Tiger Brokers Review NZ 2026

Tiger Brokers operates locally through two registered New Zealand entities:

• Tiger Brokers (NZ) Limited, FSP473106
• Tiger Fintech (NZ) Limited, FSP1000869

Both are registered on the Financial Service Providers Register. Tiger Fintech (NZ) Limited also provides stockbroking, trading, and client money and property services under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013.

The Financial Markets Authority can monitor and enforce applicable anti-money laundering, record-keeping, and client-asset obligations. However, Tiger Brokers states that its local entities are not licensed by a New Zealand regulator for these services. FSPR registration therefore confirms registration, but it is not regulatory approval or a guarantee of financial stability.

New Zealand customers benefit from several legal and operational safeguards:

• Client money must be held separately from Tiger Brokers’ operating funds
• Client investments must be recorded and held on behalf of the beneficial owner
• Customer holdings are subject to reconciliation, record-keeping, and audit requirements
• Unresolved complaints can be referred to Financial Services Complaints Limited

These safeguards help protect customer holdings if Tiger Brokers experiences financial difficulty. They do not cover losses caused by market movements, currency changes, leveraged trading, or poor investment decisions.

Tiger Brokers states that customer cash is placed in segregated client accounts and investments are held through dedicated custody arrangements. These assets are kept separate from the broker’s own capital and should not normally be available to meet its business debts.

Client money and securities are reconciled each trading day. Tiger Brokers also conducts internal and external reviews and monitors the custodians used to hold customer investments.

Segregation reduces insolvency risk, but it is not the same as insurance. Recovering assets may still take time if Tiger Brokers, a custodian, or another party in the custody chain fails.

• Margin accounts can provide up to four times intraday buying power and up to two times overnight leverage for eligible securities
• Margin requirements vary by security and can increase when prices become volatile
• Tiger Brokers may issue a margin call or sell positions if account equity falls below the required level

Universal negative balance protection is not provided for New Zealand margin accounts. Customers using leverage can lose more than their original deposit. Investors can avoid margin borrowing by using a cash account or maintaining enough settled cash in the required trading currency.

• Tiger Brokers began operating in 2014
• Its parent company, UP Fintech Holding Limited, has been listed on Nasdaq under the ticker TIGR since March 2019
• The group operates registered or regulated entities in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United States

In June 2023, the Auckland High Court ordered Tiger Brokers (NZ) Limited to pay a NZ$900,000 penalty following FMA proceedings concerning weaknesses in its anti-money laundering controls, customer due diligence, reporting, and record-keeping. The case related to compliance systems rather than reported losses of segregated customer investments.

The main limitation is that registration on the Financial Service Providers Register is not equivalent to holding an FMA licence for brokerage and custody services. New Zealand customers are also not protected by a statutory securities compensation scheme, so the primary safeguards are asset segregation, trust arrangements, record-keeping, audits, and custody controls.

Margin customers face an additional risk because losses can exceed the amount initially deposited.

Tiger Brokers charges a fixed or percentage-based transaction fee depending on the market. Listed shares and ETFs are commission-based, with separate pass-through charges collected for exchanges, regulators, clearing providers, and market-access partners.

Stocks and ETFs

• New Zealand shares and ETFs: 0.1% commission plus a 0.2% platform fee. Each component has a NZ$2 minimum, making the usual minimum total NZ$4 per order.
• US shares and ETFs: US$2 per order for 1 to 200 shares. Above 200 shares, the lower of US$0.01 per share or 1% of trade value applies, subject to a US$2 minimum.
• US fractional shares below one full share: 1% of trade value, capped at US$1 per order.
• Australian shares and ETFs: A$5 for orders up to A$20,000, then 0.025% of trade value. A 0.03% settlement charge also applies.
• Hong Kong shares and ETFs: HK$15 up to HK$25,000, then 0.06%. Exchange levies, clearing charges, and stamp duty may apply.
• China A-shares: 0.06% of trade value, with a CNH 15 minimum, plus exchange and settlement charges.
• Singapore shares, ETFs, and REITs: 0.12% of trade value, with a S$3.50 minimum, plus SGX trading and clearing fees.

