The interest rates for bank deposits have declined to a great extent in most countries. Hence investors interested in maximizing the returns on their investment are interested in other options. Like most developed countries, trading in stocks and other securities is one of the most lucrative options, and many of the top traders are making far more than salaried individuals. For investing in securities, the trader should first choose a suitable trading platform like the ocbc stock trading platform singapore. Some of the factors which investors should consider when evaluating the different trading platforms are listed below.
Stock exchanges
Many investors like to invest in securities in different countries to maximize their returns and reduce their losses. Hence it is advisable to check the number of exchanges on which the traders registered at the trading platform can access. In addition to the Singapore stock exchange, many traders in Singapore are trading in securities listed in the Malaysian stock exchange, Hong Kong and the United States. In some countries like the United States, there are multiple stock exchanges and better trading platforms will allow traders to register with at least 10 stock exchanges
Securities
Another consideration is the type of securities the traders are allowed to trade in. Many investors like to invest in different types of securities to reduce risk, and they would like to invest through the trading platform instead of opening multiple accounts. In addition to shares, the better trading platforms also allow the traders to invest in warrants, daily leverage certificates (DLCs), real estate investment trust (REITS) and Exchange traded funds, index funds. The traders should also be able to invest in initial public offerings as well as trade in securities after they are listed.
Access
While earlier the investors would usually access the trading platform on their desktop and laptop, with increase in smartphone usage,better platforms have apps for the smartphones. The traders can conveniently monitor the shares and other securities wherever they are, and place orders even when traveling. The traders can also place their buy/sell orders when they access their bank account using net banking. To prevent hacking or leakage of confidential financial information, end to end data encryption is used. Traders can switch between their different accounts easily. This trading platform is suitable for new as well as experienced traders.
Additional features
A majority of traders do not spend the entire day monitoring the stock market, they will specify the price at which they wish to purchase the share, and the software will execute the order when the price is reached. Traders would also like to check the status of the orders they have placed, so that they can plan their future trading strategy, so the platform should provide a summary of the orders placed till date, whether they are fully executed, partly executed or pending. The platform should also provide features to maximize the traders profit, allowing the trader to trade and settle in any currency they wish. Market news and updates are also provided to help the trader take the right decision.
