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Tiger Brokers Review: Affordable and Comprehensive Brokerage Platform

It has been more than 1 year since the launch of REIT Pulse. Despite sharing a number of REIT investing guides and analyses into the Singapore and Malaysia market, we have received a number of DMs and queries on how to get started. Choosing and selecting the right brokerage platform can be a daunting task with a vast number of choices available. Hence, in this article, we will be discussing and sharing our views on Tiger Brokers, one of the best investment brokerage platforms that will help you get started on your REIT journey.

This is particularly interesting for those who are looking to invest in REITs in foreign markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, United States, Australia and etc. As an investor, there are few factors that are key in deciding which brokerage to choose.

  • Affordable Fees
  • Accessibility to Global Markets
  • Comprehensive Platform
  • Regulated and Reliable Platform

We have been using Tiger Brokers for a while now and it has been an amazing experience. To those who are new to online investing, we hope the remaining part of this post will help you decide if Tiger Brokers is for you. Finally, at the end of the article, we will share more information on how you can get 1 FREE Grab share by opening and funding your account.

Gettting to know Tiger Brokers

Tiger Brokers started out as a startup based in Beijing back in June 2014. Tiger Brokers allows investors to trade various instruments such as stocks, ETFs, futures, options, and warrants across multiple public exchanges worldwide.

They are backed by a prestigious group of shareholders, including Interactive Brokers, Xiaomi, ZhenFund, and noted investor Jim Rogers. Not only that, Tiger Brokers has also been recognized for its innovative trading platform and has been named to KPMG’s Fintech 100 and C.B. Insights’ List of Unicorn Companies.

Despite being only founded in 2014, they are already profitable and have been listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol TIGR. Tiger Brokers has offices in Singapore, New York, Beijing, Auckland, and Sydney.

Today, Tiger Brokers is one of the rising brokerage firms due to its competitive pricing.

Is Tiger Brokers reliable and regulated?

The key question is whether Tiger Brokers is reliable and regulated. The last thing we want is to invest our hard-earned money into a platform that is unregulated or unreliable.

When it comes to the reliability and regulatory aspects of Tiger Brokers, investors can have peace of mind. Just looking at operations nearby, Tiger Brokers is well regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and is licensed to operate in Singapore as a Capital Markets Services provider. 

Apart from that, they presently hold brokerage licenses in The U.S., New Zealand, and Australia. Hence, investors can be sure that Tiger Brokers is a brokerage that is well regulated by proper authorities.

You can read more about its regulatory information over at the Tiger Brokers website.

What About Stock Custody and Security?

Investments made via Tiger Brokers are held through a trust account on your behalf by a custodian bank or brokerage firm. Depending on the market they operate in, Tiger Brokers may engage a different licensed brokerage firm to help manage your investments. These brokerage firms are regulated by the authorities in the US, Hong Kong and Singapore.

This means that there is proper segregation of clients’ capital and assets apart from Tiger Brokers’ own funds. Unlike some other brokerages operating in Singapore, Tiger Brokers does not have a custodian license and relies on a third-party broker or bank for asset custody requirements.

  • Investors’ Capital: Deposited with DBS Bank Ltd
  • Investors’ Assets:
    • Singapore Stocks: Held by DBS Custodian Bank
    • US Stocks: Held by Interactive Brokers
    • HK Stocks: Held by Interactive Broker

Features of Tiger Brokers

Let’s look at some of the key features of Tiger Brokers which do not disappoint.

  • Exposure to multiple stock exchanges globally such as:
    • Singapore Stock Exchange
    • NASDAQ
    • New York Stock Exchange
    • American Stock Exchange
    • Hong Kong Stock Exchange
    • Shenzhen Stock Excange
    • Shanghai Stock Exchange
    • Australia Stock Exchange
  • Various financial instruments such as options and futures.
  • Options to invest through desktop and mobile.
  • 100% online account opening & management.
  • Modern user interface allows you to view real-time market data seamlessly.
  • Fully customizable indicators enable clients to analyze the market easily.

Access to information

Another key aspect that deserves a section of its own is the vast amount of research and resources that are available to investors. Investors have access to multiple levels of information which is sort of similar to TD Ameritrade. This is a crucial feature as it keeps investors informed.

