Brokerage account - what is it and how to open it in 2022

In the context of declining rates on bank deposits, alternative sources of passive income are becoming increasingly in demand. Russians who have spare cash began to take an active interest in the peculiarities of investing in stock markets and the intricacies of working with securities.

Citizens and organizations are not allowed to participate in exchange trading on their own. To start investing and conducting transactions on a financial exchange, you need to enlist the support of a reliable intermediary - a broker (a licensed company with access to world exchanges) - and with his help open a brokerage account.

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What is a brokerage account

A brokerage account is opened by a broker company and represents the client’s “personal wallet” in which funds and securities are stored. It is used to carry out purchase and sale transactions of various financial instruments (stocks, futures, bonds, currencies, etc.) on the Russian exchange market and on foreign exchanges.

Brokerage account features:

unlimited number of accounts for one owner;
securities and funds in any currency are credited to the account;
there are no restrictions on the amount of investments during the year;
the ability to withdraw funds from the account at any time and in any amount;
long-term ownership benefit is provided;
the ability to carry out transactions on the Russian and international stock markets.

Please note that a bank account is not an analogue of a brokerage account; individuals cannot use it to participate in trading and earn money on the stock exchange.

Cons of IIS

IIS is great for long-term investments and savings. The disadvantages of using it are also associated with this:

You cannot withdraw money from the account for three years, otherwise the account will be closed, and the type A tax deduction already received will have to be returned.
The account cannot be replenished by more than one million rubles per year. This means that if an investor wants to invest more, he will have to use another brokerage account in parallel.

If you put 10,000 rubles a month into an IIS and don’t withdraw money from the account for 3 years, you can save 360,000 rubles. With this money you can buy conservative instruments, for example, federal loan bonds with a yield of 4-5.45%. Tax exemption in this case will be a pleasant bonus.

How does he work?

A brokerage account works like this:

The client contacts a broker (licensed company) and enters into an agreement to open a brokerage account.
The investor deposits funds on the balance sheet (deposit).
Using special software, the client manages his funds. When a player needs to purchase a particular financial instrument, he creates a corresponding request to open a transaction (by phone, through a program or mobile application). The broker, in turn, confirms the operation. Then the investment amount and the intermediary’s commission are written off from the deposit, and a record appears on the client’s account confirming ownership of the paid financial assets.

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Withdrawal of funds

To withdraw funds, fill out the appropriate application in your “Personal Account”. Rubles are transferred free of charge to any bank, dollars and other currencies - only to Otkritie. Withdrawal to another financial institution is subject to a commission of 0.1%.

Individuals can apply for withdrawal of funds by telephone. In this case, the broker will transfer the money to the bank details specified in the client’s application form. This form of application is not provided for legal entities.

Withdrawal of funds from a brokerage account.

What is the difference from a regular account?

The main difference between a brokerage account and a regular one is that a bank account is opened by citizens to carry out settlement and cash transactions. A brokerage account is opened exclusively for concluding transactions on the stock exchange. Moreover, to open a bank account, an individual must personally contact the branch and provide the necessary documents.

In addition, Russians can open deposits in banks, the funds of which are protected by current legislation (up to 1.4 million rubles). Investors know in advance the percentage of profit and the shelf life of free money on deposit. While brokerage account returns are difficult to predict, they depend on the current stock market environment.

Which tariff plan should I choose?

The choice of tariff plan depends on the nature of your investment activity and the amount of available funds.

In terms of the number and frequency of transactions, an investor can be active or passive. Active investors carry out a large number of trading operations. This means that you need to choose a tariff with the lowest commission per transaction. Passive investors focus on long-term investments. For them, the key factor when choosing a company is the depository commission.

Difference from investment account

An individual investment account in Russia can be opened since 2015. Such an account is a special deposit through which an investor can purchase assets of government and commercial enterprises. Banks, brokers, and management companies can open such an account.

IIS also provides access to exchange trading, however, it provides for some restrictions and special tax benefits:

a client can open only one IIS and only with one broker;
During the year you can deposit no more than 1 million rubles;
To receive tax benefits, the minimum validity period of the account must be 3 years;
Only rubles can be credited to the account;
it is impossible to withdraw money without losing benefits before the end of the term;
access only to the Russian stock market (Moscow Exchange, St. Petersburg Exchange);
Tax benefits include deductions for income and deductions for contributions.

Where to trade

To start investing through BCS, you do not need large capital. You can enter the market with any amount. Through this broker, experienced investors can obtain qualified status and benefit from an expanded list of instruments.

You can open an account with BCS at your nearest office or remotely on the website. The company has 70 representative offices in all major cities of Russia. A complete list and addresses are available at the link. If you want to get a personal consultation from a company specialist, contact the office, write in the chat on the official website, or leave a request.

If you are not ready to immediately dive into investing, but just want to explore the broker’s capabilities, download the demo version of the brokerage account. 300,000 rubles are available on the virtual account, which can be “spent” on demo transactions: buy stocks, bonds, currencies and funds. Operations are available on three markets – derivatives, stock and foreign exchange.

Personal Area

After opening a bank account, as well as a brokerage account or IIS, you can start investing and conducting transactions. All clients are automatically connected to a personal account for banking and brokerage operations.

Access to your BCS-Online personal account is protected at two levels:

A password that each user comes up with himself.
An SMS code that is sent to the mobile phone specified in the individual’s application form during registration.

