Fidelity Review: Great for Long-Term Investing, Good for Swing Trading, Not Built for Active Traders
The broker most US long-term investors measure everything else against: $0 stock and ETF commissions, no account minimum, retirement accounts, zero-fee index funds, deep research and 24/7 phone support. It’s also a good, low-cost home for swing trading stocks and options, but it isn’t built for high-volume active traders. Here’s whether it’s safe and legit, what it costs, and who it suits.
Fidelity Investments is the US broker most long-term investors compare everything else against. It was founded in Boston in 1946 and is still privately owned. In its Q2 2026 update, Fidelity reported $19.9 trillion of assets under administration and $7.8 trillion of managed assets, as of 30 June 2026. It’s open to US residents only: Fidelity says it doesn’t open accounts for new customers who live outside the United States.
Its appeal is breadth and cost. You get $0 commissions on US stocks and ETFs, no account minimum, and, according to Fidelity, no account, inactivity or IRA closeout fees for retail accounts. You also get retirement accounts, a robo-adviser, a cash account, accounts for teenagers, index funds with a 0.00% expense ratio, research from many outside providers, and a phone line that answers 24 hours a day. It’s also a good place to swing trade stocks and options at low cost. The weak spots are just as clear: no futures or forex, fewer specialist tools than Interactive Brokers for fast, high-volume trading, a 1% fee on crypto, and high margin rates. This review is based on Fidelity’s own pages, regulators’ records and filings, not on hands-on trading tests.
In This Review
Our Verdict
Fidelity is safe and legit: it’s a decades-old, privately owned firm, its brokerage arm is registered with the SEC and is a FINRA and SIPC member, and it carries extra insurance above the SIPC limits. For most long-term US investors it’s the broker we’d start with. It’s cheap, it’s easy to use, it covers almost every account you might need from a teenager’s first investment to a rollover IRA, and you can get a person on the phone at any hour. It’s also a good, low-cost choice for swing trading stocks and options, and workable for casual day trading now that the pattern day trader rule has ended.
It’s the wrong pick for anyone outside the US, for high-volume active traders who want hotkeys, futures, forex, cheap margin or the deepest execution tools, and for people who mainly want crypto. Two other things are worth knowing before you commit. Fidelity’s ZERO index funds can only be held at Fidelity, so they tie you to the broker. And its record isn’t spotless: it has paid regulatory fines in recent years, and it had a data incident in 2024.
Best for US long-term investors and swing traders who want low costs, retirement accounts and strong support.
Visit Fidelity → Explore Fidelity GoInvesting involves risk, including loss of principal. Available to US residents only.
Is Fidelity Safe and Legit? Regulation and Client Protection
Yes. Fidelity is safe and legit: it has been in business since 1946, it’s one of the largest brokers in the US, and it’s regulated like any other US broker-dealer. Its parent, FMR LLC, is privately owned, and Fidelity’s public pages don’t give the ownership split. Fidelity says it has more than 80,000 associates in 11 countries.
Your brokerage account is held at Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (FBS). It’s registered with the SEC and has been a FINRA member since 1979, according to its BrokerCheck report. FBS passes orders to National Financial Services LLC (NFS), another Fidelity company, for clearing, settlement and custody. Fidelity names both as members of SIPC. You can look up FBS yourself on FINRA’s BrokerCheck, using CRD number 7784.
If Fidelity failed, SIPC protects up to $500,000 of your securities and cash, of which up to $250,000 can be cash. It doesn’t cover falls in the value of your investments. Fidelity says it also carries excess-of-SIPC protection: $1 billion in total, with no per-customer limit on securities and a $1.9 million per-customer limit on cash. Fidelity describes this as the maximum excess protection currently available in the brokerage industry.
Cash is protected differently. In an ordinary brokerage account, uninvested cash usually sits in a money market fund such as SPAXX. Fidelity says these funds are SIPC-covered but not FDIC-insured. FDIC cover applies to the Cash Management Account, and to some retirement accounts and HSAs that use the bank sweep. Fidelity spreads that cash across program banks, at about $245,000 per bank, for up to $4 million of FDIC cover in total. Crypto isn’t covered by either: Fidelity says it isn’t insured by the FDIC or SIPC.
Fidelity also has a Customer Protection Guarantee. It says it will reimburse losses from unauthorised activity in your covered accounts that happen through no fault of your own. The conditions include checking your statements within 30 days, reporting suspicious activity straight away, and not sharing your login details.
