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Self-Directed Trading

for the do it yourself investor. for the do it yourself investor.
Stock and ETF trades for $4.95 with no account minimums
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Intelligent Investing for the Independent Type

We give you the tools. You take it from there.

Connect with us or the market anytime, anywhere you are.

Research investments, analyze your portfolio or place trades from any device. If you have questions you can call, chat or email our knowledgeable specialists. We’re here 24/7.

Commission-free ETFs from WisdomTree, iShares and more.

We partnered with market leaders to offer you simple, high-quality ETFs that complement your portfolio, so you can diversify your strategy with little impact to your bottom line.

Up to a $150 transfer fee credit.

If you’re already trading somewhere else, move your account to us and we’ll reimburse up to $150 in transfer fees if you make a one-time transfer of $2,500 or more. You’ll need to complete the Automated Customer Account Transfer (ACAT) form, and we must receive it within 15 days of opening the new account. Account owners who complete a first-time ACAT transfer of $2,500 or more are eligible to receive a transfer fee credit of up to $150 to cover the outgoing transfer fee from the current brokerage firm. This credit will be deposited into the new account within 30 days of receiving proof of charge. Keep in mind, this credit can’t be applied to termination or maintenance fees.

Investment Choices

Keep costs low and create an approach you're comfortable with.

An investment strategy with competitive edge starts here. Whether you’re in it for the long term, short term or somewhere in between, we offer a broad range of products so you can diversify your portfolio as you see fit.

Stocks and ETFs

Stocks

The most common type of security, stocks let you own a piece of a company. Investors usually buy stocks because of their potential for growth. We have thousands of stocks to choose from and multiple ways to invest.

ETFs

This is a more diversified investment that trades like stock but pools the money of many investors to purchase a group of assets such as stocks, bonds, foreign currency or commodities. Some of the most popular ETFs offer a type of index investment, where the manager tracks the performance of a specific index such as the Dow Jones or S&P 500. There are some types of ETFs, such as leveraged or inverse, which are short-term, higher-risk investments that should only be considered by experienced traders. Learn about ETFs

Standard Pricing

$4.95

No account minimums

Ally Invest Select Pricing

$3.95

30+ trades per quarter or daily balance of $100,000 or more.

Penny stock pricing information
For stocks priced less than $2.00, there’s an additional penny per share charge and the maximum commission per order generally doesn't exceed 5% of the trade value. With Standard Pricing, there’s a minimum commission of $4.95, or $3.95 with Ally Invest Select Pricing. Learn about low-priced securities

How we compare on stocks and ETFs

Ally Invest E*Trade Schwab TD Ameritrade Wells Trade

Standard Pricing

No account
minimum.

 $4.95 $6.95 $4.95 $6.95 $5.95

Ally Invest Select Pricing

30+ trades per
quarter or daily
balance of $100,000 or
more.

 $3.95 $4.95 n/a n/a n/a
About Our Commissions

An account with (tax) benefits.

Take steps to secure your financial future and open your invest account as an IRA. Learn about Ally Invest IRAs

Before you decide, know every aspect of investing with us.

View Details and Disclosures | Straight Talk Fees Guide

A Powerful Platform for Traders

Everything you need. All in one place.

Our award-winning experience is customized for online traders and designed to help you make more informed investing decisions. You have everything you need to explore opportunities, gain insight, take action or build your portfolio whenever the mood strikes.

Streaming charts

View eight chart types (including candlestick, bar, mountain, and line) with 117 chart studies and 36 drawing tools that analyze the performance of stocks, ETFs and indices. Customize settings and utilize interactive charts for prices and studies.

Top 10 ranked online stock brokers for 2019 by Consumers Advocate
Best brokers for stock trading in 2019 by Nerd Wallet
Best overall brokerage of 2018 by Benzinga
About Our Awards

Let us do the work for you.

A professionally managed portfolio keeps you on track so you can focus on other goals.

Explore Managed Portfolios

FAQs

We have answers

Still have questions? Visit our Help Center.

You can find background on Ally Invest Securities at FINRA's BrokerCheck. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors.

Review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options brochure before you begin trading options. Options investors may lose the entire amount of their investment in a relatively short period of time.