Users can access their personal account through a browser on any device with Internet access. Here clients can:

manage a bank account in BCS;
manage a brokerage account or individual investment account;
change currency at the exchange rate;
carry out operations on the derivatives and stock markets;
view account transactions;
order brokerage reports.

Access to your BCS-Online personal account is free for all clients who have brokerage and bank accounts.

Mobile application BCS World of Investments

A mobile application for conducting transactions on exchanges is the most popular option among users. Brokers understand this, so they pay close attention to its development. The BCS World of Investments mobile application for investors was one of the first to appear.

Over time, it has been transformed and updated. Now this is a completely different product compared to the first version. It has an intuitive multifunctional interface. Clients have been using the BCS application for 5 years, so it has many fewer problems than services that were launched not so long ago.

The BCS World of Investments application menu consists of 5 screens:

"Briefcase". Here you can view account information, exchange rates, assets and account balance. From this screen you can go to the “Deposit” and “Withdraw” tabs.

"Markets". Here you can see market quotes in real time. Any instruments, both Russian and foreign, can be added to “Favorites”. Or view ready-made solutions selected by the broker.
"For you". This screen contains investment ideas, popular securities and selections that may interest you.
"Connection". The tab is intended for communication - call back, chat with support service or contact the developer.
"More". This screen contains reports, documents, settings and terms of service. Here you can sign Form W8-BEN to reduce your tax rate on transactions in the US market, or apply to qualify as a qualified investor. Broker BCS helps in resolving these issues.

The BCS My Investments application contains all the opportunities for beginners and more experienced investors. You can place limit orders, set alerts and analyze the dynamics of security prices, which is important for traders and active investors.

The BCS mobile application for investments has a high rating on Google Play - 4.7 points, in the App Store - 4.6. The support service takes feedback very seriously, so both positive and negative user reviews do not go unnoticed.

Trading terminals

The BCS broker has several trading terminals for traders and experienced investors. These are QIUK, MetaTrader, WebQuik, TSLab platform, Tradematic Trader, Tradematic Strategy Trader, Trust Manager and others. To understand which option you need, request an online consultation with a broker or come to the office in person.

Some terminals are software for trust management, others are designed to automate trading in the derivatives and stock markets. There are also specialized mobile applications. For example, WebQuik is a mobile version of the terminal, adapted for trading through mobile devices with Internet access.

The most popular among BCS brokers are QUIK and MetaTrader - special trading terminals for transactions on exchanges. They look much more complex than a mobile application. Many novice investors will find this option inconvenient and confusing. However, for professional traders and experienced investors, the trading terminal is more suitable. QUIK from BCS is considered one of the most convenient and flexible, compared to the terminals of some other brokers.

You can download the program for trading on exchanges from the official website of the BCS broker. To log into the system you will need security keys, which can be obtained in your broker’s personal account. You will have to pay for using the terminal if your brokerage account holds less than 30 thousand rubles worth of assets for a month.

Why do you need a broker?

Why are brokers needed on the stock exchange and can a private investor do without intermediaries?

A stock broker provides investors with the organizational, legal and technical opportunity to enter the stock exchange and begin concluding purchase and sale transactions on the securities market. Brokers receive commissions for participating in stock exchange transactions on behalf of their clients.

Please note that only intermediary brokerage companies that have the appropriate license have the right to participate in trading. Thus, if a citizen decides to make money on the stock exchange, then it is impossible to do without the services of brokers.

Features of using BS

A brokerage account allows you to invest money in securities (stocks, bonds, etc.) and make money on it. The profitability of BS is often higher than that of traditional bank deposits, but the risks are also higher. It should be remembered that in exchange transactions, the client takes responsibility for successes and failures. The broker only carries out orders, and therefore cannot influence the profitability or unprofitability of transactions.

How can you make money with a working BS?

Let's say an investor (that is, the owner of the BS) purchases Google shares for a certain amount. Now he, as a shareholder, has the right to receive remuneration (dividends), if this is provided for in the company’s charter. When shares rise in price, you can sell them at a profit and earn income from the difference between past and current prices.

People whose profession is trading in the securities market are called traders. They are not interested in increasing their capital through smart investments, but prefer to earn income through fluctuations in the value of assets.

Investors, on the contrary, view the purchase of securities as a long-term investment. For them, buying stocks or bonds is another source of income (often passive). They have only one thing in common with traders - a brokerage account, without which transactions with securities are not possible.

Benefits of BS for individuals

Today the topic of brokerage accounts is especially popular. Regular deposits, despite the high level of financial security, bring almost no real income. Therefore, ordinary citizens are interested in investing through brokerage services. What are their advantages?

You can purchase securities of leading foreign companies, as well as large domestic giants. Shares allow you to receive dividends (passive income) or proceeds by reselling them at a higher price.
Income from bank accounts is slightly higher than annual inflation in the Russian Federation. When used correctly, BS allows you to achieve much more attractive indicators.
Assets with high liquidity avoid problems associated with resale.
Having shares in different companies guarantees a stable income.

What services does the broker offer?

The broker interacts with the client as follows:

the broker opens a special trading account for the client, from which the participant carries out activities on the exchange;
the intermediary, at the expense of the investor, in his interests and taking into account his wishes, can purchase and sell various financial instruments;
Based on his own decision and strategy, the client sends orders to buy or sell securities or currency, and the intermediary conducts the transaction;
the broker transfers the funds received from the transaction (after deducting the commission specified in the agreement) to the investor’s account;
the intermediary can also perform additional functions: current analytics, recommendations to the investor regarding trading strategy, checking documentation for compliance with the requirements of current legislation.

