How to open a brokerage account in BCS and start trading?

Compare tariffs for opening a brokerage account and IIS

BCS is one of the largest brokerage companies in the domestic market. For more than 25 years, it has been providing services to experienced and novice investors, as well as providing comprehensive information support, publishing news and analytics on BCS Express. In 2020, the broker updated its tariff line of service packages and mobile application, and also carried out a slight rebranding. Now BCS services have become even more accessible, especially for beginners in stock trading.

Rates

Not so long ago, things weren’t going well for BCS with tariffs; in particular, problems with presenting information caused discomfort and misunderstanding among newcomers. Then, on February 10, 2021, a new tariff schedule was launched. BCS broker divided tariffs into 4 types:

• investor - commission 0.03% of turnover, uniform rate for all markets, fixed payment of 90 rubles per month, if there was a transaction;
• trader - commission 0.015% of turnover, single rate for all markets, fixed payment of 190 rubles per month, if there was a transaction;
• investor-pro− is suitable for capital of more than 900 thousand rubles per month, the commission depends not on turnover, but on the amount of capital;
• trader-pro.

BCS has the old tariffs, BCS Direct, its commission is 0.03%, but not less than 99 rubles per transaction. The changes were beneficial. The old tariffs are still in effect, but most likely you cannot connect them. There are options in the grid that are more aimed at scalping, but this article is about long-term investment.

Regarding BCS broker reviews , users often note that the company writes off money, but the tariff does not say about these amounts. Accordingly, it is necessary to clarify these nuances with managers or before opening an account.

Regarding the disadvantages of writing off commissions, you will need to go to your personal account, because there is no information in the application. In addition, reports are generated every day; if you have not looked at the last few days, you will need to wait for the monthly report. The monthly report is generated during the first 10 days of the first next month.

Sberbank

Brokerage division of the largest Russian bank. Naturally, it has the largest number of concluded agreements for brokerage services. However, in terms of service and set of tools, Sberbank is inferior to the leaders in retail brokerage services. From my point of view, VTB is also inferior.

Broker advantages:

• a convenient approach to opening a brokerage account. Can be done both through the website and through the Sberbank-online Internet bank (including IIS);

  

• Availability of an information resource on a separate website “Investments. Intelligible from Sberbank." Useful for beginners. The service is not up to par with those from BCS or Finam, but I would consider its presence a plus;
• a large number of branches where you can personally sign the necessary documents to open an account;
• no commission when transferring from an active bank account in Sberbank to a brokerage account. Everything can be done through Sberbank Online.

Minuses:

• lack of a separate website for the brokerage division. The section on the main website is not very informative and less convenient compared to other brokers. It is impossible to find some data even by downloading files with a full description of tariffs. For example, the amount of commission for crediting and transferring funds from a brokerage trading account;
• only 2 tariff plans;
• poor technical support, frequent complaints about the level of service. Reviews on smart-lab (below). Complaints about problems with withdrawing money from a trading account;
• there is no access to trading in foreign shares, including American issuers on the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange;
• There is no analytical support service for a wide range of investors.

Broker tariff plans (source - Sberbank website):

IIS

This type of account is available and allows you to buy currency and shares on the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange. Further, dollars and euros can be purchased not in full lots, this is a plus if the capital is not large. But, according to reviews, users indicate that the company charges a commission for purchasing less than a full lot. Using an IIS, you can withdraw dividends and coupons to a current account, which allows you to improve the operation of compound interest, since money can then be transferred from a current account to an IIS. Closing an IIS remotely is not possible, only through the office.

Zerich

Founded in 1995. Medium-sized broker.

Advantages:

• maintaining a single account;
• good mobile application;
• Reliability rating AA+ from NRA.

Disadvantage - the fee is 750 rubles. for client account balances less than RUB 50,000. The highest commission of any broker in this review.

Popular brokerage plans:

1. Great start.

   

1. Investor.

   

1. Trader.

   

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Deposit methods and withdrawal details

• bank transfer according to details, no commission;
• bank card through the My Broker application, there will be a commission, the maximum deposit amount per month is 500 thousand, and 130 thousand rubles per transaction, the deposit period is up to 30 minutes. If you install BCS Premier on your phone and register, you can top up from your card and not pay a commission;
• from a BCS bank account: mobile software or through your personal account BCS-online;
• through a bank office or cash desk of an organization.

Regarding withdrawal, you can submit an order either through the BCS application or My Broker. You will need to indicate the platform and the withdrawal amount, you need to take into account the T+2 trading mode, like any other broker. Money from the sale of shares is credited to the broker's account on the second business day, and withdrawals are made within the same day.

