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Compare Australian investment accounts

Find the best savings accounts, term deposits and share trading platforms for you.

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Kylie Purcell
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Must read: Looking for the best investment account?

There's no single investment account that's best for everyone as all our needs are different - and what's best for you might not be best for someone else. Keep in mind that we don't compare every product in the market, but we hope that our tools and information will allow you to compare your options and find the best investment account for you.

There are many ways that you can grow your money. Savings accounts, term deposits, superannuation, share trading and foreign exchange are all investment options that people use to increase their wealth.

Each type of investment account offers a different return on the dollar and associated level of risk. As a general rule, the safest options offer the lowest returns, while the riskiest options have the potential for big returns. If you’re looking to earn more from your money, start by considering whether you’re comfortable taking a loss.

Other factors, such as investment size and horizon, also play a part. If you'd like to invest your money outside of super, you can find an analysis of other investment accounts below.

Investment account options

  1. Savings accounts
  2. Notice saver accounts
  3. Term deposits
  4. Peer-to-peer investing accounts
  1. Share trading accounts
  2. Forex trading accounts
  3. Robo advisers
Promoted
Savings account offer
Savings account offer
Promoted
1.50 % p.a.
max rate
0.10 % p.a.
standard variable rate
  • Maximum rate: 1.5% p.a.
  • Standard variable rate: 0.1% p.a.
  • Monthly fees: $0

Virgin Money Boost Saver (25+ year olds)

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Intro rate of up to 1.50% p.a. for the first 3 months and an ongoing bonus rate of 1.20% p.a. thereafter when monthly criteria is met (T&Cs apply). To earn these bonus rates customers aged 25+ need to deposit at least $2,000/month into your bundled Virgin Money Go Transaction Account and make 5+ transactions/month.

No-risk investment accounts

Low or zero-risk investments where your money is guaranteed include high-interest savings accounts and term deposits. With these kinds of investments, you'll make a small capital gain on your money with no potential for loss. If a financial collapse occurs, your money is guaranteed by the government to the amount of $250,000.

Savings accounts

Savings accounts are among the most widely used types of investment accounts by Australians because they're completely safe and your funds can be deposited or withdrawn at any time without hassle. High-interest savings accounts offer the most competitive rates in the market.

Key features of a savings account

  • Has no minimum deposit requirements
  • Is an ongoing investment
  • Earns income from interest payments based on the size of your cash deposit
  • Sometimes pays bonus interest during an introductory period
  • Allows your money to remain available to withdraw when you want
  • Can be easily accessed online or at a bank branch
  • Is usually low-fee or has no fees
Data updated regularly
Name Product Maximum Variable Rate p.a. Standard Variable Rate p.a. Bonus Interest p.a. Fees
Virgin Money Boost Saver (25+ year olds)
Virgin Money Boost Saver (25+ year olds)
1.5%
0.1%
1.4%
$0
Intro rate of up to 1.50% p.a. for the first 3 months and an ongoing bonus rate of 1.20% p.a. thereafter when monthly criteria is met (T&Cs apply). To earn these bonus rates customers aged 25+ need to deposit at least $2,000/month into your bundled Virgin Money Go Transaction Account and make 5+ transactions/month.
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More Info
Rabobank High Interest Savings Account
Rabobank High Interest Savings Account
1.35%
0.25%
1.1%
$0
Maximum variable rate of 1.35% p.a. for 4 months, reverting to a rate of 0.25% p.a. No deposit or withdrawal conditions. Available on balances below $250,000
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More Info
Westpac Life (18-29 year olds only)
Westpac Life (18-29 year olds only)
2.5%
0.15%
2.35%
$0
If you’re between 18-29, you can earn a 2.5% p.a. variable rate each month you grow your balance (excl. interest) and make 5+ settled debit card purchases from your Westpac Choice account, up to a balance of $30,000.
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Bank of Queensland Fast Track Starter Account (for 14-24 year olds only)
Bank of Queensland Fast Track Starter Account (for 14-24 year olds only)
2.5%
0.05%
2.45%
$0
Only available to those aged 14-24. Ongoing, variable 2.5% p.a. when you link to an BOQ Day2Day Plus Account, deposit $200+ into the Day2Day account each month from an external account and make 5 eligible transactions a month. Max bonus interest applies on balances up to $10,000. Balances between $10,001 and $250,000 will earn a lower bonus rate. Base rate applies on balances over $250,000.
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Citibank Online Saver
Citibank Online Saver
1.1%
0.35%
0.75%
$0
Introductory rate of 1.1% p.a. for 4 months, reverting to a rate of 0.35% p.a. Available on balances Up to $500,000.
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More Info
Virgin Money Boost Saver (18-24 year olds)
Virgin Money Boost Saver (18-24 year olds)
1.5%
0.1%
1.4%
$0
Intro rate of up to 1.50% p.a. for the first 3 months and an ongoing bonus rate of 1.20% p.a. thereafter when monthly criteria is met (T&Cs apply). To earn these bonus rates customers aged 18-24 need to deposit at least $1,000/month into your bundled Virgin Money Go Transaction Account and make 5+ transactions/month.
Go to site
More Info
Bank of Queensland Fast Track Saver Account
Bank of Queensland Fast Track Saver Account
1.05%
0.05%
1%
$0
Ongoing, variable 1.05% p.a. when you link to an BOQ Day2Day Plus Account, deposit $1,000+ into the Day2Day account each month from an external account and make 5+ eligible transactions per month. Available on balances up to $250,000.
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More Info
Virgin Money Grow Saver
Virgin Money Grow Saver
0.65%
0.1%
0.55%
$0
Earn an ongoing variable 0.65% p.a. each month you make at least one deposit of any amount and no more than one withdrawal.
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Westpac Life
Westpac Life
0.3%
0.15%
0.15%
$0
Ongoing, variable 0.3% p.a. each month you deposit money, and make sure your balance is higher at the end of the month than it was at the beginning. No monthly account-keeping fee.
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More Info
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Notice saver accounts

