About Jayme
I'm an Australian retail investor and Hello Stake customer. I created this site to share my referral code and write honest, practical guides for other Australians who want to invest in US stocks without paying excessive brokerage.
My investing background
I run two long-term portfolios — an ASX portfolio through CommSec and a US stocks portfolio through Hello Stake. Both are buy-and-hold focused; I'm not a day trader. The goal is building positions over time in companies and sectors I have conviction in.
For my ASX research I lean heavily on CommSec's expert recommendations and analysis, their AI-generated summaries, and TradingView for charting. I use SimplyWall Street's AI tools for undervalued share discovery and financial health screening, and HotCopper to get a read on retail investor sentiment around specific stocks. A range of other AI tools help me cut through company financials and ASX announcements before making decisions.
For US stocks, Hello Stake is my platform of choice — at US$3 flat brokerage per trade it's a fraction of what traditional brokers charge, and the 0.55% FX fee is only charged when I deposit AUD into the account, not on each individual trade. For a long-term buy-and-hold approach, that means the FX cost is effectively a one-time entry and exit cost per position.
Why I use Hello Stake
Low, transparent brokerage
US$3 flat per US trade (under US$30K) is a fraction of what CommSec or nabtrade charge. The 0.55% FX fee is on deposits only — not per trade — so depositing once and making multiple trades keeps the effective cost low.
Separation from my ASX portfolio
I keep my US exposure on Stake and my ASX holdings on CommSec. A clean split — CommSec for Australian companies and Stake for international exposure with straightforward flat-fee pricing.
Clean, no-nonsense app
The Stake app does what I need without being cluttered. Placing orders, tracking performance, and viewing positions is straightforward. It handles US market hours and order types well.
ASIC regulated
Stake operates under an Australian Financial Services Licence. Regulatory oversight is a baseline requirement when managing real money.
Why I built this site
When I signed up to Stake, a friend sent me their referral link. I got a free stock and $10 trading credit — small things, but a nice way to start. I wanted to be able to pass that on to other Australians who are looking at Stake for the first time.
My referral code is jaymem884. When you sign up with it and fund your account within 24 hours, you receive a free US stock (Nike, GoPro or Dropbox selected randomly) and $10 in trading credit. I also receive a referral bonus from Stake — I'm disclosing this transparently so you know the relationship.
Beyond the referral page itself, I've written a set of guides on this site covering Stake's fees, how to sign up, and how it compares to competitors like Superhero and CommSec. These are based on my actual experience using the platform, not copy-pasted spec sheets.
Nothing on this site is financial advice. I'm sharing what has worked for me as a retail investor. Your situation, risk tolerance, and goals will differ from mine. Always do your own research before investing.
Disclosures
Referral relationship: I participate in the Hello Stake referral program. When someone signs up using my code jaymem884, I receive a referral bonus from Hello Stake. This does not affect the cost to you — the bonus is funded by Hello Stake, not by any fee charged to new users.
Not affiliated with Hello Stake Pty Ltd: This site is independently operated. It is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Hello Stake Pty Ltd or any related entity. All opinions are my own.
Not financial advice: All content on this site is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Seek advice from a qualified financial adviser if needed.
Accuracy: Fee information and platform details are based on publicly available data at time of writing. Verify current terms at hellostake.com before making any decisions.
Sign up with my referral code
Use code jaymem884 when you open your Stake account and fund it within 24 hours to claim your free stock and $10 trading credit.
Open Stake Account — Code jaymem884Referral relationship disclosed above. Not financial advice.
All guides on this site