Brokerage account — basics
Definition
A brokerage (investment) account is an account through which you buy and hold financial instruments — shares, ETFs, bonds. It is run by a brokerage house or a bank's brokerage arm. It is not the same as a personal or savings account.
What it means in practice
- Brokerage house vs a bank's brokerage arm. A "brokerage house" can be a separate company (e.g. a specialist broker), while a "brokerage arm" is often an organisational unit of a bank. The difference can matter for cash protection: if cash sits on a linked bank account, it may be subject to different rules than when it sits on the brokerage account.
- Your securities are segregated. Instruments you buy are recorded in your name (in Poland, at the KDPW depository) and remain yours even if the broker fails — this is a segregation mechanism, not a guarantee of profit. Details: protection on a brokerage account.
- Costs and currencies. Brokers differ in commission, the range of markets, and the currency structure of the account (whether they force conversion or offer currency sub-accounts). This genuinely changes the cost of investing in foreign assets.
- Tax wrappers. Some brokers offer the brokerage account in an IKE/IKZE version.
Why it affects your choice
Brokers look similar but differ in commission, markets, account currencies, access to IKE/IKZE and the way tax is settled. These fields drive the real cost and convenience.
How to check this in our comparison
The Investing lens shows, for each broker: institution type, cash and securities protection, commission, asset classes and markets, currency structure, IKE/IKZE and settlement — with source and date. Order is alphabetical, not a ranking.
Watch out
Investing carries the risk of losing capital — instrument values can fall. Protection mechanisms (segregation, a compensation scheme) protect against the broker's failure, not against market loss. Commissions and tariffs can change — confirm with the broker.
We do not give investment advice and do not indicate the "best" broker. Investing involves the risk of losing capital. WTP Finance is for information only.