Stock brokers do not use their own funds; they manage the capital of their clients. At the same time, some investors prefer to formalize trust management and not go into the intricacies of stock trading. In such a situation, the intermediary independently makes decisions regarding the purchase or sale of assets.

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Service

Sberbank Broker allows any citizen with free savings to invest. The service will train you for free and help you model an idea for successful investments.

Sberbank has created a network of subsidiaries, each of which is responsible at a high professional level for a certain type of intermediary services.

Insurance Broker

Sberbank Insurance Broker LLC, having carried out a full analysis of possible financial risks, is ready to select the optimal insurance program. The company will help at all stages of obtaining insurance coverage from the initial consultation to the preparation of documents for insurance payment.

Credit broker

LLC “Real Estate Center from Sberbank” creates services and sells services in the field of real estate and support of mortgage lending transactions. The service brings together clients, bank employees and partners - reliable developers and commercial real estate agencies.

A modern online platform allows you to resolve the issue of purchasing real estate from the moment of filing an application until the moment of state registration of the transaction.

Trade broker

CJSC Sberbank-AST allows individuals, entrepreneurs and corporations to participate in electronic trading both as a seller and as a customer. Available in the automated bidding system:

participation in auctions for the implementation of state and municipal orders;
sale of property of enterprises in bankruptcy status;
sale, privatization or rental of property;
selection of contractors for major repairs;
objective monitoring of the market by pricing.

Investment broker

JSC “Sberbank CIB” has focused the entire range of corporate and investment business carried out by Sberbank:

lending to company employees;
making payments in the form of letters of credit and collection, carrying out guarantee operations;
investment banking services;
transactions for the purchase and sale of securities;
own investments.

In the Sberbank CIB service you can use any analytical product, including expert market reviews:

issue-grade securities;
bonds;
industries;
investments.

Sberbank, having assumed the functions of a founder, exercises control over the activities of subsidiaries and:

provides the opportunity to enter into agreements for opening brokerage accounts;
provides servicing of open brokerage accounts.

Earnings on a brokerage account

To make money on financial assets on the stock exchange, you need to have certain knowledge and approach transactions in a balanced and calm manner. Otherwise, investing available funds may be associated with serious losses and constant worry.

When purchasing assets, you need to analyze various factors: the financial statements of the issuing company, the global situation in the world, market development prospects, social signals and much more.

The main ways to make money on securities:

Earnings on an increase - purchasing certain financial instruments at a low price and then selling them at a higher price.
Making money on a decline is the purchase of securities on credit from a broker for the purpose of selling at the current price. After the exchange rate falls, the financial instrument is purchased and the transaction is closed. The purchased assets are returned to the intermediary to repay the loan, and the account holder makes a profit due to the difference in value.
Payment of dividends – the company’s net profit received at the end of the reporting period is distributed among shareholders, and the amount of payments depends on the financial result.

If experience and knowledge are not enough to successfully play on the stock exchange, you can transfer your savings to traders for management. In this case, professionals will independently make transactions and receive a percentage of the profits. Be that as it may, it must be remembered that the manager is not responsible for possible losses, and all risks will fall solely on the shoulders of the investor.

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What trading terminals are used

Otkritie offers customers a choice of 2 terminals:

MetaTrader 5 from MetaQuotes Software Corp.;
QUIK 7 from ARQA Technologies (Novosibirsk).

The first option is more suitable for beginners.

Its advantages:

Intuitive interface.
A large number of training materials and tools.
Wide range of timeframes.

QUIK is used by experienced traders.

It has the following advantages:

Flexible settings that allow you to optimize the application to suit your needs.
Enhanced protection.
Performance.
Ability to export data to other applications.

Both terminals are provided free of charge only in 1 copy.

For each additional monthly subscription fee (RUB):

MT 5 - 182;
QUIK - 121.

Where is the best place to open a brokerage account?

Today, individuals and legal entities can open a brokerage account with a Russian bank or an appropriate intermediary company. Signs of a reliable broker are:

availability of a license from the Central Bank - a document that allows an organization to carry out transactions with securities (you can check the availability of a license on the official website of the regulator);
history – a broker operating for more than 15 years is quite resistant to economic shocks and crises (study the intermediary’s reporting, view its website, read customer reviews);
Moscow Exchange rating - companies in the top ten are likely to exist on the market for many more decades.

