose a broker and where it is better to open a brokerage account that this article was written. In it you will find the most important points that all beginners need to pay attention to. stock market: starting from the criteria for assessing the reliability of the intermediary company and ending with the choice of tariff plan. Sit back and get ready to gain invaluable knowledge!

Broker selection criteria

Today, finding a broker is not difficult - almost everyone large banks act as intermediaries and provide individuals with access to exchange trading. These in our country include Sberbank, VTB 24, and Gazprombank. Please note that a real intermediary must have a brokerage license. You can check its availability on the Central Bank website , where you can download a list of current brokers. If the company you are interested in is on this list, then everything is in order and you can safely use its services.

Considering that the number of brokers that provide individuals with access to the stock market is growing literally by leaps and bounds, stock trading for beginners should begin with the choice of an intermediary. Since they are all, one way or another, similar, you can decide how to choose a broker on the stock market by analyzing the following selection criteria:

  • reliability;
  • tariff plan and the size of the commission;
  • convenience and work comfort.

Well, now, let's talk about each of them in more detail.

Company reliability

I would like to immediately begin your training in brokerage business with the fact that the criterion of reliability is quite subjective indicator. Even the largest companies cannot always be reliable. However, I personally believe that the largest firms, market leaders, can be called reliable. To estimate the size of a brokerage company, just look at the number of its clients and the turnover of transactions on the stock exchange. I advise you to choose from the list of companies that are included in top brokers.


Tariffs and commissions

Broker commissions are one of the most important aspects that long-term investors should pay attention to. So, an annual commission of 1% over 10 years will reduce the profitability of your investments by as much as 10%. Most often, customers are offered to choose several options. tariff plans with different conditions that depend on the volume of transactions, trading style and exchange sector. The commission may be fixed amount, or may be charged in the form of percent on the size of the transaction. The larger this amount, the less interest you will pay.

There are tariffs under which clients pay the contractually agreed amount monthly, regardless of whether any operations have been carried out or not. This option can be beneficial for those who make volume trades, since it is cheaper to pay fixed amounts rather than a percentage of the completed transaction.

Choosing an intermediary be sure to find out:

All service fees

  • What will your depository expenses;
  • Will you need to do monthly or annual subscription fee;
  • What is usage rate borrowed money (leverage);
  • Commission amount when buying/selling shares.

What is the minimum deposit amount

What conditions does the broker provide for depositing and withdrawing money into your account?

  • Number of deposit methods and their fees;
  • % for bank transfer;
  • Deadlines for admission;
  • Will you have to pay tax on the sale of shares, and in what form will client information be sent to the tax service?

For ease of comparison, I suggest you study an example of the company’s commissions Finam:

I would also like to note that before you open a brokerage account in the company you like, don’t be lazy to read full description of the tariff, in which additional commissions may be hidden. So you may well be asked to fork out, for example, for maintaining an account when there is little trading activity on it.

Convenience and comfort

Personal experience

As for me, my experience began with the fact that I categorically refused to work with Russian stock exchange shares This is due to the fact that this market is one of the developing ones, and therefore much more unstable than its counterparts from the USA or Europe. Due to my ignorance of the domestic exchange, my search led me to a broker just2trade . I want to say right away that this intermediary is a subsidiary of Finam, and is registered offshore in Cyprus. To start trading, you must have minimum amount at the rate of 200 dollars. For each closed transaction you have to pay a commission of about 3.5 dollars. Per use credit funds Finam broker removes by 0,014% daily. Concerning insurance invoices, then on paper the amount of compensation is $50,000.

Perhaps the only factor in the reliability of this company can be considered its affiliation with Finam, which, in turn, is part of top 5 rating of stock market brokers of the Russian Federation.

Open a brokerage account

Results

In this review, I have decided not to make any recommendations or advise you of a specific broker in the securities market. I made this decision for one simple reason - I did not want my review to be of an advertising nature. I tried to be as objective as possible, shared my own experience, and I really want you to make your own decision regarding which intermediary to choose for yourself. Using all the above criteria and studying reviews of brokerage companies, you can easily identify the leader among firms in a particular market. Be careful and careful in your choice. Have a successful and profitable transaction, and see you soon!

If you find an error in the text, please select a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter. Thanks for helping my blog get better!

A credit broker is an intermediary between a bank or another credit institution and the borrower. A broker works for a fee and assists in obtaining a loan/loan on terms favorable to the client. In times of crisis and tougher requirements for potential borrowers, banks are more loyal to clients referred by partner brokers. Borrowers themselves understand this, which is why the market for intermediary services continues to grow. Choosing a suitable and honest broker in such a variety is quite difficult. We have made a selection of brokerage companies in Moscow that enjoy the greatest trust among clients.

