In fact, the most important! Which is the easiest to use the new NISA “Net Securities” website and application ……?
The greatly renewed “NISA” (small amount investment tax exemption system) has finally begun. Although there is a great deal of public interest, many people are still hesitant about it. Some have opened accounts, but have been stumped by the operation of the website and application screens, and have left it at that. So, we asked our experts, “Which online securities have the easiest-to-use websites and screens?” Our experts made a comparison from the perspective of “Which online securities are easy to use in terms of websites and screens?
Ease of use” is important for beginners.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a brokerage firm. In a typical survey on online securities, the most important factor is “low transaction fees,” followed by “ease of use of screens and tools,” “ability to earn and invest points,” “variety of products handled,” and “support system. However, for beginners, it is not always the case.
However, it seems that novice investors tend to place more emphasis on the “ease of use of screens and tools. Therefore, we will compare and introduce brokerage firms from the viewpoint of “ease of use” for beginners who are planning to open a NISA account.
We will focus on the top five online securities companies with the largest number of accounts opened: SBI Securities, Rakuten Securities, Monex, au Kabu.com Securities, and Matsui Securities. These are the so-called major online securities companies (the author has opened accounts with all five and has been using them for many years).
The comparison should be limited to the basic screen-related aspects, such as the ease of logging in, and whether the asset balance and available purchase amount are immediately displayed. If stock trading tools and charts were included, the list would be too broad and would be difficult to comprehend.
Rakuten Securities, which makes use of Rakuten Ichiba’s know-how, leads the pack.
When evaluating Internet sites, the term “UI” is often used. It is an abbreviation for “user interface,” and simply put, it refers to the operating screens and methods used by users when they use online sites. The term captures the extremely vague concept of “usability” of a site, and a screen that users find “easy to use” can be described as “a screen with a superior UI.
Therefore, when we check the websites of the five online securities companies again, the one with the best UI is probably [ Rakuten Securities]. Rakuten Securities’ UI reflects the know-how accumulated through its various online services, including Rakuten Ichiba, one of the largest Internet shopping malls in Japan. The UI reflects improvements made in response to a wide variety of user complaints and needs, and it is safe to say that it sets itself apart from other online securities companies. The company has been making continuous efforts to improve the UI, such as renewing the NISA page to coincide with the start of the new NISA program.
Next is Monex, Inc. The company has been aggressively renewing its website repeatedly over the past few years, and the usability of the site has been improving. The login window appears in the upper right corner of the top screen, and if you have already logged in, your account number and password are automatically saved, so you can log in with a single click, which is very easy to use. The large banner notice is also probably familiar to many since it is a mainstream feature of the current site structure.
SBI Securities] has too much information on the top screen?
SBI Securities was third in the ranking. The top screen contains market information, and the amount of information is much larger than before. However, although it is easier to read than before, it is hard to deny that it looks like a house that has been repeatedly extended and remodeled, with a “patchwork” feel. Some may feel that the information is too detailed. Of the five brokerage firms, only SBI Securities has its financial products listed at the top of the tabs at the top of the page. This is easier to use after repeated use, but may be confusing for novice investors. Based on the above, we ranked it third in terms of ease of logging in.
The UI of the websites of au kabu.com Securities andMatsui Securities seem to have been developed a long time ago. As described below, it takes a long time to log in, and the functions for saving account numbers and passwords are outdated. These two companies are focusing on their apps, and the UI of the au kabu.com Securities app in particular is quite excellent. (Rakuten Securities and SBI Securities have huge websites, so for the time being, their current sites will probably continue to be optimized for smartphones.)
Comparison of ease of “login
Let’s discuss the quantitative aspects of the ranking. First, the ease of logging in. This is a comparison of the number of clicks from the time the top page of a site is opened to the completion of login. Each company places the login button in the upper right corner of the top page, because the first thing the human eye sees when the page is opened is the space in the upper right corner.
Rakuten Securities, SBI Securities, and Monex, Inc. can be logged in with a single click if there is a login history, as mentioned above. Moreover, the screen after logging in is set to display the balance of assets and the amount available for purchase. The process in this area is very smooth.
In contrast, [au Kabu.com Securities] and [ Matsui Securities] require manual entry of account number and password after clicking the login button. The number of clicks to log in is two for [ au kabu.com Securities] and three for [Matsui Securities].
To support the hassle of “opening an account” on your smartphone: ……
Except for [ Rakuten Securities], there are not so significant differences, except for the ease of logging in. Many people may find the less crammed, “scruffy” feel of [ au Kabu.com Securities] and[Matsui Securities] easier to use. We would like to encourage you to take a look at the websites of these companies.
For those who do not use a smartphone or are not good with computers, opening an account may be a higher hurdle than opening an account in the first place. We hear that many people are frustrated with the process on their phones and end up going through the process by mail. In this part of the market, face-to-face securities companies with branches have their raison d’etre.
Since NTT DOCOMO has now brought [Monex, Inc.] under its umbrella, why not support the procedures for opening an account using a smartphone at docomo Shops? This would be of great benefit to beginners and others. Although there may be legal requirements to be overcome when it comes to support for opening an account at a store, it may be possible to clear such requirements by dispatching a securities commission agent. Naturally, the same kind of support can also be provided at au stores, so we would like to keep an eye on what each company is doing in the future.
Interview and text： Kenji Matsuoka
After working as a money writer, financial planner, and market analyst for a securities company, Matsuoka became independent in 1996. He writes articles on finance and asset management mainly for business and economic magazines. Author of "A Textbook for the First Year of Robo-Advisor Investing" and "Understanding with Rich Illustrations! Cashless Payments: The Book You Can Definitely Benefit from".