The TOP 10 brokers serve about 95% of active clients on the exchange.
According to the Moscow Exchange, the leaders in terms of the number of players and the volume of transactions are the following organizations: TOP 10 brokers

Company name	Number of active clients	Short description
Sberbank	>61800	Open a brokerage account, select ready-made ideas from analysts in the Sberbank Investor mobile application and monitor the results online.
Tinkoff	>57300	Purchasing securities from a Tinkoff card (11,000 securities from around the world in the catalogue). The best investment service in the world (according to Global Finance).
VTB	>36800	Owners of brokerage accounts and individual investment accounts have access to exclusive, current investment ideas and professional analytics on financial markets, economic sectors, and individual companies.
FG BKS	>24600	BKS Company LLC is one of the leaders among Russian brokers in terms of the number of clients receiving brokerage services. Over the past 3 years, their number has tripled.
IC "FINAM"	>24200	Select the most effective strategies, get data on the best trades, work on the world's largest platforms, consult with experienced traders.
"FC Otkritie"	>21900	There are many solutions and services available to clients. They are suitable for everyone: professional investors and beginners who are taking their first steps in the financial markets.
Alfa Bank	>10700	An individual investment strategy specifically tailored to your goals and the widest selection of investment instruments.
Alfa Capital Management Company	>10200	27 years in the asset management market. Use the robo-advising service and create your own investment portfolio
Promsvyazbank	>4300	Access to the stock section (bonds, shares), derivatives section (options and futures contracts), foreign exchange market (rubles, euros, dollars). Free maintenance, analytical and technical support.
Bank GPB	>3300	Access to leading trading platforms, placement of assets in fixed income instruments, support by a personal consultant, provision of investment recommendations.

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Sberbank Investor from the broker Sberbank: what's good about it

There has been a steady trend in the market towards simplifying customer access to the exchange. Leading brokers try to make the process of opening a brokerage account and trading as convenient and understandable as possible. And, of course, Sberbank, the largest broker, is also no exception.

Previously, in order to conclude an agreement for brokerage and depository services, it was necessary to come to the office, but now this can be done online, without leaving home. Just a few years ago it was impossible to make a single transaction without mastering the QUIK program, the interface of which scared away beginners, and the process of installing and configuring this terminal discouraged anyone from investing.

Now many brokers have convenient and intuitive mobile applications that everyone can understand. The most publicized of them is Tinkoff Investments from Tinkoff Broker, but Alfa-Bank, Otkritie, VTB etc. The topic of today's article will be the Sberbank Investor mobile application.

We will look at the mechanism for opening a brokerage account with Sberbank, replenishing it, purchasing securities and currency, and withdrawing funds to a bank account. We will also dwell on some of the features of an individual investment account with Sberbank, analyze commissions, and identify advantages and disadvantages. As an example, we will buy 1000 US dollars using the Sberbank Investor application.

Before reading the article, it will be useful to refresh your memory of reviews of other brokers: Otkritie (considered purchasing currency through QUIK), Alfa Direct (purchasing currency using the Alfa Direct terminal), Promsvyazbank (purchasing OFZ via webQUIK), and also Tinkoff Broker with their Tinkoff Investments mobile application.

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Brokerage account in Sberbank. Advantages

1 Easy to open a brokerage account with Sberbank.

The easiest way is to open a brokerage account with Sberbank through Sberbank Online. To gain access to Sberbank Online, you need to have some kind of Sber card. SberCard has simple conditions for free service (free for purchases over 5,000 rubles/month or with a minimum balance of 20,000 rubles, as well as when receiving a pension, salary, or simply for people of retirement age).

GET A SBERCARD

The “Open brokerage account” button is hidden in the “Other” – “Brokerage Services” section:

Next, we select the markets we are interested in: Stock (for buying/selling shares, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, depositary receipts), Foreign Exchange (for buying/selling dollars and euros) and Futures (for buying/selling futures and options. This market is considered high-risk, so beginners shouldn’t go there right away).

It’s better to check all the boxes, even if you don’t need something at the moment, in case you need it later. Sberbank does not have a service fee if there are no transactions.

Then you need to choose one of two tariffs, “Investment” or “Independent”; connecting to both tariff plans is free. The “Investment” tariff sets a single commission for transactions on the stock section of the Moscow Exchange at 0.3%. On the “Independent” tariff, the commission for transactions is lower; for a turnover of up to 50,000 rubles/day it will be 0.165%, for a turnover of 50,000 to 500,000 rubles. — 0.125%, with high turnover the commission is even lower. Owners of the “Investment” tariff pay an increased commission for the opportunity to subscribe to analytical reviews by the Sberbank team. Commissions for transactions on the Derivatives Market (0.5 rubles per contract and 10 rubles for forced closure of a position) and on the Currency section (0.3%) are the same on both tariffs:

UPD: 04/16/2019 From April 1, Sberbank significantly reduced the commission for transactions on the Moscow Exchange at the “Independent” tariff. Now with a daily turnover of up to 1 million rubles. the commission for a transaction on the Stock section will be 0.06%, with a turnover of 1 million rubles. up to 50 million rubles - 0.035%. In the Currency section, the commission was reduced from 0.3% to 0.2%.

Both tariffs have a depository fee (for storing securities), which amounts to 149 rubles/month. (charged if there were transactions for the purchase or sale of securities in a given month; if there were no such transactions on the stock market, then there is no commission).

UPD: 09/06/2019 Since September, Sberbank announced the abolition of the commission for depository services of 149 rubles/month:

I chose the Self-Paid plan. Next, you need to specify accounts for withdrawing funds from the brokerage account. For these purposes, it is better to open savings accounts with Sberbank Online, from which you can withdraw funds without commission, without keeping track and without restrictions on amounts. You can also specify card accounts, and before cashing out, you can independently transfer funds to savings accounts. Sberbank has not implemented the withdrawal of funds from a brokerage account to accounts in other banks:

At the next step, you can prohibit Sberbank from using its securities for overnight transactions, i.e. do not lend them to the bank. If allowed, we will receive additional income up to 2% per annum:

I noted that I was not interested in receiving additional income, let my papers be with me. If a broker goes bankrupt, nothing will happen to the securities that are in the depository, they will simply need to be transferred to another depository, but with the securities that were lent to the broker, everything will be much more complicated. In this case, you will have to scratch out your papers as part of the bankruptcy procedure, and it is quite possible that you will not see them again. However, the probability of bankruptcy of Sberbank tends to zero.

