When trading stocks, many people only focus on the return rate and overlook what's actually important. That is, trading commissions, which surprisingly have a huge impact on the final profit.

Recently, I compared overseas stock trading fees across different securities firms, and what's really interesting is that even for the same foreign stocks, the fees vary depending on which broker you use. Based on U.S. stocks, most major brokerages charge around 0.25%, but for domestic stocks, the differences are completely different.

For example, if you trade through Kiwoom Securities' Yeongung Moon 4, the fee is only 0.015%, but other brokerages charge around 0.136% to 0.147%. For people who trade frequently with small amounts, this difference is really significant. Especially with firms like Shinhan Investment Corp., which adds a fixed fee of 2,000 won on top of a 0.139% fee, so if you trade 100 times, the fixed fees alone total 150k won.

When comparing overseas stock trading fees, you also need to look at benefits for new or dormant customers. Mirae Asset Securities offers 90 days of free trading, and Shinhan Investment Corp. even offers a whole year of free trading, among other promotions. Properly utilizing these benefits can reduce fee worries for the first few months.

Considering the power of compound interest, fees are incredibly important. For example, if you invest 1 million won and make 10 trades with a 10% return each, the difference in final profit between a 0.1% fee and a 0.2% fee is about 20,000 to 30k won. But as the trading amount and frequency increase, the difference becomes even more significant.

Choosing a securities firm that matches your trading style is key. If you mainly do small, quick trades, look for a place with no fixed fees. If you trade large amounts at once, find a broker that offers lower fees as the scale increases. For overseas stocks, also check the broker’s currency exchange fees and rates in advance to minimize losses.

Ultimately, the best way to save is to accurately understand your trading pattern and carefully compare the fee structures of different brokers accordingly. Actively take advantage of fee promotions, and consider making larger trades in one go rather than splitting them up. Small differences in fees can add up to big profit differences, so comparing overseas stock trading fees before starting your investment is definitely worth doing.