How to open an online stock trading account in COL

Financial (Citiseconline) – for OFWs and newbies

How to open an online stock trading account in COL Financial (formerly

Citiseconline) to start investing in Philippine Stock Market is very simple and as easy
as opening a regular bank account.
If you’re really just a beginner in the Philippine Stock Market, and want to be an
investor with COL Financial as you’re chosen broker partner, I summarized the steps
below for you to open an online trading account in COL Financial and shared some
next actions you can do as a new investor.

Learn more http://www.smartpinoyinvestor.com/2012/05/how-to-open-online-stock-

trading.html

Online Trading with COL Financial

Online trading can give you the convenience of accessing your account through the
internet wherever and whenever you want.

It affords investors like you a level of independence and control not previously
experienced through traditional or offline trading.

You can pick and choose stocks online that meet your personal financial goals.
You can buy and sell your stocks, access your financial portfolio, and read
recommendations on which is good (or not) to buy all at the touch of a mouse.

As a COL customer, you will be able to benefit more from every trade with access to
its superior online tools and functionalities with the lowest allowable commission
rate in the industry at only 0.25% of the transaction value.
COL Financial also offers a host of online trading and information services, among
which are:
· Automated order placement and execution via the internet
· Access to live quotes and other market statistics
· Online portfolio tracker
· Research materials and market commentaries
· Price charting program and Ticker system display
· The Virtual Tycoon – a simulated stock trading environment
On top of that, you can get customer support by calling 6-515-888 or writing to
helpdesk@colfinancial.com.
And in cases wherein you have no access to the computer/internet, you may ask
COL Financial to place an order for you.
Please note however that broker-assisted calls are charged 0.5% for commission
and not 0.25%. Other charges will remain the same.

COL Financial 3 TYPES OF ONLINE TRADING PLATFORM:

COL Starter – An entry-level account suitable for long term investing. Provides
access to basic research reports, standard market information, and end-of-day
charting data. Minimum investment: Php5,000.

COL Plus – For more FLEXIBLE Account good for short term, medium term and Long
term. Provides streaming quotes, comprehensive research reports and live chart
data with some customizable features. This is a strong featured trading account
catering to those needy of more research as well as faster data streaming. It has all
the features of the COL Starter account with addition to some feature improvements
like streaming data over your Quote page, Watch list, an expanded 6-pack, detailed
broker information, more research, as well as Java Charts with live data. It also has
usage of COL’s Easy Investment Program or EIP to schedule purchase orders for
your favorite stocks. Minimum investment: Php25,000.

COL Premium – For the premier investor. Provides access to all available features
and a personal relationship manager dedicated to assist you. Minimum investment:
Php1,000,000.

3 Steps How to Open an Account in COLF Financial

As a quick reference, summarized below are the steps you need to do to open an
account in COL Financial:
Below are the important reminders:

 It is required that the form must be submitted together with the FATCA form.
 If it’s a Joint or account, both Account holder needs to sign the forms.
 For the In Trust For (ITF) Account, if the Minor cannot sign yet, The Parent can
sign for the Minor.
 The OSTA form will stay with the client so they can keep it already.
  Validity in complying additional requirements is within 3 months only upon
submission, otherwise, they have to submit new set of forms and
requirements again
 Validity of funding the Account is within 3 months only upon approval,
otherwise, they have to submit new set of forms and requirements again

Summary

All account openings should have the following:

 Customer Account Information Form (CAIF)
 FATCA form
 Clients would only need to submit the CAIF and the FATCA for
account opening. For Joint accounts, OSTA form will stay with the
client.
 Minimum deposit of COL PLUS – Php 25,000 / COL Starter – Php 5,000
/ COL Premium – Php 1,000,000

*Note: Forms should be duly signed and properly filled out. No scanned or
photocopy will be accepted. Erasures should have counter signatures or
an amendment letter.
1. Filipino – included OFWs & Self-Employed
Non Face to Face
 Photocopy of (2) valid Government issued ID by the Philippine
Government
o Note: Photo & Signature is important
o Note: Check that the birthday should be the same on the form
o Note: All signature in all forms must be consistent with the ID submitted

*Substitute: A Philippine Gov’t paper or certificate with a Secondary ID with photo &
signature
 Billing Statement ([UPDATE as of July 2016] Billing statement is no
longer a requirement.)
o Note: Lessee should still have a letter from the Lessor
o Note: If no bills under your Name, you may submit a copy of current bill
under
Parent’s or Sibling’s Name
o Note: Address must be consistent in all forms with the Proof of Billing
submitted
 TIN number
o Note: To verify TIN number, you may dial the BIR hotline number, (02) 981-
8888
o Note: Apply for a TIN number, Please see this document. You may submit
the 1st and 3rd page together with your complete requirements to the
nearest BIR office.

