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Stake - FREE US stock /NO Trading fee investing in US Stock Market and ETF


Are you looking for a platform in Australian that can invest directly in the US stock market and ETF? Stake is an investment platform that provides access to US stock market and ETF. Stake is also available in New Zealand, United Kingdom and Brazil. They also have plans expanding to more countries in the future.

Invest in US Stocks and ETFs on Stake. Join today using my referral code kuripot or click on this LINK and we can both get a free stock either GoPro, Dropbox or Nike when you fund within 24 hours.

It is always a challenge finding the cheapest and easiest platform to invest in individual US stock and ETF in Australia. You can buy Australian public listed ETF that has exposure in US or overseas market but buying individual US stock doesn't have many option.

There are other platform which I mention at the bottom of article and each may have its target audience but I choose Stake among the rest due to its affordability (trade free), accessibility (mobile app or web), user friendly (UX) and easy to understand, can start small as low as $50.



Topics covered:
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Why Stake?
Why I use Stake and who is it for ?
Pros and Cons
Get FREE Stock
Stake Fees
(I THOUGHT It's FREE ?
If STAKE is trade FREE, How does Stake make money
Direct USD transfers
Subscription Packs
Withdrawing Funds
How do they pay dividend?
Is it SAFE to invest in Stake?
Account security
What if Stake went down/bankrupt/closed down
Other investment platform I use aside from Stake
Applicable for Student and Working Visa holder

Pros and Cons
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Pros:
- NO trading fees
- NO monthly fees on Starter Pack (I think this is good enough for a start with unlimited trades)
- FREE Stock when you join (either GoPro,Dropbox or Nike randomly when you fund your account for the first time)
- Option to buy fractional shares
- Lower FX rate and spot rate. They use OFX and its rate is competitive compare to other broker 
- You can fund your Stake using TransferWise
- Mobile app for Android and Apple
- Search options by category: Stocks, ETFs, Sector,Values, Strategy, Industry and Region
- No dormancy fee (eToro and other broker have dormancy fee or inactivity fee)
- Easy to use and monitor from your mobile app.

Cons:
- Covers only US market.
- Express delivery fee (0.5%) and it is set by default so be mindful to change it to Standard delivery to avoid extra fees. Refer to stake fees
- Limit and stop loss order is only available on premium packs.
- No advance technical charting. It is intended for mobile app and I don't think you want to do your charting on mobile devices. You do your charting from other platform and place order in Stake.


Why I use Stake and who is it for ?
========================================
Aside from the Pros mention above.
- Stake would fit for investors who are just starting out with low capital as you can start as low as $50 AUD deposit and can buy a minimum trade size is $10 but I would transfer over $100 AUD as the minimum FX fee is $2.00 USD even if you deposit below $100. Play around with values in making a deposit and observe the deposit details.
- I use POLi (bank transfer) as it doesn't have additional fees. Most big banks allow POLi payment. List of Banks that use POLi payment.
- Always change the delivery from Express to Standard to avoid extra fees.
- Option to use TransferWise to fund via Direct USD deposit.
- I can do cost average to the extreme as I can buy even 1 unit of shares (as long as it is over $10 trade value). There was a time I place an order of 1 unit with different limit price.
- Starter Pack(FREE) is good enough specially for starters or new to investing. You can always upgrade easily if needed.

There are other alternative platform which I mention at the bottom of this article and each may have its own market target audience.

Other investment platform I use aside from Stake
========================================
Cheapest broker to buy Australian Stock
SelfWealth
Flat rate of $9.50/trade irrespective of trading size.
Use the link below and get FREE 5 trades to use within your first month

Invest in Managed Fund  global portfolio in Manage fund 
FEE FREE Diversified stock investing with global exposure
Under $5,000 with Universe or Index portfolio. (I choose Universe portfolio) 
Diversified portfolio with global market exposure like Google, Facebook, Microsoft etc..
Input the referral code after signing up and depositing your first $5 investment to get your FREE $5. Code valid until Jun 30, 2020. Click HERE to know more about Spaceship Voyager