Using borrowed funds from a broker for trading very often leads to losing the deposit. I recommend using only your own funds for trading, no leverage, so do not check the box “I want to use borrowed funds for the stock market”:

Sberbank offers to open an individual investment account (IIA) at the same time. I already have it opened with another broker, and one person can only have one IIS, so I noted that I do not need an IIS in Sberbank:

Then we check personal data (they are entered automatically), indicate the purpose of opening a brokerage account (for example, “to save savings” or “to receive additional income”) and confirm that we are a tax resident of the Russian Federation only. Next, you need to click on the “Submit application” button and confirm with the SMS password:

Now all that remains is to wait, Sberbank promises to open a brokerage account within 2 business days:

The next day, Sberbank sent an SMS stating that the brokerage account had been opened and provided the contract code (which will be the login for logging into the Sberbank Investor application); the second SMS sent a temporary password.

2 Free trading terminal.

Next, we choose the method by which we will make transactions.

You can install the QUIK program on your PC:

You don’t have to install anything and use the browser version of webQUIK from any computer:

You can use the QUIK mobile application:

Today we will be interested in the Sberbank Investor mobile application, which is specially designed for beginners ( the fairly detailed instructions fit into only 28 pages, most of which are pictures). There are no tricks to install, you just need to download the application from Google Play or the App Store. When you first log in, you need to change the sent password to your own, the login is the contract code.

The beauty of the Sberbank broker is that all methods of submitting orders are free, and you can use all of them at the same time.

3 Quick replenishment of a brokerage account.

You can top up your brokerage account with rubles at Sberbank Online, but to top up with currency you will have to walk to the branch:

Replenishment of a brokerage account in Sber Internet Bank is carried out from the “Other” – “Brokerage Services” section (we also submitted an application for opening a brokerage account there).

We want to buy dollars for rubles, so in the “Trading platform” column there should be a foreign exchange market, the replenishment amount in our case is 68,000 rubles, the operation will need to be confirmed using an SMS password:

4 Purchase of currency/securities using Sberbank Investor.

Open the Sberbank Investor application. In the “My Accounts” section (the wallet icon should be active at the bottom of the screen) we see that our 68,000 rubles. have already been enrolled (literally a few minutes have passed since the replenishment).

We click on the “Market” icon (next to the “My Accounts” icon) and a section opens in front of us, in which all transactions are made on the exchange (in the screenshot below, the “Shares” section is active). We are interested in currency, so we click on this tab.

We need dollars, and quickly, so we click on the USDRUB_TOD instrument (when making a transaction on USDRUB_TOM, the currency will be delivered only on the next business day):

We see the current exchange price - 65.6625 rubles. for a dollar, click “Buy”:

When you click on the “Sell” or “Buy” button on any instrument (not only on currency, but also when trying to make transactions with stocks, bonds, ETFs, etc.). the system will request a password from SMS (this way you won’t be able to accidentally make a transaction by clicking the wrong button, and it also increases security).

We've finally reached the final step. In order for the currency purchase transaction to be completed at the current exchange price, check the “By market” checkbox (the order is taken with a margin of 0.3% of the current price, but it will still be executed at the best price. This is done in case of slight fluctuations in the price for While we are entering all the data, the stock market reserve is taken at 2%). If you do not check this box, you can set your order price, the transaction will be completed when the market price reaches it.

We indicate the number of lots we need (minimum 1 lot, which corresponds to 1000 units of currency, in our case $1000) and click “Buy”, then confirm the operation.

That's all, our transaction was completed at the current exchange price of 65.66 rubles. for one dollar, i.e. we bought 1000 dollars for 65,660 rubles.

The mechanism for purchasing securities is no different from purchasing currency. Transactions and orders can be viewed in the “Orders” section (the clock-shaped icon at the bottom of the screen must be active):

The usual commission for a transaction in the currency section is 0.3% + 25 rubles (exchange commission for a transaction of less than 50 lots). Until March 31, Sber forgives its commission of 0.3%. As a result, purchasing currency cost us 25 rubles in exchange commission (it was 68,000 rubles, we spent 65,660 on currency, 25 rubles on exchange commission, 2,315 rubles remained):

The real purchase rate was 65,685 rubles. per dollar, if we take into account a commission of 0.3% (197 rubles), which will be in effect from April 2022, then the real exchange rate will be 65.882 rubles. for 1 dollar.

It turned out to be much more profitable than buying currency at a Sberbank branch (at that time the rate was 67.17):

In the Otkritie Internet bank the rate was 66.27:

Alfa offered to buy dollars at Alfa Click for 66 rubles:

Zolotaya Korona
currency exchange service and the Corn currency wallet offered a rate of 65.91:

BCS Bank came closest to Sber with a rate of 65.85:

In general, buying currency through the Sberbank Investor application looks quite attractive, and during the promotional period for eliminating commissions there is no competition at all.

