Pearler – Review of the new share trading platform

Pearler Share Trading Platform

A new entrant to the market is the share trading platform Pearler. A popular broker account targeted at investors wanting long-term returns from a low-cost investment. Shares invested through Pearler are CHESS sponsored. In other words, the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) keeps a record of the shares you buy and sell. These records are tied to your individual Holder Identification Number (HIN). Some Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) managers such as VanEck and EInvest even offer free brokerage. If you want to compare some ETF’s I have provided a summary of popular ETF’s here.

Brokerage Fees

For shares purchased through Pearler, you are the beneficial owner of the shares you acquire. Pearler allows you to auto-invest your funds and taking advantage of Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA). The pricing is $9.50 flat brokerage on all buy and sell orders, or free to invest in some ETFs. However, the “free brokerage for ETF investing” needs a disclaimer.

Investing in Exchange Traded Fund’s

Firstly, to qualify, you must buy and hold an ETF for at least a year from the list of 43 (and counting) ETF’s. I have included a summary of the Exchange Traded Funds that offer the free brokerage below:

Free Brokerage Terms

I note that it is only free brokerage to invest in the ETFs listed above if you hold them for at least one year. Therefore, by selling the ETF within a year, standard buy & sell-brokerage fees apply ($19.00 total, or $9.50 per transaction). So, you may not pay brokerage when you invest. But, if you sell all or part within a year, you’ll pay double the standard brokerage fee. Finally, I could reduce this cost by investing regularly and selling in larger portions instead of selling small amounts individually.

Investment Strategy

Unlike other broker accounts such as SelfWealth or Superhero, Pearler offers traders the ability to view other investors’ public profiles. This gives investors the option to compare their trading strategy to others. More importantly, the context needs to be reviewed as the trading strategy may not align with your own. For instance, I would be asking myself what do I want to achieve from my investment? Furthermore, what investment strategy will allow me to achieve my goals? There is where I would set myself tailored investment goals. I would use these goals to directly align with my target investment amount.

Share Trading Platform Features

Pearler offers investors an array of different features including the following services:

1. Direct Debit is available on the Macquarie Bank Client Trust account. The direct debit would link your bank account to the Pearler investment account.
2. Trading Rules can be set based on your transaction preferences. I could set a rule to invest in shares furthest behind their target weighting rebalancing my portfolio.
3. Auto Invest using Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA) to invest incremental amounts in the share market consistently for long-term growth.
4. Broker-to-Broker Transfer to transfer your shares from another broker. The same HIN or new HIN number can be set up if switching to a new share trading platform.
5. Investment Account Set up an account as either an individual, jointly, trust or child (on behalf of a minor).
6. Limit Order When purchasing shares you can place a limit order at a specified price.
7. Profit/Loss Review the per share profit or loss against each asset

Pearler Sign Up

To get started investing with Pearler follow the Pearler Tutorial for a step by step guide to signing up with Pearler. I have included a link to the Pearler sign-up page. For disclosure, this is a general referral invite link and not an affiliate based commission link. By referring a friend you can receive a free brokerage credit on your Pearler account. The auto-invest option is a point of difference for those wanting to start their FIRE journey.

In Summary

My personal view is that I like what Pearler has to offer both in terms of cost and investment horizon. The platform closely aligns with my goals on the journey to financial independence. However, you should weigh up the pros and cons of switching before making a decision. In conclusion, I recommend you do your own research into the best share trading platforms. I have included the pros and cons of some of the best online trading brokers to invest in your future. This is not financial advice and the information in this article is general in nature. Please consult a licensed professional advisor to assist with your unique circumstances.