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Stocks
Opening brokerage and custody accounts for shares, exchange-traded funds and bonds.
- Company or personal accounts
- Onboarding prepared with you
- Providers that accept your profile
- Important information
What it is
Stock accounts hold shares, exchange-traded funds and bonds. They are opened with brokers and custodians, each with its own criteria for the clients and countries it accepts.
Who the account is for
Company account
A company can hold investments in its own name. The provider reviews the company, its owners and the purpose of the account.
The company's documents and its owners' details are part of the application.
Discuss a company accountPersonal account
An individual can open an account in their own name. The provider reviews your identity, residence and source of funds.
Your identity, residence and source of funds are part of the application.
Discuss a personal accountHow opening works
- 1ConsultationWe discuss what you want to hold, in whose name, and where you are resident.
- 2OnboardingThe provider's application, completed with the details it asks for.
- 3Identity checksThe provider verifies the account holder and, for a company, its owners and directors.
- 4Source of fundsDocuments that show where the money you invest comes from.
Account types
Each opens with how the account or structure works, who it suits, what the onboarding asks for and the investor protection that applies, with its sources.
- Brokerage accountAn execution-only account for buying and selling listed securities.Details
- Custody accountAn account where securities are held in safekeeping, segregated from the custodian.Details
- Discretionary accountA portfolio managed for you under an agreed mandate.Details
- Advisory accountYou decide, with a licensed adviser's recommendations.Details
- Corporate accountAn investment account in a company's name, for treasury or a holding structure.Details
Brokerage account
An execution-only account for buying and selling listed securities.
- Holds
- Shares, ETFs, bonds and listed funds
- Decisions
- Yours: execution-only
- Opened with
- A regulated broker
What it is
You place the orders; the broker executes them on the exchanges it connects to and holds the securities in custody or through a custodian. Commission, spread and custody fees are the costs; no advice is given.
What providers ask for
- Identity and proof of address; for a company, its documents and beneficial owners
- Tax residence and a self-certification (CRS and, for US securities, a W-8 form)
- Your investment experience and objectives (the appropriateness assessment)
- Source of funds
Investor protection
- United Kingdom: FSCS covers investment claims up to £85,000 per person per firm
- European Union: national investor-compensation schemes cover at least €20,000 per investor
- United States: SIPC covers up to US$500,000 per customer, including US$250,000 in cash
- Compensation covers a failed firm, never a fall in the value of the investments
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Custody account
An account where securities are held in safekeeping, segregated from the custodian.
- Holds
- Securities in safekeeping
- Decisions
- Yours, or your manager's
- Opened with
- A bank or custodian
What it is
A custody account keeps securities segregated from the custodian's own assets, settles trades, collects dividends and coupons and reports holdings. It often sits beside a brokerage account or a discretionary mandate, and is the usual arrangement for larger portfolios and for companies.
What providers ask for
- The same identity, tax and source-of-funds evidence as a brokerage account
- For a company, the board resolution and the authorised signatories
- The expected size and the instruments to be held
Investor protection
- United Kingdom: FSCS covers investment claims up to £85,000 per person per firm
- European Union: national investor-compensation schemes cover at least €20,000 per investor
- United States: SIPC covers up to US$500,000 per customer, including US$250,000 in cash
- Compensation covers a failed firm, never a fall in the value of the investments
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Discretionary account
A portfolio managed for you under an agreed mandate.
- Holds
- A portfolio run to a mandate
- Decisions
- The manager's, within your mandate
- Opened with
- A licensed portfolio manager or private bank
What it is
You agree a mandate (objectives, risk, constraints) and the manager invests within it without asking you trade by trade. Fees are usually a percentage of assets. Suitability rules require the manager to know your situation before accepting the mandate.
What providers ask for
- A full suitability assessment: knowledge, experience, financial situation and objectives
- Identity, tax residence and source of wealth
- The investment policy statement or mandate
Investor protection
- United Kingdom: FSCS covers investment claims up to £85,000 per person per firm
- European Union: national investor-compensation schemes cover at least €20,000 per investor
- United States: SIPC covers up to US$500,000 per customer, including US$250,000 in cash
- Compensation covers a failed firm, never a fall in the value of the investments
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Advisory account
You decide, with a licensed adviser's recommendations.
- Holds
- Securities, with recommendations
- Decisions
- Yours, on the adviser's advice
- Opened with
- A licensed adviser and broker
What it is
The adviser recommends; you decide and the trades are executed through the linked broker. Advice is a regulated service in every market we work in, and the adviser must assess suitability before recommending.
What providers ask for
- A suitability assessment and your risk profile
- Identity, tax residence and source of funds
Investor protection
- United Kingdom: FSCS covers investment claims up to £85,000 per person per firm
- European Union: national investor-compensation schemes cover at least €20,000 per investor
- United States: SIPC covers up to US$500,000 per customer, including US$250,000 in cash
- Compensation covers a failed firm, never a fall in the value of the investments
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Corporate account
An investment account in a company's name, for treasury or a holding structure.
- Holder
- A company, holding entity or foundation
- Opened with
- A broker, bank or custodian
- Review
- The company, its owners, directors and the purpose of the account
What it is
Companies hold investments for treasury, for a holding structure or as their business. The provider classifies the company (retail, professional or eligible counterparty), reviews its owners and directors and asks why it invests. Some providers open only for companies above a certain size or with an operating history.
What providers ask for
- Certificate of incorporation, articles, registers and a good-standing certificate
- Beneficial owners and directors with identity, address and source of wealth
- A board resolution naming the signatories and the purpose of the account
- Tax classification: CRS and FATCA entity self-certification
Investor protection
- United Kingdom: FSCS covers investment claims up to £85,000 per person per firm
- European Union: national investor-compensation schemes cover at least €20,000 per investor
- United States: SIPC covers up to US$500,000 per customer, including US$250,000 in cash
- Compensation covers a failed firm, never a fall in the value of the investments
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
What providers ask for
The exact list depends on the provider. Most ask for:
- Identity documents and proof of address
- Company documents and details of owners, for a company account
- Information on your investment experience and objectives
- Evidence of the source of funds
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question?
Talk to usHow long does it take?
It depends on the jurisdiction, the provider and the documents involved. We give you an estimate for stock accounts after the consultation.
What does it cost?
Costs depend on the jurisdiction and on the services you choose. We set them out for stock accounts after the consultation, before any work starts.
Do I need to travel?
Some steps can be completed remotely and others need you in person. We tell you which applies to your case before you start.
Risk and regulatory notice
This page describes how investment accounts are opened. It is not investment advice, and it is not a recommendation to buy or sell any investment.
Investing involves risk. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invest.
Providers are named only with their permission. The regulatory notice for this service is reviewed by our legal adviser before publication.
What comes next
Each service leads to the next: the structure, then the accounts, then the payments and the licence.
Plan your investment account
Talk to us- IncorporationForming a company or foundation, and keeping it in good standing.Talk to us
- BankingBusiness and personal accounts, and accepting payments.Talk to us
- LicensingFinancial licences for regulated activities.Talk to us
- InvestmentsOpening investment accounts for a company or for yourself.Talk to us