US trades also carry small pass-through costs. These include a US$0.003-per-share settlement fee, sell-side Securities and Exchange Commission charges, and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority fees. American depositary receipts may incur a US$0.01 to US$0.05 fee per share.

Eligible customers who complete their first funding may receive four transaction-fee-free US or Australian share trades per month. Exchange and settlement charges can still apply, and the offer remains subject to its terms.

Options and futures

US options cost US$0.95 per contract, with a US$2.99 minimum per order under the standard headline price. Regulatory, exchange, and Options Clearing Corporation fees are charged separately.

A tiered options plan is also available for higher volumes. Its commission starts at US$0.80 per contract for the first 50 monthly contracts, plus a US$0.30-per-contract platform fee, subject to minimum order charges.

Futures fees vary by contract and exchange. The total normally includes Tiger Brokers’ commission, the relevant exchange fee, and any clearing charges.

Forex and CFDs

Tiger Brokers does not charge a conventional forex spread because its New Zealand service does not provide retail spot forex or CFD trading. Investors can access selected currency futures, while margin-account customers may pay financing interest when they borrow a currency to fund a position.

Financing rates are variable, calculated by currency and balance bracket, and accrue daily. The applicable rate should be checked in the Tiger Trade app before using borrowed funds.

Crypto trading

Spot virtual-asset trading is available to New Zealand residents at a commission of 0.1% of trade value per transaction. The minimum order is US$10, trades settle immediately, and trading is available 24/7 except during maintenance.

All virtual-asset trades settle in US dollars. A currency-conversion charge therefore applies when NZD is converted into USD. The service is cash-funded, with no leverage, short selling, or crypto derivatives. External crypto deposits and withdrawals are not supported.

Tiger Brokers supports a multi-currency account, but investors generally need the currency of the market they are trading. NZD must therefore be converted into USD for US shares and virtual assets, or into AUD for most Australian investments.

The standard conversion fees are:

• NZD to or from USD: 0.35%
• NZD to or from AUD: 0.35%
• NZD to or from HKD: 0.55%
• NZD to or from CNH, SGD, JPY, EUR, or GBP: 0.50%

Other cross-currency pairs generally cost between 0.17% and 0.60%.

Typical FX conversion costs

At the standard 0.35% rate:

• Converting NZ$1,000 costs NZ$3.50
• Converting NZ$5,000 costs NZ$17.50
• Converting NZ$10,000 costs NZ$35

Eligible funded customers may receive the first NZ$2,000 of NZD-to-USD or NZD-to-AUD conversions free each month. The waived fee is refunded to the Tiger account and is subject to promotional conditions.

Tiger Brokers is competitively priced for New Zealanders trading US, Australian, and Asia-Pacific shares. Its US$2 US share fee, NZ$4 minimum NZX cost, and 0.35% NZD conversion rate compare well with several mainstream local alternatives.

The main costs to monitor are pass-through market charges, repeated currency conversions, margin interest, and share transfer-out fees. Spot virtual-asset pricing is also relatively simple at 0.1% per transaction, although NZD must first be converted into USD. Investors who fund in larger amounts and avoid unnecessary currency exchanges are likely to receive the most value from the fee structure.

Tiger Brokers offers US-listed options through its New Zealand platform. Available tools include options chains, implied volatility data, the Greeks, strategy analysis, and a demo account for practice.

Options can be used for income strategies, hedging, or taking directional positions, but they are higher-risk instruments. Selling uncovered options or using margin can produce losses beyond the original premium or account deposit.

A margin-enabled account and separate options approval may be required. Product access depends on the investor’s experience, financial information, and Tiger Brokers’ eligibility assessment.

Tiger Brokers provides access to more than 100 global futures products, with many contracts trading for close to 24 hours on business days. A margin account with futures access must be activated before trading.

Available underlying markets include:

• Equity indices, including Dow Jones, Nasdaq, S&P 500, Hang Seng, and China A50 contracts
• Commodities such as gold, silver, crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, and agricultural products
• Currency futures, including contracts linked to major currencies
• Interest-rate and government-bond futures
• Selected single-stock futures
• Bitcoin futures

Contracts are available through exchanges including CME Group, the Singapore Exchange, and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing. Tiger Brokers does not support physical delivery, so eligible contracts must generally be closed or settled according to the applicable market rules.