Fidelity’s regulatory record isn’t spotless, and we wouldn’t describe it that way. In October 2023 FINRA fined Fidelity Brokerage Services $900,000 over how it reviewed options account applications, which let in customers who shouldn’t have been approved, and the Massachusetts Securities Division fined it $750,000 over the same issue. In January 2025 FINRA fined it $600,000 for failing to supervise an employee who took about $750,000 from international stock-plan participants between 2012 and 2020, according to Fidelity’s BrokerCheck report.
Then, in April 2026, Massachusetts fined Fidelity $1.25 million over a data incident in August 2024. An unauthorised party used a weakness in how document images could be requested to pull about 373,000 images. About 77,000 people were affected, and the data included Social Security numbers, account numbers and passport numbers. Fidelity offered affected people two years of credit monitoring. The order also requires a third-party audit and a remediation certificate.
These fines are modest next to Fidelity’s size, and in our research we didn’t find a larger SEC or Justice Department case against the brokerage in the same period. For the full record, check BrokerCheck. And as with any broker, only sign in through fidelity.com or Fidelity’s official app, because look-alike sites are a common scam.
Fidelity is a legitimate, heavily regulated firm, and its size and excess SIPC cover make it one of the safest places to hold US investments. The fines and the 2024 data incident are a fair reminder that large firms still make mistakes, so switch on two-step login and keep an eye on your statements.
Accounts: Something for Almost Every Goal
Account range is where Fidelity stands out. Its account-opening pages list more than 20 kinds of account, so you can keep most of your financial life in one place. The main ones are:
- Brokerage account. General investing with no minimum, $0 commissions on US stocks and ETFs, and fractional shares from $1.
- Retirement accounts. Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE and rollover IRAs, plus a Solo 401(k) for the self-employed. Fidelity charges no IRA closeout fee.
- HSA, 529 and custodial accounts. For health costs, education savings and investing for a child (UGMA and UTMA).
- Fidelity Youth. For ages 13 to 17, opened by a parent, with no fees and no minimum. It has no options, margin, short selling or crypto, and an optional debit card from Leader Bank. It converts to a standard account at 18.
- Cash Management Account. A cash account with no minimum or monthly fee. Fidelity reimburses ATM fees charged by other banks, and the account includes free checks, bill pay and a debit card.
- Fidelity Go. A robo-adviser that builds and manages a portfolio for you. See below.
- Crypto. A Fidelity Crypto account and a Crypto IRA. See the assets section.
Fidelity Go is managed by Strategic Advisers LLC, and Fidelity says it invests in its zero-expense-ratio Flex funds. There’s no minimum to open, though you need at least $10 to start investing. Fidelity charges no advisory fee on balances under $25,000, and 0.35% a year at $25,000 and above. Free coaching calls and tax-loss harvesting for taxable accounts also start at $25,000. Fidelity’s pages used to show a $3-a-month tier for balances of $10,000 to $50,000, and one older page still does, so check the live pricing before you sign up.
The retirement range is a real strength. You can roll an old employer plan into an IRA, hold a Roth IRA next to a taxable account, and speak to someone by phone at any hour about it. Rollovers and contribution rules are the kind of question where a human on the line helps.
Fidelity ZERO Index Funds
Fidelity’s best-known product is a set of four index mutual funds with a 0.00% expense ratio and no minimum: Fidelity ZERO Total Market Index (FZROX), ZERO International Index (FZILX), ZERO Large Cap Index (FNILX) and ZERO Extended Market Index (FZIPX). The first two launched in August 2018, and the other two in September 2018, according to their SEC filings. Fidelity’s semi-annual report to 30 April 2026 confirms the 0.00% expense ratio.
How much does zero save you? Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index Admiral Shares charged 0.04% at 30 June 2026, and iShares’ Core S&P Total US Stock Market ETF (ITOT) charges 0.03%, according to their own pages. On a $100,000 balance that’s $30 to $40 a year. It’s real money over decades, but it’s a small gap, and the other funds are not expensive.
What You Can Trade
Fidelity covers most things a long-term investor needs. You can buy US stocks, ETFs and options, mutual funds (Fidelity says it offers about 10,000), bonds, CDs and Treasuries. New-issue bonds and online Treasuries cost $0 to buy. Fractional shares, which Fidelity calls Stocks by the Slice, start at $1 on more than 7,000 US stocks and ETFs.
You can also trade abroad. Fidelity lists 25 foreign markets and 16 currencies, but with limits: orders are day orders, you can only buy with cash, and you can only go long. Commissions are charged in the local currency, for example 9 GBP or 19 EUR a trade, and currency conversion costs 20 to 100 basis points depending on size, according to Fidelity. Extended-hours trading runs from 7:00am to 9:28am and 4:00pm to 8:00pm US Eastern time, with limit orders only.
