Intro and winners
Top 5 brokers for bonds in the United States in 2023
- TD Ameritrade is the best broker for bonds in 2023. - Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading). Superb desktop trading platform. Great customer support.
- Charles Schwab - Free stock and ETF trading. Outstanding research. Great customer service.
- E*TRADE - Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading). User-friendly mobile trading platform. Great research tools.
- Interactive Brokers - Low trading fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing - Commission-free US stocks, ETFs, funds and bonds. Fast and fully digital account opening. Well-established parent company.
How did BrokerChooser pick the best brokers for bonds?
- We compared fees (with a special focus on bond fees),
- Checked whether the broker charges an inactivity fee,
- Examined whether the broker is regulated by a trusted regulator,
- Opened an account and tested the platform (charting, features, usability) with real money.
Our expert team has done all the work for you, and reviewed brokers based on BrokerChooser's unique methodology.
BrokerChooser evaluates 9 key areas for all brokers including fees, safety, ease of account opening, education, and trading platforms. We check more than 500 criteria for each broker and finetune our methodology every year based on our own and our users' experiences. We have more than 100 brokers reviewed on our site and our team of analysts examines more than 50,000 data points overall.
Best online brokers for bonds
Key features of the best brokers for bonds
While many online brokers and trading platforms offer an excellent service, the ones in our toplist go the extra mile.
| Broker | Bond fee class | Number of bonds available | Inactivity fee | Custody fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TD Ameritrade | Low | 40,000 | No | No |
| Charles Schwab | Low | 60,000 | No | No |
| E*TRADE | Low | 88,000 | No | No |
| Interactive Brokers | Low | 38,321 | No | No |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | Low | 22,000 | No | No |
Best online brokers for bonds
Trading fees at the best brokers for bonds
How much you have to pay for a trade in spreads, commissions and other trading costs is a key broker selection criteria. Check out the fees these top brokers charge for trading US and EU government bonds.
| TD Ameritrade | Charles Schwab | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Treasury bond | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $5.0 | $0.0 |
| EU government bond | - | - | - | $10.0 | - |
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 a wide selection of bonds issued by countries classified as emerging markets. Check out BrokerChooser's selection of the best brokers for ETF trading.
If you are unsure how brokerage fees work, check out this article on the various fees, charges and costs.
Best online brokers for bonds
Non-trading fees at the top brokers for bonds
Non-trading fees are charges not directly related to a given trade and typically include the account maintenance fee, deposit/withdrawal fees, and the inactivity fee.
| TD Ameritrade | Charles Schwab | E*TRADE | Interactive Brokers | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account fee | No | No | No | No | No |
| Inactivity fee | No | No | No | No | No |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Deposit fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Your broker toplist will be selected based on your answers.
And now, let's see the top brokers for bonds in detail one by one, starting with the winner, TD Ameritrade.
#1 Best online broker
TD Ameritrade
Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a well-equipped desktop trading platform
| TD Ameritrade snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Mobile app score | 4.8 stars |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of TD Ameritrade services, check out our review for 2023 |
#2 Best online broker
Charles Schwab
Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research, low fees and great customer service
| Charles Schwab snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Mobile app score | 4.2 stars |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Charles Schwab services, check out our review for 2023 |
#3 Best online broker
E*TRADE
Recommended for investors and traders looking for solid research and a great mobile trading platform
| E*TRADE snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Mobile app score | 4.5 stars |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of E*TRADE services, check out our review for 2023 |
#4 Best online broker
Interactive Brokers
Recommended for traders looking for broad market access and a professional trading environment
| Interactive Brokers snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Mobile app score | 3.5 stars |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of Interactive Brokers services, check out our review for 2023 |
#5 Best online broker
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
Recommended for beginners and buy-and-hold investors focusing on the us stock market
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing snapshot | |
|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Mobile app score | 3.9 stars |
| Deposit methods | Bank transfer |
| Withdrawal methods | Bank transfer |
| Read review | For a detailed analysis of J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing services, check out our review for 2023 |
Best online brokers for bonds
FAQ
Can bonds be purchased through a broker?
Investors can buy bonds either through a broker or directly from the issuing entity. When buying bonds through a broker, it's essential to check that the broker is regulated by a top-tier authority (i.e. the FCA in the UK, the SEC in the US or BaFin in Germany), it charges low fees for its services and it offers investor protection.
Are bonds a good investment?
Bonds are especially favored by conservative investing strategies, as they are relatively safe. Their returns, while often lower than that of other asset classes such as stocks, are reasonably predictable. It's easy to learn how to buy bonds via online brokers, though you should be aware of potential risks such as inflation risks or the possibility of default.
Can you lose money investing in bonds?
Bonds are generally viewed as a safe investment, but they are far from entirely risk-free. Some of the most common risks associated with bonds are the default risk and inflation risk. These are primary concerns for bond investors who hold a bond until maturity. Other risk types such as downgrade risk, liquidity risk, exchange rate risk or interest-rate risk will typically affect bond traders active on the secondary market.
Want to understand bond trading in more detail?
Check out these articles written by our broker and trading experts:
Comments