Tiger Brokers New Zealand does not provide conventional retail spot forex or CFD trading as part of its current product menu. Customers can still gain currency exposure through forex futures or convert currencies within their multi-currency brokerage account.

This means investors buy the underlying shares, ETFs, and spot virtual assets rather than trading them as CFDs. Margin can be used on eligible securities, but margin trading is separate from a CFD account and involves interest on borrowed funds.

Tiger Brokers’ main fund access comes through exchange-listed ETFs, REITs, and business trusts. Singapore-listed REITs provide exposure to portfolios of income-producing property, while ETFs cover shares, bonds, commodities, sectors, and other investment themes.

Based on the current New Zealand product menu, standalone managed funds and direct individual bond dealing are not core offerings. Investors can instead obtain fixed-income exposure through bond ETFs or trade interest-rate and government-bond futures.

Tiger Brokers offers broad coverage for investors focused on New Zealand, US, Australian, and Asian markets. Its combination of underlying shares, ETFs, fractional investing, US options, global futures, and spot virtual assets supports both long-term portfolios and more active strategies.

Its coverage is less suitable for investors whose priority is direct access to European exchanges, traditional managed funds, individual bonds, spot forex, or CFDs. For most New Zealand customers, the platform’s strongest practical value lies in combining local shares with US and Asia-Pacific investments in one multi-currency account.

A bank account must be verified before withdrawals and may need to be verified before a deposit is credited immediately. Customers can complete verification by:

• Uploading a bank statement or bank document dated within the past 12 months
• Using Akahu to verify the bank account online without uploading documents

The document must show the customer’s name, bank name, and account number. Transaction details can be hidden. Akahu verification is completed through the Tiger Trade website or app by selecting the relevant New Zealand bank and account.

Cash must be settled and shown as withdrawable before it can leave the account. Selling an investment does not always make the proceeds immediately available for withdrawal.

US shares generally settle on a T+1 basis. For example, shares sold on Wednesday are normally settled and available for withdrawal on Thursday, provided Thursday is a US trading day. Products with longer settlement cycles, such as some Hong Kong securities, may take additional time.

The withdrawable amount may also be lower than the displayed cash balance where:

• Trades have not yet settled
• Currency conversions are pending
• Fees or corporate actions have not been finalised
• A margin loan or account deficit remains
• Tiger Brokers is retaining a small buffer against pending charges

Cash-account restrictions are designed to prevent a negative balance after outstanding charges are deducted.

Cash-account customers must hold the currency used by the relevant market. NZD therefore needs to be converted into USD before buying US shares or virtual assets, or into AUD before purchasing most ASX-listed investments.

Margin-account customers can place some overseas trades without converting NZD first. However, this creates a foreign-currency margin loan and financing interest is charged until the borrowed balance is repaid. Manually converting the required amount first avoids this borrowing cost.

Tiger Brokers’ virtual-asset trades settle only in USD. Customers can buy and sell supported assets within Tiger Trade, but direct cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals to external wallets are not supported.

Tiger Brokers provides straightforward local funding for New Zealand customers, with free POLi deposits, bank transfers, no minimum deposit, and no standard withdrawal fee. Verified POLi payments are normally immediate, while bank deposits and withdrawals generally take around one working day, although allowing up to three working days is sensible.

The main cost appears when NZD is converted for overseas investing. The standard 0.35% NZD-to-USD or NZD-to-AUD fee is competitive, but repeated deposits, conversions, and withdrawals can add up. Holding funds in the required currency and converting larger amounts less frequently can reduce unnecessary costs.

New Zealand customers can apply through the Tiger Brokers website or the Tiger Trade mobile or desktop app. The process is similar on each platform:

1. Register with an email address or mobile number.
2. Enter your full name, date of birth, nationality, and contact details.
3. Provide a valid identity document.
4. Enter your residential address.
5. Add employment, occupation, and income information.
6. Provide tax-residency details.
7. Answer questions about investment experience, financial circumstances, and the intended purpose of the account.
8. Select a cash or margin account.
9. Review and accept the account agreements and risk disclosures.

