Best ANZ Trading Platforms Australia – Compare Top ANZ Trading Platforms 2021

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One of the largest and most popular banks in the Asia-Pacific region is ANZ. Apart from traditional banking services, ANZ also provides trading platforms for its clients and other Australian citizens interested in investing or trading. One of its main highlights is that, unlike many international brokers, ANZ provides access to virtually every share listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, so it may be the best choice if you want to invest in domestic companies. 

Undoubtedly, ANZ is one of the most popular and trustworthy banks in Australia. But, does it have what it takes to make investors and traders happy? This guide introduces you to everything you should know about the best ANZ trading platforms in Australia.

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Best ANZ Trading Platforms Australia – List of Top ANZ Trading Platforms Australia

Australian citizens who want to invest in the financial markets now have endless options. However, ANZ is one of the “big four” banks in Australia, which makes it trustworthy. If you want to find out more about what options you have and the best ANZ trading platforms in Australia, check out the next sections. These provide a detailed guide on ANZ offerings, what benefits you have and what costs and drawbacks you should consider before registering on one of its trading platforms

ANZ provides three trading platforms: 

  • Standard Platform – Best ANZ Trading Platform in Australia for Long-Term Investors
  • Pro Platform – Best ANZ Trading Platform in Australia for Short-Term Traders
  • ANZ App – Best Mobile App in Australia for ANZ Clients

Next, we’ll discuss each of them in detail, so you know which one may suit you best. 

Best ANZ Trading Platforms in Australia – Full Reviews

ANZ offers three main types of trading platforms: standard, pro, and mobile app. They are all different and provide different benefits, have varying cost structures, and are suitable for different types of traders or investors. 

First, you should know that the ANZ investing account is different from its banking accounts. As a result, you need to create it regardless of whether you are an ANZ banking account holder or not. Next, there are two different types of service levels. The basic one has no fee, but you will only have access to delayed market information, such as asset pricing. This is more suitable for long-term investors who do not need to make quick or frequent changes to their portfolios given the delayed prices.

If you are a short-term trader, you may want to upgrade your account to the standard service level. This costs A$19.95 every quarter (or every three months) and comes with real-time market data. The fee is waived if you make at least one trade every six months or if you have $10,000 in assets in your account. From this perspective, the fee is more akin to online brokers’ inactivity fee rather than a subscription plan. 

1. ANZ Standard Platform – Best ANZ Trading Platform in Australia for Long-Term Investors

Once you choose your service level, you can opt for the beginner-friendly standard platform or the pro trading platform. The standard platform comes with free access; it is packed with most tools and features that you need as a long-term investor. For instance, you can find the best assets using a global stock screener, you can set up price alerts, create a watchlist, and be updated with ASX announcements. Ideal for novice investors, the standard platform features basic stock price charts and a few trading tools. Depending on your service level, you can access delayed or real-time market data, as explained above.

Pros

  • Ideal for beginners due to its easy-to-use interface
  • Basic charting tools
  • Tax reporting packages are available (for an extra fee)
  • Stock screener
  • Price alerts, watchlists

Cons

  • Features are quite limited for experienced or active traders

67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

2. Pro Platform – Best ANZ Trading Platform in Australia for Short-Term Traders

Similar to the standard service level, the pro platform comes with a fee that can be easily waived. It is A$49.95 per month, but you don’t have to pay it if you make at least five trades per month. Unlike the standard platform ideal for long-term investors, the pro platform is packed with tools and features for short-term or active traders. Some examples include customisable trading charts, a professional charting package with drawing tools, and trading indicators. 

Next, traders using the pro platform have access to research published by the reputable financial services Morningstar. This represents a unique offering as Morningstar’s premium membership typically costs US$199 per year. Also, you have access to a market news feed published by Reuters. This upgraded functionality makes the pro platform ideal for short-term or active traders. 

Pros

  • Customisable charts and layouts 
  • Professional charting packages with technical indicators
  • Reuters news feed and Morningstar research
  • Waivable fee
  • Multi-monitor display capabilities

Cons

  • No live chat support

67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

3. ANZ Mobile App – Best Mobile App in Australia for ANZ Clients

Finally, ANZ also provides its clients with a mobile app. Unfortunately, this is more suitable if you focus on banking rather than trading or investment. There is no separate mobile app for investing alone, so the ANZ mobile app for Android and iOS combine all of your ANZ accounts with some limited functionality for trading. 

For instance, you can check your investment account balance. You cannot search for assets, see your profit/loss balance, or check your portfolio. However, you can use the ANZ mobile trading platform to transfer money between your banking and investment accounts. 