UPD: 09/04/2020 In August 2022, the broker Sberbank had the opportunity to buy/sell foreign shares (including on IIS), however, not for dollars on the St. Petersburg Exchange, but for rubles on the Moscow Exchange. Tariffs are similar to those for Russian securities. There are no hidden commissions or fees. Quotes will be maintained by the market maker, so you don’t have to worry about the relevance of the price:

Initially, 19 of the most liquid shares of large issuers (including Amazon, Visa, Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, Alphabet, etc.) are available for trading; this list will gradually expand:

But dividends will be paid in dollars. Taxation on divas is the same as when purchasing shares on the St. Petersburg Exchange: either 30% automatically without signing Form W-8BEN (serves to confirm that you are not a tax resident in the United States), or when signing it, 10% automatically and 3% independently by filling out the declaration:

For long-term ownership (more than 3 years), the tax benefit will also apply to foreign shares purchased on the Moscow Exchange.

All details about the mechanism for trading foreign shares can be found in the corresponding section on the Moscow Exchange website.

1500 rub. for a credit card from OTP Bank, 1000 rubles. for a free Cashback card from Raiffeisenbank, 2000 rubles. for “100 days without %” from Alfa-Bank with a free year, 1,500 rubles. for Tinkoff Black, 4000 rub. for Tinkoff Platinum, 500 rub. for “EVERYTHING is possible” from Rosbank, 500 rubles. for “Benefit” from Home Credit, 3,000 rubles. for Opencard, 8000 rub. for Citi Select, 1000 rub. for “110 days without interest” from Raiffeisenbank with free cash withdrawal and free service.

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5 Withdrawing money to a bank account without commission.

Withdrawal of funds from a Sberbank brokerage account to your accounts in Sberbank is carried out without commission. In the Sberbank Investor application, withdrawal requests are submitted from the “Other” - “Withdrawals” section, where you just need to indicate the required amounts (in our case it is 1000 US dollars and the remaining 2315 rubles) and confirm the operation:

Sber reports that the money will reach the bank no later than the next business day, but in fact, by the evening they were showing off in savings accounts, completely ready for cashing:

6 No commission for inactivity.

Sberbank does not have a subscription fee for maintaining a brokerage account or for any additional services (for example, for a trading terminal), so no transactions - no commission.

7 Possibility of opening an IIS.

An individual investment account with Sberbank is opened in exactly the same way as a regular brokerage account (Sber just offered us to open one); the method of purchasing securities and commissions are no different from a regular brokerage account.

IIS in Sberbank does not have to be replenished immediately upon opening, it may well remain zero until hour X (for example, until replenishment at the end of the third year and the beginning of the fourth and subsequent receipt of two deductions, read more in the article “How to open an IIS and buy OFZ. We calculate the profitability bonds" ).

On the Sberbank IIS, you can make sure that coupons and dividends are credited not to the IIS itself, but directly to a bank account.

8 Reliability of the broker.

Funds in brokerage accounts are not covered by DIA insurance, so it is better to choose reliable brokers.
Of course, there are no objective criteria for reliability, but at the moment it is extremely difficult to believe that something can happen to Sberbank. “Big money” trusts Sberbank; it is interesting to look at Sberbank’s deposit line for extra premium clients, where the minimum deposit amount is RUB 300,000,000.

9 A large number of Sberbank branches.

Brokerage services are provided only in some Sberbank offices , however, for regular replenishment of a brokerage account, as well as cashing out funds, any Sberbank branch is suitable.

10 Brokerage account balances are accounted for in Sberbank Premier.

From the fall of 2022, in order to fulfill the criteria for the freeness of the Sberbank Premier (the main benefits are unlimited passes to business lounges under the Priority Pass program and free insurance for the whole family when traveling together, including trips around Russia), the balances in the brokerage account are also taken into account, opened in Sberbank (including IIS). The required amounts for Moscow are at least 2.5 million rubles. or the equivalent in foreign currency on the last day of the month, for regions - 1.5 million rubles.

UPD: 07/08/2021

11 No commission for transactions with your own mutual funds.

Under the management of Sber Asset Management, there are currently 6 exchange-traded mutual funds ( more details here ), which can be bought or sold without a standard transaction commission (0.06% on the “Independent” tariff and 0.3% on the “Investment” tariff) , you will only need to pay the exchange commission (0.01%). A trifle, of course, but nice :) In addition, from July 1, 2022, commissions for transactions have been temporarily canceled for all other mutual funds and ETFs available on the Moscow Exchange.

BPIF is a Russian analogue of ETF, but with a simpler structure (you can read about the features of this instrument in the article “Sberbank Exchange-Traded Mutual Fund SBMX: the first Russian ETF”). The essence of the work of ETFs from the outside looks very simple and clear: ETF funds invest in any set of stocks, bonds or other assets according to a pre-thought-out algorithm that allows them to expect profitability. These funds then issue their own shares, which we can buy on the stock exchange. The cost of one such share is equal to the cost of the acquired assets divided by the number of shares issued.

For its work in following the algorithm, the ETF fund (BPIF) receives a small commission from buyers of its shares (the commission is not charged at once, but is taken into account in the price of the shares). If the instrument in which the ETF invests grows, then the price of our share increases proportionally.

