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Stake review: A trading platform for AU and US stocks

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Stake Share Trading
4.0
★★★★★
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Standard brokerage fee
$3
Available markets
ASX, NASDAQ, NYSE, BATS, Chicago Stock Exchange, and more
Support
Email

Our verdict

Get access to Australia’s cheapest ASX (CHESS-sponsored) broker plus $3 trading on US stocks.

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Finder Awards 2024 winner
Customer Satisfaction Award

Stake is an Australian online trading platform that offers low fees with a simple to use mobile app. But as such, it doesn't come with all the bells and whistles.

It gives investors access to $3 brokerage for US and ASX stocks, making it the cheapest broker around for CHESS-sponsored ASX trades. In fact, if you refer 3 friends to Stake, you'll get $0 ASX trades for 12 months.

It excels is in low costs, easy-to-use design and basic trading functions. However, it doesn't have as many financial offerings as other brokers.

Stake's basic account doesn't have access to research or broker recommendations and its customer service is lacking in some areas. In return, investors can save when trading or you have the option to pay for its premium service "Stake Black".

It's also not an all-in-one service. Instead, if you want to trade shares in more than just the US and Australia or if you want to buy more sophisticated trading products, Stake won't be able to meet these needs.

Pros

  • $3 brokerage when you buy and sell stocks
  • $3 CHESS-sponsored brokerage – free if you refer 3 other people
  • User-friendly platform and app that takes just minutes to set up
  • Fractional investing. Instead of buying individual shares, you can invest smaller dollar amounts (minimum $10)
  • Advanced filtering options to discover stocks and ETFs

Cons

  • Investors looking for an all-in-one trading platform
  • If you're looking to buy shares in multiple countries around the world
  • Having to pay for advanced tools through Stake Black

In this guide

  • Our verdict
  • Details
    • Platform details
  • Your reviews
  • Ask a question

Stake is a desktop and mobile trading app that lets Australians easily trade Australian and US stocks.

The platform has Australia’s cheapest CHESS-sponsored brokerage from just $3 per trade. And it also gives users access to more than 9,500 US stocks and ETFs, including some of the biggest global companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon.

Read on to learn more about Stake.

Details

Platform details

Type of broker Online, Mobile
ASX products Shares, Exchange traded funds
Available markets ASX, NASDAQ, NYSE, BATS, Chicago Stock Exchange, and more
Standard brokerage fee $3
Support Email
More Info

What do Australians think of Stake share trading platform?

  • 4.4/5 overall for Customer Satisfaction — higher than the average of 4.18, and this was the highest score in the category
  • 4.85/5 for Trust — higher than the average of 4.55, and this was the highest score in the category
  • 4.25/5 for Customer Service — higher than the average of 4.11

Based on Stake share trading platform scores in Finder's 2024 Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Finder Awards badge

Congratulations, Stake!

Stake received the following awards in the 2024 Product Awards:

  • 'Share Trading Platform – Australian Equities' - Highly Commended
Full list of 2024 winners

What can I trade with Stake?

You can access more than 9,500 US stocks and ETFs plus all 2,500+ ASX listed securities via Stake.

But Stake is limited in its options. It won't let you buy shares outside of the US and AU, and it doesn't have access to derivatives, such as CFDs, or options.

Features of Stake’s basic (free) account

Fees

★★★★★ 4.6/5

Stake offers $3 US brokerage, $3 Australian CHESS-sponsored trades and no monthly fee for its basic account.
Trading tools

★★★★★ 1.4/5

Stake has fairly minimal tools. It offers 3 order types (market, stop loss and limit) and the ability to trade stock fractions. It does not offer technical analysis tools.
Research and education

★★★★★ 2.8/5

Stake features a news feed for individual stocks, but it has limited research tools.
Available securities

★★★★★ 1/5

You can directly trade US stocks and ETFs; there is no margin trading, options or short selling.
Customer support

★★★★★ 2/5

You get email support. There is no live chat or phone support.
Available countries

★★★★★ 3/5

Stake offers ASX and US stocks and ETFS.
To learn how our star ratings are calculated, read the methodology here.

Access some of the world’s biggest brands

By offering access to the US markets, Stake offers Aussies access to some of the biggest brands in the world including the likes of Apple, Tesla, Facebook and Google.

$0 brokerage

Stake has a claim as one of the cheapest CHESS-sponsored brokers and will even remove its brokerage fees, on the assumption your bring across a few friends.

CHESS is the registration system used by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) to register stock ownership. Think of it as an insurance policy as the shares are in your name.

Stake will reduce your ASX brokerage fees by $1 (or give you a free stock) for every successful referral you make to the Stake platform.

This discount period is for 12 months. This means if you refer 3 people to Stake at the same time, you can get $0 brokerage fees on ASX CHESS-sponsored shares for 12 months. Plus you can keep referring more friends to bank rewards.

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Fractional investing

On Stake Wall St, instead of buying individual shares, you can invest smaller dollar amounts (minimum US$10). For example, if 1 Apple share costs US$164, you have the option of investing just US$100 if you choose. This means you can buy part of an Apple share.

User-friendly platform

Stake's platform is easy to pick up, regardless of your trading experience. It's user-friendly enough that you can familiarise yourself with the features in just a few minutes and start trading right away.

Advanced filtering options

Users can apply a range of advanced filters when looking for stocks to trade. For example, you can filter by stocks that are trending such as most up, most down, most traded or most watched. You can also filter by a range of categories including food, travel and technology or even the size of the company.

