To help you to find the best online broker for bonds in the US in 2022, we went ahead and did the research for you. First, we looked at the 101 quality online brokers that we cover, then we narrowed the list by checking their trading and non-trading fees, focusing in this case on bond fees and inactivity fees. We also examined how safe they are. Let's see the winners!
Our top 5 picks for the best online brokers for bonds in the US in 2022:
- Charles Schwab is the winner.
- TD Ameritrade takes second place.
- E*TRADE rounds out the top three.
- Interactive Brokers came in fourth.
- Fidelity just made the list at number five.
| Broker | Description | Bond fee class | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Charles Schwab | US discount broker | Low | Visit broker |
| #2 | TD Ameritrade | US-based stockbroker | Low | Visit broker |
| #3 | E*TRADE | US stockbroker | Low | Visit broker |
| #4 | Interactive Brokers | International broker providing all asset classes | Low | Visit broker |
| #5 | Fidelity | US stockbroker | Low | Visit broker |
What makes a good online broker for bond investing?
- Fair fees for bonds
- Wide selection of bonds
- Low or no inactivity fee
- Safety
We should also mention that an alternative to buying bonds directly is buying a bond ETF. For example, if you buy an 'Emerging markets bond ETF', you'll get exposure to lots of bonds issued by various governments that are considered emerging markets.
To learn more about ETFs, be sure to check our article How to buy ETFs online.
If you want to learn more about bonds, make sure to check our article What is a bond?
And now, let's see the best bond brokers in the US one by one, starting with the winner, Charles Schwab.
#1 Best online broker
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab is a US discount broker that was founded in 1971 and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
It is regulated by several top-tier financial authorities, such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free stock and ETF trading | • High fees for some mutual funds |
| • Outstanding research | • Only US/Canada markets available |
| • Great customer service |
#1 Charles Schwab
Fees
Charles Schwab has low fees when it comes to buying and selling bonds.
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bond fee class | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| US Treasury bond | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $5.0 | $0.0 |
| EU government bond | - | - | - | $10.0 | - |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No | No | No |
#1 Charles Schwab
Markets and products
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds (#) | 60,000 | 40,000 | 88,000 | 1,065,000 | 115,000 |
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| CFDs | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
#2 Best online broker
TD Ameritrade
If you are an experienced trader looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform, we definitely recommend TD Ameritrade.
Founded in 1975, TD is one of the biggest US-based stockbrokers and is regulated by top-tier authorities like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
This online broker is considered safe as it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, has a banking background, discloses its financials and is overseen by top-tier regulators.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading) | • You can trade only on US markets |
| • Superb desktop trading platform | • Accounts mostly limited to US residents |
| • Great customer support | • No credit/debit cards and electronic wallets for money transfer |
#2 TD Ameritrade
Fees
TD Ameritrade has low fees when it comes to buying and selling bonds.
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bond fee class | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| US Treasury bond | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $5.0 | $0.0 |
| EU government bond | - | - | - | $10.0 | - |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No | No | No |
#2 TD Ameritrade
Markets and products
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds (#) | 60,000 | 40,000 | 88,000 | 1,065,000 | 115,000 |
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| CFDs | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
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#3 Best online broker
E*TRADE
E*TRADE is a US-based stockbroker founded in 1982. It is regulated by top-tier financial authorities such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
E*TRADE is considered safe because it has a long track record, is listed on a stock exchange, has a banking background, discloses its financials, and is overseen by top-tier US regulators.
In February 2020, E*TRADE was acquired by Morgan Stanley. To find out more about the motives behind the acquisition and about the wider market context, check out this article we wrote about the deal.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading) | • Only US markets, no forex |
| • User-friendly mobile trading platform | • Only bank transfer |
| • Great research tools | • Slow live chat |
#3 E*TRADE
Fees
E*TRADE has low fees when it comes to buying and selling bonds.
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bond fee class | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| US Treasury bond | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $5.0 | $0.0 |
| EU government bond | - | - | - | $10.0 | - |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No | No | No |
#3 E*TRADE
Markets and products
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds (#) | 60,000 | 40,000 | 88,000 | 1,065,000 | 115,000 |
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| CFDs | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
#4 Best online broker
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers, one of the biggest US-based discount brokers, was founded in 1977. The broker is regulated by several financial authorities globally, including top-tier ones like the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Given that the broker has licenses from multiple top-tier regulators, Interactive Brokers is considered safe. The fact that it has a long track record and publicly disclosed financials while being listed on a stock exchange all point to IB being a safe service provider.
Interactive Brokers recently launched a new app for global stock trading: read our review of IBKR GlobalTrader.
In addition, Interactive Brokers also has an app you can use for ESG investing: read our review of IMPACT by Interactive Brokers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • Complicated account opening process |
| • Wide range of products | • Complex desktop trading platform |
| • Many great research tools | • Understaffed customer service |
#4 Interactive Brokers
Fees
Interactive Brokers has low fees when it comes to buying and selling bonds.
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bond fee class | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| US Treasury bond | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $5.0 | $0.0 |
| EU government bond | - | - | - | $10.0 | - |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No | No | No |
#4 Interactive Brokers
Markets and products
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds (#) | 60,000 | 40,000 | 88,000 | 1,065,000 | 115,000 |
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| CFDs | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
#5 Best online broker
Fidelity
Fidelity is a US stockbroker founded in 1946. It is regulated by top-tier authorities like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Fidelity is considered safe because it has a long track record and is regulated by top-tier financial authorities.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Commission-free US stocks and ETFs | • High mutual fund fees and margin rates |
| • Great trading platforms and research | • Slower account verification |
| • US and international stocks | • No crypto&futures |
#5 Fidelity
Fees
Fidelity has low fees when it comes to buying and selling bonds.
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bond fee class | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| US Treasury bond | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $5.0 | $0.0 |
| EU government bond | - | - | - | $10.0 | - |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No | No | No |
#5 Fidelity
Markets and products
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds (#) | 60,000 | 40,000 | 88,000 | 1,065,000 | 115,000 |
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ETFs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Funds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Options | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| CFDs | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Best online brokers for bonds in the US
What makes a good broker for bonds?
Now that we have seen the top 5 brokers for bonds, you're probably curious how we put together this list. Let's go through a few points quickly.
How did BrokerChooser pick the best brokers for bonds?
At BrokerChooser, we test online brokers along close to 500 criteria, using real accounts and real money. We don't want to overwhelm you, so we'll list just a few important criteria that we considered when finding the best brokers for bonds.
- Trading fees charged for bonds
- Non-trading fees such as inactivity fee
- Wide range of products, especially bonds
- Broker safety
Best online brokers for bonds in the US
Bottom line
You saw the details, now let's zoom out again. Here are the best online brokers for bonds in the US in 2022:
| Charles Schwab | TD Ameritrade | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | Fidelity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bond fee class | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Bonds (#) | 60,000 | 40,000 | 88,000 | 1,065,000 | 115,000 |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No | No | No |
| Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker |
Charles Schwab is our winner, the best online broker for bonds in the US. Free stock and ETF trading. Outstanding research. Great customer service.
All of these brokers are considered a great choice. Pick the winner or any runner-up, and take the next step in your investment journey. Let us know what you think in the comments section.
Still unsure? For a tailored recommendation, use our broker finder tool to find the best online broker for you; or learn more about investing in bonds.