Crypto is now available. A Fidelity Crypto account is a separate account linked to your brokerage account and run through Fidelity Digital Assets, N.A. It supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Solana and Fidelity’s own Digital Dollar (FIDD), and it’s open in all 50 states for taxable accounts. Fidelity charges 1% on each buy and sell, shown as a separate fee since 4 December 2025. Before that, the 1% was built into the price. A Crypto IRA launched in April 2025, though it isn’t available in California or Oregon, and you can’t move crypto in or out of it.
What you won’t find is futures or forex trading. Fidelity’s pages don’t list either, and we found no announcement of them as of October 2026. If you need them, look at a broker like Interactive Brokers.
Platforms and Apps
Most people will use fidelity.com and the Fidelity Investments app. Between them they cover every account type, research, watchlists, trading and planning. The app lists biometric login, price alerts, bill pay, mobile check deposit and crypto, and the Cash Management debit card works with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Store ratings on 6 October 2026 were 4.8 from 3.3 million ratings on Apple’s App Store, and 4.1 from 223,000 on Google Play, where some recent reviews mentioned layout bugs and missing options buttons that Fidelity said it was investigating.
For active traders there’s Fidelity Trader+, announced in September 2025. It comes as a Windows and Mac desktop program, a web version and a mode inside the mobile app. Fidelity says it’s free and lists 100+ indicators, drawing tools, Level 2 quotes, multi-leg options trading with the Greeks, and crypto support. Fidelity doesn’t state a minimum number of trades to use it.
The older desktop platform, Active Trader Pro, is now called a legacy product, and Fidelity has a page guiding users to move to Trader+. Fidelity still says Active Trader Pro is automatically available to customers who trade 36 times or more in a rolling 12 months. We couldn’t find a retirement date for it. Very active traders, with 120+ trades a year and $250,000, or 500+ trades and $1 million, can get dedicated service and a trading strategy desk.
Is Fidelity Good for Swing Trading and Active Trading?
Good for swing trading, yes. Built for active trading, no. Swing trading means holding stocks or options for days or weeks, and that’s where Fidelity’s low costs and free tools do the most for you. Stocks and ETFs cost $0 online, and options cost $0.65 a contract with no base fee. Fidelity Trader+ is free and lists real-time quotes, Level 2 depth, 100+ indicators, customisable alerts and multi-leg options on the order ticket. Its user guide lists market, limit, stop, stop-limit and trailing-stop orders, plus bracket orders (OCO and OTOCO) and one-triggers-the-other orders, which cover most swing-trade entries and exits. Fidelity also lets you short sell in a margin account, and you can trade in extended hours from 7:00am to 8:00pm Eastern using limit orders.
One thing changed in 2026 that helps. The pattern day trader rule, which required $25,000 of equity to day trade a margin account freely, was replaced on 4 June 2026 by an intraday margin framework. Fidelity says your account may no longer be labelled a pattern day trader, there’s no $25,000 minimum, and you no longer count day trades. You still need $2,000 in a margin account. If you end the day with an intraday margin deficit you must cover it promptly, and FINRA says repeated failures can lead to a 90-day restriction. Firms have a transition period until 20 October 2027, so check how Fidelity applies the new rules to your account.
We still wouldn’t pick Fidelity for high-volume day trading or scalping. Fidelity’s Trader+ pages and user guide don’t mention hotkeys or an API, which fast traders usually want. There’s no futures or forex trading. Margin costs 7.75% to 12.075%, against 5.380% on IBKR Pro up to $100,000. Options cost $0.65 a contract however much you trade, while IBKR Pro falls to $0.15 at very high volumes. And Fidelity’s trading day ends at 8pm Eastern, while IBKR offers overnight US trading. If you place dozens of trades a day, a trader-focused broker will cost less and move faster.
- Long-term investing: excellent, and the main reason to use it
- Swing trading stocks and options: good, with low costs and free tools
- Occasional day trading: workable now that the $25,000 rule has gone
- High-volume day trading, scalping, futures or forex: look at Interactive Brokers or another trader-focused broker
Research and Planning Tools
Research is one of Fidelity’s strongest areas. Its research page lists 19 independent firms, including Argus, CFRA, Morningstar, MSCI, S&P, Trading Central and Zacks, plus extra stock opinions from 17 brokers. Fidelity doesn’t give a total number on that page, so the 19 is a count of the firms it names.
The Equity Summary Score is made by LSEG StarMine, a company independent of Fidelity. It combines the views of the research firms into one score from 0.1 to 10, weighting each firm by its past accuracy. A stock needs ratings from at least four firms to get a score. Fidelity says it isn’t a buy or sell rating. Fidelity says its stock screener has 140+ criteria, and the mutual fund tool covers the roughly 10,000 funds it offers.
