Firstrade Review 2023

How we ranked fees

We ranked Firstrade's fee levels as low, average or high based on how they compare to those of all reviewed brokers.

First, let's go over some basic terms related to broker fees. What you need to keep an eye on are trading fees and non-trading fees.

• Trading fees occur when you trade. These can be commissions, spreads, financing rates and conversion fees.
• Non-trading fees include charges not directly related to trading, like withdrawal fees or inactivity fees.

In the sections below, you will find the most relevant fees of Firstrade for each asset class. For example, in the case of stock investing the most important fees are commissions.

We also compared Firstrade's fees with those of two similar brokers we selected, TradeStation and Interactive Brokers. This selection is based on objective factors such as products offered, client profile, fee structure, etc. See a more detailed rundown of Firstrade alternatives.

To have a clear overview of Firstrade, let's start with the trading fees.

Firstrade trading fees

Firstrade's trading fees are zero. The fee sructure in transparent and easy to understand, only bonds require a bit more attention. 

Stock fees and ETF fees

Firstrade offers free stock trading. 

If you prefer stock trading on margin, you should check Firstrade's margin rates.

Trading on margin means that you borrow money from your broker thus you can purchase more shares than you could with the funds available in your account. You have to pay interest on this borrowed money – the interest rate is called the margin rate. This rate can account for a significant portion of your trading costs.

Firstrade's margin rates are high.

Firstrade's margin rates are volume-tiered. There is a base rate plus a premium depending on the financed amount. The base rate is set at Firstrade's discretion. At the time of our review, the base rate was at 9.75%. Financing rates are also applied for options trading, not just stocks. 

Fund fees

Mutual fund investing is also commission-free. 

Bond fees

Firstrade's bond fees depend on the type of bonds you wish to trade. Treasury bills, notes, bonds, municipal bonds, agency bonds, zeros & strips are free, but the charges are net yield based. We tested "regular" treasury bonds.

Options fees

Similarly to stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds, options trading is also commission-free.

Crypto fees

Firstrade does not charge commissions for crypto trading. There is a 100-basis point (1%) spread on either side of a crypto trade. This markup covers all the costs associated with crypto transactions and storing crypto.

Non-trading fees

Firstrade has low non-trading fees. There is no account fee or inactivity fee.

There is no withdrawal fee if you use ACH transfer. However, withdrawals using domestic or international wire transfer cost $25. We tested ACH, so we paid no withdrawal fee.

Can you open an account?

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Firstrade is a US broker, but some non-US clients can also open an account. The list of countries from where the broker accepts customers includes Germany, UK, China, Singapore and Hong Kong, to name but a few.

What is the minimum deposit at Firstrade?

The minimum deposit is $0 for both U.S. and international clients. However, you will need to transfer a set amount of funds if you trade on margin or prefer investing in portfolios.

Account types

Firstrade offers several account types:

How to open your account

The account opening is fully digital and user-friendly. The online application took us roughly 15 minutes, but verification is a bit slower. It took 3 business days until our account was verified.

Here are the nine steps of Firstrade's account opening process:

1. Enter you phone number to receive the verification code
2. Enter your personal information and email address
3. Choose the account type, state your options and day trading preferences
4. Provide more personal information and details for account verification, such as your Social Security Number
5. Enter your personal phone number and choose a security question
6. Disclose your employment and financial information
7. Specify your investment profile and trading preferences
8. Set your funding preferences and connection
9. Review and submit your application

It is important to underline that there is a minor difference between US and non-US client applications. If you are a non-US client, you have to upload the agreed Online Service Agreement and the W-8 BEN tax form (Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting for Individuals) with a copy of your passport. Firstrade does not disclose any specific limitations regarding international account services.

Account base currencies

At Firstrade, the only available base currency is USD.

If you have a personal bank account in a currency other than USD, then you will be charged a conversion fee.

A convenient way to save on currency conversion fees is by opening a multi-currency bank account at a digital bank. These usually offer bank accounts in several currencies with great currency exchange rates, as well as free or cheap international bank transfers. Opening an account takes only a few minutes on your phone.