A notice saver is a relatively new product in Australia and a hybrid between a term deposit and a savings account. While your interest rate is variable as with a savings account, you can't access your funds immediately. Instead, you need to give notice of a month or more to withdraw your money. Notice periods are usually 30, 60 or 90 days.

Key features of a notice saver

  • No term date, but requires that you give notice to withdraw funds, typically 30, 60 or 90 days
  • Has a variable rate of interest which may benefit you
  • Is an ongoing investment; funds are withdrawn to a linked transaction or savings account
  • No minimum deposit usually required

Term deposits

A term deposit is a set and forget investment. You agree to deposit your money for a fixed term and get paid a fixed amount of interest over the life of the investment. As a banking product, there is no risk that you will lose your funds. On the other hand, if interest rates go up and you're locked into a lower rate account, you risk being stuck in an underperforming investment.

Key features of a term deposit

  • Has a minimum deposit requirement higher than a savings account
  • Requires you to lock your money away for a term ranging from one months to several years
  • Pays a fixed rate of interest over the life of the investment
  • Is a fee-free investment, though break fees apply for withdrawing funds before the end of the term
  • Is available to both personal and institutional investors
  • Is not an ongoing investment, but funds can be rolled over to another term deposit at maturity
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Riskier investment options

Any investment held outside of a bank account will carry some kind of risk because funds aren't guaranteed by the government if a company collapse occurs. At the same time, there's an opportunity to make higher returns and the risk of a company collapse is low for many well established organisations – it's all about doing your research.

Non-banking investments include ETFs, P2P funds, share trading, managed funds and portfolios offered by robo advisers. The following investments offer varying levels of risk and wont be suitable for everyone. Click through to their respective guides for more information.

Peer-to-peer investing accounts

Peer to peer (P2P) lending investment accounts appear similar (at face value) to term deposits, but because they're non-bank investments, you don't have the same safety guarantee. They offer a fixed rate – typically much higher than those of savings accounts or term deposits – and your funds are locked down for a specified term.

Data updated regularly
Name Product Minimum deposit Target return Investment term Available to everyday customers?
Plenti (Investing)
Plenti (Investing)
$10
up to 6.5% p.a.
1 month to 7 years
Yes
Plenti is a peer-to-peer lender that connects investors with borrowers.
More Info
SocietyOne
SocietyOne
$100,000
Up to 6% p.a.
1 to 5 years
No
Marketlend
Marketlend
$100
Up to 13.3% p.a.
1 year
No
Thin Cats
Thin Cats
$1,000
Up to 15.1% p.a.
2 to 5 years
No
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Key features of p2p investing accounts

  • Competitive return on investment typically higher than savings accounts or term deposits
  • Investors take on a higher level of risk than with term deposits and there's no guarantee of a return
  • Funds are locked away for a set period of time
  • Your funds are being loaned to borrowers
  • It's not an ongoing investment, but funds can be rolled over

Share trading accounts

Share trading accounts allow you to buy and sell stocks and other listed financial instruments – such as exchange traded funds – by acting as an intermediary to the stock market.

With an online share trading platform you can buy and sell shares on your computer or mobile with lower fees than you'd normally get when you go through a personal full-service stock broker.