Why Stake?
========================================
Fast - Make trades in seconds on over 3,500 US Stocks and ETFs.
Affordable - Clear, simple and better pricing with no hidden fees. See full pricing here.
Secure - Securities insured up to $500k.
Simple account creation
Instant approval by digital verification
Seamless account funding


Stake Fees 
========================================
Stake offers three subscription pack, Starter, Unlimited and Black. More info on Pricing Pack.
For all packs:
+ Unlimited free trades - buy and sell as much as you like with your USD balance  
+ FX fee of US 70c per AU$100 ($2 min) ONLY when you move money in or out of your Stake account from AUD to USD or vice versa. We never charge FX fees on stock trades.
+ Funding Options:
Take control of your funding with choice and transparency.
Express funding for +0.5%. (Recommend: Change to standard to avoid paying express fee). Fund with card for +2%. (Use POLI to avoid paying extra fee)
Withdrawals incur a $2 bank fee but you’ll always know the total fees, in dollar amount, upfront.
+ On your first funding, there’s a $5 fee to complete and lodge your W-8Ben tax form.
+ Nominal government levies apply when you sell:
- SEC fee. SEC Fee $0.231 per US$10,000 of sale proceeds This is an SEC fee created by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide the necessary capital for the US Government to pay for the costs involved in the SEC’s regulation of equity dealers and the equities market. 
- Trading Activity Fees (TAF) are incurred with each trade, as outlined in this fees PDF. There is a one-off tax filing fee ($5) which covers you for life. Stake does not profit from any of these fees.


(I THOUGHT It's FREE ? - it is TRADE FREE)
There is NO CHARGE for buying and selling. 
Other broker like Commsec charge from $19.94 USD per trade.
Some of the fees are unavoidable, mandatory and regulated by US government.
Buying US stock requires USD therefore FX transfer fees are required even on other platform.


Recommendation to minimize fees:
-It is cheaper to use POLi in funding your Stake Account (FX rate fee 0.7%).
-Change to standard delivery if you are not in a hurry to fund your account and avoid additional cost on Express delivery.
-There are 3 packs. Starter pack is FREE of charge while Unlimited is $9/month and Black is $19/month. I think Starter pack is good enough if you are more of a passive investor.
-Don't be surprise if you get an initial charge of $5 upon your initial deposit as it is for the automatic completion of your US Tax Form (W8-BEN) which is mandatory if you are holding US stock. Other platform doesn't charge a fee but you have to manually file it yourself and renew/update 3 years.
-Option to use TransferWise to transfer fund via Direct USD transfer.

I will start using Starter  pack: (FREE)
+ Unlimited free trades
+ Fractional shares
+ Market orders only
Scale up if you need other functionality. It is easy to switch packs.


Subscription Packs
Stake offers three packs:
-Starter pack is FREE
-Unlimited pack costs $9/month for advanced orders (Limit & Stop) functionality.
-Black pack costs $19/month for features of 'Unlimited' and day trading on unsettled funds with priority customer support.
If you are a passive investor who doesn't trade much, Starter pack is good enough and it is FREE.

If STAKE is trade FREE, How does Stake make money?
With no trading fees, Stake makes money in three distinct ways:
Freemium model - beyond the free account, Stake offers two paid 'premium' packs (Unlimited and Black)
FX transfers - they partner with OFX (0.7% fee) 
Interest on balances - Stake earns interest on the USD balances yet to be invested or withdrawn.


Minimum & Maximum order size
The maximum size of an order in the US market is 10,000 shares, but you can place as many orders (subject to your cash or holdings) under that amount. 
The minimum trade size is $10.


Withdrawing Funds
You can withdraw your available funds any time from Stake.  Much like funding your account, the spot FX rate and all applicable fees will be provided to you before you decide to process your transfer. The minimum amount you can withdraw is $5 (USD).  
Transfers can only go from Stake to your local bank account, which must be in your name.  Before you make your first withdrawal, you'll need to provide your bank details (BSB & Account Number).