Product screenshots are provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as advice to buy or sell any particular security.

About Our Awards

Consumers Advocate

"The ConsumersAdvocate.org team did more than 200 hours of research on online stock brokerage services. Beginning with a list of 20+ of the most popular platforms, each was evaluated using a methodology that prioritized features, usability, price, and customer satisfaction. Online tools and multiple investment vehicles were important, but they were weighed against how clear and user-friendly the company's interface was. High marks were also given to those brokerages with transparent and low fee structures. Finally, reputation for customer service, along with creditworthiness as determined by financial strength ratings, were examined. Ally Invest came out on top across all categories because of its low fees, robust and easy to use online tools, and excellent customer service."

Nerdwallet

“Ally Invest was highlighted by NerdWallet as one of the Best Brokers for Stock Trading of 2019 and one of the Best Options Trading Brokers and Platforms of June 2019. NerdWallet's editorial team spends countless hours researching and comparing to highlight the best investing services, many of which are from their partners. NerdWallet considers over 15 factors for online brokers and robo-advisors, like account fees and minimums, customer support and mobile app capabilities.”

Benzinga

"Ally Invest is the recipient of Benzinga's Best Online Brokerage Award for their 2018 Brokerage Reviews. Ally Invest placed #1 in Commission & Fees, Platform & Tools, and Customer Service, earning 5 stars in each category. Ally Invest's determination to appeal to all levels of traders, dedication to mobile trading, and ease of use are additional, essential factors that earned Ally their top placement. Benzinga's annual brokerage review consists of an intensive analysis of over 65 brokers, investigating variables such as Commissions & Fees, Research, Ease-of-Use, Platforms & Tools, Education, Offerings, Customer Service, and more.

Benzinga is a fast-growing, dynamic and innovative financial media outlet that empowers investors with high-quality, unique content."

Straight Talk Fees Guide

With any investing approach, high expenses can have a big impact on your returns. That's why we have affordable, competitive fees and low commissions that won't get in the way of your financial goals.

SEC
.0218 per $1,000 principal (sells only)
ORF (Options Regulatory Fee)
0.0379 per contract (buys and sells)
TAF (Trading Activity Fee)
.000119 per share (equity sells)
TAF (Trading Activity Fee)
.002 per contract (option sells only)

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) transaction fee (TAF) This fee is charged on all stock and ETF sales at a rate of $.000119 per share with a minimum charge of $0.01 and a maximum charge of $5.95. This fee is rounded up to the nearest penny. Bonds are also subject to a TAF fee and can be charged up to $0.75 per bond traded, regardless of the bond's par value.

About Our Commissions

Commissions and fees from published websites are current as of 1/28/2019. Some brokers may offer more competitive fees than the ones published if certain balances or levels of activity are met. You should contact your broker to confirm their commission schedule.

Ally Invest Select Pricing

We offer select pricing of $3.95 per equity trade and 50¢ per options contract for investors who make 30+ trades in the prior calendar quarter or maintain an average daily balance of $100,000 or more in the prior calendar quarter. Select pricing begins on day 1 of the first quarter of eligibility. We charge an additional 35¢ per contract on certain option index products where the exchanges charge a fee.

Low-Priced Securities Pricing

We require a minimum opening purchase order of $100 per order in OTCBB and Pink Sheet stocks, and add 1¢ per share on the entire order for stocks priced less than $2. Maximum commission per order generally doesn't exceed 5% of the trade value, with minimum commission of $4.95. We don’t accept opening trades for stocks below 1¢ per share.

Note for GTC orders: If we receive partial executions on different trading days you'll be charged separate commissions.

Commissions for Mutual Funds

Load

Purchases: $0 (subject to change from mutual fund)

Sale: (subject to change from mutual fund)

No Load

Purchases: $9.95

Sale: $9.95

Commissions for Bonds and CDs

Bonds

$1.00 per bond ($10.00 minimum, $250.00 maximum) per transaction

Treasuries

$1.00 per bond ($10.00 minimum, $250.00 maximum) per transaction

Certificates of Deposit (CDs)

$24.95 per transaction

Ally Invest may act as principal on any fixed-income transaction. When acting as principal, we will add a markup to any purchase, and subtract a markdown from every sale. This markup or markdown will be included in the price quoted to you and you will not be charged any commission or transaction fee for a principal trade.