Trusted credit brokers in Moscow:

Broker Credit Laboratory.

Credit Laboratory is the oldest credit broker on the Moscow market. Thanks to our own automated system customer verification, Credit Laboratory specialists can assess the chances of receiving a loan online or by phone. If you are planning to get a loan urgently, you should contact this place, since this particular credit broker offers a unique lending program: Cash loan from 1,000,000 rubles at 21% per annum in rubles on the day of application. The second line of business is mortgage brokerage, thanks to discounts on bank rates, they offer primary mortgages at 8% and secondary mortgages at 10% per annum in rubles without proof of income and with a bad credit history.

Credit broker Moscow Lending Center

Moscow lending center – credit broker! Assistance in obtaining a loan in Moscow and major Russian cities

In the brokerage services market since 2016. Provides professional assistance in choosing credit products. To do this, first of all, she provides high-quality consultations for her clients. Never, under any circumstances, requires advance payment from its clients. Operates strictly according to the law. We are ready to help anyone who asks. Main directions: express lending individuals, pledge and mortgage. Commission after completed work!

  • Express loan using your passport in 1 hour
  • Loan secured by real estate in 1 day
  • Urgent redemption on the same day
  • Mortgage in 7 days in Moscow and Moscow
  • Loan for legal entities within 3 days
  • Car loans on the same day

First credit broker

1st Credit Broker has been providing professional lending services for over 10 years. Throughout the entire period of activity demonstrates stability and high level professionalism. Our motto is constant development. We never stand still and find a way out of any difficult situation, which is why we are reliable partners.

Specializes in providing assistance in obtaining a loan of any type. With us you don’t have to worry about the purity of the transaction. Each loan application is secured by an agreement; there are no prepayments or hidden fees. Is official credit broker, provides assistance in obtaining loans in Moscow and the Moscow region to individuals for various purposes in a short time

We will select the optimal one for you credit product:

  • cash loan from 9.9% per annum
  • mortgage lending from 9% per annum
  • refinancing
  • loan against real estate encumbrances
  • credit history check

Finance Credit

Finance Credit is an “experienced” brokerage company in this market, offering private and legal entities assistance in obtaining a loan on favorable terms (mortgage, express loans, customer credit without certificates and confirmation, car loan, refinancing, secured loans). The broker rather assists in obtaining a loan, negotiating more favorable conditions, rather than conducting the entire transaction from A to Z.

For its services, the company charges a fee upon receipt of money by the client; the minimum cost of services starts at 7% of the loan amount and depends on the complexity.

Royal Finances

Royal Finance (Royal Finans) - provides consulting services, assistance in selecting more favorable loan and paperwork. This broker does not have a specific specialization and specialists are ready to help with any type of loan, from an express loan based on one document to a mortgage.

The broker's website has an interesting scoring test that determines the credit rating of a potential borrower with detailed explanations. The company also provides consulting services to bank debtors, assumes the authority of the borrower’s representative in communicating with collectors and the SB of the bank, even in court, if necessary. A kind of anti-collection agency and broker rolled into one. The remuneration is paid by the client only after receiving the loan.

MSK Credit

MSK Credit is a brokerage company that provides consulting services and selection of profitable credit programs, assistance in preparing documents and submitting them to the bank. Individuals and legal entities who want to get a consumer loan, a mortgage, a cash loan without certificates, a secured loan, a car loan, or refinancing can get help from MSK Credit.

Distinctive feature This broker is to help borrowers with damaged credit cards, the unemployed, and people in difficult situations in obtaining money. The site has an interesting online questionnaire, by filling out which you can find out the likelihood of loan approval for each client.

Capital lending center

The Capital Lending Center is a relatively new broker on the market, offering its clients assistance in obtaining a loan in the amount of 100 thousand to 50 million rubles. SCS provides assistance in obtaining cash loans, loans for business development, secured loans, and mortgages. Cooperates with large regional banks and highly specialized Moscow financial institutions (Alfa-Bank, BZhF, Uralsib, ITB, RosEvroBank, etc.)

The broker's assistance consists of selecting several programs that meet the client's conditions and his CI, personal data; correct filling of documents, consultations at different stages, transfer of documents to the bank.

The broker's remuneration varies depending on the complexity of the task and starts from 1.5% of the loan amount, but not less than 10,000 rubles.