Daily Stock News and Aggregator

Over at the “overall news” aggregator tab, the platform aggregates daily breaking news for investors. This is perfect for getting at a quick overview of daily news in various markets. The amazing part is that you can even create a stock watchlist and aggregate news from the list.

Stock Information

Apart from that, investors can also gain access to stock-related information that will help investors get to know the stock better. Information such as stock price, financial ratios, charts, analysis, and financial statements are easy to locate.

Not only that, the platform also aggregates all news at the stock level to help investors learn more about the specific stock and its exposure to current events.

Fees and Comparison (BEST Pricing in the market)

MarketsTiger Brokers FeesRemarks
US MarketUS 0.01 per share (Minimum amount: US$ 1.99)One of the best after TD Ameritrade (0 commission on shares). However, the account opening process can be lengthy and slow.
HK Market0.06% of the value (Minimum of HKD 15/trade)Best rate in the market as per our research at the time of writing.
– POEMS: 0.08% (Minimum HKD 30/trade)
– Interactive Brokers: 0.08% of trade value (Minimum HKD 18/ trade)
AU Market0.1% of the value (Minimum of AUD 8 /trade)Interactive Brokers offers a slightly more competitive rate
– Interactive Brokerage: 0.08% of trade value (Minimum of AUD 6/ trade)
SG Market0.08% of the value (No minimum)One of the best with no minimum fee. Most brokerage charge a minimum fee.
– POEMS: 0.08% (No minimum)
China Market0.06% of the value (Minimum of CNH 15/trade)Best rate in the market as per our research at the time of writing.
– Interactive Brokers: 0.08% of trade value (Minimum CHN 15/ trade)
Check out Tiger Brokers Pricing table to learn more about their fee structure

From the table above, Tiger Brokers offers some of the most competitive pricing in the market. You can read more about their pricing structure.

Opening your account

Setting up your brokerage account is fairly simple. For those who are residing in Singapore, Tiger Brokers has integration with Singapass and MyInfo which allow you to open an account in under 15 minutes. However, for those who choose to do it manually or are residing elsewhere, here’s the information you’ll need depending on your location.

This is a fairly simple and straightforward process with clear gudiance on the process.

Funding your account

Funding your account can be a slightly complicated process. For individuals with a Singapore bank account, this is a fairly simple and cost-effective process. You can fund your account through a Singapore bank account with ZERO FEES.

If you are funding your account from a non-Singapore bank account, Tiger Brokers currently only accepts bank transfers and telegraphic transfers to deposit funds. Depending on the mode of transfer, this will take anywhere up to 3 days but do note that the deposits will only be processed during working hours.

Should you consider Tiger Brokers?

Now that you have learned more about the platform, should you consider Tiger Brokers? Based on our experience, there are definitely some improvement areas that we wish to see from Tiger Brokers. Nevertheless, Tiger Brokers is no doubt one of the best brokerage platforms out there in our opinion.

They offer some of the most competitive rates in the market which give investors exposure to global exchanges (though would be great if they expanded to offer more exchanges). Tiger Brokers is not an unknown brokerage firm which was launched overnight. They are licensed and heavily regulated. Not only that, the platform offers amazing resources that would complement your overall investment experience.

PROMO: 1 FREE Grab Share, Get SGD 88 and Commission Free Trades for limited time

If you find this useful and are planning to open an account, do consider using our referral link with promo code “REITPULSE“. Tiger Brokers are currently offering a deal of a lifetime which you might not want to miss.

  • Account Opening: 1 GRAB Share and Commission-Free Trades (180 Days for U.S. stocks, 365 Days for H.K. stocks, Singapore stocks and China stocks )
  • Funding your account with more than ≥ SGD 1,000 and complete 5 trades: SGD 88 deposited into your account

If you are already plannng to open your account anyway, do consider using our link as this will support our blog while earning some rewards.

REIT Pulse is a platform where you can learn more about REIT Investing. If you are just getting started and would like to learn more, feel free to read more of our REIT Guide and REIT Analysis. You can also read more about what REITs are if you are new to REITs.

Do join our community over at Facebook and Instagram.

Chee Yang

Chee Yang is an investor and founder of REIT Pulse. Started out his career in both assurance and M&A, he is now in corporate and business development of a rising tech company. Being an active REIT investor, Chee Yang launch REIT Pulse to connect with seasoned investors and similarly help others learn more about REITs.

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