Tiger Brokers assesses the information after submission and provides application updates by email or SMS. Straightforward applications using electronically verifiable New Zealand documents may be approved within minutes. Cases requiring additional documents can take around one business day or longer.

Tiger Brokers does not require a minimum deposit to open or maintain a New Zealand account. Customers can complete verification and explore the platform without funding it immediately.

Minimum transaction amounts may still apply to individual products. For example, US fractional shares can start from US$1, while spot virtual-asset orders have a US$10 minimum. Exchange rules may also impose minimum parcel sizes for certain investments.

Promotional rewards can require a specific deposit, but those thresholds are promotion conditions rather than account-opening minimums.

Tiger Brokers provides a free demo account through Tiger Trade. It can be used to practise placing orders and explore the platform without depositing or risking real money.

The demo environment supports practice with:

• Shares
• US options
• Futures
• Market and limit orders
• Portfolio tracking
• Selected charting and analysis tools

The demo is useful for learning the interface and testing order types, although simulated results do not fully reproduce live liquidity, slippage, fees, or emotional decision-making. Futures applications can also be approved online within minutes, with around one business day required in some cases.

Applications are most likely to take longer when:

• Personal details do not match the identity document
• Electronic identity or address verification fails
• An overseas passport needs certification
• Proof of address is outdated or incomplete
• Tax-residency information is missing
• Tiger Brokers requests further source-of-funds or financial information
• A margin, options, futures, company, or institutional account requires additional review

Using a valid New Zealand passport or driver licence and entering details exactly as they appear on the document can reduce avoidable delays.

Tiger Brokers offers a relatively straightforward digital application for New Zealand adults, with no account-opening fee or minimum deposit. Most applicants should allow around 5 to 15 minutes to complete the form, followed by approval within minutes or up to one business day when further checks are needed.

The standard process is simplest for applicants with electronically verifiable New Zealand identification and address information. A free demo account is also available, allowing customers to explore Tiger Trade before funding a live cash or margin account.

The mobile app includes real-time quotes, company information, news, valuation data, technical indicators, and customisable asset pages. Tiger Brokers also provides Level 2 market data for selected US, Australian, and New Zealand securities, giving users additional visibility into available bids and offers.

The desktop platform adds a more detailed analytical workspace with:

• Candlestick and K-line charts
• Stock and ETF screeners
• Profit and loss analysis
• Portfolio and asset-allocation views
• Historical and real-time market data
• Options chains
• Implied volatility and options Greeks
• Futures and derivatives monitoring
• Financial news and company information

These tools make the desktop platform particularly useful for investors comparing several securities or managing options and futures positions.

Tiger Trade’s account-analysis page shows total assets, asset trends, profit and loss analysis, and a profit and loss calendar. Total asset figures are updated approximately every minute, while current-day and five-day analysis can update around every five minutes. Settled historical periods are generally updated daily.

Investors can create watchlists and organise securities before buying them. Watchlist symbols can display useful status markers, including:

• Existing portfolio position
• Earnings announcement
• Delayed market data
• Auction status
• Pending delisting
• Ex-rights or stock-split event
• Approaching expiry for an option or futures contract
• Availability for overnight US trading

These indicators make it easier to identify upcoming events and market-session availability without opening each individual security page.

The Portfolio area brings together holdings, cash balances, orders, account risk, deposits, withdrawals, corporate actions, and currency exchange. Margin users can also view account risk levels and available liquidity, while futures positions have a separate futures risk indicator.

Portfolio performance can be reviewed through total assets, daily profit and loss, realised profit and loss, asset trends, and time-weighted return analysis. The performance view is useful for monitoring several markets in one reporting currency, although exchange-rate movements can affect the displayed total.

Tiger Trade allows users to customise the homepage and personalise individual stock pages. This helps investors prioritise the markets, watchlists, news, and portfolio information they use most often.