Proffinance

Proffinans - financial group, providing consulting services and assistance in obtaining loans of various types:

  1. Commercial, residential mortgage
  2. Business loans
  3. Tender lending, bank guarantees without collateral
  4. Consumer loans, car loans, pawn loans, collateral loans, etc.

In addition, Proffinance provides assistance with leasing, factoring, repurchase of distressed assets, real estate services, appraisal and insurance, etc.

Premium Finance

Premium Finance, one of the oldest players in the intermediary services market, offers potential borrowers assistance in obtaining the following loan products:

  • Large consumer loan up to 3 million rubles.
  • Loan for small businesses without collateral and loans for medium-large businesses with collateral
  • Overdraft, factoring

The list is not long, but it is sufficient to meet the needs of its borrowers. The company does not work with clients who have bad credit history, over-leveraged borrowers, unemployed. The specifics of the work include the complete management of the transaction, from selecting the optimal loan to the borrower receiving cash. Payment upon approval of the application.

Credit Promotion Service (CCS)

SSK is the largest federal broker in Russia with offices in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk and Krasnoyarsk. The broker provides not only consulting and intermediary services, but also accompanies the entire process of applying for a loan (selection of options, recommendations for improving the status of the borrower, contacting the bank, filling out papers, collecting documents, transferring them to the bank).

Help through the SSC can be obtained if you need to apply for a consumer loan, express loan or cash loan, or a card with a limit. The company also provides credit history checking services.

Credit center

Before opening a brokerage account, the first thing most investors look at is trading fees. And they try to choose the most minimal ones. There is logic in this. The percentage of commissions is lower and the investor bears fewer costs. Greater bottom line profit.

But as with everything, there are small pitfalls. Those who make favorable tariffs are not profitable at all.

Brokers may not focus the attention of novice investors on some nuances. Or even just “forget” about them. Telling how wonderful everything is with them. And their commissions are among the lowest.

To give you something to focus on, let’s point out that the broker’s commission can vary from 0.01 to 0.1%. From the transaction amount. The market average is approximately 0.05%.

During the year, you plan to deposit 200 thousand rubles into a brokerage account or IIS. and keep them. How much money will the broker have to pay in the form of commissions?

We take an average commission of 0.05% - we get only 100 rubles.

Did you know that you may have to pay more money. A lot more. And not 200-300 rubles. How do you like the amount of commission per year in the amount of 2 - 3 thousand and even higher? B Within one tariff plan. Do you think this doesn't happen?

If the deposited amount is 100, or even 50 thousand rubles, during the year the amount of commissions paid to the broker may not change much and still amount to the same 2-3 thousand rubles.

It comes down to two factors:

  1. Tariff plan. Algorithm for calculating commissions. These typically include transaction fees, custodian fees, and a minimum monthly fee.
  2. Time of depositing funds into the account. One lump sum or approximately equal parts throughout the year.

Before choosing a tariff plan from a broker, there are some things you need to know. To avoid falling into tariff traps and reduce final costs several times.

Newbie tariff plan

Brokers always have a special tariff plan for beginners. The name can be different: easy start, beginning, first, test drive and so on.

The point is that it has an unrealistically favorable tariff schedule. Transaction fees can be 2-3 times lower than the average market commission. No other additional fees.

Brokers explain this by saying that they care about their clients and want to give them the opportunity to get a taste of the stock market.

The truth is that the plan has a limited validity period. Usually a month or two. And then you are transferred to the standard tariff. With higher commissions.

Why a broker?

The presence of a profitable tariff plan allows you to indicate in advertising and home page your website has low commissions for transactions. Additionally, the likelihood of being included in various ratings of brokers with the most minimal (beneficial for clients) commissions.

A client who falls for this trick, after the test tariff expires, in most cases will not close the account and move to another broker with lower costs. Just accept it and switch to another tariff.

This is especially true for individual investment accounts. People do not know that IIS can be transferred to another broker and remain in their old place.

Zerich. New clients are offered the “Start” tariff plan with a commission of 0.015% of the transaction amount. Valid until the end of the second month after the connection date. Then they transfer to “Basic” with a commission 5.5 times higher - 0.085% per transaction.

Finam. Tariff "Test drive". Commission 0.0177% does not depend on turnover. Connected for 1 month. Then they transfer to the standard tariff with higher tariffs and a mandatory monthly fee.

Size matters

The higher the amount in the account and the more transactions the client makes on the exchange, the cheaper the broker’s services cost. Rich and active players always pay less.

Naturally, in most cases, it is unrealistic for an ordinary private investor to receive such a “tasty” tariff. There simply isn't enough money.

