The Germans Savings banks are launching a new securities offering, S-Neo, and are thus responding to the boom in neobrokers such as Trade Republic. The depot for so-called digital self-decision makers is scheduled to start in April. They can then open the offer directly in the bank’s app and trade securities without advice.

Like Trade Republic? Savings banks launch their own neobroker offering

According to “Bloomberg”, with S-Neo the savings banks are specifically targeting customers who want to invest independently and pay attention to simple processes and favorable conditions. The depot should be leaner and more cost-effective than previous offerings in the securities business. Access works with just a few clicks, meaning you can get in without any detours.

However, the reason for such new approaches arose more out of necessity: “We have to create such offers in order not to lose further customers,” explained Liane Buchholz, President of the Sparkassen from Westphalia-Lippe, to “Bloomberg” in mid-2025. This means you react to clear ones Outflows towards neobrokers like Trade Republicbecause many investors have consciously switched to digital providers in recent years because they offer simple structures and low fees.

Volksbanks are also planning a central trading app

With S-Neo, the savings banks want to prevent further such developments. Behind the scenes, we work together with DWP Bank as a securities service provider. It recently took over the Berlin fintech Lemon Markets and can thereby expand its offering to include neobroker technology. There is also a cooperation with DekaBank, the savings banks’ joint fund house.

It’s not just the savings banks that are expanding their offerings. Also the cooperative financial group Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken is working on a new solution for securities trading in the sense of a neobroker under the project name “Zuwachs”, as a spokeswoman for the Federal Association of German Volksbanks and Raiffeisenbanks (BVR) confirmed to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (FAZ).

A central trading app is planned that is specifically aimed at people who are not yet customers of a cooperative bank. This would mean that the institutions would open up their offerings more than the savings banks, where interested parties would have to remain customers of a specific savings bank.

Local Volksbanks and Raiffeisenbanks are losing income

However, the project also sparks discussions within the cooperative group because a central app could shift the balance of power. When customers trade via the new application in the future, the fees will first go to DZ Bank, which will be charged together with their Subsidiary Union Investment has received the test order for the project. As a result, the individual local Volks- and Raiffeisenbanks would no longer receive any direct income from these transactions.

But they wouldn’t be completely left out because they would still share in the success through the dividend, i.e. the portion of the profit that DZ Bank distributes to its owners. Overall, this would shift the balance of power and influence in the cooperative banking group further away from the local banks and more towards the lead institution DZ Bank. A final decision on the project is expected to be made in the second quarter of 2026.