Fidelity Investments Review for 2026

Fidelity Investments is a major brokerage firm founded in 1946. Since then, it has grown to become one of the largest global firms in asset management.

Owing to its well-rounded offer, it has earned a spot at the very top of the financial sector.

Fidelity Investments Overview

Fidelity Investments is a brokerage established in 1946 with its headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. It manages $18.0 trillion in assets under administration and $7.1 trillion in managed assets.

According to numerous clients, it offers great service when it comes to retirement savings and investing, ETFs, and bonds.

You can open a trading account for free, and rest assured that they provide some of the best and most affordable options on the market. 

Having started out as a mutual fund investment company, Fidelity has stayed on top of the game throughout the decades. And it’s the IRA and mutual funds trading that consistently make Fidelity stand out among the competition.

Fidelity is a recommended brokerage for both beginners and experienced traders as its service fees are low, and there are fee-free options for online trading that cover a large segment of the premium service packages. 

Moreover, Fidelity now offers direct crypto trading through Fidelity Crypto® for eligible U.S. retail customers in supported states, while Fidelity Digital Assets® continues to serve institutional investors.

Another important feature is the Active Trader Pro, a robust trading platform that will allow you to oversee your stocks with many options for customization to suit your needs.

Fidelity has also added newer active-trading experiences, including Fidelity Trader+™ on desktop and mobile.

Features

What makes Fidelity Investments stand out is that it’s suitable for beginners and active traders alike.

It offers a range of trading tools that can be customized, and you can start with free options and move up as your portfolio grows. 

IRA Funds 

When it comes to planning retirement investments, Fidelity does a solid job of offering its customers a full range of services at affordable prices.

Whether you opt for rollover, traditional, or Roth IRA, Fidelity gives you one of the top broker services for IRA funds on the market. 

First, we’ll take a closer look at Fidelity traditional IRA and Fidelity Roth IRA and evaluate their fees. You can manage your investments fee-free or use the digital platform Fidelity Go.

There is an advisory fee of $0 for balances under $25,000 and 0.35% per year once the balance reaches $25,000 or more.

A Fidelity Personalized Planning & Advice option is available for investments of $25,000 and above, though Fidelity’s public materials do not clearly present a flat 0.5% fee in the same way the older review did. That makes the previous pricing claim too firm to keep here without qualification.

It’s good to know that Fidelity Go accounts invest primarily in Fidelity Flex mutual funds, and taxable accounts of $25,000 and up include tax-loss harvesting.

All in all, the retirement program is affordable and easy to start. Moreover, the fees are low compared to the competition. Also, you can grow your assets by investing your savings in mutual funds.

Mutual Funds

Fidelity Investments started its business as a mutual funds company and still provides stellar service in this area.

What makes it so appealing to clients are the no-fee transfers of assets into Fidelity from another institution, plus access to more than 10,000 mutual funds from dozens of fund companies.

The firm offers over 10,000 funds and, as part of its mutual funds strategy, Fidelity has always had a salient presence in the index fund market.

In recent years, it introduced an index fund advertised as the first zero expense ratio fund. Specifically, Fidelity ZERO is trying to appeal to millennials by cutting the overall trading costs.

Online Trading Tools

Being an old and established brokerage doesn’t stop Fidelity from competing in the fintech market as well.

Fidelity has invested in online trading technology, and its proprietary trading tools make it one of the top online brokerage services. 

Active Trader Pro 

The online trading platform is free and has a range of tools that you can customize. Daily Dashboard, one of its main features, provides an instant overview of your stock and shows a live stream of the stock market.

Active Trader Pro is automatically available after 36 trades in a rolling 12-month period, and customers who do not meet that mark can still request access.

Mobile App

The current Fidelity Investments app is available on iOS and Android, supports advanced trading features, recurring investments, research tools, and even crypto trading from the app for eligible users.

Fidelity Go

Fidelity’s robo-advisor, Fidelity Go, is free for accounts below $25,000, while there is a 0.35% annual advisory fee for balances of $25,000 and above.

It’s great for low-cost investment management.

Also, if you already have an account with Fidelity, you can manage it through Fidelity Go. For taxable accounts at that balance level, tax-loss harvesting is included.

Security

Fidelity’s security measures that ensure data safety are comprehensive and include voice authentication, encrypted email service, two-factor authentication for log-ins, and money transfer lockdown.

More importantly, the company guarantees safety as it will reimburse any damages that may occur due to unauthorized access to your account, and customers are covered by its Customer Protection Guarantee for losses from unauthorized activity in covered accounts.

Fidelity MyVoice® is the company’s voice authentication software that makes it safe and easy to access your account, using encrypted voice biometrics for identity verification.

Additionally, 2FA is a two-factor authentication protocol. It prevents data from your account from being made available unless you enter a one-time code that you will receive by text or call.

So, when it comes to security protocols, even with today's stringent standards in cybersafety, Fidelity delivers.

Customer Service 

Fidelity’s customer support is available 24/7 through a customer service number you can call or a virtual assistant if you prefer to chat. Its live support team can be reached from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, as well as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET on weekends.

The website provides additional resources on its customer service page for in-depth information about Fidelity Investments and its services.

Fidelity Investments vs. Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab is another well-established stock brokerage and member of the “big four”.

You can open an account without any fees and a minimum deposit at both brokerages. There are also no fees for trading stock and ETFs, as both firms offer solid trading platforms.

But we have to underscore that Fidelity’s trading software really outshines its competitor. Fidelity emphasizes direct and intelligent order routing and publishes price-improvement data, including average savings on eligible equity orders. It is also known for its wide range of customization options.

That’s why we have to conclude that Fidelity platforms outperform Charles Schwab’s trading tools.

When it comes to broker-assisted trading, Charles Schwab’s broker-assisted options commission adds $25 to the online options commission, while Fidelity’s representative-assisted stock and ETF trades are listed at $32.95 per trade.

Another area where Fidelity proves stronger is its IRA funds. This is among Fidelity’s best business features, as it offers a lot of options for further investment. And the fact that there are no transaction fees makes this deal even better. Fidelity also notes there are no account fees or minimums to open Fidelity retail IRA accounts.

Visit Charles Schwab

Fidelity vs. Robinhood

Robinhood developed as an online platform for trading and has been popular with millennials who mostly trade stock using their mobile devices.

Robinhood still leans harder into a mobile-first, simplified experience, while Fidelity offers the broader feature set for investors who want more research, retirement tools, and portfolio depth.

But once you start trading more you will appreciate the options Fidelity has to offer. The overall package when doing business with a big brokerage firm and its lower fees become more tempting.

Both platforms offer commission-free stock, ETF, and options trading, but Fidelity remains stronger on retirement accounts, mutual funds, fixed income, and investor research.

The app doesn’t offer quite the ease of use that you get with Robinhood, but there are benefits to Fidelity’s customization features. That is why Fidelity Investments rank as one of the leading online brokers for beginner investors.

Visit Robinhood

Our Verdict

A top-tier company that has been around for over half a century, Fidelity Investments is still among the leaders in the industry.

Its online trading platforms and apps are ranked among the best and have succeeded in attracting a new generation of discerning traders. 

Fidelity’s retirement and mutual funds are industry-leading in terms of the perks they provide. All things considered, this is a reliable brokerage with a wide offer that caters to diverse customer groups.

It has been growing steadily and has maintained its stellar reputation in the market