How do I Choose the Right Trading Platform?

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How do I decide which trading platform is right for me?

It sounds obvious, but a simple Google search is a good place to start when looking for the various platforms out there. But be warned, it will produce hundreds of results, with endless facts, figures and reviews. You probably know that already, and that’s probably why you’ve landed yourself here. 

So when being faced with an endless amount of options, how do you pick which name might be the one for you?

When you’re thinking about choosing a trading platform you need to consider your personal situation in relation to these five points: 

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1. Range

Each trading platform will have a different range of investments available. Some will have only stocks, others only ETFs, whilst some will have thousands of funds, ETFs and stocks from multiple countries. You need to consider what you want from your investing, and don’t be afraid to say a restricted choice might actually help with the vast quantity of overwhelm in your investing journey. 

2. Costs and fees

Trading platforms will vary greatly in the amount they charge. But here’s for some bad news – there is no such thing as a free platform. That being said, the fees that are charged are (hopefully) going towards improving features that the platform has, like the range of investments, the user experience and the ongoing regulation needed to have a platform that is safe and secure. 

It’s important to note, however, that everyone has a different budget and will be investing different amounts. This means that you need to assess your own budget in relation to the platforms to work out what is an acceptable level and what you can afford to pay. 

Let's take a quick look at the costs or fees that you might be coming up against:

- Annual/platform fees: Most platforms will charge an ‘annual’ or ‘platform’ fee often charged monthly to cover the cost of running the platform and managing your investments. These fees can be fixed or a percentage of the value of your holding, and more often than not they’re taken monthly.

- Dealing/trading fees: When you buy or sell investments you may have to pay a fee. Some platforms offer a certain number of free trades a month, others don’t charge at all.

- Subscription fees: Some platforms offer monthly subscriptions in lieu of platform or trading fees.

- FX fees: If buying or selling investments outside your local market, you will have to pay a foreign exchange fee.

- Other fees: Some (but not all) platforms charge withdrawal fees for when you want to cash out, inactivity fees if you don’t make a certain number of transactions a month and management fees if you hold funds rather than shares in your portfolio.

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3. Minimum deposit

On the back of this conversation about charges and whilst you’ve got budget in mind, many platforms will have a required minimum contribution. This can be as little as $1 and can be all the way up to $1,000 (or even more). 

Only you will know how much you’re planning to invest and how much is appropriate for your budget. So make sure your platform is going to match up with your financial plan. 

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4. Usability

Let’s be honest, there is nothing worse than finishing a long day at work, only to commence battle number two of the day: navigating your way through a jungle to get to your investments. For some who spend all day in tech, usability might not be such a worry. But we all have our own preferences, skills and experience, so make sure that your trading platform is easy and fun to use. Don’t make it a battle. 

Key things to look out for when considering usability are the app and or desktop abilities, investor support, dashboard view, investment filter features and any additional research tools that they offer. 

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5. Inclusivity and ethics

Last but not least, the way that the platform is run may well need to be factored into your journey. Because if you want to be investing sustainably, but the range of investments only has two or three named sustainable funds, this isn’t going to be the dream match. Dig around and do some research. 

What’s the percentage of women in leadership positions? How many women make up the wider team? Do they have any dedicated areas to sustainability? What is their social impact? If you’re religious, do they have investments that align with your faith? It’s important to marry your investments up with your values – the same goes for the trading platform you choose. 

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Is there anything else that I should know about when choosing a trading platform?

Ah yes, the last few things to think about before taking the leap into trading. 

Firstly, it’s worth pointing out that these trading platforms are all about choosing your own investments, rather than handing the management over to a robo-adviser or a managed portfolio. 

Secondly, having thought about reputation, making a note of relevant protections in the country where you’re living will save you some sleepless nights. If the platform is located and regulated in the EU, it will be covered by the scheme which protects investors from the platform or bank going bust. 

You will be able to recover up to $100,000 in this scenario, so if your savings are greatly in excess of this amount, it could be worth considering having multiple. Under this amount, your protections are still in place. 

The US, Canada and Australia have similar protections, as do other countries, so make sure you know what protections are in place. 

Lastly, remember that the platform decision you make might be different to your colleague, your friend or even your partner. This doesn’t mean that one of you has made the right or wrong decision about which trading platform to use. It simply means that you have chosen the platform that works best for you.