Our SogoTrade review explores the ins and outs of this deeply discounted broker so you can decide if it is right for you. Are you seeking the lowest commission prices, fastest executions, friendliest customer service, and advanced trading technology? Well, SogoTrade claims they offer it, and you can have it.
Established in 1986, SogoTrade is a St. Louis-based online broker that provides service in both Chinese and English. Generally speaking, SogoTrader is a basic platform for trading stocks and options. It includes streaming quotes, option chains, and reports for analytics.
Table of Contents
SogoTrade Review Introduction
About 15% of SogoTrade’s clients are from Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia. Generally speaking, SogoTrade offers a catered experience for Chinese-American customers. After all, their website includes a Chinese version, not to mention Chinese customer service.
The brokerage recently introduced Marketriders, a robo-advisory service. The Marketriders portfolio is fully automated. For instance, it can construct at least 18 portfolios based on your risk profile.
Their fees for active traders are some of the lowest I’ve seen. Hence, investors and options traders who place many trades in a quarter or 12-month period will find value in SogoTrade.
However, if you’re an advanced trader who relies on technical analysis, the Sogo platform won’t be the best for you. The reason why is their platform lacks advanced tools.
Pros
- Low Cost – Compared to similar brokers
- Fees – As long as one trade/year is made, you will pay no account minimum, inactivity, or software fees
- Variety – You can trade domestic stocks, international stocks, options, ETFs and mutual funds
- Options Platform – Easy to understand
- Multi-Language Support – Chinese speakers have support here that other brokers cannot provide
Cons
- Specialized Tools – Limited tools and special features in comparison to larger brokers, especially for advanced users
- Investment Options – No bonds, fixed income, futures, currencies, or commodities can be traded
- Mobile Trading – Mobile trading is extremely limited; cannot trade options
- Charting– The features are weak; advanced traders who rely on technical analysis will have difficulty
- Customer Service – only available 13 hours/day with no live, online chat service
- Research & Education– poor research and education offering
SogoTrade Fees and Pricing Review
- An investment account at SogoTrade can be opened with zero deposit.
- If your account balance exceeds $100, you will be charged a $50 low-balance fee.
- 150+ trades QTR: $2.88 (base rate).
- 0-149 trades QTR: $4.88 (base rate).
Get updated pricing here.
With SogoTrade, there is no minimum amount for trades, so you can order a single trade and only pay the set trade fee. For example, the fee for stock trades is $5 unless you order more than 150 trades in one quarter, in which case the $5 drops to $2.88.
Moreover, options trade for $4.88 + $0.50 per contract fee. Once again, this is fairly cheap. Yet, exercises and assignments are rather expensive at $15 each.
Of all of our trading companies comparisons, this is one of the cheapest for stock trades.
Prepaid Trades
For customers seeking further discounts, this base commission rate can be reduced through their Pre-Paid Commission Package option.
Users can buy trades upfront before buying or selling any securities. This is the first time I have heard of this, and it reminds me of buying a pre-loaded credit card.
It’s a unique concept, and you can select from two packages. For $77.60, you can have 20 trades, which equals $3.88 a trade. If you feel more adventurous, $144 will get you a 50-trade bundle. Broken down, this is $2.88 a trade.
These trades, however, expire after 12 months.
But remember that commission rates have decreased across the industry over several years. You can find comparable rates with other household brands like Fidelity and Charles Schwab, which charge $4.95 per trade.
*For more details, Please visit their Commission, Rate, and Fees page.
SogoTrade Trading Platforms Review
I am disappointed with the trading platforms. Despite offering five different platforms, Sogotrade underperforms in this arena.
To begin with, the company has yet to invest heavily in sophisticated data research. Furthermore, the technical charting tools could be stronger.
Knowing that SogoTrade is meant to be lean and inexpensive, it should be no surprise that the platform’s special features are limited.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Investors who don’t rely heavily on technical indicators are less likely to realize the shortcomings of SogoTrade’s platform.