The tariff schedule of the Zerich broker, depending on the amount of money in the account.

The amount of commissions for transactions depending on the trading turnover (broker Alor).

Minimum fee

The broker may set a minimum monthly fee charged to the client. In some cases, it can be reduced to zero if you reach a certain amount of funds in the account. Or reduce it significantly.

Broker Otkritie has a monthly fee of 295 rubles. For clients with accounts of less than 50 thousand rubles. If this ceiling is exceeded, no commission is charged.

Usually the minimum fee is 200-300 rubles per month. Provided that at least one transaction was made during this time. No deals, no expenses.

The fee is reduced by the amount of commissions paid when trading. We made transactions within a month and paid the broker 100 rubles in commission. The minimum monthly payment will be 100 rubles less. If your trading costs exceed the monthly fee, you do not need to pay it.

Finam has a minimum fee of 177 rubles per month. BCS charges 350 rubles. Zerich - 300.

Minimum commission per transaction

Mandatory monthly fees are not that bad. At low rates, the broker may set a minimum commission threshold for transactions. In absolute numbers.

Finam and BCS establish a transaction commission of 0.0354%. Broker Otkritie wants - 0.057%.

For a purchase of 10 thousand you pay 3.54 and 5.7 rubles, respectively. It would seem that the benefit is obvious. The difference in costs is more than 1.5 times. And Otkritie has very expensive tariffs.

Finam's minimum fee is 41.3 rubles per transaction. BKS set daily minimum fee- 35.4 rubles. Opening takes a minimum of only 4 kopecks.

By buying 10 thousand worth of securities, even in one transaction, you will give Finam and BCS the required 41.3 and 34.4 rubles. The actual commission will be 0.413% and 0344%. Comparison with the “expensive” Discovery is no longer in favor of the former. Their “disadvantage” is 6-7 times worse.

Depository

The depository fee can be of 2 types:

  • as a percentage of the portfolio value (usually 0.01-0.02% per year). But not less than 100-200 rubles. Naturally per year.
  • monthly fixed (100-300 rubles).

The first one is charged regardless of whether there were transactions or not. According to the fixed fee, the fee is charged if the client has made at least one transaction in the current month.

Which one is more profitable?

Plus a monthly fixed fee - no transactions, no expenses. Minus - if you buy/sell securities for only a thousand rubles, you will have to pay several hundred to the depository.

During the year, you plan to deposit 100 thousand rubles into an IIS.

Question. How will you do this? One time for the entire amount. Or by contributing a small amount each month, set aside from your salary.

In the first case, with a stable rate of 0.01-0.02%, you will have to pay 100-200 rubles.

If you make a one-time payment of the entire amount, the depository fee will be 100-300 rubles.

But everything changes if you deposit 8 thousand every month. In a year you will earn 1.2 - 3.6 thousand rubles.

Separate accounting for papers

In annual terms we get 0.018% or 1,200 rubles.

For clients who have Eurobonds worth more than 6.7 million rubles, the fee will be the required 0.018% or 1,200 rubles.

The rest will pay a fixed rate of 1,200 rubles.

For eurobonds purchased for $2 thousand, additional annual expenses will be 1%. This reduces the final result of profitability by 15-20%.

Finally

Before choosing the tariff plan that is closest to you, you need to answer a few questions for yourself:

  1. The amount of the planned contribution.
  2. How will you deposit money: one time or in installments.
  3. How often will you trade on the stock exchange. Make many trades throughout the month or stick to passive investing. According to principle .

Returning to the question at the beginning of the article about the total commissions when depositing 200 thousand into a brokerage account or IIS.

Having deposited 200 thousand rubles into your account at a time, even with a not very favorable tariff with a minimum fee and a deposit of 300 rubles, you will have to shell out 400 rubles. And that’s all. Provided that you do not make any transactions for another year.

But everything changes when every month you “throw” 15-17 thousand rubles into your account. The fee for all transactions will be the same 100 rubles. But in addition, the broker will deduct 300 or 3600 per year from you monthly. Total 3700 rubles.

The difference in costs for the investor is almost 10 times!!!

The problem is that most people bring money to the exchange small amounts monthly. Tritely deferring from wages.

In this case, you need to choose a tariff:

  1. No minimum monthly fee.
  2. No depository fees. Or that it be charged as a percentage of capital (0.01 - 0.02%). And not fixed every month.
  3. And only other things being equal, we compare commissions for transactions.

As a result, you may find that you get a better rate with higher transaction fees compared to your competitors. But no other additional costs.

