by MoneySmart, Joanne Poh, 5 May 2022
If you thought sitting for exams in your youth was bad, wait till you trade or invest your first dollar, especially if you don’t have a background or experience in finance. The first time you do it, you feel like the world is going to end if you make a mistake, because let’s face it, it’s a lot more painful to lose your hard-earned money than it is to get a wrong answer on an exam.
The good news is that, like most things in adulthood, trading isn’t rocket science, even though it can seem like it at times. There are plenty of mobile trading apps available to ordinary people like you and me. But some of these apps have user interfaces that look like a space shuttle’s control panel, and you can quickly find yourself blindly clicking away with zero idea of what you’re looking at, let alone doing.
Luckily, there’s no need to put up with needlessly complicated trading platforms. uSMART, a new online brokerage launching in Singapore, offers a simple and intuitive platform interface that’ll have you trading confidently in no time.
uSMART is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and is run by an experienced group of core management with a 400-strong global workforce. Prominent shareholders include the conglomerate Chow Tai Fook Group from Hong Kong, best known for its subsidiary Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group; one of the largest jewellery retailers in the world.
All funds and securities bought through uSMART are held for you in a custodian account so you don’t have to go through the extra step of setting up a separate CDP account.
Here are a few other reasons why uSMART is the ideal trading platform for newbies.
Education takes centre stage
One day, you will be an experienced trader. But to get there, you’ll need to learn the ropes first. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place, because uSMART makes educating beginners a priority.
uSMART’s Learning Tab features a series of materials for all learning styles including video courses and chatrooms where you can speak with financial experts. You’ll get to learn how to invest through light-hearted content and educational materials designed to keep you awake and engaged throughout.
Let’s explore what you’ll find when you click that Learning Tab.
Screengrabs: uSMART“BeeRich” tab
The “BeeRich” tab within the Learning feature serves up TikTok style short videos which touch on finance-related topics in an upbeat and entertaining manner. These videos serve up words of financial wisdom without being too heavy or intimidating. That’s great for people who want to slowly immerse themselves in the world of finance without having to pore through piles of sleep-inducing documents.
Free courses for beginners
Time to turn off Netflix, because uSMART offers hours’ worth of free online courses that you can watch at your own pace. Courses are categorised as “Basic”, “Primary” and “Expert” for learners of all levels. In fact, as part of your uSMART welcome gift, you’ll also receive access to a free Live Investment Master Course via a Zoom webinar. You can choose from 2 topics: “ETF” or “Technical Analysis”, and the free Live Investment Master Course will be conducted by uSMART’s Market Strategist, James Ooi on a Saturday (full day) with in-depth coverage of over 400 slides jam-packed with information.
Chatroom with experts
Forget about chatbots and their canned responses. uSMART’s chatrooms host real experts who will respond to your queries within a day. You can also view other users’ questions and answers and vice versa, so everyone in the community gets to learn from each other.
Access to trading tools
Trading tools may seem confusing at first, but learning how to use them can really give your trading an edge, especially if you’re new to the market.
Discovering uSMART’s tools is easy. Click on the Discover Tab, and you can learn the basics of technical analysis and value analysis, as well as how the platform’s various tools can help you perform your own analyses.
The platform also has intelligent screeners that help you spot trends and analyse the market at a glance, as well as smart order types which let you execute trades just the way you want them.
Good offering of global markets and products as you level up your knowledge
As your knowledge grows, you’ll want to branch out to a wider range of markets and products in order to build a truly diversified portfolio.
On uSMART’s platform, you’ll be able to trade on the Singapore, US and Hong Kong markets and will also have access to US options.
You’ve probably already heard that it’s a bad idea to put all your eggs in one basket. The same rings true when you’re investing online. In short, it’s smart to diversify your investments in terms of product, sector, geographical location and so on. That way, if a particular country goes through a recession or a particular sector tanks, your entire portfolio won’t go under.
When you’ve levelled up as a trader, you can even try to trade options, which enable you to trade on margin, meaning you can earn or lose more than the money you’ve put down. (This of course has its risks as you can lose money you don’t have, plus options trading strategies can be complicated, so it’s not for total beginners.)
It’s fuss-free to sign-up, with welcome and referral promos available
Getting started with uSMART account couldn’t be any easier. Just download the uSMART app and follow the prompts to set up an account. The uSMART app is available for all mobile devices.
When you sign up for a uSMART account and fund it, you will receive 3 FREE Bitcoin ETF and a SGD 15 cash voucher worth a total of SGD 120. If you are interested to learn about ETFs or Technical Analysis, you may opt for their uSMART Master Course worth SGD 720 as the welcome gift instead of the free ETF shares!*
*Terms and Conditions apply
This article is written in collaboration with uSMART Singapore. All views expressed in the article are the independent opinions of MoneySmart. This article is intended for information purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. This article has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.