Chapter 6
So far, the chapters in this module give everything you need to judge a platform for yourself. You know what you want to invest in, how money moves abroad, what it costs, and how you will be taxed.
This chapter turns that knowledge into a practical checklist, so that when you sit down to choose a platform, you know exactly what to look for and what to ignore.
The checklist
# | What to check | Why it matters | What to look for |
1 | Market access | Decides how much of the world you can actually reach | Does it cover only the US, or also Europe and Asia? Match this to how broadly you want to invest |
2 | Products available | Not every platform offers every instrument | Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds. Check the ones you actually plan to use are supported |
3 | Ease of onboarding (KYC) | This is your first real friction point | How simple is account opening? Fully digital, or paperwork-heavy? How long until you can invest? |
4 | Minimum investment | Determines whether you can start small | Is there a minimum ticket size? Does it allow fractional investing so you can invest by amount, not whole shares? |
5 | FX markup | Usually the largest and most hidden cost | What rate do they give versus the mid-market rate? A low headline fee with a fat FX markup is not cheap |
6 | Brokerage fees | The cost of each buy and sell | Flat fee, percentage, or zero? Remember "zero brokerage" often means the cost sits elsewhere |
7 | Platform fees | Recurring or exit costs that are easy to miss | Account maintenance, withdrawal, or fund-transfer-back charges. Read these before committing |
8 | Compliance and Tax reporting | The single most underrated feature | Does it help with the tax and disclosure work? Ready statements of gains, dividends, and holdings save real effort at filing time |
9 | Ease of getting money back | Getting in is only half the journey | How simple and quick is it to sell and remit funds back to India? Any lock-ins or delays? |
10 | Trust and track record | Your money and data sit with them | Is the provider regulated and reputable? How long have they operated, and what do existing users say? |
Do not try to win on every row. Instead, decide which two or three matter most for your situation, then let those drive the choice. If you plan to invest large amounts, FX markup and platform fees deserve the most weight. If you dislike paperwork, compliance support and easy KYC matter more. If you only want one broad fund, market access and minimums are almost the whole decision.
Follow the upcoming modules to learn more about global investing.
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