Step-by-step instructions on how to open an individual investment account

1. Tariff selection. To avoid mistakes, you should study the regulatory documentation, but it’s easier to start by calling the call center operator and getting advice. As a rule, technical support works smoothly, and specialists explain all the conditions in detail.
2. Signing the contract. To register, you should contact a broker or management company. In most cases, this can be done online: go to the company’s website and leave a request. After confirming your identity, the IIS is immediately available for use. If remote methods are not provided, you need to visit the broker's office in person. You must have your passport with you.
3. Top up your deposit. Investors are typically given several options, including no fees. Transfer fees are charged when funds are deposited from third-party bank cards, and there are usually no fees at cash desks or online banking.
4. Installation of software - terminal. At this stage, you can start trading and purchase any assets. If this is trust management, then the stage is skipped - everything is done by analysts and specialists.

An important aspect of online discovery is personal identification. When the partner is a banking institution whose online bank is accessible, no difficulties arise.

In other cases, the user sends scans of documents. But there is an easier option - use an account on the State Services portal.

In this case, you must have a confirmed personal account. Verification is carried out at MFC branches or by entering a secret code sent by registered mail.

When opening the IIS, the system itself will offer several options:

• open through State Services;
• open through manager;
• via online banking.

Therefore, there is no need to take additional steps - just submit an application and click on the appropriate option.

If you do not have an account on the State Services portal, you can create one. However, registration is not enough; you will need to go through identification. At the MFC this is done instantly, but for a registered letter you will have to wait 2-3 weeks.

Important: Before signing an agreement, even remotely, you should carefully study all its sections. Particular attention should be paid to the description of the commission, including reading all footnotes under asterisks. The investor must know in detail what services will need to be paid for and how much.

Review of the BCS My Broker application

The main page contains everything you need for work. Deposit and withdrawal options are presented in the upper left corner. Dollar is an opportunity to see profitability in rubles and dollars. There is a BCS portfolio, you can study the profitability for a certain period. Unfortunately, there is no detailed information about the state of the portfolio graphically, there is no data on the ratio of the portfolio. This is not very convenient; there is a general graph of assets, but it is schematic. In the “Transactions” section, there is a history, but there is no information regarding commission costs. And besides this, information about the receipt of dividends is not displayed; you can study the data your BCS broker personal

Next is the “Quotes” section, here is detailed information about assets: shares, notes, currencies, etc. If you go to any asset, a chart opens, there is a summary (detailed information about the issuer), order book and news. There are no tools for technical analysis.

The “For You” tab includes information:

• ideas for IIS;
• strategies. As an example, an easy start, 47% per annum in rubles, super-aggressive trading, expected profitability of 30%, commissions are scheduled, there is auto-consulting, auto-following, portfolio composition, but you cannot study it completely, you will need a connection. A cost is written next to each strategy;
• investment ideas, posted authors;
• information - analytics, news, technical analysis, etc.

The “More” tab contains information about tariffs; you can switch between tariff plans.

TOPs

I’ll start my review of brokers with an assessment of the most interesting brokerage companies.

Three heavyweights of the Russian brokerage business - Otkritie, BCS, Finam. I will give them the palm of the best brokers on the Russian market. The three brokers work according to the same scheme - as part of financial holding companies, in a bank-broker connection.

This provides a significant advantage in terms of convenience and commission fees if the client has a bank account and an exchange account in the same structure. BCS and Otkritie have the highest individual reliability rating of AAA from the National Rating Agency.

Common features of brokers Otkritie, BCS, Finam:

• started operations in 1994–1995;
• a large selection of tradable instruments - Russian and assets of foreign companies;
• tariff plans for every taste and budget;
• different trading terminals to choose from. Plus additional software for different categories of investors.

The cheapest

Tariff plan FreeTrade broker Finam. Commission 0 rub. on the stock market with Russian securities. Mandatory condition - only for new clients when opening a trading account remotely and when using the proprietary FinamTrade mobile application for Android or iOS. Trading from a single account.

The most comfortable

Opening broker. High-level customer support, multifunctional personal account. The ability to trade on the stock market using MetaTrader 5. According to many reviews, the best broker for beginners.

The most reliable

I will divide it into 2 approaches when estimating the parameter. The first is the most reliable in assessing the likelihood of bankruptcy or problems of the company itself (claims from government agencies, sanctions of various kinds, revocation of a brokerage license, etc.). Of course - Sberbank. It is difficult to imagine the bankruptcy of such a system-forming company. Sberbank is a broker for the most conservative clients.

