TIGER Brokers (Singapore) has pipped the competition to bag the Best Retail Broker Award at the Securities Investors Association (Singapore)'s SIAS Investors’ Choice Awards, marking its first win in this category.
The online brokerage firm was a runner-up for the same award category last year.
The SIAS Investors’ Choice Awards, which recognises excellence in companies and individuals adopting good corporate governance practices, took place at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on Nov 8.
Ian Leong, CEO of Tiger Brokers (Singapore), says: “We are proud and honoured to receive this award, as it underscores our commitment to delivering exceptional service and continuously enhancing our platform for our clients.
“This is a timely reminder for us to persist in our efforts and reaffirms our belief that we are on the right track as we enhance the trading experience for retail investors, in line with their evolving needs.”
Tiger Brokers first commenced operations in Singapore in 2018. It was also the only online brokerage firm to be accorded an award at last year’s event, highlighting its distinct lead over competitors in the same space.
Against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive market, and more demanding traders, what makes Tiger Brokers (Singapore) stand out to consumers?
Placing customers first
Service excellence is one of the key ways Tiger Brokers (Singapore) distinguishes itself from its competitors. At the company, all customer-facing staff undergo monthly training programmes where they get to role-play and receive one-on-one coaching to hone their customer service skills. This empowers the staff to address customers’ concerns and resolve issues swiftly.
Shares Leong: “We understand that navigating trading platforms can be challenging, whether as a novice or an experienced trader who is transitioning from another brokerage. To help clients on their journey, we’ve made step-by-step user guides and FAQs readily available at all customer touch points, including websites, our partner channels and customer support centre.”
Such attention to customer experience won the online brokerage an accolade for Singapore Best Customer Service in the Singapore Best Customer Service 2023/24, under the sub-category of trading and brokerage services. This marked Tiger Brokers (Singapore)’s second win in the annual survey conducted by The Straits Times and research firm Statista.
Enhancing trading experience through tech
To enhance the trading experience for its 2.1 million customers, Tiger Brokers continually invests in digital innovation.
Via its multi-asset mobile trading platform Tiger Trade, investors can access over 230,000 equities in the US, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia, 8,700 options, as well as a wide variety of investment products including futures, REITs and funds.
In August, Tiger Brokers (Singapore) launched its AI-powered chatbot, TigerGPT, to help investors with their investing research and analysis. It is the latest in continuous efforts to leverage technology to improve its offerings and improve the investor experience through innovation.
The Tiger Trade 8.0 app was launched in July last year in conjunction with Tiger Brokers’ 8th anniversary. New features include a customisable homepage, the Tiger Vault cash management tool and a movers and shakers page that interprets abnormal movement of stocks.
Says Leong: “As trading applications become more technologically advanced, we have also leveraged AI and data analytics to optimise the user experience on the Tiger Trade mobile trading app. By doing this, we hope to make it easier for traders to execute and monitor their trades seamlessly anytime, anywhere.”
For its focus on innovation, Tiger Brokers (Singapore) also bagged the Fintech - Financial Services Award at the 2023 SBR Technology Excellence Awards.
Giving customers peace of mind
Registered and licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Tiger Brokers (Singapore) adopts a stringent approach for risk management and corporate governance.
Client assets are safeguarded in ringfenced custody accounts and kept in trust by an appointed trustee. As part of its risk management practices, Tiger Brokers (Singapore) performs due diligence on all third parties it enters into business relationships with. Besides conducting regular compliance checks, it ensures that adequate controls are in place to monitor client funds on an ongoing basis. To enhance cybersecurity for investors and their accounts, it also has safety measures such as T-Key, an enhanced two-factor authentication, for identity validation and authentication.
Leong shares: “We recognise that investment safety is one of the top considerations when choosing a broker. To ensure that our retail investors can trade with peace of mind, we have worked hard to create a safe and reliable operating platform, and have put in place robust risk management, best-in-class governance standards and stringent safety measures to safeguard the interests of our users.”
Making investing accessible to all
With Tiger Brokers (Singapore)’s competitive rates, investors of all levels can access the market.
Besides offering zero-commission trades for China A-shares, Hong Kong, Singapore and US stocks, Tiger Brokers (Singapore) also offers competitive options fees at US$0.65 per contract with no minimum charge. These rates lower the barrier for investors to access various financial products across multiple markets.
Experienced traders will appreciate the more advanced features in the Tiger Trade platform, while novice investors will enjoy the app’s user-friendly features and intuitive interface.
Tiger Trade also has various features that foster an inclusive ecosystem and encourage clients to deepen their knowledge and broaden their investment opportunities, with access to market experts through live streaming sessions and knowledge hubs, such as Tiger Live.
Adds Leong: “By keeping our fees competitive and lowering cost-related barriers of entry, we hope to democratise investing for everyone.
“We also organise and participate in various educational talks, in collaboration with tertiary institutions and industry associations like SIAS, and host trading competitions to gather passionate investors and financial market enthusiasts, providing them with a platform to showcase their investment skills and knowledge. Our online library also serves as a repository of useful resources on investing and technical analysis.”
As part of its goal to make investing accessible to everyone, Tiger Brokers (Singapore) provides access to financial information including round-the-clock market news, real-time stock quotes, interactive charts, stock screeners, heat map, and fund flow analysis. These resources help clients make informed investing decisions.
Shares Leong: “Through consistent efforts in strengthening key areas that make the most difference to our clients – customer service, digital innovation and robust governance – we hope to not only remain the brokerage of choice, but also elevate standards in the industry.”