Compare share trading platforms

Data updated regularly
Name Product Standard brokerage fee Inactivity fee Markets International
eToro (global stocks)
eToro (global stocks)
US$0
US$10 per month if there’s been no login for 12 months
Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Yes
Zero brokerage share trading on US, Hong Kong and European stocks with trades as low as $50.
Note: This broker offers CFDs which are volatile investment products and most clients lose money trading CFDs with this provider.
Join the world’s biggest social trading network when you trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account.
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More Info
IG Share Trading
IG Share Trading
$8
$50 per quarter if you make fewer than three trades in that period
ASX shares, Global shares
Yes
$0 brokerage for US and global shares plus get an active trader discount of $5 commission on Australian shares.
Enjoy some of the lowest brokerage fees on the market when trading Australian shares, international shares, plus get access to 24-hour customer support.
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More Info
Superhero share trading
Superhero share trading
$5
No
ASX shares, US shares
Yes
Australia’s lowest-cost broker for ASX shares and ETFs.
Pay zero brokerage on US stocks and all ETFs and just $5 (flat fee) to trade Australian shares from your mobile or desktop.
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More Info
ThinkMarkets Share Trading
ThinkMarkets Share Trading
$8
No
ASX shares
No
Limited-time offer: Get 10 free ASX trades ($0 brokerage) when you open a share trading account with ThinkMarkets before 31 December 2021(T&Cs apply). $8 flat fee brokerage for CHESS Sponsored ASX stocks (HIN ownership), plus free live stock price data on an easy to use mobile app.
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Bell Direct Share Trading
Finder AwardExclusive
Bell Direct Share Trading
$15
No
ASX shares, mFunds, ETFs
No
Finder Exclusive: Get 5 free stock trades and unlimited ETF trades until 31 Dec 2021, when you join Bell Direct. T&Cs apply.
Bell Direct offers a one-second placement guarantee on market-to-limit ASX orders or your trade is free, plus enjoy extensive free research reports from top financial experts.
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More Info
SelfWealth (Basic account)
SelfWealth (Basic account)
$9.5
No
ASX shares, US shares
Yes
Trade ASX and US shares for a flat fee of $9.50, regardless of the trade size.
New customers receive free access to Community Insights with SelfWealth Premium for the first 90 days. Follow other investors and benchmark your portfolio performance.
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More Info
Saxo Capital Markets (Classic account)
Saxo Capital Markets (Classic account)
$5
No
ASX shares, Global shares, Forex, CFDs, Margin trading, Options trading, ETFs
Yes
Access 19,000+ stocks on 40+ exchanges worldwide
Low fees for Australian and global share trading, no inactivity fees, low currency conversion fee and optimised for mobile.
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CMC Markets Invest
CMC Markets Invest
$11
No
ASX shares, Global shares, mFunds, ETFs
Yes
$0 brokerage on global shares including US, UK and Japan markets.
Trade up to 9,000 products, including shares, ETFs and managed funds, plus access up to 15 major global and Australian stock exchanges.
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More Info
HSBC Online Share Trading
HSBC Online Share Trading
$19.95
No
ASX shares, mFunds, ETFs, Bonds
No
Limited time offer: Get up to $100 in brokerage rebates on your first 5 trades when you sign up to a HSBC Online Share Trading account (T&Cs apply). Make trades online with brokerage fees starting from just $19.95 with an HSBC Online Share Trading account. Plus gain access to complimentary expert research, trading ideas and tools.
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Important: Share trading can be financially risky and the value of your investment can go down as well as up. Standard brokerage is the cost to purchase $1,000 or less of equities without any qualifications or special eligibility. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.

Key features of share trading accounts

  • Gives you access to a wide range of investments including shares, ETFs and listed investment companies (LITs)
  • Charges a brokerage fee when you trade shares
  • Share trading has the potential for very high capital gains
  • There is the potential to lose money if your investments perform poorly
  • Is available for personal and institutional investors
  • Can deposit and withdraw funds easily online

Forex trading accounts

Forex trading has the potential for both high gains and big losses. Rather than buying shares for capital growth or investing into a high interest fund, forex traders speculate on the future price movements of international currency pairs. For this reason, forex is not "investing" in the traditional sense – rather it is trading.

Online forex accounts allow you to trade currencies from around the world from your computer or mobile. In exchange, you typically pay a commission or FX fee, known as the spread.