The app is most useful if you also have banking accounts, not only a trading one. The app is easy to use and intuitive but does not boast any trading capabilities, research tools, or features that might help you manage your portfolio. Also, you cannot buy or sell stocks, so you still need to access the desktop-based platform to trade. 

Pros

  • Check the balance of your ANZ banking accounts on the go
  • Move money easily between accounts
  • Deposit or withdraw money from your ANZ trading account
  • Easy to use interface
  • You can see your investment account balance

Cons

  • No trading features or tools

67% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.

How to Find the Best ANZ Trading Platforms in Australia

As we’ve seen above, ANZ trading capabilities are down to only two desktop-based platforms, the standard or pro versions, as the mobile app has little to no functionality when it comes to trading. Here are some other aspects you should keep in mind before choosing ANZ as your main trading platform.

Regulation and Security

The good news about ANZ is that you can hardly make any better choice in terms of safety and regulations. It is one of the big four banks in Australia with an established reputation in the Asia-Pacific region. It is trustworthy and under the direct supervision of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC). Also, ANZ bank is a publicly-traded company and listed on the ASX. 

Payment Methods

The payment methods are much restricted compared to other online brokers like eToro. You can use the mobile app to quickly transfer money between your ANZ accounts; however, to use an external bank account, you need to access the web interface to make the transaction. You can also make in-person deposits, but these will be reflected in your account the next day unless you make the transaction before 12:45 AEST. 

For experienced traders or investors, being able to make only bank transfers can come as a huge hurdle. Many online brokers like eToro, for instance, allow for more flexibility, providing numerous payment methods, including instant ones like e-wallets (i.e., PayPal). 

Supported Markets

ANZ provides access to virtually every stock on the ASX, which recommends it if you want to trade domestic stocks. Apart from this, you can invest in stock options, international stocks, ETFs (exchange-traded funds), mFunds (mutual funds available only to ANZ bank clients), international funds, and warrants, which will be discussed in the next section below. 

Here is a full breakdown of the supported markets and how you can trade them:

  • ASX-listed exchange-traded funds and international ones, but the minimum amount is A$500 per ETF
  • Mutual funds created by ANZ are available only to ANZ clients, which come with management fees that vary according to which fund you choose 
  • International stocks from 11 exchanges located in the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe 
  • Mutual funds both from Australia and abroad 
  • Options available, along with specific tools to facilitate trading, such as payoff diagrams, options finder tools, and pricing tools; 
  • Ability to participate in IPOs (initial public offerings) 
  • Warrants 

Leverage and Short-Selling

Many online brokers like eToro provide their users with the ability to short-sell and use leverage when trading. These two features are preferred by veteran traders seeking higher returns with a higher risk appetite. These are discussed below and how you can use them if you choose ANZ trading platforms. 

Leverage

Leverage refers to borrowing funds to meet your investment objectives. For most online brokers, such as eToro, leveraged transactions can be easily conducted when buying CFDs (contracts-for-difference), a type of derivative that allows you to open traders worth more than your capital. For instance, if you buy a CFD on stock for $500, eToro allows you to use leverage to multiply the value of your transaction several times and, consequently, multiply your profit or loss. 

Yet, ANZ is not a typical broker. You cannot use CFDs in your trading account, but you have access to two other types of derivatives: warrants and options. 

Warrants are derivatives that allow you the right to buy or sell an asset before the contract’s expiration date. These give you the option (not the obligation) to sell (put warrant) or to buy (call warrant) at the exercise price. 

Warrants are similar to options. One difference is that options are issued by third parties (not the company itself), and usually trade on the exchange. Another difference is that, when you exercise your warrant, you receive new stock, which means that they dilute company ownership. Warrants also tend to be issued for years, unlike options that have shorter horizons. 

ANZ requires you to use additional funds (i.e., margin call) if you use options. Warrants do not require this money. Finally, ANZ allows you to access an investment loan (margin lending) that you can use to start investing. 

Short-Selling

On its website, ANZ does not mention any short-selling opportunities. However, these are quite common with most online brokers like eToro, since short-selling is a quick and easy way of making profits during a bear market. 

Platform Fees

Apart from the waivable costs associated with using ANZ trading platforms, there are a few other trending costs you should be aware of. These are discussed in the next sections. 

