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Pearler is an investment platform designed to encourage long-term investing rather than short-term market speculation. It allows users to invest in ASX shares and ETFs and offers access to US markets.
Pearler offers competitive brokerage on share trades and some free ETF trades, plus an auto-invest option to help you build a bigger investment portfolio. The platform is well worth checking out if you want to automate your investments, but it may not be suitable for experienced traders.
$9.50
Standard brokerage fee
ASX
Available markets
Phone, Email, Live chat
Support
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Type of broker |
Online |
---|---|
ASX products |
Shares Exchange traded funds |
Available markets |
ASX |
Standard brokerage | $9.50 |
Support |
Phone Live chat |
Pearler is a set and forget investment platform, that is best suited to long-term investors.
With the ability to trade on the US or ASX listed shares, ETFs and LICs, Pearler differentiates themselves from the competition by automating investing features that take the pressure off newer investors.
Not only can you auto trade, Pearler offers copy and paste templates to help those who are less familiar with investing get started.
However, if you're a more active trader this service may not be for you.
Pearler is designed for beginner and long-term investors:
Pearler is a user-friendly platform designed to make share investing easy. The sign-up process is simple and straightforward. It's quick to create an account online.
When you're ready to start investing, you can choose specific assets yourself or use a template portfolio. You also have the option to turn on the Autoinvest feature, which offers a choice of 3 investment strategies based on your financial goals.
Pearler does not charge investors maintenance or monthly account keeping fees.
Instead, investors are charged a flat $9.50 fee per Australian share traded and $6.50 for US transactions.
Investors can also buy Pearler prepaid, which will see the fees per transaction fall.
Pearler offers the following key features to Australian investors:
Founded in 2017, Pearler is an Australian fintech startup. Pearler Investments Pty Ltd, trading as Pearler, is an authorised representative of Sanlam Private Wealth Pty Ltd, which holds an Australian financial services licence.
Pearler also works with a handful of technology partners to help manage your account and holdings. These include broker OpenMarkets, which is responsible for your CHESS holdings, and US broker DriveWealth. Customer cash funds are held with Macquarie Bank.
Pearler has recently launched a micro invest fund, allowing you to start investing for less.
For a small monthly fee, you can build your own portfolio from Pearler's most popular ETFs. The fund notes investments start from just $5 per month.
The main benefits of the micro fund include:
Pearler One ETF | Pearler Custom | |
---|---|---|
Monthly fee for $50 balance | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Monthly fee for $100 balance | $1.70 | $2.30 |
Monthly fee for $5,000 balance | $1.70 | $2.30 |
% fee p.a. | 0.41% | 0.55% |
Monthly fee for $50,000 balance | $1.70 | $2.30 |
% fee p.a. | 0.04% | 0.05% |
Portfolio/Fund Choices | 8 | 8 |
You can create an account with Pearler by clicking the "Sign up" link on the Pearler website and completing an online application. You'll need to provide the following information to open an account:
You'll also need to provide the details of an ID document to undergo online ID verification via the Australia Post Digital iD service.
If you have a question about your account, you can contact Pearler via a live chat feature. For general enquiries, phone and email support are available from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Pearler offers an online help centre where you can find answers to frequently asked questions as well as guides on how to use the platform's features.
If you're searching for a low-cost auto-investing platform, there are plenty of good reasons to take a closer look at Pearler. It offers very competitive brokerage fees, including access to a range of free ETFs, while the Autoinvest feature is a simple way to help you build a bigger investment portfolio. The platform's focus on investing for the long term is also commendable.
That said, Pearler is still being developed. Features such as minor custodial accounts are not yet available, but there are plans to introduce them in the near future. With its focus on long-term investing, Pearler also isn't designed for active traders.
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide whether Pearler has everything you want in an investment service. Consider your financial goals and compare a wide range of investment platforms before deciding on the best option for your needs.