Georgia is not only a location for bank accounts but also for investing. Through Galt & Taggart, the investment bank of the Bank of Georgia group, securities can be traded and held worldwide. This article shows what investing via Georgia concretely means – markets, custody, research and the interplay with the account.
Georgia as an investment location
Investing via Georgia is not about an exotic experiment but about access to established capital markets through a regulated investment bank. Galt & Taggart, the investment-banking subsidiary of the Bank of Georgia group, has been active since 1995, is licensed by the National Bank of Georgia and is the country's largest brokerage house. It is through them that the investment layer of a Freiheitskonto becomes possible in the first place.
The appeal of investing via Georgia lies in the combination: you use an investment infrastructure outside the EU but retain access to the same major world markets you know from home. This turns geographic diversification not into sacrifice but into expanded access.
Access to around 36 markets
A central argument for investing via Georgia is the market coverage. Through Galt & Taggart you gain access to a broad range of markets – around 36 according to the house – including the major developed-market exchanges in the US, Europe, Canada and Australia as well as harder-to-reach regional markets.
| Market group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Developed markets | US, Europe, Canada, Australia |
| Regional markets | Eastern Europe, Middle East, Asia |
| Local | Georgian market, Georgian corporate bonds |
The hard-to-reach regional markets and the Georgian corporate bonds in particular are a distinguishing feature: via many European brokers they are barely accessible. With investing via Georgia, they are open to you.
Custody via established depositaries
A legitimate question with investing via Georgia is: where do my securities actually sit? The answer is reassuring: Galt & Taggart uses the established international custody infrastructure. Your securities are thus held in the familiar world of international depositaries, not in a parallel structure. This creates trust and connectability to the international securities business.
Keep the separation in mind: the bank account holds your cash, the depot your securities. Investments are subject to market risk; losses are possible. Investing via Georgia is a tool for diversification, not a guarantee of returns. CMC is not an investment adviser.
In-house research department
A plus point of investing via Georgia is Galt & Taggart's in-house research department – by its own account the country's largest research house. It delivers macroeconomic, sectoral and capital-market analyses, above all on the region. For investors interested in Georgian and regional securities, this is a source of information barely available elsewhere.
The interplay of account and depot
Investing via Georgia unfolds its full potential in interplay with the SOLO account. The account holds your liquidity in several currencies, the Galt & Taggart depot your securities – both in the same banking group outside the EU. This creates a clear, two-tier structure: cash in the account, investments in the depot.
Think of account and depot as a unit: surplus liquidity on the multi-currency account can flow deliberately into the depot, proceeds from sales back to the account. With investing via Georgia, precisely this interplay is the actual convenience.
Compliance and requirements
With investing via Georgia too, the usual rules apply: identity and anti-money-laundering checks (KYC/AML) as well as sanctions and compliance requirements. The brokerage is expressly open to non-residents too but checks – like any regulated brokerage – the origin and background of investors. We clarify the precise suitability with you in advance, honestly and without false promises.
Tax consequences of capital gains depend on your personal residence and must be declared in your country of residence. CMC is neither a tax adviser nor an investment adviser. Concrete conditions and tradable instruments follow the prevailing terms of Galt & Taggart.
Step by step: from account to depot
In practice, investing via Georgia follows a clear sequence. At the start stands the SOLO account as a liquidity base – it receives your deposits and later serves as a settlement account. In the second step we open the Galt & Taggart depot and link it to the account. After the identity and anti-money-laundering check (KYC/AML), you gain access to the client dashboard and your personal broker.
You then transfer funds from the account to the depot and place your first orders – by phone, by e-mail or via the provided platform. Sale proceeds flow back to the account. This creates a well-rehearsed cycle between liquidity and investment that you control yourself at all times. Plan deliberately which part of your wealth stays as a cash reserve in the account and which part moves into the depot – this split is a strategic decision, not an afterthought. It is precisely here that the well-thought-out interplay of investing via Georgia pays off.
Conclusion
Investing via Georgia combines the best of two worlds: access to established world markets and hard-to-reach regional markets through a regulated, award-winning investment bank – and an investment layer outside the EU that connects seamlessly to your SOLO account. With international custody, in-house research and German-speaking support from CMC, banking access in Georgia becomes a full, diversified wealth structure.
From an account to an investment portfolio
An account at Bank of Georgia is the basis – the real potential emerges when you add a securities depot. Through Galt & Taggart, the group's investment-bank subsidiary, you can open a personal execution-brokerage depot that bundles access to around 36 markets: the USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, selected regional markets as well as the local Georgian market and Georgian bonds.
Investable instruments include stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds and structured products. Custody is handled via established international depositaries, legally separate from the bank's own assets – an important difference from a pure bank balance. The depot is also open to non-residents; the usual identity and anti-money-laundering checks (KYC/AML) as well as sanctions and compliance rules apply.
Opening the depot via CMC costs a one-off EUR 490; ongoing conditions follow the Galt & Taggart tariff. This turns banking access into a full investment platform outside the EU – with cash in the account and securities in the depot. Securities investments are subject to market risk; capital loss is possible, and CMC is not an investment adviser.
Investing via Georgia: from account to investment platform
A pure bank account safeguards balances – anyone who also wants to invest can open a securities depot via Galt & Taggart, the investment bank of the Bank of Georgia group. This turns banking access into a full investment platform with access to international and regional markets: stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds and structured products – also for non-residents.
Cash stays in the account, securities sit in the depot; custody runs via established international depositaries. Opening the depot via CMC costs a one-off EUR 490; ongoing conditions follow the Galt & Taggart tariff. It is an execution depot for planned wealth-building, not a leverage or trading account.
Naming the risks honestly
Securities investments are subject to market risk – a capital loss is possible, and past performance says nothing about the future. CMC is expressly not an investment adviser and gives no recommendations on individual securities. Anyone who invests should bring their own strategy or obtain independent advice.
Frequently asked questions about Investing via Georgia
What does investing via Georgia concretely mean?
Access to capital markets through Galt & Taggart, the regulated investment bank of the Bank of Georgia group. You trade and hold securities via an investment infrastructure outside the EU, with access to international and regional markets.
Which markets and investments are possible?
Around 36 markets according to the house – including the US, Europe, Canada, Australia, regional markets as well as the Georgian market and Georgian corporate bonds. Tradable instruments include stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds and structured products.
Where are my securities held?
Galt & Taggart uses the established international custody infrastructure. Your securities thus sit in the familiar world of international depositaries, not in a parallel structure.
Is investing via Georgia safe?
Galt & Taggart is a broker licensed by the National Bank of Georgia with international custody. Investments are, however, subject to market risk – losses are possible. Investing via Georgia serves diversification but is not a guarantee of returns. CMC is not an investment adviser.