Brokers in your country

Brokers List Classification explained

A. Choose Country

Check out which brokers are available in your country. If you are a resident of the Netherlands for instance, click on the "Choose Country" button and a dropdown menu will appear with a list of countries that were looked into. Simply scroll down and click on “Netherlands", and the grid will show which broker offers what in your country.

B. International & US-centric platforms.

This is the screen when you open up the “Brokers in your country app”. Distinction is made between International broker platforms and USA-centric brokers. International platforms do accept international private investors in a number of countries other than the USA, while USA-centric platforms obviously are only available to residents in the USA.

C. Broker rankings

Five criteria are examined in the following order

1 - FRAC
2 - % Cash
3 - PTF Tft In
4 - FEES
5 - Robot

1. FRAC

First of all, purchases of fractional shares (ETF’s) must be allowed. In other words, it must be possible for a client to buy 0.25 shares of QQQ, for instance. This way, you are sure that you can invest with smaller amounts from the very beginning. If not, those brokers fall to the bottom of this ranking system.

2. % CASH

Cash that is not invested in the markets should pay interest, zero percent on non-invested cash is not very client friendly. Rates can and do differ quite a lot according to which broker you work with, so check out more than one before making a choice. In case a minimum amount (like 5000 € or $) is required before interest is offered, I consider there is no cash remuneration.

3. PTF Tft. In

This means that you can transfer an existing portfolio you have with another bank or broker to the broker on this list. If this is not possible, or when the terms are not crystal clear, that means this broker cannot be rated higher in this table.

4. FEES

These vary enormously. Be aware that zero-fees does not really mean zero fees, as these are often hidden in the bid/ask spread. Foreign exchange transactions also have their specific fees. Some platforms may have handling fees, and/or custody fees.

LOW : low to reasonable compared to mainstream banks.
DEP : It depends. Example : when a higher transaction fee is applied on non-US shares trades.
HIGH : well, check it out.

5. ROBOT

Certain firms offer (some kind of) “robot-investing”. Usually that just means you can choose from a range of “asset allocation pies” for instance, and the brokerage house immediately invests in products of their choice, respecting the chosen allocation.

Some offer plans where you can add funds on a regular basis which will be added to the portfolio respecting the chosen asset allocation pie. Bear in mind that these asset allocations are passive, i.e. they do not take into account how economic circumstances change.

D. Chosing your platform

You now have an overview as to which brokers/banks accept clients which are resident in your country. Your first filter is to identify those with a “yes” on the first 4 criteria.

Robot-investing can be nice to have but may not be an essential selection criterion for self-directed investors. In the case of "Netherlands", you can see there are 7 firms with 4 “green lights” while the others do not tick all the boxes. This is a large choice compared to other countries. Check it out !

Take your time to compare services and conditions before making your final choice. This is a moving target as conditions change over time. So, grab a coffee or tea (whatever gives you a clear head), and make this research your hobby for the next few days. This is an important decision which impacts your future portfolio performances.

Dig deeper with the links in the right-hand column of the broker-list. These will direct you to the home pages of the firms you wish to explore more in-depth to find out if this institution would be a good fit to you. For instance, check out if they accept fractional share trades or how much interest is paid (if any) on idle cash.

Websites that compare & analyze brokers - a non-exhaustive list

Concluding

This simple tool is a first approach and intended to grow further in time.

Country

If your country (of fiscal residence) is not on the dropdown list for instance, feel free to forward a short overview of major financial houses (and their terms and conditions) that accept clients resident in your country.

Brokers, Banks & Trading Platforms

If you represent a firm which is not included in the above table, feel free to forward the terms and conditions as well as the countries your firm serves.

Disclaimers & Disclosures

Not all countries of the world are on the list.
Not all brokers in the world are on the list.
This is a continously evolving situation and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Notwithstanding careful evaluation, errors are always possible.
ALWAYS check out terms and conditions that apply in your country before you engage.
At the time of website launch, there were neither sponsorships nor affiliate links with any of the banks, brokers or trading platforms that made the list. If and when that changes, this will be clearly stated in published content.
At the time of website launch, there were neither sponsorships nor affiliate links with any of the ETF issuers in the ETF Catalog. If and when that changes, this will be clearly stated in published content.
At the time of website launch, there were neither sponsorships nor affiliate links with Amazon regarding recommended literature. If and when that changes, this will be clearly stated in published

Invest wisely and stay curious ( & subscribe ! )