Brokerage account in Sberbank. Flaws

1 High commissions for transactions and depository services.

Sberbank's commission for transactions with small turnovers is quite high, in fact, it is because of this that everyone has the main complaints against the broker. For example, at VTB the commission for a transaction on the stock market is 0.0413% (+105 rubles/month for the depository if there are transactions and 1 lot of VTB shares, if there are no VTB shares, then it will be 150 rubles. /month) versus 0.165-0.125% for Sber (+149 rubles per month, in which there were transactions on the stock market, for depot), for PSB - 0.05% (+ since the fall of 2022 a small commission for compensation has appeared services of higher-level depositories, on average amounts to several rubles per month), at Alpha - 0.06% (+0.04% per year per depository), at Otkritie 0.057% (+ 10 rubles / month per depository , + there is also a commission for assets less than 50,000 rubles). Tinkoff Broker’s “Investor” tariff has a commission of 0.3% + 99 rubles/month in which there were transactions.

For the purchase of currency from Sberbank you have to pay 0.3%, from PSB for the purchase of currency worth more than the equivalent of 100,000 rubles. the commission is set at 0.1%; at Otkritie, on the “Conversion” tariff, the commission is 0.03875% + 0.02% for withdrawing currency to a bank account.

UPD: 04/16/2019 Since April 2022, Sberbank has had quite competitive tariffs for brokerage services; of course, I would like them to be a little lower.

Now with a daily turnover of up to 1 million rubles. the commission for a transaction on the Stock section will be 0.06%, with a turnover of 1 million rubles. up to 50 million rubles - 0.035%. In the Currency section, the commission was reduced from 0.3% to 0.2%.

UPD: 09/06/2019 From September 2022, the depository commission is 149 rubles/month. has been cancelled.

2 Unstable operation of the Sberbank Investor application.

Similar to the Tinkoff Investments application, the stability of the Sberbank Investor application also leaves much to be desired, although there are still an order of magnitude fewer similar reviews about Sber than about Tinkoff. Basically, problems are observed during serious movements in the market.

Stationary QUIK in Sberbank may also be slow:

3 Poor support service.

I decided to write a simple question to the support chat in the Sberbank Investor application, but I still did not receive an answer by the end of the day. The call to support was also unsuccessful, I was just tired of listening to music for 20 minutes and waiting for the operator to respond. Judging by the reviews, I’m not the only one who has encountered similar problems:

4 There is no access to the St. Petersburg Exchange.

It is not possible to buy foreign shares on the St. Petersburg Exchange through Sberbank Broker; Sber does not provide access to this platform.

5 There is no order book in the Sberbank Investor application.

The Sberbank Investor application, of course, is designed for beginners, but who said that beginners don’t need to see the order book when making transactions? If this is not so relevant for the purchase of highly liquid shares, then for bonds it is simply necessary to estimate the volume of supply and demand. Otherwise, if you need to buy a large volume, the transaction may go through at very unpleasant prices, since there simply will not be the required number of securities at adequate prices and orders placed “for a fool” will work.

However, at Sberbank you can always view the glass in another terminal, for example webQUIK. Tinkoff doesn’t pamper its clients like that; there’s nothing there yet other than the Tinkoff Investments app.

6 You cannot buy Eurobonds through the terminal.

In the Sberbank trading terminal, you cannot buy Eurobonds on the Moscow Exchange, in which 1 lot is equal to $1000 (for example, Rus-28, VEB Eurobonds, you can read about them in detail in the article “Eurobonds as an alternative to a foreign currency deposit: pros and cons” ). Sber offers to buy Eurobonds only on the over-the-counter market.

7 Imposition of trust management.

A self-managed brokerage account is opened through Sberbank Online or in special offices of Sberbank ; in regular branches you will receive trust management from Sberbank Asset Management, even if you say that you need a self-managed brokerage account.

Conclusion In large cities, it is difficult for Sberbank to compete with other brokers; Sberbank’s usual commissions for transactions and for depository services are still higher, even despite their reduction from April 1, 2022. But in small cities, Sberbank has few competitors, especially when investing large sums Sberbank broker is well suited for the “buy and forget” strategy.

It’s convenient that Sberbank has a debit “Sbercard” with simple terms of free service and large cash withdrawal limits.

GET A SBERCARD

The Sberbank Investor mobile application seemed to me quite convenient and functional.

When we first open the application, the system enthusiastically encourages us to invest without professional knowledge:

The apparent ease of opening a brokerage account and making transactions creates the illusion that if we just buy something to suit our tastes or follow some investment idea, unprecedented wealth awaits us.

In reality, everything is, of course, not so rosy. Any business has its own subtleties and nuances, so it’s simply dangerous to enter the stock exchange without initial knowledge; you need to have at least a minimal understanding of the stock exchange and securities. Before entering the stock exchange, I recommend, at a minimum, familiarizing yourself with the “Invest” on the “Store Money!” website, you should start with articles about IIS and OFZ , about currency exchange on the stock exchange , then familiarize yourself with ETFs , with methods for selecting stocks , then you can slowly move on to the derivatives market . It would also be a good idea to watch some webinars on investing, which are organized by almost every broker. Free or low-cost courses are sometimes taught by private, experienced investors (you can find them on the website of the Red Compass ).

I hope my article was useful to you; write about any clarifications and additions in the comments.

You can follow updates in this and other articles on the Telegram channel: @hranidengi .

Due to the blocking of Telegram, a channel mirror was created in TamTam (a messenger from Mail.ru Group with similar functionality): tt.me/hranidengi .