Compare digital banks

Deposit fees and options

Firstrade charges no deposit fees. Are you a US client? If yes, you can use checks, ACH payments, and wire transfers for the deposit. Unfortunately, at the time of our test, credit/debit cards and electronic wallets were not available.

We tested the ACH transfer and it took 2 business days. You can only deposit money from accounts that were previously linked to your brokerage account.

Firstrade withdrawal fees and options

Firstrade charges no withdrawal fees if you use ACH withdrawal. Both domestic and international wire transfers cost $25.

How long does it take to withdraw money from Firstrade?

We tested the bank transfer withdrawal and it took 2 business days. You can only withdraw money to accounts in your name.

How do you withdraw money from Firstrade?

You can withdraw money from Firstrade by following these steps:

• Log into the account
• Go to the "Accounts" menu
• Select "Deposit/Transfer" 
• Choose the withdraw transfer type and your previously connected external account
• Add the amount you wish to withdraw and set the frequency and date of the withdrawal
• Preview and initiate the withdrawal

We tested Firstrade's own trading platform. The web trading platform is available in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Look and feel

Firstrade's web trading platform is user-friendly, offers a satisfying user experience and the design is clear and straightforward. On the negative side, its customizability is limited. You can change the order of the tabs in the dashboard (called Investor Home), but other tabs aren't customizable.

Login and security

Firstrade provides only a one-step login authentication (username, password, PIN). A two-step login would be safer.

Search functions

The search functions are good. You can search by both company name or asset ticker and the results are relevant.

Placing orders

 Firstrade has several order types:

• Market
• Limit
• Stop
• Stop limit
• Trailing stop

If you are not familiar with the basic order types, read this overview.

There are also many order time options you can use:

• Day
• Good Till 90 days
• Pre Market
• After Market
• Day + EXT 

Alerts and notifications

You can set alerts by different criteria:

• $ or % change vs previous close
• Last trade
• Trading volume

The platform notifies you via your preset email. You can find the alerts under the 'Research & Tools' menu.

Portfolio and fee reports

Firstrade provides clear portfolio and fee reports. You can find them under the 'Accounts' menu in 'History'.

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In our review, we tested the iOS version of Firstrade's in-house developed mobile trading platform. It is also available for Andriod devices.

Similarly to the web trading platform, the mobile trading platform is available in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

On the mobile trading platform, you can only trade stocks, ETFs and options, which is limited compared to the web trading platform.

Look and feel

Firstrade's mobile trading platform is user-friendly and well designed.

Login and security

Firstrade provides only a one-step login. A two-step authorization would be more secure.

If you have an iOS device, you can enable biometric authentications: both face and touch IDs are available.

Search functions

The search functions are good, you get relevant results quickly. We liked the integrated third-party analysts' opinions and the news feed. 

Placing orders

You can use the same order types and order time limits as in the web trading platform.

Alerts and notifications

Firstrade has upgraded its mobile trading platform to support price alerts, which you can turn on by going to Account and tapping on App Settings. 

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Firstrade has an average mutual fund, bond, and option selection, but it lags behind in stock and ETF lineups, compared to all reviewed brokers.

Stocks and ETFs

Firstrade covers only the US market.

You can trade stocks on 5 different markets.

• NYSE
• NASDAQ
• AMEX
• OTCBB
• OTC Pink

Funds

Firstrade has a great mutual fund selection.

Bonds

Firstrade has an average bond selection. 

The bonds include both government and corporate bonds.

Options

Firstrade covers CBOE and other US options exchanges, but does not disclose which ones.

Crypto

Firstrade clients can trader 38 of the most popular coins, starting with an investment as low as $1.

The research tools are under the 'Research & Tools' tab. Similarly to the trading platforms, the research tools are available in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Trading ideas

Firstrade provides trading ideas for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds. We liked the integrated features:

• preset peer group comparison
• plotting of data

The trading ideas are from third-party providers, such as Morningstar.

Fundamental data

Firstrade offers a wide range of fundamental data. You will find data on several assets, from stocks to funds.

Fundamental data also includes financial statements for 5 or 10 years, peer group companies, dividend calendar, etc.

Charting

Firstrade has good charting tools. You can easily edit the charts and use 32 technical indicators.

