Securities Service Custody: Get a Grip on the Stock Market
The Securities Service Custody is a traditional custody account where you can trade stocks and other securities online. With Quartal, you can easily trade across 15 different markets in the Nordics, Europe, and North America at highly competitive brokerage rates.
Investments involve risk.
What is a Custody Account?
A custody account (or stock depot) is an account specifically designed for holding and trading securities. It is the traditional alternative to an Investment Savings Account (ISK).
When you use the Securities Service Custody, you receive a main custody account where your actual securities are held, and a linked “custody settlement account” where your cash (proceeds from trading, dividends, and interest) is kept.
Key Features:
- Free to open with no annual administrative fee.
- Access to real-time prices and deep order books (up to five levels) during market hours.
- Direct access to market commentary, including the Morning Report and Weekly Investment Letters from Quartal Markets.
Custody Account vs. ISK
The primary difference between a Custody Account and an ISK lies in taxation.
Securities Service Custody (Traditional Depot)
- Taxation: Taxed according to standard capital income rules. You pay a 30% tax strictly on the realized profit every time you sell a security.
- Advantages: You can offset realized capital losses against your gains in your annual tax declaration. You only pay tax if you actually make a profit. You can also hold unlisted securities.
- Disadvantages: You must manually declare all your individual trades to the tax authority, which can be time-consuming if you trade frequently.
Investment Savings Account (ISK)
- Taxation: Taxed using a standardized flat rate based on the total value of the account, regardless of whether you make a profit or a loss.
- Advantages: Completely tax-free trading within the account. All tax reporting is handled automatically by Quartal; you do not need to declare individual trades.
- Disadvantages: You pay the standardized tax even in years where your portfolio decreases in value. You cannot offset losses.
Global Market Access
Quartal offers direct online trading across 15 international markets.
- Nordic Markets: Sweden (Nasdaq OMX, First North, NGM, Spotlight), Finland, Norway, and Denmark. Order depth up to five levels.
- European Markets: UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland. Order depth at one level.
- North American Markets: USA (NYSE, Nasdaq) and Canada (TSX). Prices shown with a standard 15-minute delay.
You can place orders around the clock. Orders placed outside trading hours are queued and executed when the respective market opens.
Pricing and Terms
- Account Maintenance: 0 SEK per month.
- Cash Account Interest: 0.00%.
- Brokerage (Nordic): 0.09% (Minimum 1 to 19 SEK depending on the specific exchange).
- Brokerage (International): 0.09% (Minimum 29 SEK). Note: Local stamp duties or FTT may apply in certain European countries.
Deposit Guarantee
The cash held in your custody settlement account is fully protected by the Finnish deposit guarantee, covering up to 100,000 EUR (or 1,150,000 SEK) per customer.
Important: Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. The value of financial instruments can both increase and decrease, and you may lose part or all of your invested capital.