Active players who make many transactions during the month in most cases may not pay attention to the minimum monthly fee. Transaction fees will be much higher than the subscription fee. As a result, in fact it will not be charged.

With a commission of 0.05% per transaction, 0.1% will be charged for the circle (purchase and sale of securities). From one hundred thousand - we get 100 rubles. As a result, by making only 3-5 circles per month for 100 thousand, the investor (or trader) is completely freed from the monthly fee.

In this case, it is better to pay attention first of all to the percentage of the broker’s remuneration for the transaction. The lower the better. And the monthly fee can be neglected.

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For trading on the Moscow Exchange

If you read the previous article “,” then you already know that to access exchange trading you need an intermediary - a broker.

As of February 2019, there are almost 300 operating brokers in Russia. Today - how to choose from this variety.

Artem Kuroptev

private investor

How to choose a broker and open a brokerage account

  1. Review bidder ratings.
  2. Check whether the broker has licenses from the Central Bank for brokerage, dealer and depository activities and for asset management.
  3. Find out if you can open an account online.
  4. Find out what markets and assets are available through your broker and what restrictions you may encounter.
  5. Select a tariff plan. It is better not to chase low commissions, but to pay attention to mandatory payments.
  6. Conclude an agreement for brokerage and depository services.
  7. Wait for a notification that the broker has opened an account for you and registered you on the exchange.

Who is a broker

A broker is a financial organization with a special license. Sometimes the functions of a broker are combined by the bank, sometimes it is a separate commercial organization. Sometimes this is an organization within a financial group.

A broker is your “hands” on the stock exchange. With the help of a broker, you buy and sell securities, enter into contracts and exchange currencies.

What does a broker do:

  1. Takes into account the funds and property transferred by the client.
  2. Registers you on the exchange and assigns special codes for making transactions.
  3. Gives you information about the progress of the auction.
  4. Receives orders from you: “Buy this”, “Sell this”, etc.
  5. Makes settlements on transactions - transfers money and securities.
  6. Gives reports on transactions, on the movement of money and securities.
  7. Issues certificates of taxes paid, the price of purchased securities, etc.

The broker also works as a tax agent: withholds and transfers taxes on dividends to the state, calculates and withholds tax on profits from the sale of securities and income from futures contracts. There are many subtleties in this issue, we’ll talk about them another time.

How does it work with a broker?

1. Contracts. First of all, you enter into an agreement for brokerage and depository services. These two types of services are required and go together. Depending on the method of conclusion, you may have in your hands the full text of the contract with a stamp and signature, a short notice of the conclusion of the contract, or even a notice received by email. An agreement with one broker is concluded only once.

2. Opening accounts. The broker opens accounts for you in its own accounting system and registers you on the exchange. When it's ready, you receive an account opening notification. Now you can transfer money to your brokerage account.

3. Deposit money. Eat different ways replenish your brokerage account. The most universal is ruble bank transfer. The broker will provide the exact details and wording of the payment purpose. Transfer can be done via banking application, Internet banking, bank cash desk.

4. Software. If you trade via the Internet, then to work with some brokers you will need to install and configure a special program - a trading terminal. For others, trading occurs through the website. How to install the program and configure encryption keys - read the broker's instructions.

To understand how the terminal works, try to place orders and not risk real money, practice making transactions in game mode. This can be done both before the conclusion of the contract and after.

A demo account will allow you to understand the technical side of trading, but game transactions and real ones can be very different psychologically. A loss on a demo account is not as bad as losing real money.

Before participating in real trading, practice making trades on a demo account

5. Participation in auctions. Trading takes place according to the exchange schedule. For example, on the Moscow Exchange stock market, the main session runs from 10:00 to 18:40 Moscow time. You cannot buy or sell shares at other times.

During the trading session you can submit orders. An application is like saying: “I want to buy this at such and such a price” or “I am selling this at such and such a price.” Some orders are almost guaranteed to lead to a trade, while others may not be executed at all.

Roughly speaking, you want to buy a Ministry of Finance bond for 997 RUR, and everyone is selling in the range of 998–999 RUR. Then the application will be put in a queue: suddenly someone will offer their bonds at this price. If no one offers, it will not be executed and either the broker will remove it or postpone it to the next day.

Orders can be canceled at will, as long as they are not executed, that is, did not lead to a transaction. But you won’t be able to cancel the deal, even if you made a mistake with the price, quantity or direction.

There are situations when it is impossible to buy or sell a particular security due to the lack of sellers or buyers. This happens mainly with illiquid - not very popular - securities.