News feed

The news function could be improved. It is easily readable but lacks visual elements, like charts or pictures. If you find Benzinga, Briefing.com, or Zacks useful, you will be happy with the Firstrade news channel as its news flow is provided by these third parties.

Other research tools you will enjoy

There are great and sophisticated screeners for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds.  You can use a wide range of filters, from basic company information to technical indicators,.

We liked the Option Wizard in the 'Education' menu. It is developed by OptionsPlay.com and is a great tool, if you are into options trading.

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You can contact Firstrade via:

• email
• Help Center
• phone

Firstrade's mail support is average. We got semi relevant answers via email, but the phone support was very slow and we failed to get through to anybody who could answer our questions.

Firstrade has a Help Center where users can browse through a long list of articles answering a wide range of questions. We missed 24/7 support availability. You can contact customer support from 8 am to 6 pm EST, between Monday and Friday.

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We found the following educational tools at Firstrade that might be handy for you:

• Platform tutorial videos
• General educational videos
• Webinars
• Educational articles

The platform tutorial videos are well placed, you can easily notice the relevant videos.

The general educational videos and the archived webinars have good content quality, ranging from stock trading to options trading. In our test, we found it hard to download the materials or to catch a live webinar.

Besides videos, you can also listen to podcasts and read Ebooks. Most of these features are accessible under the 'Education' menu.

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Is Firstrade regulated?

Yes, it is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

Is Firstrade safe?

To be certain, we highly advise you to check two facts:

• how you are protected if something goes wrong
• and what the background of the broker is.

How you are protected

Firstrade serves its clients through Firstrade Securities Inc. Firstrade is regulated by the SEC and FINRA, and all customers are covered by the US investor protection scheme, called SIPC.

The SIPC scheme protects against the loss of cash and securities in case the broker goes bust. The limit of SIPC protection is $500,000, which includes a $250,000 limit for cash. This amount is substantially higher than the amount most investor protection schemes provide. 

Not all investments are protected by SIPC. In general, SIPC covers notes, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investment company shares, and other registered securities. It does not cover instruments, such as unregistered investment contracts, unregistered limited partnerships, fixed annuity contracts, currency, and interests in gold, silver, or other commodity futures contracts or commodity options.

In addition, Firstrade's clearing firm, Apex Clearing Corporation, has an additional insurance policy through a group of London Underwriters to supplement SIPC protection. This additional insurance policy is limited to a combined return to any customer from a Trustee, SIPC and London Underwriters of $37.5 million, including cash of up to $900,000. 

Background

Firstrade was established in 1985 under the name First Flushing Securities. The longer the track record of a broker, the more proof we have that it has successfully survived previous financial crises.

The fact that is has been in operation for a long  time and it is regulated by a top-tier regulator are all great signs for Firstrade's safety.

Find your safe broker

We recommend Firstrade for beginners and investors looking for zero-commission trading, focusing on the US market.

Below you can find links to all aspects of Firstrade in this comprehensive collection.

Lower fees, lower costs?

We detailed this in our Firstrade fees article.

What about the minimum deposit?

Our ultimate guide to the Firstrade minimum deposit is updated regularly.

How to start your Firstrade account?

Look no further than our evaluation of the Firstrade account opening.

How's their trading app?

Here's our expert view after checking the Firstrade trading app.

Is the quality of customer service satisfactory?

All you need to know about the Firstrade customer service.

Legit or scam?

Is Firstrade legit features all the key aspects you need to look at to see if a broker is safe and legit.

Free or premium? Or both?

A glance at actual costs and whether Firstrade is really free.

Is this broker good for beginners?

We checked it in Is Firstrade good for beginners.

Should you buy your silver bullets on Firstrade?

Research for silver bugs in the Silver buy on Firstrade guide

I want to trade options, are they available at Firstrade?

We explored the topic in Can you trade options on Firstrade?

What is the minimum account balance at Firstrade?

Check out the current account balance requirements at Firstrade in our What is the minimum account balance at Firstrade article.

Looking for commission and fees data for Firstrade?

We collected them in Firstrade commission and fees.

How do you withdraw money from Firstrade?

We tested it and collected the options and costs in How to withdraw money on Firstrade.