Fidelity – U.S. News 2026 Award Winner

As one of the oldest investment brokers in the U.S., Fidelity is a heavy hitter in the investment brokerage and financial arena. Investors of all types can access rock-bottom fees, screeners, trading platforms and research tools to guide investment selection. Add on money management, cash accounts, zero-management-fee mutual funds and investment management tools, and Fidelity clearly stands as one of our top investment brokerages.

Beginners will like the lack of account minimums, the ability to trade fractional shares and the robust educational resources, while sophisticated investors benefit from Fidelity’s Trader+ downloadable platform with resources for both frequent and buy-and-hold investors. Fidelity’s low fees will draw in all types of investors.

All but the professional trader will benefit from the Fidelity platform. Self-directed investors can delve into the asset screeners and customizable trading platforms and trade nearly all available U.S. assets and many foreign assets. Specialty products such as the Fidelity Go robo advisor, planning tools and direct indexing provide low-fee investment management assistance. Wealth management options are available for those with $500,000 or more.

Fidelity is an industry leader in low fees and costs. Fidelity, like the majority of online brokers, doesn’t charge for stock and ETF transactions. Nearly all account services are free, including withdrawals, check copies, domestic bank wires and ATM usage. Most competitors charge at least $50 for an external automated customer account transfer. Margin fees, which change frequently and can be found on Fidelity’s website, are reasonable as well.

Fidelity defines itself with a stable of no-management-fee mutual funds. Of the thousands of mutual fund offerings, there are more than 3,000 that don’t charge transaction fees. The remaining mutual funds typically charge $49.95 per trade.

Fidelity has a deep stable of stocks, ETFs and bonds available for investing. International investing, for those in the U.S., is available in 25 markets and 16 currencies.

Other products such as direct indexing, thematic funds and investing baskets provide something extra for most types of investors.

Investment assets include:

Fidelity’s new Trader+ platform, which was recently rolled out as an upgrade over the previous Active Trader Pro, offers mobile, desktop and downloadable dashboards that enable beginners through experts to pursue their investment strategies.

Fidelity says the new product offers a step up from Active Trader Pro, offering traders speedier transactions, more in-depth research and greater control. The mobile version of Trader+ offers a better view of data with limited scrolling and more fluid navigation.

As of September, Fidelity is the fourth-largest online broker by assets under management, after Vanguard, Charles Schwab and UBS. The broker offers a range of additional features for self-directed investors and those interested in various managed account options.

Self-directed investors and those seeking managed options can choose from a variety of alternatives. A sample of the offerings includes:

A standout feature for Fidelity investors is the lineup of account types. In fact, there are so many alternatives that it might be difficult to find one not offered by Fidelity. From individual and joint investment accounts to all varieties of retirement account offers and trust, business and youth accounts, all investors should find a suitable account.

Investors at Fidelity can be confident that their assets will be protected from loss. Although no investments can be insured against market downturns, cash assets, such as CDs and cash accounts, are protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., or FDIC. The FDIC typically protects cash assets up to $250,000 per account. Those with more than $245,000 in cash at Fidelity are protected by the FDIC-Insured Deposit Sweep Program, which uses multiple banks.

The Securities Investor Protection Corp., or SIPC, protects stocks, bonds and other financial securities against loss if the investment brokerage firm goes bankrupt. The typical SIPC protection limit is $500,000 in securities, which includes a $250,000 limit for cash held in the brokerage account. Fidelity also provides excess insurance to be used when the SIPC coverage is exhausted.

Fidelity accounts are also protected from bad actors and hackers by virtue of strong encryption, firewalls, secure email and 24/7 system monitoring. With multi-factor authentication, the opportunity to lock your own account immediately and security alerts via text, Fidelity prioritizes customer security and will reimburse customers for losses that result from unauthorized account activity.

In October 2024, it was reported that Fidelity experienced a data breach in August that exposed more than 77,000 clients’ personal and financial data. The company is currently being sued in a class-action complaint for the hack.

Fidelity customers can access account and platform assistance 24/7. General questions are easily answered through multiple channels, including a chatbot and 24/7 phone customer service from trained investment consultants. With more than 200 physical investor centers, customers can receive in-person help across the country.

Advanced investors who trade internationally and those enacting sophisticated trades on Trader+ can tap specialists in those areas. Additionally, Fidelity’s online Customer Service section is replete with answers to most common platform queries.

We believe Fidelity is among the best online brokers in the U.S. Investors of all experience levels get low or no fees and the tools to enact their investment strategies. Educational guidance is easily accessible, including assistance from specialized customer service representatives.

The main drawbacks are that Fidelity has no direct futures trading and wealth management services can lean toward the pricey side.

But for all investors, it’s tough to beat the Fidelity mutual fund, stock, ETF and fixed-income screeners. Add on the 20-plus professional research reports and trading platform tools and sophisticated traders have the resources to implement their trading and investing strategies. The variety of account types for individuals, entities and businesses make it easy to open a Fidelity account.