The second is a reliable broker as a separate legal entity with a wide range of instruments for retail clients. I will install the Opening broker. After the problems of the Otkrytie financial holding itself, its reorganization and transfer to state control, the main shareholder is the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (99.99%).

Widest selection of tools

From the broker Finam. From Russian exchanges to shares of foreign companies (more than 3000) on foreign trading platforms and Forex through its foreign subsidiary Just2Trade.

Conclusion

A large Russian broker focused on domestic investors. BCS Broker offers a good application, in addition, it is known, according to comments on the network, that the company sins in imposing services, especially for new clients. Structured products are not always healthy or effective. Trust management also has mixed reviews. There are also questions regarding the effectiveness of the strategies presented on the site; there are many reviews that the tactics do not give the promised results.

A very good educational resource from the broker “Investments 101”, there is an application for the phone. Everything is free, which is very convenient for beginners.

The company has something to work on, since not so long ago the tariff schedule was slightly changed and adjusted, as a result of which the terms of cooperation were improved.

ATON

The oldest brokerage company of modern times from the list of leading ones. The broker has been operating since 1991. Aton builds its work for corporate clients and wealthy investors with a trading deposit of 1 million rubles. The number of active clients is small. Aten loves the rich. I doubt it is worth opening an account for new clients with little experience and little capital.

Pros:

• reliable broker with a long history in the market;
• actively operates in the over-the-counter market.

Minuses:

• not the friendliest broker for beginners. Especially with a small deposit size;
• no training programs;
• the site is frankly boring and not the most informative. It is difficult for a beginner to find answers to popular questions;
• only one version of the Quik trading terminal for desktop and Android;
• by default, access to shares of foreign issuers, including the St. Petersburg Exchange, is not provided. A personal application and a separate agreement with the broker are required. Inconvenient.

Two popular broker tariffs for working in the main (stock) section of the Moscow Exchange:

1. Starting. Enabled by default for new clients.

   

1. Universal.

   

Real reviews from traders, clients, employees

Alexander, trader: “I use different platforms for financial transactions and note that the commissions on BCS are high. At the same time, the level of technical support is high, it is convenient to work with trading programs, and the minimum deposit is low.”

Elena, client: “I used the services of BCS Broker based on customer reviews, who noted the company’s reliability, training opportunities and constant technical support. I’ve been using the platform for almost 2 years, making a profit, gradually improving in analytics, and raising my professional level.”

Victor, employee: “I’ve been working for the company for several years, and I’ve noticed a steady increase in income. The advantage is the opportunity to learn, constantly improve skills, and the opportunity to improve the level of professional training.”

Hotline number

BCS Online has developed customer support. After concluding an agreement and registering a personal account, each person is assigned a personal advisor. His phone number is listed in the user account.

But it is also possible to dial a single Help Desk number 8-800-500-16-18. The line is multi-channel and 24 hours a day. For calls from abroad, dial the international number +7-495-733-92-18.

You can send letters and documents to the email address: . Be sure to briefly indicate in the subject line what you are talking about.

KIT Finance

In operation since 2000. The majority shareholder is NPF Blagosostoyanie. The broker has a subsidiary in Cyprus. Through it - access to foreign exchanges.

Broker advantages:

• single cash position;
• good level of support;
• a large selection of instruments, including cryptocurrencies.

The downside is this. Monthly fee for maintaining an account is 200 rubles. Debited regardless of activity on the trading account. If trading fees exceed RUB 200, the difference will be charged.

Two main tariffs for trading on the stock market.

Finam

Working as a broker since 1994. Offices in 90 Russian cities. Representative offices abroad - USA, Cyprus, India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Broker advantages:

• the most inexpensive tariff for trading on the Russian stock market. Tariff conditions are higher in the article;
• your training center;
• the presence of a Comon community of traders with trading strategies and auto-following;
• wide selection of tradable instruments.

Minuses:

• paid Quik 300 rub./month;
• a complex and confusing system for determining the commission for withdrawing money from a trading account. For an urgent withdrawal of 300 rubles, in a different situation, an extract from the regulations from the Finam website reads:

  

• confusing system of commissions and rewards. Incl. when switching from one tariff plan to another. It’s extremely difficult to figure it out right away.

The three most popular tariff plans on the stock market:

1. "Test Drive". Provided for 30 days. Then the default is switched to “Day”.

   

1. "Day".

   

1. "Fixed".