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Brokerage account rates

The cost of servicing a brokerage account consists of the following types of expenses:

one-time commission for opening an account (many brokers have stopped charging fees and open accounts for free);
exchange commission – percentage of daily turnover;
monthly commission for no transactions on the brokerage account (it is recommended to find a broker who does not charge such a fee or has set an acceptable commission);
fee for purchase and sale transactions of certain financial assets - a certain percentage of the daily turnover;
depository commission for storage and accounting of acquired financial assets (about a couple of hundred rubles per month);
payment to the broker for using the software for making transactions on the stock exchange, as well as for access to various information and analytical services.

As an example, consider FC Otkritie, which offers its clients to open an account for the purchase of shares, bonds, and currency for any period and any amount. Thus, if the value of portfolios within an individual’s investment account at the end of the reporting period is up to 50 thousand rubles, the minimum broker’s remuneration will be 295 rubles per month.

How to choose a reliable broker?

To avoid making a mistake when choosing a broker, you need to answer the following questions:

What amount is planned to be invested through the BS? Many brokerage companies set a minimum entry threshold. Usually this is from 30 to 50 thousand rubles, but in some cases they are asked to deposit at least 100 thousand.
How often do you plan to sell and buy securities? Since a broker's income directly depends on commissions for performing transactions, many companies set a minimum transaction amount.
Do you need access to foreign exchanges? You often have to pay extra for additional features.

Be sure to check for a license - without it, the company does not have the right to enter the financial markets. Since 2013, all licenses have been issued by the Bank of Russia. As a rule, this document is publicly available on the broker’s official website. It would be a good idea to check the authenticity of the license on the regulator’s website.

Another important point is the reliability rating. It is designated by the first letters of the Latin alphabet (from AAA+ to D). When choosing, focus on brokers not lower than BB-, and if financial capabilities allow, then only with indicators A. You can make sure that the broker has not inflated the rating on the website of the National Rating Agency.

And finally, ask how conveniently the interaction between the broker and the investor is organized:

is it possible to open an account remotely;
what methods of replenishment and withdrawal of funds are supported;
is there Internet trading, is it possible to dictate the type and conditions of the transaction over the phone;
whether a management consultancy service is provided;
How disputes are resolved.

Remember, an honest broker does not promise guaranteed amounts of income - this is not in his competence. All risks associated with the turnover of securities are borne by the owner of the BS.

Training from broker BCS Investments

All newcomers to the issue of investment can undergo training from the BCS broker, in the “Investment 101” mobile application. The application is free and publicly available on the Play Market.

When registering, you can independently set the level of difficulty - beginner, experienced or professional. And also choose topics:

stock,
investment,
bonds,
financial planning,
trading,
world markets,
derivatives market,
currency,
ETF,
trading platforms,
IIS,
FOREX;
Mutual funds and trust management,
precious metals.

The application contains free and paid courses. When you complete free courses and successfully pass tests, you are awarded special points that can be used when paying for paid courses. Training programs are compiled by BCS broker experts taking into account the real experience and needs of students.

The courses consist of video lessons and notes. The rating of the “Investing 101” application is not too high - only 3.4 points. The majority of users refer to malfunctions on certain devices or intrusive advertising after registering in the application. Here, too, not a single comment is left without feedback. Broker BKS compares favorably with many other mobile application developers.

Broker BCS teaches not only through the application. He conducts face-to-face classes and online webinars for investors and traders of varying backgrounds. The schedule of upcoming courses and their brief descriptions are available at this link. Classes can be selected according to several parameters:

deadline;
formats – seminars, webinars or BKS-Live;
payments - paid or free;
to the speaker.

All previous programs and courses are collected in the archive. You can view them without leaving the broker’s website.

In addition, BCS publishes educational materials that will help you understand the topic of investing and markets. The company's blog contains analyzes and analytical articles for clients with different experiences. Here you can explore the “Personal Experience” section, where first-person stories of BCS clients are published.

The broker also has a separate information training portal BCS Express, which contains many articles for beginners and more experienced investors.

Advantages and disadvantages of cooperation

When collaborating with BCS, clients note both advantages and disadvantages, but there are significantly more advantages than disadvantages. Main advantages:

one of the first brokers in the Russian Federation, which has been operating on the market for 26 years;
access to American and international exchanges;
convenient application interface;
instant changes in quotes and execution of transactions during stock exchange opening hours;
remote submission of an application for a brokerage account;
access to the account and transactions are possible within 5 minutes after the application is approved;
demo version for training beginners;
a special application for teaching trading and investing;
free replenishment of brokerage accounts in various ways;
ready-made strategies that can be followed without special knowledge and without being too immersed in the market;
a single brokerage account from which you can trade in different currencies and on all available exchanges;
high level of broker reliability according to rating agencies - AAA;
availability of feedback via several remote channels - chat, telephone, special form.

Broker BCS has a hotline for calls from investors - 8 800 500 55 45. Also, all clients can fill out a feedback form and receive personal advice. To do this, you will need to indicate the subject, name, phone, email and state your question.

Disadvantages of cooperation with a BCS broker:

technical failures in the operation of applications and terminals, although they are not very frequent compared to many other brokers that have recently entered the market;
reduction in service level and intrusive advertising;
paid withdrawal of currency from a brokerage account.

According to current clients, the BCS broker is losing ground a little and is beginning to cede leadership to its closest competitors, who are conducting aggressive advertising and attracting many more new clients. But he still manages to be among the top 5 companies in terms of the number of clients who conduct transactions on the Moscow Exchange.