Recently, I’ve been researching how to choose a brokerage firm and found that there are really many options here in Taiwan.

However, to be honest, after looking at a bunch of rankings of Taiwanese securities firms, I think the biggest pitfall for beginners is only focusing on commission discounts and ignoring other important factors.

Let’s start with the conclusion: if your main trading is Taiwan stocks, then local major brokerages like Yuanta, KGI, and Fubon are indeed convenient.
Their commission discounts are also pretty good, generally between 20% to 60%. But I want to especially remind you that while commissions are important, system stability, ease of use of trading software, and the ability to execute trades quickly are what truly affect your trading experience.
I’ve seen some small brokers slash commissions to attract customers, but their order execution gets laggy, which is not cost-effective at all.

Additionally, many people ask whether margin interest rates and securities lending are sufficient.
This part definitely favors larger brokerages, with interest rates around 6% to 7%.
The bigger the scale, usually the cheaper the rates.
So if you frequently need margin trading and securities lending, choosing a large brokerage is more cost-effective.

When it comes to overseas investments, I find this part particularly interesting.
If you want to buy US or Hong Kong stocks, using Taiwanese brokers’ repurchase agreements isn’t cheap.
It might be more economical to open an overseas brokerage account directly.
I’ve tried Mitrade myself—low barrier to entry (you can start with just 50 USD), and it offers leverage, which is suitable for small investors.
If you have more capital, Interactive Brokers’ fee structure is more friendly for large transactions.
Firstrade is also beginner-friendly, offering commission-free US stock and ETF trading, though withdrawal fees are higher.

So my advice is: for trading Taiwan stocks, it’s safest to choose large, well-ranked Taiwanese brokerages.
But if you want to invest in overseas markets, you might need to open an overseas brokerage account separately.
Using both together can truly help reduce overall costs.