The platform also provides:

• 24/7 financial news
• Real-time or delayed market quotes, depending on the exchange and data entitlement
• Market-depth information for supported securities
• ETF rankings and thematic lists
• Company fundamentals and related news
• Demo trading for shares and US options

The amount of information available is a strength for investors who conduct their own research. Newer users may initially find the interface busy, but Lite trade tickets, customisable pages, and the free demo environment make the platform easier to learn gradually.

The New Zealand website, application guidance, help centre, and local customer service are available in English. The mobile design places major actions such as search, trade, portfolio, funding, and currency exchange in dedicated navigation areas.

Tiger Brokers does not publish a detailed accessibility-conformance statement for its New Zealand platform. Users who rely on specific screen-reader, keyboard-navigation, or visual-accessibility features should test the application before transferring significant funds.

Local customer support is available on weekdays from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm New Zealand time by telephone and email.

Tiger Trade is best suited to:

• Self-directed investors: The app combines execution, research, financial news, and portfolio monitoring in one place.
• Mobile-first investors: Most routine investing and account-management actions can be completed through the iOS or Android app.
• Active or experienced traders: The desktop platform, advanced order types, market-depth data, options analytics, and futures tools support more involved strategies.
• Newer investors willing to learn: Lite mode and paper trading provide a simpler route into a platform that can become more advanced as experience grows.

Investors who only want to make occasional basic purchases may not use the full range of tools. However, the customisable layout means advanced screens and data do not need to be central to everyday use.

Tiger Brokers combines New Zealand, US, Australian, Hong Kong, Singaporean, and mainland Chinese securities within one multi-currency account. China A-shares are available through Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Connect, an area not commonly covered by mainstream New Zealand investing apps.

Investors can access:

• NZX-listed shares and ETFs
• More than 8,700 US-listed shares and ETFs
• ASX shares and ETFs
• Hong Kong shares and ETFs
• Singapore shares, ETFs, and REITs
• Eligible Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares through Stock Connect
• US options and more than 100 global futures contracts
• Spot virtual assets for eligible New Zealand residents

This gives Tiger Brokers a broader combination of markets and advanced products than platforms whose core offerings focus on New Zealand, Australian, and US shares, or US securities alone. Sharesies currently centres its investment range on New Zealand, Australian, and US companies, ETFs, and managed funds, while Hatch focuses on US shares and ETFs.

Tiger Brokers supports overnight, pre-market, regular-session, and after-hours trading for eligible US securities. More than 8,700 US shares can be traded across the extended 24/5 session, allowing New Zealand investors to respond to company announcements and market events without waiting for the standard US session.

Eligible orders are generally placed as limit orders during overnight trading because liquidity can be lower and bid-ask spreads can be wider outside normal market hours.

Tiger Brokers also provides free Level 2 real-time data for selected US and New Zealand securities. Level 2 data shows multiple available bid and offer levels rather than only the latest quoted price. This can help active traders assess market depth, liquidity, and potential execution prices.

Tiger Brokers supports a wider selection of order controls than platforms limited to market, limit, and basic stop orders.

Available order types include:

• Market and limit orders
• Stop-loss and stop-limit orders
• Trailing stop and trailing stop-limit orders
• Conditional orders
• Attached take-profit and stop-loss orders
• One-Cancels-All orders
• Options bracket orders
• Good-Til-Cancelled and Good-Til-Date instructions where supported

Conditional orders can be triggered by preset prices or percentages, while OCA orders allow several instructions to be grouped so that execution of one cancels the others. Options users can also access implied volatility, Greeks, strategy analysis, early exercise controls, and attached risk-management orders.

For futures traders, Tiger Trade provides more than 100 contracts covering indices, metals, energy, agriculture, currencies, government bonds, and selected equities. Tools include nearly 24-hour trading, comparative chart analysis, real-time futures quotes, and flash orders for quicker execution.

These features are most relevant to experienced investors. Margin, options, and futures access require separate eligibility checks, and leveraged positions can produce losses exceeding the initial amount committed.

Tiger Trade combines execution with company fundamentals, financial news, screeners, technical indicators, earnings information, options data, and portfolio analysis.

TigerAI, previously promoted as TigerGPT, can summarise financial information and help users navigate company reports and market data. Its output should be treated as a research aid rather than personalised financial advice or a substitute for checking original company disclosures.