Compare forex accounts

Data updated regularly
Name Product Minimum Opening Deposit Minimum Spreads for Major Currencies Commission Minimum Trade Size Platforms
Vantage FX
Vantage FX
AUD 200
0.0 pips - 1.0 pips
$0
0.01 lots
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
TradingView
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Spreads start from 0.0 on major currency pairs and you get some of the lowest forex trading fees in Australia. Plus you can place trades and find global trends through the TradingView charts platform.
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More Info
eToro Forex Trading
eToro Forex Trading
USD 200
1.0 pips
$0
US$200 (to CopyTrade)
eToro Trading Platform
Note: This broker offers CFDs which are volatile investment products and most clients lose money trading CFDs with this provider.
Social trading, advanced charting tools, plus receive exclusive benefits through the eToro Club (membership is tiered based on the equity in your trading account).
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More Info
Plus500 Forex Trading
Plus500 Forex Trading
AUD 200
1.0 pips
$0
N/A
Plus500 Trading Platform
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Minimum spreads of 0.01% for major currencies. Customers should visit Plus500's website for updated spreads in real time.
Open an account and experience Plus500's easy-to-use proprietary trading platform, 24/7 online chat support and free real-time forex quotes.
Go to site
More Info
IG Forex Trading
IG Forex Trading
0
0.6 - 1.5 pips
$0
1 lot
MetaTrader 4
ProReal Time
IG Trading Platform and Apps
L2
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Choice of trading platforms. Choose optional extras like advanced charting, reporting and order types. Over 90 currency pairs to choose from.
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More Info
IC Markets Forex Trading (Raw Spread account)
IC Markets Forex Trading (Raw Spread account)
USD 200
From 0.0-0.1 pips
AU$3.50 per 100k traded
0.01 lots
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
cTrader
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Go to site
More Info
Saxo Forex Trading (Classic Account)
Saxo Forex Trading (Classic Account)
AUD 3,000
0.5 pips
$0
$1000
SaxoTraderGO
SaxoTraderPRO
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Trade majors, minors, exortics, crypto and spot metals on Saxo's award-winning trading platfrom.
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More Info
City Index Forex Trading
City Index Forex Trading
0
0.5 - 1.22 pips
$0
0.01 lots
MetaTrader 4
At Pro
Advantage Web
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Choice of trading platforms, integrated Reuters news and device-synching so you can monitor trades across multiple devices.
Go to site
More Info
Blueberry Markets Forex Trading
Blueberry Markets Forex Trading
USD 100
From 0.0 pips
$0
0.01
MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Bottom of the market fees on forex, CFDs and commodities with 24/7 quality customer service.
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More Info
CMC Markets
CMC Markets
0
0.7 - 1.5 pips
$0
0.01 lots
CFD Next Generation
MetaTrader 4
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Go to site
More Info
Pepperstone Forex Trading (Razor Account)
Pepperstone Forex Trading (Razor Account)
USD 200
0.0 - 0.1 pips
AU$3.50 per 100k traded
0.01 lots
MetaTrader 4
MetaTrader 5
cTrader
Disclaimer: CFD Service. Your capital is at risk.
Margin FX is a complex financial product and traders are at high-risk of losing all of or more than their initial investment.
Choose from a range of fee-free funding methods, plus a suite of 10 different apps available as part of Pepperstone's Smarter Trading Tools.
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Trading CFDs and forex on leverage is high-risk and you could lose more than your initial investment. It may not be suitable for every investor. Refer to the provider’s PDS and consider the risks before trading.

Forex trading account key features

  • Forex trading requires specialist knowledge
  • Can be opened by both personal and institutional investors
  • You need to pay fees to the forex platform provider in the form of spread
  • Typically gives you access to other investments such as commodities and CFDs
  • Can leverage investments, which allows you to trade with more capital than you actually have. This can magnify both profits and losses.

Robo advisers

Robo advisers are a relatively new service to Australia where you can enter your details online and be matched with an investment fund based on your profile. They offer competitively low fees compared to standard investment advisers and competitive high rates of return.

Most robo advisers feature a mobile app, so they make it easy to deposit your funds into and monitor the performance of your portfolio. They also tend to offer a broad range of investment portfolio choices, from aggressive to conservative and are relatively low risk investment choices.

Compare robo advisers

Data updated regularly
Name Product Fees Minimum Investment Investment product Number of Portfolios
OpenInvest
OpenInvest
From $7 per month
$20,000
Stocks, bonds, cash, ETFs
16
Go to site
More Info
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Key features of robo advisers

  • Low fee investment funds
  • Matched to an investment fund based on your profile
  • Easy to access and monitor online or on your mobile
  • Broad range of investment fund options
  • Can access Australian and international theme investments
Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of futures, stocks, ETFs, CFDs, options or any specific provider, service or offering. It should not be relied upon as investment advice or construed as providing recommendations of any kind. Futures, stocks, ETFs and options trading involves substantial risk of loss and therefore are not appropriate for all investors. Trading CFDs and forex on leverage comes with a higher risk of losing money rapidly. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before making any trades.

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