So you've decided to invest in AT&T stock but don't know where to do it? Your broker choice matters a lot, as some brokers don't offer this stock or only under poor conditions.
According to our research, low fees and great services make Interactive Brokers the best place to buy AT&T shares. Read on for details, more options and a simple guide to buying shares.
I have tested dozens of stockbrokers in my career. If I had to buy AT&T shares, these are the brokers I would normally turn to, and I'll explain why:
- Interactive Brokers, eToro and Fidelity are the best brokers for buying AT&T shares.
- Stock fee levels, broker safety and overall service quality guided my choice.
- It takes just a few simple steps to invest in AT&T shares.
- Want to put these brokers under closer scrutiny? Compare them using our tools.
The best brokers for buying AT&T shares
Of all the brokers that offer AT&T shares, these are the ones that I think are best, based on stock trading fees, strength of regulation and the overall quality of broker features:
- Interactive Brokers - Low trading fees and high interest on cash balances. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
- eToro - Free stock and ETF trading. Seamless account opening. Social trading.
- Fidelity - Commission-free US stocks and ETFs. Great trading platforms and research. US and international stocks.
- Zacks Trade - Low fees. Extensive stock and ETF selection. Great customer service.
- Charles Schwab - Free stock and ETF trading. Outstanding research. Great customer service.
Read on to learn why these features are important and exactly what fees apply to you at these brokers when buying AT&T shares.
Fees, safety and other features at top brokers for AT&T
So how to decide where to buy your AT&T shares? First of all, since AT&T is traded on the NYSE, you'll need to find a broker that allows access to the NYSE. This may sound trivial, but not all popular brokers you may have heard about in various forums offer stocks listed on the NYSE. Some may focus on specific European or Asian exchanges only, while others may not offer stocks at all.
You'll also need a safe and legit broker. In our view, a broker is considered legit if its operations are overseen by at least one top-tier regulator, such as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). At BrokerChooser, we only recommend such regulated brokers.
If you want to invest in AT&T, you'll probably want to do so at the lowest cost possible. We chose brokers that charge nothing or only a very low commission for buying and selling stocks like AT&T. Meanwhile, if you plan to hold your AT&T shares for the long term, be aware of potential inactivity fees. These are charged by some brokers if you don't trade or otherwise use your account for an extended period of time.
And in general, it also helps if the broker offers good services overall, such as user-friendly trading platforms, easy funding or cool research tools. This is reflected in our overall score of each broker, also found in the table below.
| Broker | US stock | US stock fees class |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | $1.0 | Low |
| eToro | $0.0 | Low |
| Fidelity | $0.0 | Low |
| Zacks Trade | $1.0 | Low |
| Charles Schwab | $0.0 | Low |
It takes just a few steps to invest in AT&T shares
Once you have settled on a broker, opening your account and buying your AT&T shares is relatively straightforward:
Step 1: Open your brokerage account
Opening a broker account typically involves registering your details, providing some information about your investment experience, and then identifying yourself by uploading a few official documents. All of this takes place online and can be completed fairly quickly. However, following your registration, most brokers need some additional time - from a few minutes to a couple of days - to confirm your account and allow you to start trading.
Step 2: Deposit money to your account
To be able to buy your AT&T stocks, you first need to deposit cash to your broker account. The most common way you can deposit money is by bank transfer, but many brokers also allow you to deposit by credit/debit card or even electronic wallets like PayPal. Deposits are usually free of charge, and the majority of brokers do not not have a minimum deposit requirement.
| Broker | Minimum deposit | Bank transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Brokers | $0 | |
| eToro | $10 | |
| Fidelity | $0 | |
| Zacks Trade | $0 | |
| Charles Schwab | $0 |
Step 3: Find and buy your AT&T shares
To buy your AT&T shares, you first need to locate it within your broker's trading platform. Just look for a search bar and enter 'AT&T' or its stock exchange symbol, T. Some brokers also allow you to search for stocks based on country or sector - if you do that, all you need to remember is that AT&T is a US Communication Services company that is famous as a multinational telecommunication company.
Once you found AT&T, just enter the number of shares you want to buy, and click the 'buy' button. An increasing number of brokers also allow you to buy fractional shares - so for example you can buy AT&T shares for just $10 or any other amount of your choice, even if the price of a single AT&T share is much higher.
When placing a buy (or sell) order, you can choose from different order types. A 'market' buy order buys the stock immediately at the current market price, while a 'limit' order allows you to specify the exact price at which you want to buy the share.
Step 4: Review your AT&T position regularly
Once you bought your AT&T shares, it's a good idea to monitor the value of your investment, and see if you need to take any action - maybe sell some of your shares or maybe buy some more - to meet your investment goals.
If you're a short-term investor, you may consider using various order types to manage your holdings. For example, a take-profit order lets you set a price at which your stock is sold automatically to lock in profits; while a stop-loss order can help limit your losses if stock prices fall.
Compare top brokers
Want to find out more about these brokers and see how they stack up against one another - and other competitors - in various areas? Check out our broker comparison tool, where you can pin your favorite brokers or filter them according to your preferences.