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Leverage TD Ameritrade's free premium research and analysis tools and its popular Thinkorswim trading platform to trade stocks, bonds, options and more.
Consider TD Ameritrade if you want a comprehensive investing platform where stock trades are free, educational resources are ample and a powerful, professional-grade trading platform awaits. Look elsewhere if you're looking for the ability to trade fractional shares or cryptocurrency.
Best for: Beginner to advanced traders and investors.
finder.com's rating: 4.3 / 5.0
★★★★★
TD Ameritrade is an online brokerage service designed for beginner investors and active traders. It features user-friendly trading platforms and a variety of mutual funds, but look out for costly short-term exchange-traded fund (ETF) and broker-assisted trade fees.
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Available asset types | Stocks, Bonds, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Currencies, CDs, Futures, Forex, Treasury Bills |
| Account types | Brokerage, Retirement, Education, Custodial, Specialty |
| Government bond trade fee | $1 |
| Corporate bond trade fee | $1 |
| Mutual fund trade fee | $0 |
| Account transfer fee | $75 |
| Minimum deposit | $0 |
| Fees | ★★★★ | No commissions on stocks and fees are fair for other securities. |
| Available securities | ★★★★★ | Most securities, except cryptocurrency. |
| Customer support | ★★★★★ | Five ways to contact customer support. |
| Mobile app | ★★★★★ | The app gets high marks in the Apple App Store but Google users report app freezes. |
| Research and tools | ★★★★★ | A comprehensive suite of research, educational and analytics tools are available. |
| Reliability | ★★★★★ | One major outage has been reported. |
| Bonus star | ★★★★★ | We awarded a bonus star for access to paper trading. |
To learn how our star ratings are calculated, read our methodology at the bottom of the page.
But beginners shouldn’t shy away. With its commission-free stock trades, extensive collection of tradable assets and educational resources and its professional-grade trading platform, TD Ameritrade is both accessible and dynamic. Beginners will find plenty of room and support to learn and grow, while experienced traders and investors can flourish with TD Ameritrade’s suite of elite tools.
As one of the biggest brokers in the US, TD Ameritrade is rich with features and capabilities. Its free research selection is one of the best on the market, driven by its TipRanks integration and extensive third-party research from highly reputable sources. Its web and mobile platform is clean and intuitive with tools and resources suitable for any type of investor, while its Thinkorswim trading platform offers elite level tools for serious traders. You’ll find most securities are available for trading, including nonlisted OTC Bulletin Board and Pink Sheet stocks, and account types include everything from individual brokerage accounts to retirement accounts to custodial accounts.
Unlike many other brokers, TD Ameritrade doesn’t offer fractional share trading or direct access to crytpo. Some miscellaneous fees, like its $38 mandatory reorganization fee, which applies if a stock you own goes through a reverse stock split, are also slightly higher than the competition.
Following its 2019 acquisition, TD Ameritrade accounts will begin to move to Charles Schwab in 2023. According to TD Ameritrade, accounts will move automatically. Thinkorswim will also move to Charles Schwab at some point in 2023.
| Minimum deposit to open | $0 |
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Stock trading fee | $0 |
| Options trading fee | $0.65 per contract |
| Futures trading fee | $2.25 per contract |
| No-load mutual fund trading fee | $49.95 |
| Mandatory reorganization fee | $38 |
| Account transfer fee | $75 |
Yes, TD Ameritrade is a legitimate broker. The company was founded in 1975 and was acquired by Charles Schwab in 2019.
TD Ameritrade is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects securities for customers up to $500,000 or $250,000 for claims for cash. The company also provides every customer with $149.5 million protection for securities and $2 million protection for cash through supplemental coverage in the event of insolvency.
TD Ameritrade offers two trading platforms: its classic TD Ameritrade platform and Thinkorswim, each with its own web and mobile versions.
The classic TD Ameritrade web and mobile platforms feature a clean design and straightforward navigation, allowing you to view your portfolio, research investments and make investments with ease. While it prioritizes usability, these platforms are packed with more than enough features to satisfy average investors. You’ll find:
Thinkorswim is TD Ameritrade’s professional-grade trading platform, and it’s designed for advanced equity, options, ETFs, futures and forex traders.
Traders will find powerful research and analytical tools, and can:
More streamlined versions of Thinkorswim are available on the web and via mobile app, which prioritize the most critical trading tools but still offer power unlike most other platforms on the market.
| Google Play app reviews | 3.7/5 stars based on over 14,150 reviews |
| Apple App Store app reviews | 4.5/5 stars based on over 119,700 reviews |
Connect with TD Ameritrade customer support in five ways:
TD Ameritrade’s platform is considered safe and secure. Its website uses 128-bit encryption with advanced firewalls and employs anomaly detection and intrusion detection technology to monitor account activity.
TD Ameritrade
8.8 Great
Available asset types
Stocks, Bonds, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Currencies, CDs, Futures, Forex, Treasury Bills
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
N/A
SoFi Active Invest
9 Excellent
Available asset types
Stocks, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs, Alternatives
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Get up to $1,000 in stock
eToro
8.2 Great
Available asset types
Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Investments
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
N/A
If you want peace of mind, this rating will give it to you. These products offer the best value and outcomes considering various product features, terms, conditions and price.
Well-balanced products that provide what you need, offering a healthy mix of competitive features at a good price. However, they're not quite the best in class.
Bottom line: You can find better, but these products still offer reasonable value and have the basics sorted.
These products may not offer much value in the long run, and there are better options available.
Matt Finder
Investments editor and market analyst
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