Cornèrtrader describes itself as an all-in-one banking solution for investments. Specifically, it is a Swiss online broker that is backed by Corner Bank. Due to the comprehensive range of over 40,000 financial instruments, this provider is particularly suitable at first glance if you want to trade actively.
In this experience report you will get all Cornèrtrader experiences. We break down the different account models, show you the fees and how the platform works. This will help you decide whether this provider is worthwhile for your active trading and what possible alternatives there are for comparison.
Cornèrtrader (also spelt Cornertrader) is the online broker of Cornèr Bank, a private banking group founded in 1952.
Cornèrtrader was launched as an online platform in 2012 and offers traders access to 22 global stock exchanges. On the platform, you can not only trade shares and ETFs, but also other investment instruments such as options and CFDs.
Cornèr Bank is FINMA-regulated and is the custodian bank behind the broker. Your capital is also protected up to CHF 100,000 thanks to Swiss deposit protection.
Cornèrtrader offers four account levels that are tailored to the different needs and investment sizes of clients. You don't have to choose anything; the appropriate model is automatically assigned to you depending on the transaction volume.
The main difference between the various models is the trading fees. The more you trade, the more favourable the transactions become.
The fee structure of Cornèrtrader is similar to that of other Swiss brokers. The platform also does not require Deposit feewhich makes long-term holding of securities more cost-effective. This means you can create a custody account free of charge and hold your securities for the long term without any problems.
Here are the most important Cornèrtrader costs for equity and ETF trading for the "Consistency" account, i.e. from CHF 1,000:
If you want to trade infrequently and only small quantities, the minimum fees are relatively high. However, the lack of custody fees is a major advantage.
The platform also no longer charges any inactivity fees. This means you can safely leave your securities account untouched for some time without having to pay anything.
The account opening process at Cornèrtrader is completely online and usually takes less than ten minutes. Once the required documents have been submitted, validation takes place, which can take a few days. The required documents include:
The whole process is simple and user-friendly. If you've never used a broker before, it may take some getting used to, but it's doable.
Cornèrtrader offers three trading platforms to meet the different needs of its clients:
The platforms are designed in such a way that beginners and professionals benefit equally and do not feel overwhelmed by unnecessary functions. The "Invest" platform offers all the basic functions, while the "Advanced" platform offers more comprehensive tools for experienced investors.
Attention: In the past, Cornerbank relied on a purchased trading system. However, since the introduction of its own system, numerous customers complain. Historical data is sometimes missing and trading centres are not always displayed.
Cornèrtrader is particularly attractive for investors in Switzerland who are looking for a cost-effective solution. Nevertheless, it is helpful to compare the broker with alternatives:
Here you will find the best Swiss brokers in comparison contrasted.
The Swiss broker is particularly suitable if you are looking for a trading platform based in Switzerland on which you can actively trade a large selection of trading instruments and have very high trading volumes. Cornèrtrader also generally performs better in terms of fees than its Swiss competitor Swissquote.
However, if you simply want to invest passively in an ETF or selected shares, Cornèrtrader is less suitable. This is because the platform is relatively complicated, especially for beginners, and offers many functions that you don't even need. In any case, be sure to compare the possible alternatives.
Cornèrtrader offers a solid and cost-effective platform for investors in Switzerland, especially for larger investments and investors who prefer a Swiss bank. The abolition of inactivity fees in 2024 also makes Cornèrtrader more interesting for passive investors. This has a positive impact on the Cornertrader Review. However, the introduction of the new proprietary trading platform has annoyed and driven away many existing customers.
If you want to build up a large portfolio and manage securities in Switzerland, Cornèrtrader could be of interest to you. Alternatively, Cornèrtrader offers Saxo Bank or another provider in the Broker comparison even more favourable options and many exciting functions.
2 responses
At that time I had chosen Cornertrader because of the 0 custody fees (and the dark mode). When things got dicey, they introduced these fees. So I left again, as there were no other advantages for me personally. I briefly used Flowbank, which still had software for Linux, but that no longer exists. Dark mode is now available with all brokers.
The abolition of inactivity fees is certainly a positive point, but I still wouldn't go back. Transferring to another broker was a bit of a pincer movement in the beginning, and you had to threaten and make several phone calls.
Thanks for sharing, Thierry!