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Review EasyEquities

Founded in 2014, EasyEquities aims to make equity investments accessible in South Africa with its Fractional Share Rights model. As a subsidiary of the JSE-listed Purple Group Ltd and an authorized financial service provider, it offers trading in South African and international stocks via EasyFX.

While its mobile app is beginner-friendly with educational resources, it lacks advanced features for experienced traders and has a limited product range. Customer support is restricted to ticket submissions on the website without live chat or 24/7 online assistance.

Recommended to:

EasyEquities suits new investors with its simple platform for market exposure and educational resources. Yet, experienced traders might find it lacking in advanced tools and product variety.

Pros

  • No minimum first deposit
  • Great educational materials for beginners
  • Simple and easy set up procedure

Cons

  • Limited product offerings
  • No advanced trading platform
  • Weak customer support

Review’s Keypoints

Country of regulation

South Africa, Australia

Minimum deposit

$0

Time to open an account

2-3 days

Trading fees class

Low

Deposit with bank card

Yes

Number of base currencies supported

5

Products offered

Stocks

ETFs

Baskets

Bundles

Crypto

Depositing with electronic wallet

Not available

Demo account provided

Yes

Fees

The sections below highlight the primary fees for each asset class. When considering investing with EasyEquities, pay attention to their higher commissions despite their lack of traditional fees or minimum requirements.

Pros

  • Lack of inactivity fees
  • Low stock and ETF fees

Cons

  • Fees for deposits on debit/credit cards

EasyEquities Costs

Asset
Costs Level
Costs Terms
Asset
US Stocks
Costs Level
-
Costs Terms
Not Available
Asset
EU Stocks
Costs Level
-
Costs Terms
Not Available
Asset
US Options
Costs Level
-
Costs Terms
Not Available
Asset
EU Options
Costs Level
-
Costs Terms
Not Available
Asset
US Futures
Costs Level
-
Costs Terms
Not Available
  • ***1000 in EUR or USD for the stocks transaction
  • ***Price per contract for Options & Futures

Transfers

EasyEquities facilitates free bank transfers for ZAR, AUD, and USD accounts. Credit card deposits in ZAR accounts incur fees. Withdrawals are free via bank transfer for all currencies except ZAR, where credit/debit cards are used with charges. Withdrawals take up to two working days and require an account in your name.

Pros

  • Minimum deposit is $0
  • Free wire withdrawals

Cons

  • Limited choice of base currencies
  • Bank transfers require days for processing

Trading Platforms

Web Trading Platform

EasyEquities' in-house web platform offers clear fee reports and decent search functions. However, it lacks two-step login, customization, and language options. The platform allows limited order types and time limits but lacks price alerts. Tracking costs and portfolio value is convenient.

Mobile Trading Platform

EasyEquities' mobile platform offers user-friendly trading, good search functions, and price alerts. However, it's only in English, lacks advanced order types, and has limited login options. The one-step login lacks biometric authentication. Alerts are available but limited to South African and Australian assets.

Desktop Trading Platform

Offering

EasyEquities in numbers:

0
Markets & Currencies
0
Order Types
0
ETFs

Stocks & ETFs

You can invest in stocks, ETFs, and some pre-defined portfolios, but many other instruments like bonds and forex are missing.
Though EasyEquities gives access to South African, Australian, and US markets, only a limited amount of stocks are available from US markets.

Fractional shares

EasyEquities enables the purchase of fractional shares, allowing investment in high-value stocks in smaller, more affordable segments. Accumulation of these fractions over time can equate to a full share. Fractional shares are also available as Contracts for Difference (CFDs) without leverage, but carry counterparty risk.

Baskets & Bundles

EasyEquities offers investment in pre-selected shares through bundles and baskets, managed by a dedicated individual. While bundles are fixed, baskets allow for the removal of unwanted shares. However, choosing these options incurs additional management fees.

Tools

Charting

Charting tools are poor since there are no indicators or trendlines to use and can only choose from 5 different time frames.

News Feed

You can access a link to Yahoo! Finance when you click on a stock, but there is no dedicated news flow section on the platform itself. EasyEquities offers a research portal with updates on economic conditions, market trends, and general investing commentary

Regulation

EasyEquities, regulated by ASIC and listed under Purple Group on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, lacks investor protection against bankruptcy. Segregated assets might not be returned, and losses may not be compensated. It operates through First World Trader in South Africa, authorized by FSCA, and is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Sanlam Private Wealth (Pty) Ltd.

Bottom Line

EasyEquities, while popular in South Africa, falls short in its global product offering, limited to JSE and a few US stocks and ETFs. Experienced traders may find it lacking compared to other brokers. Its commission structure is relatively high, and customer support needs improvement.

Account opening is straightforward with no inactivity fees or minimum deposits for standard accounts, making it ideal for beginners.

Services are available only in English, so investors should be fluent in the language for optimal experience.