A free paper-trading environment is also available for practising with shares, options, and futures before using real money. This is particularly useful because many of Tiger Brokers’ advanced order types and derivatives require more experience than straightforward share investing.

The Tiger community allows users to publish and discuss investment ideas, market commentary, and educational content. It is a social information feed rather than a copy-trading service, so another user’s trades are not automatically reproduced in the customer’s account.

Tiger Brokers is particularly well suited to New Zealand investors who regularly buy US or Australian shares and want to keep trading and currency-conversion costs under control.

Standard pricing includes:

• US shares and ETFs: US$2 per order for up to 200 shares
• US fractional shares below one full share: 1% of trade value, capped at US$1
• Australian shares and ETFs: A$5 for trades up to A$20,000
• NZD to USD or AUD conversion: 0.35%
• Inactivity, account maintenance, deposit, and standard withdrawal fees: NZ$0

The US$2 commission is most attractive for investors placing moderate-sized orders. Very small purchases may be better handled through fractional shares, where the charge is capped at US$1.

Currency conversion remains an important part of the total cost. An investor converting NZ$5,000 into USD would pay NZ$17.50 at the standard 0.35% rate. Holding overseas currencies in the multi-currency account can reduce the need to convert money before and after every trade.

Tiger Brokers is therefore most useful for investors who plan their currency exchanges and place trades large enough that the fixed commission remains a small proportion of the investment.

Tiger Brokers is a practical fit for investors who want more than New Zealand and US shares but do not need access to every major global exchange.

A single New Zealand account can provide access to:

• New Zealand Exchange
• New York Stock Exchange
• Nasdaq
• American Stock Exchange
• Australian Securities Exchange
• Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing
• Singapore Exchange
• Shanghai and Shenzhen shares through Stock Connect

Access to China A-shares is a notable use case. These are mainland Chinese companies listed in Shanghai or Shenzhen and made available through the Hong Kong Stock Connect system.

The platform also supports Hong Kong shares, Singapore-listed REITs, Australian securities, and US fractional shares. This makes it suitable for investors who want to build portfolios across New Zealand, North America, Australia, Greater China, and Singapore without operating several brokerage accounts.

Tiger Brokers is less focused on broad European exchange coverage, so its strongest geographical fit is an investor whose international strategy centres on the US and Asia-Pacific region.

Tiger Brokers is also well suited to investors who want more control over order execution and market analysis than a basic investing app normally provides.

Available tools include:

• Market, limit, stop-loss, and stop-limit orders
• Conditional orders
• Attached profit-taking and stop-loss instructions
• Trailing stops
• One-Cancels-All orders
• Good-Til-Cancelled instructions where supported
• Options chains, implied volatility, and Greeks
• Level 2 market-depth data for selected securities
• Screeners, technical indicators, and detailed charts
• Pre-market, regular-session, after-hours, and overnight US trading

Eligible US shares can be traded across a 24/5 schedule. This is useful for New Zealand traders because major US announcements often occur outside the standard market session or during inconvenient local hours.

More experienced customers can also apply for:

• US options trading
• More than 100 global futures products
• Short selling
• Margin trading
• Up to four times intraday buying power on eligible positions

These products require additional approval and a margin-enabled account. They also introduce materially higher risk. Margin users can lose more than their original deposit, while options and futures can move quickly and may require additional funds.

Tiger Brokers is therefore best suited to active traders who understand order mechanics, leverage, settlement, and the risks of derivatives rather than investors looking for trade recommendations or portfolio management.

Tiger Brokers also works for investors who prefer to make smaller, repeated contributions rather than place occasional large trades.

There is no minimum deposit, and eligible US fractional shares can be purchased from US$1. Auto-Invest allows scheduled purchases of selected US and Hong Kong shares and ETFs.

Auto-Invest terms include:

• US investments from US$2
• Hong Kong investments from HK$500
• Daily, weekly, or monthly schedules
• Eligible direct-debit funding through Akahu
• Ability to pause, edit, or cancel a plan
• Fractional purchases for eligible US securities

This can support dollar-cost averaging, where an investor contributes the same amount at regular intervals rather than trying to select a single entry price.