ANZ comes with hefty commissions that tend to offset the initial benefits of waiving service fees. First, trading Australian assets incurs different fees:

  • A$19.95 per transaction when trading shares or ETFs with a trade value of a maximum of A$5,000, and 0.11% of the trade value for transactions worth more than $28,000; the cost decreases but no less than $19.95 if you make subsequent trades during the same month
  • International shares come with a fixed fee of $59 per transaction for transaction values of up to $10,000, or 0.59% of the trade for higher transactions
  • mFunds cost $29.95 per trade or 0.11% of the transaction, whichever is greater
  • Option buying or selling is $34.95 per leg of trade or 0.33%, whichever is greater;
  • When exercising options, you need to pay an additional fee of $19.95 or 0.11% of the trade, whichever is greater

Other Fees

Apart from the commissions discussed above, you are charged other fees. Some of the main ones for trading international shares include:

  • Forex spread (0.60% of the forex rate) 
  • Electronic transfer in of $20 per holding and $100 for transfer out
  • Currency conversion (variable) 

All of these commissions and costs can add up whether you are an investor or trader. ANZ trading platforms’ cost structure is quite expensive, especially if we compare it with commission-free online brokers like eToro. 

Research and Analysis

ANZ is quite light when it comes to educational resources, although the pro platform is rich in research and market analysis opportunities. The mobile app has no educational section, but the website does explain the several types of assets it offers. 

Customer Service

Customer service is available in-person at any ANZ branch from Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM. You can also contact them via phone, post, or email. ANZ bank does not provide a live chat support service. 

How to Get Started With the Best ANZ Trading Platform in Australia

If you think one of ANZ trading platforms are suitable for your investing strategy, all you need to do is create an account. To save time, we’ve put together this quick step-by-step guide to help you out:

Step 1: Open a Trading Account

Regardless of which ANZ trading platform you want to use, you need to access the ANZ website to open your account. If you are an existing ANZ client, you can use your Customer Registration Number and your password to log on. The account-opening form will be pre-filled for your convenience. If you are a new user, you need to create your profile from scratch. 

Step 2: Complete the KYC Process

Just like any other regulated broker, ANZ required you to upload a couple of documents to verify your identity. This is known as the Know Your Customer (KYC) process. Before registration, prepare your Australian driver license and Australian birth/citizenship certificate (or the Australian passport). You will need to upload these on the website to verify your identity.

Step 3: Deposit Funds

Now that your account is open, you can choose whichever service plan you want to use, along with the trading platform. At this stage, you can also download the mobile app on your phone. You can then use the mobile app or the web platform to deposit funds. Keep in mind that ANZ trading accounts can only be funded via bank transfers, and external accounts may take several days until the amount is transferred to your account.

Step 4: Choose Trading Market

Next, choose the assets you want to trade or invest in using the ANZ trading platform. You can use the stock screener and other tools to find lucrative opportunities, browse the whole range of assets, and become familiar with its tools before investing.

Step 5: Place Trading Order

Finally, once you establish your strategy, initial capital, and your desired assets, you are ready to place the trade. Use the standard or pro trading platforms to buy and sell stocks, options, warrants, ETFs, and more.

Best ANZ Trading Platform Australia – Conclusion

This article went over the best ANZ trading platforms available right now. They are geared towards different types of traders/investors. For instance, long-term investors can opt for the simplistic standard platform. Here, you can find watchlists, market news, and some basic charting tools. 

Some traders might feel like ANZ’s hefty commissions and fees are matched by the value of its trading capabilities. However, it’s worth mentioning that ANZ is primarily a banking institution, so the limited brokerage features may not be worthwhile for dedicated traders or even beginners. Nowadays, many online brokers like eToro provide the same features while having a zero-commission policy, making trading and investing more affordable compared to traditional banking institutions. 

Also, if you already have an ANZ banking account, there are no incentives to start trading using one of its platforms. The bank does not offer any discounts or promotions to its current clients. Also, if you are looking for mobile trading apps, ANZ may not be right for you since its mobile app does not have any trading features or tools. 

Australian citizens may want to find another regulated broker to fulfil their trading and investment needs. For instance, eToro has very few fees, a user-friendly mobile app that allows you to trade or monitor your portfolio on the go, and a global social trading network where you can follow or copy master traders. 

#1 Commission-Free Trading Platform in Australia – eToro

1
$50
Mobile AppYes
  • Buy over 800 stocks with 0% commission
  • Social trading network
  • Copy over 12 million traders and investors

FAQs

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About Ana Frincu PRO INVESTOR

Ana Frincu is a freelance content writer specialised in finance and economics. She has a BA in International Business Management and a MA in International Taxation and Finance. With a keen interest in fintech and personal experience as an investor, she covers a broad range of topics, including trading, alternative data, cryptocurrency, and macroeconomics.