6. Working with reports. If during the day you made transactions or there was movement of money and securities on your accounts, the broker will report to you about this. The report will arrive by mail or will be visible in the terminal.

7. Withdrawal of money. You can withdraw all or part of the money from the brokerage account. For example, if you received dividends, you can withdraw them. If you sold stocks or bonds, you can withdraw all or part of the proceeds. Usually money is withdrawn using bank transfer, but brokers have other options.

Withdrawing money is not an instant process and may take up to three business days.

For example, money from the sale of shares cannot be withdrawn on the day of sale of these shares. The fact is that settlements for shares on the Moscow Exchange occur on the second day after the transaction day - this is called the T + 2 settlement mode (T day plus two more days).

If you made a transaction today, the shares will be debited from your account the day after tomorrow - and then the money will come in.

You can withdraw money two days after the sale of shares

All terms of the transaction, including the price, are fixed at the time of its completion. Therefore, if from the moment of the transaction to the moment of actual settlement the price of shares on the stock exchange has changed, this does not concern you, the price is fixed for you.

Deferred calculations create inconvenience when withdrawing, but provide a number of advantages when entering and purchasing. More on this another time.

We have figured out the general scheme of working with a broker. Now let's talk about choice.

How to choose

Risk of bankruptcy

A broker is a financial organization that engages in commercial activities. Like any commercial organization, a broker can go bankrupt. Like any financial organization, the broker's license may be revoked.

Securities purchased through a broker are stored in the depository in the form of electronic records. Typically, the depository is a separate department within the brokerage company itself.

If the broker goes out of business, you will not lose rights to your securities. They can be transferred to the depository of another broker. But if the broker incorrectly took into account client assets, everything will become noticeably more complicated - up to the loss of papers and litigation.

Unlike banks, brokerage accounts do not state guarantees- no investment insurance agency.

Otherwise, the situation is no different from the Russian banking sector: there are state banks, there are leaders among private companies, and there is a “long tail” of all the rest.

Leading market operators by number of active clients, January 2019

Sberbank

Tinkoff Bank

"Opening"

Alfa Capital Management Company

"Alfa Bank"

"Promsvyazbank"

Leading market operators by volume of client transactions, January 2019

GC "Region"

4 178 288 161 143

1 511 581 022 024

"Opening"

1 443 759 214 973

"Renaissance Broker"

"Univer capital"

Investment Company "Veles Capital"

Sberbank

"Bank Credit Suisse (Moscow)"

How to choose

Brokerage services

Brokerage services are not only about transactions. There are a few more points that you should pay attention to when choosing a broker.

Opening an account via the Internet. There are three options to open a brokerage account: visit the office, send notarized documents by mail, or open on the Internet through the government services portal. The option with government services appeared only this year and not all brokers have it yet.

Access to markets. If you want to trade stocks, futures and foreign exchange markets Moscow Exchange, then any large universal broker will suit you.

Some banks, for which the brokerage business is a side business, give individual clients access only to the stock market of the Moscow Exchange. Some brokers may not provide access to trading on the St. Petersburg Exchange.

Another set of available platforms and tools may differ for brokerage accounts and individual investment accounts. Check in advance what markets and assets are available through your broker and what restrictions you may encounter.

Trading by telephone. Not all brokers allow you to trade by phone, and the rates for this service can be prohibitive. Please check in advance if you plan to take advantage of this opportunity. This is useful if you cannot use a personal computer at work or do not want to understand the programs yourself.

Training and consultations. Tariff plans for online trading with low commissions do not provide training for clients in stock trading. If you need help learning, some brokers offer free webinars, while others have paid courses and instructor-led sessions.

There are also special tariff plans, usually they are called “Consulting” or even “Personal Broker”. These plans will tell you what to buy based on your capital size, investment period, and risk appetite.

Such plans have high subscription fees or capital requirements. It is unknown what quality the consultations will be. No one can guarantee that they will bring you money.

Most often, training from brokers is paid

Software If you trade via the Internet, then to work with most brokers you will need to install a special program on your computer, tablet or phone - a trading terminal.

Most often, Russian brokers use the QUIK system. The exceptions are Alfa Bank and IT Invest, which have their own platforms. As well as NetTrader and Tinkoff Investments, whose clients do not need to install separate software - transactions can be made through the website.

You will receive the QUIK version for Windows for free, but you may have to pay extra for the versions for Android and iPhone. Therefore, if you plan to trade from a tablet or smartphone, ask your broker if you can do this and how much it costs.

If you have a Mac and the broker has QUIK, then you will have to install a special subsystem to run Windows applications. If you can't handle this yourself, you'll have to call a computer technician.

