Investing your money starts with one decisive choice: the platform you invest through. We track hundreds of brokers worldwide and only keep a tight shortlist: the ones that pass our six-pillar methodology. Here's what we look at first before a broker earns its place.
🛡️ Regulation first
A serious broker is overseen by a recognised regulator: FCA in the UK, SEC in the US, CySEC in Cyprus, ASIC in Australia. That's what guarantees segregated client funds, audited accounts and, often, a deposit-protection scheme. We only list regulated brokers: the safety of your capital comes before everything else.
💰 Real cost, not the headline price
A broker's true cost is the sum of everything: spread, commission, FX conversion, inactivity fees, withdrawal fees. Two '0 commission' platforms can cost twice as much as each other once you add it all up. We compute the total cost on real investor profiles, not on the marketing promise.
🎯 Matched to your profile
Investing in ETFs for the long run, building a diversified stock portfolio or buying your first shares: each goal calls for a different broker. Tax wrappers, range of assets, platform quality, language support: we assess what actually matters for your use case, to point you to the right tool.