Margin Account Details

The base rate of 4.00% is set at Ally Invest Securities' sole discretion with reference to commercially recognized interest rates, such as the broker call loan rate. All rates are tiered using the Base Rate plus a standard percentage. Base rates and balance tiers are subject to change without notice.

Commissions and fees from published web sites as of 08/07/2019. Some brokers may offer more competitive fees than the ones published if certain balances or level of activity are met. Please contact each broker individually to confirm their commission schedule. Rates are negotiable for active traders. Contact us to learn more.

Margin Requirements

Long Stock: Equities between $3.00 and $6.00

Initial and Maintenance

50% of purchase price

Long Stock: Equities above $6.00

Initial

50% of purchase price

Maintenance

30% of current market value (50% for concentrated accounts, when one security constitutes 50% or more of the account market value, 40% when one position constitutes 35-50% of the account market value and 35% when a position constitutes 25-35% of the account value).

Options Trading

Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Options investors may lose the entire amount of their investment in a relatively short period of time.

Prior to buying or selling options, investors must read the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options brochure (17.8 MB PDF), also known as the options disclosure document. It explains in more detail the characteristics and risks of exchange traded options.

November 2012 Supplement (PDF)

October 2018 Supplement (PDF)

You can also request a printed version by calling us at 1-855-880-2559.

About Transfer Fee Reimbursement

We must receive your online transfer request or completed Automated Customer Account Transfer (ACAT) form within 15 days of opening the new account. Account owners who complete a first-time ACAT transfer of $2,500 or more are eligible to receive a transfer fee credit of up to $150 to cover the outgoing transfer fee from the current brokerage firm. This credit will be deposited into the new account within 30 days of receiving proof of charge. Keep in mind, this credit can’t be applied to termination or maintenance fees.

About commission-free ETFs

Information provided by Ally Invest, including information about commission-free ETFs, is for educational purposes only and isn’t a recommendation or investment advice

  • Commission-free ETFs offered by Ally Invest Securities are available when placed online in an Ally Invest Securities self-directed brokerage account
  • Ally Invest Securities may require a minimum balance to be eligible to purchase commission-free ETFs
  • Other fees may apply for trade orders placed by phone
  • Ally Invest Securities reserves the right to change the ETFs made available commission-free
  • Ally Invest Securities receives compensation from certain ETF sponsors and/or their affiliates that participate in the Ally Invest Securities commission-free ETF program , which varies with the ETF sponsor and can be asset based or a fixed fee per ETF

Before investing in any exchange-traded product, you should consider its investment objective, risks, charges and expenses, as there may be more suitable ETFs for you that aren’t on the commission-free platform. Ally Invest’s commission-free ETF program is a limited offering and no recommendations are intended or provided by the inclusion or exclusion of any ETF on the list.

30-day holding period for commission-free ETFs

Ally Invest Securities’ commission-free ETFs are subject to a holding period with any purchase that extends through the following 30 calendar days. An account owner must hold all shares of a commission-free ETF position for a minimum of 30 calendar days without selling to avoid a short-term trading fee of $9.90 per transaction. There’s no limit to the number of purchases in the holding period. Any order to sell within 30 calendar days of last purchase (Last In, First Out) will cause an account owner's account to be assessed a short-term trading fee of $9.90 for the buy and the sell transactions: $4.95 for the buy transaction and $4.95 for the sell transaction.

What it means

The day of purchase is considered Day 0, and Day 1 begins the day after the date of purchase. The short-term trading fee may be applicable to each purchase of each commission-free ETF where such commission-free ETF is sold during the 30-day holding period. The short-term trading fee may be more than applicable standard commissions ETFs that aren’t commission-free.

We’re available 24/7 if you have questions

Give us a call at 1-855-880-2559 if you’d like a copy of the commission-free ETFs prospectus, which includes important features and facts about this type of security to help you make an informed investing decision. We recommend you read it carefully before investing.

You should also review the Ally Invest Securities’ Exchange Traded Products Risks disclosure document for information about ETFs and ETNs.