You may send all the Forms and Requirements via courier to:
COL Financial Group, Inc. c/o Mabel Roque
2403-B East Tower, PSE Centre, Exchange Road,
Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 1605, Philippines
If you wish your documents to be picked-up for free via our messenger, please fill-
out the details below: Inform COL one day ahead of the pick-up date, Working days
only (Monday to Friday, between 10 am to 5 pm).
 Date of Pick-up:
 Contact Person:
 Mobile number:
 Office Telephone number:
 Company Name:
 Complete Office address:

COL will send you email again once it receives it so to give you your Reference
Number which you’ll use for bills payment or remitting money for your Initial
funding.

Notes
For the submission of the application form, it is a mandate from SEC that all forms
must be original and signed.
Make sure signatures are consistent with those on IDs submitted and across all
fields. Countersign any erasure.
Requirements such as the billing statements can be scanned sent via email however
for application forms, they are treated as contracts between the investor and the
stockbrokerage firm therefore they would really need the signed hard copy. The
good thing is that this is a one-time procedure for account opening, the rest of your
transactions can be online or via banks for your deposits.

TIN is required.

You may send the documents to COL Financial Business Center 2403-B East Tower
PSE Centre, Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1605 Philippines OR call
their office to have it scheduled for pick up if you are within Metro Manila area.
For the funding of the account, you will receive an email containing the instructions
on how to fund your account via BDO, BPI, or Metrobank once your application is
already approved.
That’s it.
It may appear long but the process is actually simple.
If you’ve downloaded the forms via the link above, you will see this my COL
account number under Referred by:. I don’t get anything from it though.
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Frequently-Asked Questions
Q: Is there a fee in opening an account in COL Financial?
A: There is no transaction fee in opening an account. 100% of your deposits will be
credited to your account for your investments.

Q: Do I need to attend a seminar first by COL Financial before opening an account?

A: No, you can open an account without attending any of COL Financial’s seminar.
However, it’s good that you attend first one of their free seminars so you’ll have
better understanding of what stocks investing is all about.

Q: I don’t have billing statements in my name. What can I do?

[UPDATE as of July 2016] Billing statement is no longer a requirement.

A: Regarding billing statement, other alternatives would be:

1) A valid government issued Id that has an address on it
2) Copy of your Contract Employment or Certificate of Employment
3) Any Billing statement under a relatives name as long as it has the same address
on what is written on your application form
4) Any of your latest Bank Statement

If possible, email them first at helpdesk@colfinancial.com scanned copy of signed

forms and requirements for them to check and review before sending it (via
mail/LBC for example) to avoid delay.

Q:Anong bill po ba ang ipapasa ko kasi student pa po kasi ako. Wala pang bill na
nakapangalan sakin.
A: You can present any billing statement with the same address in your application.
Please note that it also has to be under someone who shares your surname.

Q: [For OFWs or those outside Metro Manila] How can I open an account if I can’t
personally go to COL Financial’s office?
A: You can open your account online. Fill out the form and mail it to them (via LBC,
etc) ensuring that you have a clear copy of your required IDs. If possible, email
them first at helpdesk@colfinancial.com scanned copy of signed forms and
requirements for them to check and review before sending it to avoid delay.

Q: Im an OFW and I want to register in COL Financial. I don’t have any bank account.
Is it really needed?
A: You can still open your COL Financial account without indicating your bank
account since it is primarily required for withdrawal purposes. However you will
need to update this information later on so you can do future fund withdrawals.

COL Financial requires all its accountholders to have Philippine bank accounts with
the same name as their COL account. This is because the main purpose of the bank
account is for fund withdrawals which are issued as a check under the customer’s
name. Thus, the check may only be deposited to a bank account of the same
name. Hence, accountholders cannot use bank accounts which are not registered
under their names
Q: Is there a minimum age for one to open an account in COL Financial?
A: The minimum age to open your own account is 18 years old.

Q: I plan to register my 7-year old daugher in COL EIP. What are the requirements?
Is her presence needed during the registration process?
A: There’s no need for a personal appearance. Additional requirements for opening
an In-Trust-For-Account (ITF) can also be found here.

Q:How does a foreigner with no local bank account withdraw funds from his/her
stock brokerage account?
A: COL Financial has partnered with iRemit so you can easily make your withdrawals
and deposits by visiting any center near you.

Q: I have other questions not answered here. Can you help me?
A: You can send your question through my contact page and I’ll see to reply to you
ASAP. If you want quick response, you can just put it in the comments below. �
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Once your account is approved and you’re done funding it, you’re now ready to buy
your first stock.
Click here for your next tutorial >>> How to Make your First Buy Order in COL
Financial
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If you have other questions, just let me now in comments below or email
maribel.roque@colfinancial.com