Discover related stocks

When you select a stock to look at, the platform also suggests a range of related stocks based on what others are trading. This is a helpful tool to discover some lesser-known stocks.

News and analysis

Access the latest news and analysis for each individual stock from various sources across the internet. Plus, access Stake’s own blog and stock commentary too.

Charts and financial data

Through Stake Black (which you have to pay for), you have the option of switching between regular stock price charts and candlestick charts to see how a stock has performed over the past day, week, month, year or 3 years.

Advanced order types

You can choose to buy or sell at market price as well as place a limit or stop order. Trade settlement takes the standard T+2 for US stocks – 2 days on top of the day you made the trade – and you can easily cancel any orders before they've been placed, with no additional charge.

US tax compliant

When you trade US shares as a non-US citizen, you must fill out the W8-Ben US tax form to avoid paying 30% tax instead of 15% on your profits to the US government. While this can take several weeks and involves lots of paperwork with some other brokers, Stake streamlines the process by automatically submitting the form for you when you sign up.

Stake Black

For those looking for more advanced features, they can gain access to them through Stake Black.

Stake Black will give you access to features such as instant buying power, buy-sell ratings, price targets, OTC stocks and full company financials.

But you will have to pay for the service. If you choose a monthly subscription, it is US$9 a month or you can pay US$90 for a full year, equivalent to US$7.50 per month.

What fees does Stake charge?

Stake does not charge any brokerage fees when you buy and sell US stocks. Instead, Stake makes money on the currency exchange when you fund your account or withdraw money from your account.

Before you can trade with Stake, you'll need to add funds to your account. Stake charges approximately US$0.70 for every AUD$100 you transfer from Australian dollars into US dollars and vice versa. However, as Stake points out on its website, these foreign currency transfer fees are applied by other brokers, including many major banks, to international trades. With other brokers, this fee may be applied each time you trade, whereas with Stake, you're only charged the fee when you transfer funds.

There are some other charges to be aware of. Below is the full list:

List of fees

  • 70 BPS on deposits and withdrawals only (~US$0.70 for every AUD$100 exchanged), minimum US$2. Add 0.5% for express (same-day) deposits.
  • One-time W8-Ben completion fee. This is automatically completed by Stake on your feed trade. It is a once-off fee of US$5 and reduces your withholding tax on any income (such as dividends) from 30% to 15%.
  • $3 brokerage on ASX-listed securities.

Is Stake safe for beginners?

Stake's limited options actually make the app safer for beginners.

Given the broker does not offer riskier asset choices such as CFDs, investors avoid the temptation of trading in more speculative assets.

Also, Stake is considered to be among the safer options due to it being regulated by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) and the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Not only is it heavily regulated, but client assets are also protected up to $500,000 under the Securities Investment Protection Corporation's insurance.

Who should use Stake?

Despite its limitations, Stake should appeal to the majority of investors, especially those at the beginning of their investing journey. This is due to the ease of access to the Australian and US markets.

Stake is among the cheapest apps out there with a $3 brokerage model for US stocks, a $3 fee for ASX stocks and no ongoing monthly fees for standard accounts.

As a comparison, Australia's largest broker CommSec charges from $5 per trade for ASX shares and US$19.95 for US stocks.

Where Stake becomes less appropriate for investors is when they are after highly sophisticated options or want research included with their broker. However, it's worth noting investors do have the option of paying for "Stake Black".

How to get started with Stake

You can create an account with Stake online in minutes and have your account funded and ready to go that same day.

Click "Get started" on Stake’s site and follow the prompts to enter your personal details including name, residential address and contact details. Create an account by selecting a username and creating a unique password. You’ll need to verify your ID throughout the process, so make sure you have your driver's licence handy.

This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading CFDs and forex on leverage comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) for the product on the provider's website.

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Alison Finder

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phil

July 05, 2024

Hi

1) just to confirm this trading platform is CHESS sponsor with appropriate HIN no.

2) how do I transfer money in?

3) Do I need to have sufficient fund before purchase or I can transfer sufficient fund on T+2 basis for ASX

4) how do I transfer money out and how long does it take for the money to be available in my bank account.

5) is my surplus fund held by my designated bank account/institution?


Thanks


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Thomas Stelzer Finder

September 16, 2024

Hi Phil,


Thanks for your questions. This is something it’s probably better to confirm with Stake directly, but in answer to your queries:


1. Yes, Stake offers CHESS-sponsored trading with the appropriate HIN.

2. You can deposit funds to your account using Apple Pay, Google Pay, bank transfer, credit or debit card.

3. You’ll need to have the sufficient funds at the time of order to place a trade.

4. You can withdraw funds via bank deposit and you will normally receive the money within 1-2 business days.

5. Your unused funds will be held in a digital Airwallex account (or DriveWealth for US accounts).


Hopefully this helps, but please let me know if you have any other questions. As mentioned previously, it would also be worthwhile confirming these details with Stake.


Regards,


Tom


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A PLUS Accounting by Lester

June 30, 2023

I have an account with Comsec


How can I transfer my portfolio to you?


Also, what is your trading limit for a portfolio with a market value of 25000 AUD?


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Kylie Purcell Finder

July 04, 2023

Hi A PLUS Accounting by Lester, please reach out directly to Stake with help on these questions: https://hellostake.com/au/support/aus


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