Share Trading comparison
CommSec vs Totality Wealth
The biggest practical difference between CommSec and Totality Wealth is how your shares are held. CommSec is a full CHESS-sponsored broker — you get your own HIN and shares are registered directly on the ASX settlement system. Totality Wealth operates a mixed model: you can get a HIN for ASX trades, but it also holds assets in custody, which adds complexity for corporate actions and proxy voting. Beyond that, CommSec is the cheaper option for big ASX trades, while Totality undercuts it on US brokerage and offers a broader global market reach.
Choose
CommSec
if…
- ›You want rock-bottom ASX brokerage on larger trades — $5 minimum and 0.12% above $25,000 beats Totality's tiered pricing for big buys
- ›You want a bank-backed platform with instant settlement via a linked CDIA account and same-day withdrawals
- ›You need access to IPOs, managed funds, and a kids/minor account — Totality offers none of these
- ›You want free real-time ASX market data without paying extra
- ›You trade after-hours or overnight — CommSec supports this; Totality does not
Choose
Totality Wealth
if…
- ›You trade US shares frequently — Totality charges just $1 USD minimum and 0.08% brokerage, with a tighter FX spread of 0.45%
- ›You want a demo account to test strategies before committing real money
- ›You need a desktop trading platform with advanced charting and multi-screen support
- ›You want to deposit via credit card, debit card, PayPal or Wise — CommSec only offers bank-based methods
- ›You trade international markets beyond the US (e.g. Singapore, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway) — Totality covers 17 countries
Where they differ
| Fact | CommSec | Totality Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| ASX brokerage (minimum) | $5 | $3 |
| US brokerage (minimum) | $5 USD | $1 USD |
| CHESS sponsorship model | Full CHESS (individual HIN) | Mixed (CHESS + custodian) |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
Verdict
Choose CommSec for low-cost ASX trading with CHESS ownership; choose Totality for cheaper US trades and global market access.
Cost calculator
What would CommSec vs Totality Wealth actually cost you?
Punch in your trade size and frequency. We'll do the full brokerage + FX + fees maths.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | CommSec | Totality Wealth |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | mixed |
| Individual HIN | Yes | Yes |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | Yes |
| Company account | Yes | Yes |
| Trust account | Yes | Yes |
| SMSF account | Yes | Yes |
| Kids / minor account | Yes | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| US shares supported | Yes | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | Yes | Yes |
| Other markets supported | United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan, Belgium, Norway, Spain, Sweden | US, GB, HK, JP, DE, FR, CA, SG, CH, NL, IT, ES, BE, AT, DK, SE, NO, FI |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | No | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | Yes | No |
| Options trading | Yes | Yes |
| CFDs supported | No | Yes |
| Managed funds | Yes | No |
| Bonds supported | Yes | Yes |
| IPO access | Yes | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | 0.55% | 0.45% |
| FX spread (other currencies) | 0.55% | 0.45% |
| Holds USD account | Yes | Yes |
| FX currency switch trick | No | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | $0 | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | $59.95 | — |
| Corporate action fees | Corporate actions (SPP, rights issue, takeovers, demergers, dividend payments) are not separately charged by CommSec. They are processed via the share registry/issuer. CommSec does not send trade confirmations for off-market events, so Sharesight/other tracker sync requires manual updates. Failed-settlement fees apply if payment is late ($10 minimum or 0.66% above $1,500). | Custodian processes corporate actions; proxy voting subscription EUR 30/year + EUR 5 per vote; new instrument requests USD 200 for Platinum / free for VIP legacy tiers; reporting fee USD 50 for Classic email reports. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | $5 | $3 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 0.08% |
| ASX brokerage threshold | $25,000 | $3,750 |
| ASX free trade conditions | Conditional: $5 minimum requires linked CDIA (Commonwealth Direct Investment Account) or CommSec Margin Loan as the settlement account AND CHESS sponsorship with CommSec. Without CDIA linkage, brokerage starts at $29.95 for trades up to $9,999.99 and 0.31% above. Promotional $0 brokerage offers occasionally run for new customers (e.g. 30 free trades up to $50,000 each, May–Nov 2026 offer for new sign-ups). | — |
| US brokerage minimum | US$5 | US$1 |
| US brokerage percentage | 0.12% | 0.08% |
| Monthly platform fee | $0/month | $0/month |
| Annual platform fee | $0/year | $0/year |
| Inactivity fee | $0 | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | $0 | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | $54 | $50 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | Commonwealth Securities Limited | Totality Wealth Limited (formerly Saxo Capital Markets (Australia) Pty Ltd) |
| AFSL number | 238,814 | 280,372 |
| Year founded | 1,995 | 2,012 |
| Parent / ownership | Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) | DMA (Johannesburg, South Africa) 80.1% / Saxo Bank A/S (Denmark) 19.9% |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | private |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $500 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Direct debit, Bank transfer (CDIA), Cheque, Cash deposit (CBA branch/ATM) | bank_transfer, BPAY, credit_card, debit_card, PayPal, Wise |
| Settlement period | T+2 (ASX) / T+1 (US) | T+2 ASX, T+1 US |
| Withdrawal time | Same-day to 1 business day (instant when funds in CDIA via real-time transfer) | 1-3 business days |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | No | Yes |
| Demo account | No | Yes |
| Free real-time market data | Yes | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | Yes |
| 2FA support | SMS + authenticator | app |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat (in-app), secure mail (in-platform), social media (X, Instagram) | phone, email, live_chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | Phone 8am-6pm Mon-Fri Sydney time (general & options); extended trading-hours support during ASX session. No 24/7 support. | Mon-Fri 08:30-17:30 Sydney time |
| Education content | structured courses | extensive |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | No |
| Distribution component breakdown | No | No |
| CGT calculator / report | No | No |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | Yes | Yes |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | Yes | Yes |
| Limit orders | Yes | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional orders | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest / DCA | No | No |
| Auto-invest sophistication | none | none |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | Yes | Yes |
| After-hours / overnight trading | Yes | No |