online brokers for international shares

[smpl]

Not that I am aware.

Something about Halifax is dodgy, I got cold called by them which means someone sold my personal details.

[morphs]

Not that I am aware.

Something about Halifax is dodgy, I got cold called by them which means someone sold my personal details.

I think Halifax uses Interactive Brokers under the covers. No need to involve them just go direct to IB.

[GTM 3442]

I'm euro-centric:


http://www.saxobank.com/

http://int.tddirectinvesting.com/

[BeeBop]

I'm euro-centric:


http://www.saxobank.com/

http://int.tddirectinvesting.com/

i have used tdinvesting for 15 years (Internaxx when we joined). As an investor rather than trader I have to watch the fees and always have one activity per quarter. Have one EURO fund on high yield that pays the fees anyway. Great to deal with and bank seems sound. Does many many markets. Leaves The NZ options way way way back in the shadows.

[GTM 3442]

i have used tdinvesting for 15 years (Internaxx when we joined). As an investor rather than trader I have to watch the fees and always have one activity per quarter. Have one EURO fund on high yield that pays the fees anyway. Great to deal with and bank seems sound. Does many many markets. Leaves The NZ options way way way back in the shadows.

Yeah, I ignore the trading things, and use them as a gateway to the world and as custodians. Agreed on the "4 trades a year" caveat.

They are very cheap custodians compared to many if not most of the NZ options.

Plus they are covered by the Luxembourg/EU bank guarantee schemes, for cash in the accounts not securities in custody, obviously.

They're part of TD Bank of Canada, who keep popping up in the "World's 50 safest banks" tables.

Access to Morningstar research at a global level is useful, too.

[vici]

Scrolling through the thread looks like these are two of the better options.
Comparison between http://int.tddirectinvesting.com/ and https://www.interactivebrokers.com.au/

There are a few key factors I'm looking at in setting up an account with an online broker.
Minimum holdings and minimum activity? Which has cheaper brokerage fees? Any other fees involved? Do they provide any research? Do they both give access to European and US markets?

[GTM 3442]

Not that I am aware.

Something about Halifax is dodgy, I got cold called by them which means someone sold my personal details.

I had a look at the Halifax website. Based on the website, I wouldn't touch them with a long pole.

[MSJ]

I had a look at the Halifax website. Based on the website, I wouldn't touch them with a long pole.

Hi GTM3442. I am looking for a broker (mainly for US focused ETFs) and Halifax seem to offer what I am looking for i.e. IB's platform and access to many markets, low commissions and no fees for my few annual trades.
Is being a white label for IB something that one should be wary of? I am new to this so any helpful advice would be much appreciated. What is it about them that puts you off?

[GTM 3442]

The fact that they were reselling somebody else's service, and I prefer to avoid ticketclippers where I can.

And that there was minimal information available without providing more personal detail than I see as necessary.

I think it's academic now anyway? halifax.co.nz takes me to somewhere called "uniregistry" which will sell me the domain name.

[GTM 3442]

Hi GTM3442. I am looking for a broker (mainly for US focused ETFs) and Halifax seem to offer what I am looking for i.e. IB's platform and access to many markets, low commissions and no fees for my few annual trades.
Is being a white label for IB something that one should be wary of? I am new to this so any helpful advice would be much appreciated. What is it about them that puts you off?

One other thing - having looked at the website, I was struck by the fact that they dealt in everything. Shares, CFDs, forex, options, whatever.

I don't think that that's sustainable for an independent New Zealand-based outfit. So I figured they were a reseller for someone.

I remember the mess a couple of years back when the Swiss unpegged the franc from the euro. Lots of people wiped out, lots of brokers wiped out.

Which made me wonder what would happen when this crowd got wiped out. What exactly were the custody arrangements?

I thought to myself "Are their pockets likely to be deep enough to cope with something like that?"

The answer being "no", I wondered what would go down the toilet in such a case, and decided it might well be me. And I'm not agile enough to cope well with s-bends.