Auto-Invest is self-directed rather than managed. Tiger Brokers does not choose the portfolio, assess whether an investment suits the customer, or automatically rebalance holdings. The investor remains responsible for selecting securities and reviewing the strategy.

Tiger Brokers can suit newer investors who are prepared to learn, particularly those who expect their needs to become more advanced over time.

Beginners can start with:

• A cash-funded account
• US fractional shares
• ETFs
• Auto-Invest
• Lite trading mode
• A free paper-trading account

Paper trading allows customers to practise with simulated funds before risking real money. This is useful for learning order types, navigating Tiger Trade, and understanding how prices and portfolio values change.

As experience increases, the same platform provides more detailed charts, screening tools, options data, futures, and margin access. Investors do not need to move to a different broker simply because they require more control later.

The platform contains a large amount of market information, so completely new investors may need time to learn its navigation. Starting with Lite mode, a cash account, and paper trading can make that process more manageable.

Tiger Brokers is an execution-only, self-directed platform. Customers are responsible for choosing investments, deciding how much to invest, and monitoring their portfolios.

It does not provide:

• Personalised financial advice
• Adviser-managed portfolios
• Risk-profile-based investment recommendations
• Automatically rebalanced model portfolios
• A discretionary portfolio-management service

Auto-Invest can schedule daily, weekly, or monthly purchases of selected US and Hong Kong shares and ETFs, starting from US$2 or HK$500. However, the customer still chooses each security, contribution amount, and investment frequency.

TigerAI, company data, screeners, news, and community posts can support research, but they should not be treated as personal recommendations. Investors who want an adviser to select and manage investments may be better served by a managed-fund, robo-advice, or financial-advice platform.

Tiger Brokers provides useful coverage across New Zealand, the US, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and mainland China through Stock Connect. This is a strong selection for investors focused on North America and Asia-Pacific markets.

However, it is not a fully global broker. New Zealand customers do not receive broad direct access to major exchanges in:

• The United Kingdom
• Continental Europe
• Japan
• India
• Canada
• Other emerging and frontier markets

The product range is also more focused than that of a full-service international broker. Individual bonds, standalone managed funds, conventional retail CFDs, and spot forex are not central parts of the New Zealand offering.

Some exposure remains available through ETFs and futures. For example, investors can access bond ETFs, European-market ETFs, currency futures, and government-bond futures. These are indirect alternatives rather than direct access to the underlying security or exchange.

Investors planning to build a portfolio across numerous global exchanges may prefer a broker with wider international coverage.

Tiger Brokers’ New Zealand entities are registered on the Financial Service Providers Register and must comply with relevant client-asset, record-keeping, dispute-resolution, and anti-money laundering requirements.

Client cash and investments are held through segregated trust and custody arrangements, with daily reconciliations and internal and external checks. These are meaningful protections.

However, Tiger Brokers states that its New Zealand entities are not licensed by a New Zealand regulator to provide client money and property services. FSPR registration confirms registration for declared services, but it is not equivalent to an FMA licence or continuous prudential supervision.

New Zealand also has no statutory securities compensation scheme for brokerage investments. The NZ$100,000 Depositor Compensation Scheme applies to eligible deposits with covered deposit takers, not shares, ETFs, options, futures, or virtual assets held through Tiger Brokers.

This does not mean client assets are treated as Tiger Brokers’ own property. However, investors who require a government-backed compensation limit or a fully licensed local provider may prefer another arrangement.

Margin customers should also note that Tiger Brokers does not provide universal negative balance protection. Eligible positions can receive up to four times intraday buying power, and losses can exceed the amount originally deposited.

Tiger Brokers offers cash-funded spot virtual-asset trading to eligible New Zealand residents. Trades are available 24/7, carry a 0.1% transaction fee, and have a US$10 minimum order.

This service may suit customers who want simple cryptocurrency price exposure alongside their share portfolio. However, it does not provide the broader functionality associated with a dedicated crypto exchange or self-custody wallet.