How do they pay dividend?
Dividends are paid directly into your brokerage account approximately 2-3 trading days after the payment date. You will be eligible for a dividend if you own a share through its ex-dividend date.
The amount of the dividend will be proportional to your holding. This includes fractional shares.  For example, if a company pays a dividend of $10 and you hold 1.34 shares, your dividend will be $13.40 (less any applicable withholding).

Withholding Tax
In the US, there is a 30% withholding tax on dividend payments, but this is reduced to 15% with the completion of your W8 form (which we arrange when you join Stake).
When your dividend is paid, you will see the withholding tax reduction also - you will see this withholding on your account when your dividend payment is made. 


Is it SAFE to invest in Stake?
It’s worth noting that Stake never holds or touches your money - your money goes directly to our regulated FX partner (OFX) and then onto DriveWealth. When you withdraw your funds, it is the same, just the other way back!  
Your cash and securities in the US are held in custody for your benefit with Citibank, one of the world’s largest banks.

Insurance
The US broker, DriveWealth, LLC is a US broker-dealer registered with FINRA (US regulator) and is a member of SIPC, which protects securities customers of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash). You can read more about SIPC at www.sipc.org
This protects you, as a non-U.S. citizen with an account at a brokerage firm that is a member of SIPC. Stake customers are treated the same as a resident or citizen of the United States. 
Please note that SIPC does not protect against the decline in value of your securities. SIPC gets involved when a brokerage firm fails and SIPC appoints a trustee to manage the liquidation of the firm for the protection of customers. 


What if Stake went down/bankrupt/closed down
In the unlikely situation that Stake goes down, you would still have access to all your cash and securities. 
Our broker partner, DriveWealth and the custodian (Citibank) will establish access for customers if anything happens to Stake.


Account security
You have full control of your account and can enable advanced security in the form of 2 Factor Authentication (using an app like Google Authenticator or Authy) at any time.  
Recommended: TURN ON 2Factor Authentication. I use Authy as it can sync on my desktop app and mobile app. Always use 2F when available to any of your accounts.


Direct USD transfers
You can fund your account directly if you have USD already, or would like to transfer any currency (like AUD etc) into USD using your bank or preferred FX remitter (such as TransferWise etc).

Making a direct deposit
The key banking and transfer information for your accounts will be found inside your Account tab on Stake.
Within the section “Direct USD Transfer” your specific transfer information is provided - it is unique to your account and ensures that if followed, your transfer will arrive as you planned.
To make a direct USD deposit, please also ensure you follow the information in this section.

Ensure your transfers details, found in the “Direct USD Transfers” section, are entered correctly with your FX provider. In particular, match your reference number exactly as included.

Ensure that the name on the remitting account is an EXACT match to your Stake account we are NOT able to accept fund transfers otherwise, for any reason - no related company accounts, friends & family accounts etc.

Make sure that you are aware of the feeds provided by your bank or FX provider (i.e wire fees etc).
Stake charges a flat USD 5.00 fee which is passed through to our US broker dealer to reconcile and undertake fraud checks on each transfer.



Invest in US Stocks and ETFs on Stake. Join today using my referral code kuripot or click on this LINK and we can both get a free stock either GoPro, Dropbox or Nike when you fund within 24 hours.
When you fund your Stake account for the first time within 24 hours of signing up, you will get a free stock.  When claiming stock, these stocks will be randomly issued one of the three available stocks (currently GoPro, Dropbox and Nike).
You cannot claim a free stock for multiple accounts (i.e. 1 per person under this program). Free stock is only available when you fund via Stake (on the app or web) and does not apply when you make a direct USD funding. 
Once eligible, customers can elect to claim free stock or elect not to receive a free stock.
If customers elect to claim free stock, they agree to the Free Stock Program Terms & Conditions.
Check out Free Stock Page for more information on how to get your free share in Nike, Dropbox or GoPro.



