To help you find the best IRA brokerages in 2022, we went ahead and did the research for you. We looked at 100 quality online brokers and we checked and compared their services, with a special focus on fees, products, trading platforms as well as deposit and withdrawal options. We dug deep, so you won't have to. And now, without further ado...
Our top 5 picks for best IRA brokerages:
- E*TRADE is the winner.
- Charles Schwab takes second place.
- Fidelity rounds out the top three.
- TD Ameritrade came in at number four.
- Firstrade just made it to the list at number five.
| Broker | Overall score | Minimum deposit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | E*TRADE | 4.7 | $0 |
| #2 | Charles Schwab | 4.7 | $0 |
| #3 | Fidelity | 4.7 | $0 |
| #4 | TD Ameritrade | 4.7 | $0 |
| #5 | Firstrade | 4.3 | $0 |
What makes a good online IRA broker?
- Fair fees for stock, ETF, and mutual funds trading
- Low or no inactivity fee
- Wide range of products
- Great overall service quality
All that is easy to list, but hard to figure out. That's why we test nearly 500 data points when reviewing a broker, using real accounts and real money. We speak from experience.
Not sure which broker is best for you? For a tailored recommendation, check out our broker finder tool. Want more details? Compare brokers with the help of our in-depth comparison tool.
And now, let's see the best online IRA brokers in 2022 one by one, starting with the winner, E*TRADE.
#1 Best IRA brokers
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.
#1 E*TRADE
Fees
E*TRADE offers free stock and ETFs tradies; some bonds and mutual funds are also free to trade. Non-trading fees are low. On the negative side, fees for mutual funds that aren't free are high.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free stock and ETF trading | • High fees for non-free mutual funds |
| • Some mutual funds and bonds are free | |
| • Low non-trading fees |
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| Mutual fund | $20.0 | $24.8 | $37.5 | $50.0 | $0.0 |
| Inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee |
Commissions for a $2,000 trade
#1 E*TRADE
Markets and products
You can trade plenty of asset classes at E*TRADE from stocks to futures, but only on the US market; in addition, forex trading is not available.
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 5 | 4 | 25 | 4 | 5 |
| ETFs (#) | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Fund providers (#) | 600 | 600 | 550 | 740 | 450 |
#2 Best IRA brokers
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).
#2 Charles Schwab
Fees
Charles Schwab offers free trading for stocks and ETFs, as well as some mutual funds and bonds, while non-trading fees are low. On the negative side, some fund fees are high.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free stock/ETF trading | • High fees for non-free mutual funds |
| • Free trading for some funds/bonds | |
| • Low non-trading fees |
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| Mutual fund | $20.0 | $24.8 | $37.5 | $50.0 | $0.0 |
| Inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee |
Commissions for a $2,000 trade
#2 Charles Schwab
Markets and products
At Charles Schwab, you can trade a lot of different asset classes, from stocks to futures. Unfortunately, the product portfolio covers only US and Canadian markets.
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 5 | 4 | 25 | 4 | 5 |
| ETFs (#) | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Fund providers (#) | 600 | 600 | 550 | 740 | 450 |
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#3 Best IRA brokers
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.
#3 Fidelity
Fees
Fidelity has low trading and non-trading fees, including commission-free stock trading. On the negative side, margin rates and fees for some mutual funds can be high.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Free stock and ETF trading | • High fees for non-free mutual funds |
| • Low bond fees | • High margin rates |
| • No inactivity fee |
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| Mutual fund | $20.0 | $24.8 | $37.5 | $50.0 | $0.0 |
| Inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee |
Commissions for a $2,000 trade
#3 Fidelity
Markets and products
Fidelity offers a lot of different trading products, from stocks to options, including international stocks. However, forex and futures trading is not available.
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 5 | 4 | 25 | 4 | 5 |
| ETFs (#) | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Fund providers (#) | 600 | 600 | 550 | 740 | 450 |
#4 Best IRA brokers
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.
#4 TD Ameritrade
Fees
TD Ameritrade offers free stock and ETF trading, while forex, bond and options fees are also low. On the other hand, it charges high fees for futures.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • High fund fees |
| • Low non-trading fees | |
| • Free stocks and ETFs |
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| Mutual fund | $20.0 | $24.8 | $37.5 | $50.0 | $0.0 |
| Inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee |
Commissions for a $2,000 trade
#4 TD Ameritrade
Markets and products
You can trade many asset classes, from stocks to futures and forex, while nice extras include social trading and robo-advisory. On the other hand, only the US market is covered.
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 5 | 4 | 25 | 4 | 5 |
| ETFs (#) | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Fund providers (#) | 600 | 600 | 550 | 740 | 450 |
#5 Best IRA brokers
Firstrade
Firstrade is a US discount stockbroker regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The company was founded in 1985 under the name First Flushing Securities.
Firstrade is considered safe because it has a long track record and is overseen by top-tier regulators.
#5 Firstrade
Fees
Firstrade has low fees. It offers free stock, ETF, funds, and options trading with low non-trading fees. However, margin rates are high.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| • Low trading fees | • High margin rates |
| • Low non-trading fees | |
| • Free stock, ETF, fund and options trading |
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US stock | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 | $0.0 |
| Mutual fund | $20.0 | $24.8 | $37.5 | $50.0 | $0.0 |
| Inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee | No inactivity fee |
Commissions for a $2,000 trade
#5 Firstrade
Markets and products
Firstrade offers a good variety of asset classes, from stocks to options. However, the products cover only the US market and you cannot trade futures or forex.
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock markets (#) | 5 | 4 | 25 | 4 | 5 |
| ETFs (#) | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 | 2,300 |
| Fund providers (#) | 600 | 600 | 550 | 740 | 450 |
Best IRA brokerages in 2022
What makes a good IRA broker?
Now that we have seen the top 5 online IRA brokers, you're probably curious how we put together this list. Let's go through a few points quickly.
How did BrokerChooser pick the best online IRA brokers?
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 for IRA brokers.
- Trading fees charged for stock, ETFs and mutual funds
- Non-trading fees such as inactivity fee
- Wide range of products, especially stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds
- Great overall service quality
Best IRA brokerages in 2022
Bottom line
Now that you've seen the details, let's zoom out. Here are once again the best IRA brokerage:
| E*TRADE | Charles Schwab | Fidelity | TD Ameritrade | Firstrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 |
| Stock fee class | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Fund fee class | High | High | High | High | Low |
| Markets and products score | 2.8 stars | 3.0 stars | 3.6 stars | 3.7 stars | 2.5 stars |
| Account opening score | 4.2 stars | 4.3 stars | 3.7 stars | 3.7 stars | 4.2 stars |
| Deposit and withdrawal score | 2.2 stars | 2.2 stars | 3.8 stars | 1.9 stars | 2.0 stars |
| Web platform score | 4.5 stars | 4.3 stars | 4.5 stars | 4.3 stars | 4.3 stars |
| Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker | Visit broker |
E*TRADE is our winner, the best IRA brokerage. Low trading fees (free stock and ETF trading). User-friendly mobile trading platform. Great research tools.
All the other brokers in the top five are considered great choices. Pick the winner or any of the runners-up and take the next step in your investment journey. Let us know what you think in the comment section.
Still unsure? Use our broker finder to find the best online broker for you, or learn more about investing your money.
