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Fidelity

Best for: An all-in-one home for long-term investing

$0.65

Options / contract

$0

To open

$0

Yearly fee

As of · sources in Details

A young couple, seen from behind, sitting close together on the sand and watching the sun set over the waves.

Pros

  • $0 online US stock and ETF trades
  • No minimum to open
  • Fractional shares from $1

Cons

  • Broker-assisted trades cost extra
  • Some outside mutual funds carry a $49.95 purchase fee
  • So many features it can feel like a lot at first

Who it fits

You want one place for taxable investing, IRAs and maybe your workplace plan

What reviewers say

Reviewers often call Fidelity a top pick for beginners: strong service, deep research, zero-expense-ratio index funds and a well-rated app. The main knock: a charge for broker-assisted phone trades.

Paraphrased from NerdWallet, Fidelity review; NerdWallet, Best brokers for beginner investors.

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Details: full breakdown and sources

The numbers

Online US stock & ETF trades
$0As of · source
Options, per contract
$0.65As of · source
Minimum to open
$0No minimum to open an account.As of · source
Annual account fee
$0Most account-service fees are $0.As of · source

The breakdown

A large, full-service brokerage with $0 online stock and ETF trades and its own zero-expense index funds.

Fidelity charges $0 for online US stock and ETF trades and $0.65 per options contract. There's no minimum to open an account, and you can buy fractional shares of stocks and ETFs starting at $1.

Fidelity's own funds have no transaction fee. Some funds from other companies do: Fidelity lists $49.95 per purchase for its transaction-fee funds, and a $49.95 charge if you sell certain no-transaction-fee funds within 60 days.

Review themes, point by point

  • Reviewers often name Fidelity a top pick for beginners and long-term investors.
  • Common praise: strong customer service, lots of research, index funds with no expense ratio, a well-rated app, and good interest on uninvested cash.
  • Handy if your 401(k) is already at Fidelity, since everything sits in one login.
  • The main knock is the fee for trades placed with a broker by phone.

Reviews reflect each publisher's view on the day they wrote it.

All pros

  • $0 online US stock and ETF trades
  • No minimum to open
  • Fractional shares from $1
  • Own index funds with no transaction fee

All cons

  • Broker-assisted trades cost extra
  • Some outside mutual funds carry a $49.95 purchase fee
  • So many features it can feel like a lot at first

Might fit if

  • You want one place for taxable investing, IRAs and maybe your workplace plan
  • You'd like to start small with fractional shares

Maybe look elsewhere if:

  • You want the simplest possible app with very few choices