Requirements to open an account
With Stake, you can be in the US market in under 5 minutes.
You can apply for an account in your own name (Individual Account) or in the name of a Company or SMSF. 
We’ve made it super simple to get going, but we still need to collect some important information to verify you and set up your account properly. 
What’s more, when you sign up for an Individual account, you also get a free stock of Nike, Dropbox or GoPro. All you need to do is fund your account within 24 hours of it being ready. 

What you'll need to sign up

To apply for a brokerage account in your name, you’ll need to:
  • Be 18 years or older
  • Have a valid address in Australia
  • Be an Australian resident, citizen or have a valid visa (student or work visa etc)
  • Have any Australian government ID (licence or passport) or a bank account in your name. 

Bring all that information with you and you’ll be in the market in less than 5 minutes and have a free stock to your name.
Extra documentation
Sometimes there may be a mismatch between what you’ve provided and the information on the databases we verify against. 
This means we will ask for additional information including:
  • A photo of your government issued ID (license, passport etc)
  • A photo of you holding that ID
  • A copy of your bank or utility statement showing your current address
Once you send this information through, we should be able to verify you and get you going.
Additional information for SMSF and Company accounts
For Company and SMSF accounts, you will not be required to upload any documents, but will need to have all the relevant details on hand to get your account set up quickly. 
You'll need to provide:
  • the company's ABN or ACN or for an SMSF, its ABN
  • all directors or controllers details
  • electronic signatures from all directors or signatures are also required
As we also set you up with a CMA with Macquarie Bank, its takes 2-3 business days to verify and set up your SMSF or Company Account.
Am I an Australian Resident for tax purposes?
There are 2 main criteria to determine if you are an Australian resident for tax purposes:
  • You reside in Australia a continuously for a minimum of 183 days (6 months) in one location and / or
  • You are studying and living in Australia continuously for a minimum of 183 days (6 months)
How to determine is you are considered as a resident of Australia
https://www.ato.gov.au/Calculators-and-tools/Host/?anchor=AreYouAResident&anchor=AreYouAResident&anchor=AreYouAResident/questions#AreYouAResident/questions

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Here are some of the alternative that allow to buy US share and ETF in Australia:
1. CommSec International Share Trading Account
2. nabtrade
3. Westpac
4. ANZ Share Investing
5. Interactive Brokers
6. IG Share Trading
7. CMC Markets
8. Saxo Capital Markets

Visit STAKE support website for more and update information.

You can contact me by sending/posting a message in Facebook group "Pinoy Aussie Stock Investors"




Stock Broker platform:
==================

Manage fund:
Spaceship Voyager - free $5 joining bonus using this ==> link/CODE  

Selfwealth - Get free 5 trades using this LINK https://bit.ly/3dT0C4K
Stake - trade US tock for FREE and get free either nike, dropbox or gopro stock using this code "kuripot" or LINK  https://bit.ly/2Zyb2Tz
eToro - trade US tock for FREE and get $100 joining bonus using this LINK https://etoro.tw/3lADWee  (Australian residents only)


Remittance
==================
Transferwise - High FX rate
https://bit.ly/3bRE7Ne  (Use link for NO FEE upto $500 AUD on your first remittance)
- I use this for remittance and you can use transferWise to transfer direct USD to USD for funding other brokers or transferring to a US bank account.


High interest savings account:
==================
UP Banking - get up to free $10 joining bonus when joining usng this link https://bit.ly/3dKrjbJ


Cryptocurrency Exchange:
==================
Coinspot:  https://www.coinspot.com.au/join/REFBEPZRV  (receive $10 worth of Bitcoin)
Binance:   www.binance.com/en/register?ref=QVIF2DYJ  (you get 10% kickback comission)
Coinjar:   https://www.coinjar.com/_ref/@Potpot  ( get free 500 CoinJar Rewards points)

Direct link to Coinbase Learn and Earn coins:


*Disclaimer <== click me
 
Stake - FREE US stock /NO Trading fee investing in US Stock Market and ETF Stake - FREE US stock /NO Trading fee investing in US Stock Market and ETF Reviewed by on 11:42 AM Rating: 5

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