Best Trading Platforms & Online Brokers Of December 2025

Platform C should ideally combine the strengths of IBKR and Fidelity, offering security, competitive rates, and advanced trading tools. They offer an abundance of investment products alongside low fees. IBKR doesn’t just excel in trading; it also offers competitive interest rates on uninvested cash. It’s a favorite among traders who appreciate a platform that doesn’t sacrifice performance for security.

SpeedTrader offers over 25 routing options to give active traders an edge. However, unlike most stock trading platforms, Firstrade is truly bilingual. Like other stock trading platforms, customer reviews for Firstrade are mixed. It has been reported that at times it can take 3 days for account approval, but at its slowest, it is still faster than other stock trading platforms we’ve reviewed. Firstrade’s stock trading platform describes it as having a financial research analyst in your pocket, ready to help you make informed decisions.

• In the world of stock trading, this is a pretty impressive feat.
• Can you get investment advice if you want it?
• Fortunately, there are many other platforms you can look for to meet your stock trading needs.
• All of this and you’ll get Schwab’s excellent customer service and its bevy of other great features.

What Is An Online Brokerage Account?

• ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) are bundles of investments, like stocks, bonds, or other assets, that trade like a stock.
• A small, but steadily growing group allows clients to trade cryptocurrencies.
• That’s why finding a broker with a top trading platform can be so important.
• In addition to our review of Fidelity’s online brokerage platform, we’ve also reviewed the company’s robo-advisor service, Fidelity Go.

Finally, when it comes to customer service, while it may take a long time to get a hold of them, they truly respond to and resolve complaints. We’ve found the exact same complaint for every other platform we’ve reviewed, so this may be an industry issue, not a company issue. At worst, customers feel like Merrill Edge is not willing to close the account easily. The only other complaint comes from clients trying to close their accounts, where they feel the process is cumbersome at best. It is a rare event that you need to talk to someone over the phone because their system is so intuitive and reliable that everything can be done and resolved online. That being said, many customers complain that having to get in contact with customer service can be an hours-long nightmare.

Fidelity stock trading platform offers a three-tiered service structure for active traders. A brokerage account is an account provided by a brokerage firm that allows you to buy and sell stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds using an online trading platform. We’ve examined brokers based on the characteristics that matter to individual investors, including fees, trading platforms, account minimums and more. After two months of comprehensive research, Investopedia found that Fidelity offers the best overall online brokerage services and trading platform. While online brokers harp on their low costs–not just for trades but also low minimums to open accounts and low costs for access to research, tools, and services–full-service brokers boast of the wide range of their offerings. Nowadays, with rare exceptions, online brokers offer commission-free stock, ETF, and mutual fund trading, but still charge for options trades.

Ig Group – Largest Range Of Trading Products

None of the firms we surveyed require a minimum to open an account, but we favor Fidelity for investors with small balances for a couple of reasons. In late May, the firm’s so-called sweep accounts – the account that your broker automatically "sweeps" any cash into – paid a 3.94% yield. We like, for instance, that the bonuses start when you have a three-month combined average daily balance of just $20,000 – at the bank and in any Merrill investment account. Several firms offer benefits to customers who bank and broker with them. Fidelity gets another nod, too, because its most aggressive Fidelity Go portfolios hold 100% of assets in stocks (other firms have a 94% to 96% allocation to stocks).

Best For Advanced Traders: Interactive Brokers

On the other hand, a margin account lets you borrow funds to potentially boost your buying power, which can amplify gains but also comes with its own drawbacks. Stay disciplined around catalysts like earnings, and avoid trading out of boredom. Taxes matter too – holding for more than a year can qualify gains for long-term rates in a taxable account. Define your risk per trade and total portfolio risk, and write down your reasons to buy and what would make you sell. Building a routine and refining your strategy are just as important as placing the trade itself. News feeds and earnings calendars provide context before you trade, not after.

Security Features

Day 2026 is near, but is the stock market open on MLK Day? Is the stock market closed on MLK Day 2026? There will definitely be at least one or two fees for most accounts. Most advisor accounts (robo or personal) involve you completing a questionnaire and/or a phone call that considers your time frame, financial goals, and risk tolerance. Are you the kind of investor who doesn’t want to actually pull the trigger on choosing which stocks to buy on your own?

How To Switch Online Brokers

When Robinhood came into the picture and disrupted that model by offering a no-fee https://tradersunion.com/brokers/binary/view/iqcent/trading-signals/ service, SogoTrade was left without an edge. In the beginning, the company wanted to succeed by offering lower fees than anyone else in the industry. We recommend checking out Zack’s Trade if you’re ready for DIY stock trading. Zack’s offers Morningstar, Seeking Alpha, The Motley Fool, and Thomson Reuters, and most of them are free.

None of the brokers on our list are full-service brokers; they are all discount online brokerage firms. Unlike mutual funds, which can have high investment minimums, investors can purchase as little as one share of an ETF at a time (some brokers even offer fractional shares of ETFs, too). Active traders may want a little more out of their brokerage account. If you’re new to investing, it may be best to look for a brokerage that offers free educational resources, such as live webinars, thorough how-to guides, video tutorials, glossaries and more. Most casual stock traders won’t notice differences in execution quality between brokers, as they tend to be relatively minor, especially if you’re placing few trades. See our list of the best brokers for options trading if you’re focused on trading stock options — several stock brokers have eliminated their contract fee completely.

This allows the broker to accept customers from around the world. Notably, the broker delivers fast execution speeds, averaging 77 ms in our tests. Our broker reviews are https://slashdot.org/software/p/IQcent/ reader supported and we may receive payment when you click on a partner site. Swingtrading.com is free to use and we may receive compensation from partners we link to. If you are interested in trading Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptos, another good option is Coinbase.

One standout we noticed right away is that SogoTrade is dedicated to customer service. Great customer service – and it’s bilingual Billed as a "self-directed" platform, if you need extra help, they do have advisors who can assist you through their Power Portfolios or SogoTrade Asset Management program. Founded in 1986, SogoTrade serves independent, self-directed investors. Zack’s accounts also include one of the best AI trading bots review research sources in the industry, Zack’s Investment Research.

• The basic users have multiple, consistent problems with the platform that cost them money and time.
• TradeStation is the place to be if you’re an active trader.
• Explore in-depth trading tool reviews covering charting, screeners, trading journals, and automation to find the best platform for your investing strategy.
• Many customers say that they cannot transfer money out or close their E Trade accounts without a headache.

Advanced encryption methods protect our trade orders, account information, and market data from prying eyes. Data encryption is crucial for secure trading platforms. Let’s choose platforms that prioritize our security, so we can focus on growing our investments confidently. To conclude, secure trading platforms aren’t just a feature – they’re a necessity in modern digital era.