Online Share Trading – Bell Direct Review

Bell Direct online share trading reviewREVIEWER RATING 

Bell Direct Review | Why Bell Direct?

  • Australian stock broker with an easy to use platform, great SMSF solution, quality ASX information, and online share trading at an affordable price
  • You can buy or sell shares on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and trade from $15 for trades up to $10,000, $25 for trades between $10,000 and $25,000 or 0.1% for trades over $25,000 and:
    • get free ASX quotes, stock prices and company information
    • access market updates, follow company announcements, and
    • be able set up multiple watch-lists for your favourite shares.
  • Speed of Execution – Platform offers automated or Straight Through Processing (STP) to the ASX with 1 second Placement Guarantee
  • Self Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) solution with SMSF Portfolio tools, diversification and the best tax reporting in the market
  • Quality ASX & research information available to clients – from the Bell Direct share trading platform you can access:
    • free consensus research
    • free detailed company information from Morningstar (formally Aspect Huntley), one of Australia’s leading research groups
    • free BuySellSignals stock market research with your Bell Direct share trading account
    • live company announcements from the ASX
    • all the latest Australian business news on every kind of listed stock from start-up to blue chip and more.
  • Third Party Platform Pty Ltd (ABN 74 121 227 905) trading as Bell Direct, is a Participant of the ASX Group. It holds an Australian financial services licence (AFSL) No. 314341 and is regulated by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC).
  • Bell Direct Best Online Broker AwardsBell Direct has previously won the Smart Investor Best Online Broker award and has won several awards from Investment Trends broking reports for the last four consecutive years (2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017). These included awards for: email customer service; telephone customer service; research, stock recommendations; trading ideas and strategies; reliability of website and tax reporting.
  • Switching your holdings to Bell Direct is easy and safe. As part of the application you’ll be asked for your HIN, which enables Bell Direct to do the switching for you. When your Bell Direct account is opened, your portfolio will be switched into your account ready to go!
  • Easy tax reporting with the Bell Direct financial year summary report. This is a great feature to see as end of financial year reporting is often difficult, or poorly done by many brokers. The EFY report includes details on: your account summary; holdings valuation; cash account summary; transaction summary; brokerage & information services and estimated dividend summary.
  • Direct margin lending account available and administered by Bell Potter Capital
Bell Direct Review
4 / 5 Reviewer
Pros
- Great Self Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) solution with SMSF Portfolio tools, diversification and the best tax reporting in the market
- Competitive brokerage rates on Australian shares
- Excellent trade execution speed and includes a 1 second Placement Guarantee
- Easy tax reporting with Bell Direct's end of financial year summary report
- Quality research (from Bell Potter) and ASX information available to all clients
Cons
- High cost to place phone trades relative to other stock brokers reviewed
- No fee waivers, rebates or discounts, based on monthly account usage, available on WebIRESS platform monthly fee
- Limited integration for derivatives trading
Please note this is not an issue at all for those only looking to trade Australian (ASX) shares or Managed Funds, as this is Bell Direct's specialty! I only raise this for those looking for an integrated trading solution where not only shares but derivatives CFDs, Indices, Forex, etc can be traded from the same broker.
Summary

Bell Direct are suited to investors and traders looking for competitively priced brokerage on Australian shares, while still dealing with a top quality, industry leading online broker.

Bell Direct are also clearly well suited to those running a Self Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) and looking for a top quality SMSF solution. Below are the key advantages available for SMSF online trading account:
  • SMSF Portfolio tools including Strategy Builder and Technical Insights;
  • Diversification with capability to invest in warrants, exchange traded funds (ETF's), exchange traded government bonds and in managed funds via mFund;
  • Reliable trading platform awarded No. 1 by investors in 2014 – most reliable website (Investment Trends Online Broking Survey 2014);
  • Solid interest earning cash account - Bell Potter’s Bell Cash Trust linked to your trading account, with no fees, charges or minimum balance;
  • Top quality Bell Potter research, daily trading ideas newsletter; and
  • The best tax reporting in the market (voted number 1 by Investment Trends Online Broking Survey 2014).

ASX share traders who are putting through large volumes may also wish to read our Amscot Stockbroking Review as they have the lowest online brokerage rates, at all volume levels, out of the brokers we have reviewed.
Pricing3.9
Range Of Instruments3.7
Speed of Execution4.7
Trading Platform Features4.4
Ease Of Use3.5
Customer Support4

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Last Updated: 7th February, 2020
Your capital is at risk. Forex & CFD trading can result in losses that exceed your initial deposit. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved.
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