The best brokers in France for expats

If you are looking for ways to invest money, you will have to open a brokerage or trading account. With so many investing apps, it can take time to choose the right one. The application you choose affects several aspects of your investment life, from how much the cost of your investments to the assets you purchase and sell. To help you make the right decision, we have listed the best and essential steps.

Company
Specifications

 

DEGIRO


Award-winning broker active throughout Europe. The platform can be hard to comprehend for new traders, but they offer really cheap trading options (especially on some ETFs). Investing involves risk of loss.

      ETFs and idividual stock
      Award wining stock broker
      Community engagement
      Low costs
      Education resources
      ✘  Not userfriendly dashboard

 

trade republic logo


Neo broker that has grown rapidly in the last few years. Offers a wide variety of investment options. App available.

      ETF’s only
      Access to multiple markets
      Mobile trading
      Clear contracts
      ✘  Limited product offerings

 

bitpanda logo


Best option if you want to trade in crypto. They currently also offer other options (stock/commodities). Be aware that crypto is extremely volatile

      Cheap and trustworthy crypto platform
      No minimum investment requirements
      Great reviews
      Low cost broker service
      ✘  Lack of long-term track record:

 

Saxo logo


Saxo bank is a large broker in Europe. They offer a more mature platform. If you are in to investing and have more money to spend, this would be the ideal platform for you.

      English platform.
      Wide range of investment options (CDF’s/Shares/ETFs)
      Good for experienced investors
      ✘  Hard to understand for new investors

Tips To Choose The Best Brokers In France

Determine The Investment Style: there are two different types of investors such as active investors and passive investors. Active investors are those with hands-on trading, and passive investors use automated investing platforms to manage their portfolios. There are many brokers in France. You will have to determine the investing style. If you are interested in active investing or the DIY method, you want to look for an online brokerage and stock trading application that will allow you to place your trades. These two investment methods should not be mutually exclusive.

Evaluate broker tools and the support you need

You will need different customer education and trading support if you are a beginner. You will need to access several websites and educational articles that teach you the basics of investing and may be interested in the screeners, making it easy to choose different assets to purchase. Choose the best investment app if you are an advanced investor, whereas you will be interested in the charting features, expert analysis, and in-depth company research.
Think about your starting point and the time you plan to devote to researching investments.

Decide the type of account

You may need a standard taxable brokerage account, the custodial account for your children. You can opt for the 529 plan, which will save for college, or several other retirement accounts, such as the IRA, solo-401, or Roth IRA. Not all brokerage companies offer different types of accounts, so it is essential to consider your plans or ensure that you find the best investment app to accommodate your financial requirements.

Explore trading platforms at different brokerage companies

You should be comfortable navigating the brokerage company trading platform for purchasing and selling assets. Many brokers will allow you to download their applications or try the desktop software without adding any money to the account. You should consider playing with the account and then making the final choice.

Consider the investment commissions you will use

The best brokers in France offer similar investment options, such as individual stocks, mutual funds, options, exchange-traded funds, and bonds. Some brokers provide access to cryptocurrencies, foreign exchange, and futures trading markets. The investment options provided by the broker firm dictate two things, whether your investment needs are satisfied and how much you will be paying in commissions. Consider the commissions associated with the preferred investments:

  • Individual Stocks: Some brokers charge the commission on purchasing and selling the stocks as per share or trade. However, most brokers in France do not charge any commission.
  • Mutual Funds: Some brokers also charge fees for purchasing mutual funds. The broker does not give these charges by the funds. You can also limit the transactional fund costs or completely avoid them by choosing a broker who offers zero transaction fee mutual funds.
  • Options: Options trading usually has the stock trading commission and the per-contract fees, which depend on the platform to platform.
  • ETFs: This trading method consists of purchasing the stocks for the share price, so they are usually subject to the stock trading commissions if the broker applies the fees. Many brokers provide a list of commission-free ETFs. If you want to invest in ETF, look for the best investment app to help you with ETF trading.
  • Bonds: You can buy bond mutual funds and ETFs with zero charges with the help of no-transaction-fee mutual funds and commission-free ETFs. Most brokers charge a fee for purchasing individual bonds with maximum and minimum charges.
  • Cryptocurrencies: Many brokers now also offer a few cryptocurrencies. However, ensure to understand the risks as well as the fee structures associated with these types of trading.

Consider the tools you need

Active traders want more from their brokerage accounts. Many brokers are offering highly customizable and downloadable platforms with in-depth analytic tools and providing access to additional data and research by charging extra fees. If you do not need these tools and resources, avoid these to save more money. Consider the benefits of these tools and see how they can affect your trading experience. If you feel these tools can benefit your trading, then only choose them; otherwise, skip them.