Tiger Brokers does not currently support:

• Deposits from an external crypto wallet
• Withdrawals to an external crypto wallet
• Staking or on-chain rewards
• Crypto lending or earn products
• Margin or leveraged crypto trading
• Short selling
• Crypto options or perpetual futures

Virtual-asset trades settle in US dollars, so New Zealand customers may also pay the standard 0.35% NZD-to-USD conversion fee before trading.

Investors who want to transfer cryptocurrency, interact with blockchain applications, earn staking rewards, or control their own private keys will need a dedicated exchange or wallet.

Tiger Brokers is competitively priced for many international share orders, but its fixed minimum commissions can represent a larger percentage of very small trades.

For example:

• A US$2 fee on a US$100 whole-share order equals 2% before currency conversion and settlement charges
• A US$2 fee on a US$200 order equals 1%
• A US$2 fee on a US$1,000 order equals 0.2%

Eligible fractional-share orders below one full share use a different structure of 1% of trade value, capped at US$1. Auto-Invest can also reduce the practical barrier for small recurring contributions.

The standard NZD-to-USD and NZD-to-AUD conversion fee is 0.35%. Converting NZ$100 costs NZ$0.35, while converting NZ$5,000 costs NZ$17.50. Investors who repeatedly convert small amounts in both directions may accumulate more FX costs than customers who convert less frequently and hold the foreign currency.

Yes. You remain the beneficial owner of the shares you purchase and retain rights to dividends, voting, and eligible portfolio transfers, although the securities are registered in the name of an appointed custodian on your behalf.

Tiger Brokers accepts eligible US, Australian, Hong Kong, Singaporean, and China A-share transfers without charging an incoming transfer fee, although the existing broker may charge one and the process normally takes two to three weeks. Outgoing transfers cost US$150 per US security, HK$500 per Hong Kong security, A$50 per Australian security, or NZ$25 per New Zealand security; fractional, OTC, and Pink Sheet holdings cannot normally be transferred in.

Tiger Brokers credits dividends to the relevant currency balance within one to three working days of receiving the payment from the company or custodian. Dividend records can be viewed in Tiger Trade under Portfolio > More > Corporate Actions > Dividends.

Tiger Brokers provides an annual statement containing transaction and income information that can help customers prepare their New Zealand tax returns. The broker may deduct applicable withholding tax, but customers remain responsible for determining their own tax position and should seek professional advice where necessary.

They may apply when a New Zealand tax resident owns overseas shares or funds through Tiger Brokers. Individual investors whose total cost of applicable foreign investments is NZ$50,000 or more may need to calculate Foreign Investment Fund income, although exemptions can apply, including for some ASX-listed Australian companies.

Yes, Tiger Brokers customers can request access to eligible shareholder votes by contacting its New Zealand client-services team. Tiger Brokers says it normally provides the voting link and control number within one to three working days and charges US$10 per voting application.

The outcome depends on the security, exchange, and whether Tiger Brokers’ settlement providers continue to support it. Customers who receive a delisting notice should contact Tiger Brokers promptly so its settlements team can confirm whether the position can still be held, sold, or transferred.

Eligible holdings can be affected by corporate actions such as cash dividends, bonus issues, rights issues, stock splits, mergers, and privatisations. The choices available depend on the company announcement, exchange rules, response deadline, and the arrangements supported by Tiger Brokers and its custodians.

Testing covered account opening, funding, order placement, portfolio management, mobile and desktop usability, research tools, and overall platform stability. Published pricing schedules and representative transaction scenarios were used to assess trading commissions, currency conversion costs, non-trading charges, and withdrawal fees.

The product review compared Tiger Brokers’ available markets, asset classes, investing features, and educational resources with similar platforms. Safety checks covered registration, regulatory oversight, client-asset arrangements, investor protection, security controls, and relevant public disclosures.

Tiger Brokers received a score out of 100 in each of the following categories:

• Investing options
• Platforms and usability
• Products and markets
• Safety and reliability
• Deposits and withdrawals
• Research tools
• Fees and costs
• Education

Each category is weighted according to its importance to retail investors, then combined to produce the overall rating. The weightings give greater emphasis to factors that materially affect everyday usability, costs, and investor protection.

This methodology keeps scoring consistent, separates features from pricing, and bases conclusions on testing and verifiable evidence rather than marketing claims or headline fees alone.