Is Vanguard 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 Vanguard is a great choice for stock trading in many respects. Click to open your Vanguard 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. Vanguard impressed me overall; here's why:
- You can trade stocks across 4 stock exchanges at Vanguard.
- Stock trading fees at Vanguard are low.
- Sadly, you can't trade fractional shares at Vanguard.
- Looking for even better options? See our list of the best stock brokers.
Before we begin, let's see if Vanguard is available in your country
You can access 4 stock exchanges at Vanguard
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 Vanguard 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 Vanguard and its peers, where available.
| Broker | Stock markets (#) |
|---|---|
| Vanguard | 4 |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | 3 |
| Ally Invest | 5 |
How do I find the stock I need at Vanguard?
Most online brokers, including Vanguard, 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 Vanguard 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 |
|---|---|
| Vanguard | $0.0 |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | $0.0 |
| Ally Invest | $0.0 |
Vanguard is a zero-commission broker, so trading US stocks at Vanguard is free of charge. Bear in mind, though, that there's no such thing as a free lunch. The payment-for-order-flow model, which is used by some zero-commission brokers to generate income (rather than relying on commissions), could potentially create a conflict of interest between you and your broker. This could result in trade execution that may be unfavorable for you under certain market conditions. Besides, you may still have to pay non-trading fees (more on these below).
Other fees at Vanguard
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 |
|---|---|
| Vanguard | |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
| Ally Invest |
No fractional shares at Vanguard
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.
Unfortunately, you can't trade fractional shares at Vanguard, so you'll need either bigger sums to invest at a time or see yourself limited to cheaper stocks. Check the table below to see whether you can trade fractional shares, and under what conditions, at some brokers similar to Vanguard.
| Broker | Fractional shares |
|---|---|
| Vanguard | |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
| Ally Invest |
Minimum deposit at Vanguard
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 |
|---|---|
| Vanguard | $0 |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | $0 |
| Ally Invest | $0 |
Choose from the world's best stock brokers
Vanguard 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 Vanguard 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
- Vanguard stock conditions explained
- Vanguard penny stocks trading conditions explained
- Vanguard bond availability
- ETF trading conditions at Vanguard explained
- Vanguard fractional shares trading conditions explained
- Are margin interest rates low at Vanguard?
- Vanguard cash interest rate
- Vanguard ESG investing
- Vanguard invest $100,000
- Vanguard IPO accessibility
- Vanguard Mexican stocks trading availability
- Vanguard US stock trading details
- Vanguard Australian stocks trading availability
- Vanguard Canadian stocks trading availability
- Vanguard Japanese stocks trading availability
- Vanguard French stocks trading availability
- Vanguard Italian stocks trading availability
- Vanguard Swiss stocks trading availability
- Vanguard Hong Kong stocks trading availability
- Vanguard Dutch stocks trading availability
- Vanguard Spanish stocks trading availability
- Vanguard Singapore stocks trading availability
- Vanguard Swedish stocks trading availability
- Vanguard 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.