There is also a web version of QUIK. It can be launched via a browser from any computer. This option may cost additional money, check with your broker's rates.

How to choose

Broker tariffs

Tariffs for the same services can vary greatly from broker to broker. In addition, each broker usually has several tariff plans with different prices.

Brokerage commission for transactions. The broker takes a commission, which is calculated as a percentage of the transaction amount. On the Russian stock market, a common commission for novice investors is 0.05-0.1%. With this tariff, when buying shares, bonds or ETFs for 100,000 rubles, you will pay 50-100 rubles. Plus the same amount when selling. Exchange commission is about 0.01% of the transaction, sometimes it is already included in the brokerage fee, and sometimes it is calculated separately.

The commission is calculated separately from transactions and is not included in prices. Sometimes the commission amount is visible immediately in the terminal. You can always see it in the broker's reports. The commission can be debited from the brokerage account based on the results of the day or accumulated over the course of a month and debited based on the results.

Minimum broker commission or subscription fee. In addition to a percentage of the transaction, the broker may have minimum commission. For example, the minimum commission for any transaction can be 99 rubles. Or monthly subscription fee - 250 rubles. You need to look in each specific case at how such a commission relates to the number and amount of transactions that you plan to make.

If the minimum commission is 295 rubles per month, and your entire account is 30,000 rubles, then you will lose 12% of your account in a year on commissions alone. You can look for a cheaper broker or increase your account size so that the minimum fee is not charged.

If the commission is 295 RUR per month, and the account is 30,000 RUR, then in a year you will lose 12% of the account

You can still trade like a god, earn 100% per annum and not worry about commissions, but the fantastic is in the next department.

Depository services and fees for storing securities. The depositary may charge a commission if at the end of the trading day or at the end of the month your number of securities changes. For small transactions, the depository commission can be several times higher than the brokerage commission. It is better for novice investors to choose a broker who does not have a separate commission for depositary services.

Software fees. There may be a subscription fee for using the web version of QUIK, applications for Android and iPhone.

Deposit and withdrawal of funds. Most brokers do non-cash deposits and withdrawals of rubles for free or with a symbolic commission - for example, 10 rubles. You won't notice any fees if you want to fund or withdraw money from your brokerage account.

With currency it is more complicated: withdrawal to an account in the same bank that provides you with brokerage services can be free or with a small commission, for example, 0.15% of the amount. But transfers from a broker to an external bank may incur an increased commission. If you are going to convert currency on the stock exchange and withdraw it to a bank account, then you need to look at the tariffs for external currency transfers.

Additional commissions. The broker may charge a fee for various additional services, such as presenting securities for an offer and participating in the initial placement of securities. If you plan to use such services often, pay attention to the fees for them.

If you want to get a paper and stamped transaction report from your broker, that may also cost money. But this is rarely needed and is inexpensive.

How to choose

The simpler the better

If at the first stage it is difficult for you to understand what exactly you want from a broker, choose simplicity. A broker with simple tariffs will allow you, even with little money, to look around and get practical experience working on the stock exchange.

Investing on the stock exchange is similar to entrepreneurship. You need to start somewhere, and then work day after day to gradually improve the result.

Look for new ideas, adapt to changes in the economy, legislation, and market. The broker is just part of this process, your tool. If you don't work well with one, you'll find another.

A broker is not forever. If you don't work well together, you'll find someone else

Do not chase the lowest commission on transactions, because you still do not know how many transactions and what volume you will make. Instead, pay attention to mandatory payments. Over time, you will understand how commission affects your results, and if necessary, you will be able to find a broker with more suitable conditions.

Don't hesitate to contact support and ask a question. You can not only find confirmation of what you read in the tariffs, but also learn additional nuances. You will also be able to evaluate the speed of response to your request.

The broker answers clarifying questions about tariffs: the answers are detailed and understandable

Don't try to embrace the immensity. Without experience, you still won’t be able to choose the ideal broker the first time. Don’t worry if you overpay slightly for brokerage services in the first year - consider this as payment for the acquired knowledge and practical skills.

You can also open brokerage accounts in several companies at once. But if you open an IIS, remember: IIS, unlike a brokerage account, can only have one.

Crib

Important

The simpler the better. If at the first stage it is difficult for you to understand what you want from a broker, choose simplicity. A broker is not forever.

Don't chase low commissions. You don’t yet know how many transactions and what volume you will make. Better pay attention to mandatory payments. Over time, you will understand how commission affects the result, and if necessary, you will be able to find a broker with more suitable conditions.

