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By Lee Scott*
I recently had a terrible experience at Kruger Park International Airport. I was in Nelspruit for the day and as only one airline flies to from Johannesburg to Nelspruit I had no choice but to pay the exorbitant airfare. As I was flying home at 16:10 I made sure that I arrived at the airport at least 30 mins early, I approached the check-in desk to get through only to be told that my flight had been delayed by 2 hours. I asked the lady behind the desk why there was such a delay and she had no answer.
I was then put in a room with the other frustrated passengers with no shop for refreshments and a teleprompter displaying the same four news stories. I couldn’t help be annoyed by the whole situation and realised that if I were to complain there would be little to no recourse.
It did cross my mind that service like this and being kept in the dark cannot be tolerated in any industry. In the financial industry we as clients have always had to pay substantial fees to our fund managers, advisors and brokers. Choice has also been as issue as most asset managers, brokers and financial firms adopt the same fee structures and there is very little differentiation between competitors. Knowledge has also traditionally been a sore point with investors being updated on their funds on an annual basis.
Welcome EasyEquities. A true disruptor. A business that has spawned from the likes of Uber and Amazon, a business that is truly customer-centric. EasyEquities allows for any South African to engage on the market via shares, ETFs or ETNs on our JSE and is built for everyone irrespective of capital or financial knowledge. The onboarding process is simple and effective with registration and FICA all being done online in the space of a few minutes. From a fee perspective you won’t find a more affordable solution with no minimum brokerage, no monthly costs and no admin costs. It’s important to note that the amount of capital does not determine the diversification of your portfolio as EasyEquities incorporates Fractional Share Rights which allows clients to purchase a portion of a share. This innovation allows for clients to get access to any share irrespective of its price.
Client education is at the forefront with weekly communication being written in an easy to understand manner often tackling industry jargon and analysis. There are blogs, investment insights, seminars and webinars all built around keeping the client informed. As you’re able to login at any time to view and manage your portfolio you have full transparency. There is also a Tax Free Savings Account option and a demo account to practice buying and selling of shares. Baskets and Bundles are available via the platform to assist clients who may have some apprehension as to what shares to purchase. EasyEquities’ biggest asset is its clients with the majority of new clients being referred to us by friends and family.
So if you don’t want to be left out in the dark, challenge the norm, get involved with the equity market and watch your investments take off.
- Lee Scott is Sales Executive for Easy Equities, part of GT247.com. Contact Lee at [email protected]
