Practical tips to keep more of your gains every year.
1. Choose a flat-fee or zero-brokerage broker
The single biggest lever is your pricing model. Free delivery and a low flat per-order fee on intraday and F&O can save active traders tens of thousands of rupees a year versus percentage brokerage.
2. Use delivery where you can
Delivery brokerage is often zero and STT structures can favour holding over churning. If your thesis is medium-term, take delivery instead of squaring off intraday.
3. Trade less, with more conviction
Every order is brokerage plus statutory charges plus the spread. Fewer, higher-quality trades almost always beat frequent small ones after costs.
4. Mind the spread and impact cost
In illiquid stocks the bid-ask spread can dwarf brokerage. Use limit orders and stick to liquid names to keep this invisible cost down.
5. Compute your real cost per trade
Use a brokerage calculator before you trade so you know your break-even up front. Knowing the number changes how often you click buy.