A complete set of programs is not a standard. We are used to the fact that all services have sophisticated websites and applications for any screen: be it tablets or smart watches. But this is not always the case with brokers. Check that the broker has a terminal for the platform you need. Or you yourself should be ready to adapt to the broker’s programs.

Ask support questions. You will not only be able to find confirmation of what you read in the tariffs, but also learn additional nuances. You will also be able to evaluate the speed of response to your request.

How to choose a broker and not regret it

  1. At the first stage, choose simplicity, especially if it is still difficult for you to understand what you want from a broker.
  2. Check if the broker has a Central Bank license.
  3. Don't chase low commissions.
  4. Check that the broker has a terminal for the platform you need.
  5. Don't be afraid to ask support questions.

When a client comes to a broker's office to open a brokerage account, the company's employees often clarify which account needs to be opened. As a rule, broker client managers offer to open two types of accounts - brokerage (standard trading account) and IIS (individual investment account). What's the difference between them? Which option should I choose? The answers are in our article.

Brokerage account

First, let's figure out what a person gets by opening a regular brokerage account and crediting funds to it? First of all, the opportunity to become a trader/investor, to make transactions on the stock exchange with a whole list of assets ( securities- stocks and bonds, currency, shares, futures, options, etc.) and, as a result, receive profitability from stock trading. Clients of the brokerage company are provided with special software with which they can observe the price dynamics of various assets and make transactions with them.

Rice. 1. Trading terminal QUIK - a program for making transactions with exchange assets

As for income received from transactions made on a brokerage account, it is taxed income tax in the amount of 13%, and the broker is a tax agent, that is, he pays the tax for the client. The client can deposit funds into the account in any quantity and whenever he wishes. Moreover, the trader can choose how he would like to conduct his trading activities: independently or with tips from a broker. Or even connect various interaction options - for example, a trust management service, when broker professionals make transactions on the client’s account, according to the chosen investment strategy.

Individual investment account

To popularize exchange trading and the influx of investment capital from the population in Russian economy Video course: Individual investment account From January 1, 2015, legislators introduced individual investment accounts (IIS) for individuals (residents of the Russian Federation). Owners of such accounts were able to obtain tax deductions, thus increasing the return on investment. To date, more than 200 thousand people have already taken advantage of this opportunity. Let's figure out what this type of account provides and whether it is worth opening an IIS.

When opening an individual investment account, an investor/trader has the opportunity to carry out transactions with exchange assets that are also available when working on a standard brokerage account - stocks, bonds, derivatives, currencies traded on the Moscow Exchange.

The main difference between an IIS and a brokerage account is that IIS owners have advantages in the form of tax deductions.

The fact is that the owner of an IIS can choose which deduction he wants to receive. There are two types of deductions: type “A” - deduction for contribution and type “B” - for income. The essence of the “A” deduction is that the person who opened the IIS can return the personal income tax paid. Simply put, if the person who opened the IIS receives a salary on which taxes are paid, then they can be returned in the form of a deduction under the IIS. Type of deduction “B” allows a person not to pay tax on income received from trading operations in this account.

But in addition to the listed preferences, IIS also has its limitations. Firstly, maximum amount annual replenishment should not exceed 400 thousand rubles. Top-ups can be made Changes in IIS in 2017 an arbitrary number of times, but the total amount of contributions should not be more than the established amount (taking into account the 13% personal income tax, it turns out that it is a type of deduction “A”). You can close an IIS only three years after opening such an account (precisely after opening, not enrollment Money), otherwise it becomes ordinary brokerage account, and previously issued tax deductions will have to be returned to the state. One person can have only one IRA. If an investor decides to open an IIS in another company, he has the right to transfer the funds available in the old IIS to a new account. Thus, the investor still remains the owner of one individual investment account.

Now about the options for maintaining an IIS. Just like for a standard brokerage account, you can choose an independent option for performing trading operations, advisory management (when the broker offers current investment ideas) and trust management(when the investor only monitors the profitability received according to a predetermined investment strategy).

IIS gives to its owner whole line advantages compared to a standard brokerage account and does not oblige its holder to do anything. Taking into account the fact that the three-year period begins from the moment the IIS is opened, such an account can be opened and held without taking any action.

Conclusion

What is better to open - a brokerage account or an individual investment account? Both options have their advantages. You can have a classic brokerage account and carry out trading operations on it, and invest the surplus of funds in an individual investment account.

It is worth considering that IIS involves long-term cooperation with a brokerage company, so its choice must be taken seriously. This must be big company, with highly qualified specialists and high reliability ratings.