1. Desktop Experience
SogoTrade delivers a functional trading platform for stocks, ETFs, and options. Open the dashboard, and you’ll see quotes, charts, historical pricing, and journals.
As mentioned above, day traders relying on momentum and advanced technical analysis will be disappointed. First, the charting tools need to be improved.
Second, you can’t save charts or import custom indicators. Thus, it’s quite difficult to identify a potential trade opportunity quickly.
COURSE |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| DESCRIPTION | Learn how to read penny stock charts, premarket preparation, target buy and sell zones, scan for stocks to trade, and get ready for live day trading action | Learn how to buy and sell options, assignment options, implement vertical spreads, and the most popular strategies, and prepare for live options trading | How to read futures charts, margin requirements, learn the COT report, indicators, and the most popular trading strategies, and prepare for live futures trading |
| INCLUDED | Daily watch lists • Trade rooms • Trading scanners • Discord • Live streaming Day Trading > | Daily watch lists • Trade rooms • Options scanners • Discord • Live streaming Options > | Futures target levels • Trade rooms • Real time teaching • Discord • Live streaming Futures > |
2. Mobile Experience
Much like other brokerages, SogoTrade has jumped onto the mobile bandwagon. Their app works on both iOS and Android Platforms.
Once downloaded, you’ll see streaming charts, quotes, watchlists, and a news feed. And it’s not just stocks but options you can trade. Quotes are delayed 15 minutes, but this may not matter as much to less active traders.
Don’t jump for joy just yet. A glance online shows poor reviews, with most users complaining they can’t log in.
In reality, the mobile platform is adequate for an occasional user. But it struggles to compete with others, such as the TD Ameritrade ThinkorSwim app. This app won’t be enough for active trader who trades off their mobile device.
SogoTrade Options Review
I am impressed with the options platform. It does a good job of providing casual and advanced options traders the tools they need to succeed.
With lots of rich features, streaming options chains, Greeks viewable, and clean profit-and-loss charts, the options trader will be satisfied.
What’s especially helpful is the after-hours quotes and trading. People in other time zones or with limited trading schedules will find this feature handy.
On the other hand, a downside to SogoOptions is its outdated interface.
Research & Insights
When I looked on their website, I noticed information mostly on fundamental analysis. Fundamental data is more prevalent, which makes sense as SogoTrade doesn’t cater to the active day trader.
Unfortunately, SogoTrade offers its customers only one third-party research report provider. ValueEngine. Meanwhile, Fidelity and Charles Schwab offer customers 12 and eight, respectively.
If you’re in the options arena, SogoPlay offers trade ideas and screening tools, and users can easily translate this advice into action.
Moreover, SogoTrade offers very little in terms of proprietary research and insights. Anyone somewhat savvy with navigating the internet can find this info for free. Users looking for unique research reports will have to look elsewhere.
There needs to be more than the educational materials available on this site to allow beginning investors to craft a personalized, principled approach.
Instead, we offer online trading courses that teach trading stocks and options. And we teach you how to day trade and swing trade both.
If you need help between Monday and Friday, you can contact an associate over the phone or in an online chat.
You’re out of luck if you need help after hours (8:00 p.m. EST) or on the weekends.
Final Thoughts: SogoTrade Review
Simply put, SogoTrade has some of the best prices, although you have to be a frequent trader or prepay for trades. Think more than 150 trades in a single quarter. However, since it’s a low-cost leader in stock trades, do not expect a lot of extra bells and whistles or help researching which stock to buy. To summarize, if you’re in the market for execution price guarantees, speedy execution, or strategy back-testing functions, I recommend looking elsewhere.
However, SogoTrade delivers on its goal to provide a suitable discount brokerage for retail investors. So, if that’s you, head to their website to sign up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Investors cannot purchase shares of SogoTrade because the company is privately held.
