Recently, a new beginner friend asked me how to choose a brokerage account, and that’s when I realized that many people only look at commission fees when opening an account. But choosing this way really isn’t right.

I’ve opened several brokerage accounts myself and recommended them to friends. Later, I found that the most important thing is actually whether the trading app is easy to use and whether the customer service is genuinely helpful. Think about it—if the platform is hard to use and the response is slow during trading, then even cheaper commission fees are useless. So the first step in choosing a brokerage account should be to check the trading platform, and only then compare commission fees.

Mainstream brokers in Taiwan, such as Yuanta, KGI, Fubon, and Cathay, all have high trading volumes, and their commission fees are basically around 60% of the standard rate. New customers sometimes even get promotions. Honestly, the difference in commission fees isn’t that big—instead, their app functions vary a lot. Some apps have fast notifications, some make placing orders smoother, and some have more analysis tools. These are the keys for long-term investing. Customer service is also important. Beginners inevitably run into problems, and both 24-hour online customer support and in-person branches can help solve them.

If you want to invest in U.S. stocks, people in Taiwan generally have three options. The most convenient is through a global custodian: you can buy U.S. stocks directly through a Taiwanese broker. Commission fees are usually between 0.2% and 1%, but the downside is that it involves two layers of fees, so the cost is relatively higher. If you want to save costs, you can open an overseas broker account, such as TD Ameritrade, Charles Schwab, or Firstrade. These have Chinese-language interfaces, and commission fees start from basically 0, but you’ll need to handle international remittances yourself. Another option is CFD contracts for difference—there are lower barriers to entry, you can take short positions, and they’re suitable for people who trade in the short term.

My advice is that beginners should first open an account with a Taiwanese broker to practice and get familiar with the trading process, and only then consider investing in U.S. stocks. When recommending a brokerage account, the most important thing is finding a platform that works well for you—so you can stick with investing long term.