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FAQs, Brokerage Fees & Forms

FAQs

What types of securities can I trade with my brokerage account?

Customers may hold publicly traded stocks, money market (open-ended) mutual funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), and fixed income securities (bonds, Treasuries, CDs).

ETC Brokerage Services, LLC does not currently offer trading on currencies, cryptocurrencies, futures, options or commodities.

Does ETC Brokerage offer investment advice?

All ETC Brokerage Services accounts are self-directed. ETC Brokerage does not exercise discretion or otherwise offer advice and/or recommendations and acts solely on customer instruction.

Do I have to hold an account with Equity Trust Company to have an account with ETC Brokerage Services?

To hold an account at ETC Brokerage Services, we require that you first establish an account at Equity Trust Company.

How do I move funds to my brokerage account to buy stocks or mutual funds?

When you open a brokerage account with ETC Brokerage Services, the account is registered to your account at Equity Trust Company and included as an additional portfolio position. ETC Brokerage generally does not hold client cash. Cash remains at Equity Trust Company. When a customer buys an investment, funds are swept by ACH into the ETC Brokerage account. When a customer sells an investment, money is swept back to Equity Trust Company. Therefore, funds will move seamlessly between the two accounts when trades are placed. Once the trade is placed, no further action is required by the account owner.

How do I transfer funds from another broker?

To transfer funds into ETC Brokerage, a client must first establish an account at Equity Trust Company. The client will work with Equity Trust Company to complete the necessary forms to bring assets into Equity Trust.

What is an "in kind" transfer?

When you transfer “in-kind,” you simply move your investments to us “as is.” You don’t have to liquidate your public investment holdings to fund your Equity Trust Company account. There’s no selling or buying involved and no tax consequences either. Equity Trust Company receives your investments at the market value on the date of the transfer. ETC Brokerage Services, Equity Trust Company’s affiliate broker, provides you with the convenience of holding your publicly traded assets as well as offering stock, bond, and mutual fund trading, through an ETC Brokerage trading account. ETC Brokerage accounts are held as an asset within an Equity Trust Company self-directed account and offer convenient and seamless movement of funds between trust and brokerage accounts so you can easily invest in traditional and alternative assets.

How do I transfer assets in-kind to an ETC Brokerage account?

The process to transfer a publicly traded asset in-kind can be accomplished quickly and easily. First, open an Equity Trust Company account. Once your Equity Trust Company account is established, you can also open an ETC Brokerage trading account. To request your public investments to be transferred in-kind to your ETC Brokerage account, complete the Equity Trust Transfer Form and list the positions you wish to transfer and select that you would like to transfer those positions in-kind. Once Equity Trust Company receives your transfer form, ETC Brokerage will request the assets to be electronically transferred to your ETC Brokerage account. The total value of your brokerage account assets will be reflected within your Equity Trust Company account holdings. Individual brokerage asset holdings can be viewed through your ETC Brokerage online account login.

Can I purchase any mutual fund family with my brokerage account?

Most mutual fund families can be purchased through ETC Brokerage Services, LLC. Some funds may have an initial purchase minimum, or may be closed to new investors. Contact an ETC Brokerage Services, LLC representative for additional information on available mutual fund families.

Are my accounts protected?

ETC Brokerage Services, LLC (ETCB) is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects customers of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash). An explanatory brochure is available upon request or at sipc.org. ETCB has purchased additional supplemental insurance policy which offers up $99.5 million in coverage in the aggregate with no per client limit for securities and up to $1.9 million per client limit for the uninvested cash portion. Please note that neither SIPC protection nor the additional coverage safeguards against declines in the value of assets due to market fluctuations. Further, certain assets in your account may not be eligible for SIPC protection.

When are funds available after I sell a position?

Sale proceeds from securities are typically available three business days after the date of sale. Proceeds from the sale of a mutual fund are available one to three business days from the date of sale depending on the mutual fund.

Can I buy on margin with my brokerage account?

ETC Brokerage does not currently offer margin accounts.

Brokerage Fees & Forms

Prospectus Offering and Disclosure

Please contact ETC Brokerage Services at 877-403-0369 for more information, including product and fund prospectuses that contain complete details regarding investment objectives, risks, fees, charges, and expenses as well as other information about an investment company, which should be carefully considered. The prospectuses contain this and other information on the product and the underlying portfolios. Please read the prospectuses carefully prior to investing.

ETC Self-Directed Account Fee Schedule

Forms

ETC Brokerage Services - Retail

Investment Advisors

Contact Us

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[email protected]

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Toll Free: (877) 403-0369

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Fax: (440) 365-1447

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Mailing & Physical Address:

1 Equity Way, Westlake, Ohio 44145

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