Is Fidelity a good broker for stocks?
Are you interested in stock investing? Thankfully, many of the world's leading online brokers offer stocks; but not all do, and trading conditions such as fees or stock selection can vary greatly.
You're looking in the right place, though, as Fidelity is a great choice for stock trading in many respects. Click to open your Fidelity account or read on for details and comparisons.
I've tested dozens of stockbrokers over the years, using live accounts to have a closer look at fees, market access and platform usability. Fidelity ticked all the right boxes:
- You can trade stocks across 25 stock exchanges at Fidelity.
- Stock trading fees at Fidelity are low.
- Want to start small? You can trade fractional shares at Fidelity.
- Looking for even better options? See our list of the best stock brokers.
Before we begin, let's see if Fidelity is available in your country
You can access 25 stock exchanges at Fidelity
Diversify your portfolio! That's probably the first advice you'll get as a stock investor, and it's one you should definitely heed in order to minimize risk. You can diversify your stock investments in many ways; for example, by picking stocks across several sectors or from different countries. To be able to do that effectively, choose a broker that offers you access to as many stock markets as possible.
The world's biggest stock markets, such as the NYSE, the NASDAQ, or the exchanges of London, Tokyo or Hong Kong each have about 2,000-4,000 listed stocks. So having a broker with access to multiple exchanges can potentially let you choose from tens of thousands of stocks. Just be aware that some brokers that offer access to these exchanges may focus on the biggest names only and may not let you trade some smaller companies on a specific exchange.
Exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are also a great way to diversify your investments. In fact, they take some of the burden of diversification off your shoulders, as they already often include a diverse set of stocks. Brokers where you can trade stocks also invariably offer ETFs, and Fidelity is no exception. If you find picking individual stocks too much trouble, click to learn more about ETFs, or head straight to our selection of the best ETF brokers.
In the table below, we give an estimate of the number of stocks and ETFs available at Fidelity and its peers, where available.
| Broker | Stock markets (#) |
|---|---|
| Fidelity | 25 |
| E*TRADE | 5 |
| TD Ameritrade | 4 |
How do I find the stock I need at Fidelity?
Most online brokers, including Fidelity, have an easy-to-use search function, where you can simply type in a stock's name or symbol. Some brokers also let you browse stocks and ETFs by categories - e.g. by sector or by geographic region.
Stock trading fees at Fidelity are low
Stock trading involves various types of fees. The most important of these are commissions, charged after each trade either on a percentage basis or as a flat fee. Thankfully, an increasing number of brokers no longer charge a commission for stock and ETF trading.
Among less obvious trading fees, your broker may charge a conversion fee if you trade a stock quoted in a different currency than your brokerage account (e.g. if you have a euro account but buy a USD-priced stock). The spread - that tiny gap you see between the buy/sell quotes for a stock - is an indirect cost for you that goes toward the profits of the stock exchange and other intermediaries.
Most brokers apply the exact same pricing to stocks and ETFs.
For a more detailed overview of costs related to stock investing, check out our in-depth guide to brokerage fees.
| Broker | US stock |
|---|---|
| Fidelity | $0.0 |
| E*TRADE | $0.0 |
| TD Ameritrade | $0.0 |
Other fees at Fidelity
The costs of stock investing don't stop at trading fees, as there may be fees related to maintaining or funding your account. Most online brokers don't charge an account fee or a deposit fee, but inactivity fees (for not using your account for an extended period) and withdrawal fees are more common.
| Broker | Inactivity fee |
|---|---|
| Fidelity | |
| E*TRADE | |
| TD Ameritrade |
You can trade fractional shares at Fidelity
OK, so you've decided to follow everyone's advice and diversify your stock investments. But there's a problem: many popular stocks cost $200-300 apiece or even more. Just how are you supposed to buy several (or even just one) of these stocks if you have only $100 to invest at a time?
Fractional shares are an increasingly popular solution to this problem. So how do fractional shares work? It means you can buy just a small fraction of an otherwise pricey stock - often as small as $1. In other words, your $100 can actually buy you dozens of shares. These behave just like the 'full' share, rising or falling by the same percentage. It works the same way when it comes to selling. You don't need to sell the exact same fraction you bought; you can sell any fraction you like.
You can trade fractional shares at Fidelity, so it's a great choice if you want to start investing in stocks with smaller amounts only.
| Broker | Fractional shares |
|---|---|
| Fidelity | |
| E*TRADE | |
| TD Ameritrade |
Minimum deposit at Fidelity
If you are starting small, choose a broker that doesn't require a large initial deposit. Thankfully, many brokers no longer require a minimum deposit, or only a reasonably small one.
| Broker | Minimum deposit |
|---|---|
| Fidelity | $0 |
| E*TRADE | $0 |
| TD Ameritrade | $0 |
Choose from the world's best stock brokers
Fidelity may be good, but why not check out the best in class? To rank the world's best stock brokers, our expert team of analysts looked at hundreds of features and data points at 100+ online brokers to see which ones have:
- the lowest stock trading fees,
- the broadest stock selection, and
- the best overall user experience when it comes to trading platform features, account opening and funding.
Go pick the one that best suits your needs!
Alternatively, read our full review of Fidelity for 2024, including fees, deposit options, and platform features on desktop and mobile.
Check out this short video for a behind-the-scenes peek into how our experts personally test and evaluate brokers.
Further reading
- Diversifying your investments
- Fidelity stock conditions explained
- Fidelity penny stocks trading conditions explained
- Fidelity bond availability
- ETF trading conditions at Fidelity explained
- Fidelity fractional shares trading conditions explained
- Are margin interest rates low at Fidelity?
- Fidelity cash interest rate
- Fidelity ESG investing
- Fidelity invest $100,000
- Fidelity IPO accessibility
- Fidelity Mexican stocks trading availability
- Fidelity US stock trading details
- Fidelity Australian stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Canadian stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Japanese stocks trading availability
- Fidelity French stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Italian stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Swiss stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Hong Kong stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Dutch stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Spanish stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Singapore stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Swedish stocks trading availability
- Fidelity Norwegian stocks trading availability
Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.