For planning, Fidelity gives you free tools including the Planning & Guidance Center, a Retirement Income Calculator and an IRA contribution calculator. Its Full View tool pulls in accounts held elsewhere so you can see your whole net worth, though Fidelity says it can’t check the accuracy of data from other firms.
Customer Support
Support is a real strength. Fidelity lists its main number, 800-343-3548, as open 24/7, and its contact page also lists secure messaging and screen-sharing with representatives. Live chat runs 8am to 10pm Eastern on weekdays and 9am to 4pm at weekends, and a virtual assistant is available around the clock.
Fidelity also says it has 215 Investor Centers across the US, which is unusual among online brokers and useful for people who prefer to talk things over in person. Branches are generally open weekdays and by appointment. Fidelity lists dedicated accessibility support, including relay services and large-print and Braille materials on request.
Fidelity Fees and Costs
Fidelity’s pricing is simple for most investors. There’s no account minimum, and Fidelity lists no account, inactivity or IRA closeout fee for retail accounts. The costs that matter are below.
| Fee | What you pay |
|---|---|
| US stocks and ETFs | $0 commission online |
| Options | $0 base fee plus $0.65 a contract, plus regulatory fees |
| Fidelity mutual funds | $0 to buy and sell |
| Other mutual funds | Many are $0 to buy but $49.95 if sold within 60 days. Others carry a $49.95 purchase fee. |
| Bonds and CDs | $1 a bond online on the secondary market. $0 for new issues and online Treasuries. |
| Broker-assisted trades | $32.95 a trade |
| Crypto | 1% on each buy and sell |
| Foreign stocks | Commission per trade in local currency, plus 20 to 100 bps for currency conversion |
| Account, inactivity and IRA closeout fees | None for retail accounts |
| Domestic wire | $0 |
| Fidelity Go | $0 under $25,000, then 0.35% a year |
| ZERO funds | 0.00% expense ratio |
From Fidelity’s commissions and fees pages, October 2026. Fidelity’s full fee schedule also lists small items such as a residual-balance fee on tiny inactive accounts and an HSA administration fee, and we couldn’t confirm the fee for transferring assets out, so check the schedule for your account type.
One point on how Fidelity makes money from your trades. Fidelity says it doesn’t take payment for order flow from wholesale market makers on equity trades. Its legal disclosures say it can receive credits, rebates or volume discounts from exchanges and other market centres for directing orders, so “no payment for order flow” isn’t the whole story. Fidelity also says price improvement saved investors $3.2 billion in 2025, which is Fidelity’s own figure.
Fidelity runs a fully paid securities lending program too. It needs at least $25,000 in the account, and the shares you lend lose SIPC cover and voting rights while on loan.
Margin Rates and Interest on Cash
Margin is Fidelity’s weak spot on cost. Its base rate was 10.825% from 18 September 2026, and the rate you pay falls as your balance grows. You need at least $2,000 of margin equity to borrow.
Variable rates as shown on Fidelity’s margin rates page, effective 18 September 2026. Rates can change. Borrowing magnifies losses as well as gains.
That’s well above what Interactive Brokers charges: its Pro plan listed 5.380% on loans up to $100,000 on its US margin page in October 2026. If you borrow often, Fidelity will cost you much more.
On uninvested cash, Fidelity’s core money market fund SPAXX showed a 7-day yield of 3.49% on 5 October 2026. That’s a market-level rate, and it’s variable. SPAXX isn’t FDIC-insured.
Pros and Cons
- $0 commissions on US stocks and ETFs, no minimum, and no account, inactivity or IRA closeout fees
- More than 20 account types, including IRAs, Solo 401(k), HSA, 529 and a youth account
- ZERO index funds with a 0.00% expense ratio
- Research from 19 outside firms, plus the Equity Summary Score
- Phone support 24/7, and 215 Investor Centers
- $1 billion of excess SIPC cover and a Customer Protection Guarantee
- Fractional shares from $1, and 25 foreign markets
- Fidelity Go has no advisory fee under $25,000
- Free Fidelity Trader+ with Level 2, bracket orders and 100+ indicators, and no pattern day trader rule since June 2026
- US residents only
- No futures or forex trading
- ZERO funds can’t be held at another broker
- Crypto costs 1% a trade, and the coin list is short
- Margin rates run from 7.75% to 12.075%
- Foreign trading is cash-only and long-only, with local-currency commissions
- Regulatory fines in 2023, 2025 and 2026, and an August 2024 data incident
- Not built for high-volume active traders: no hotkeys or API mentioned, and options and margin cost more than at IBKR
- Google Play rating of 4.1, with some reports of app bugs
Put simply: Fidelity suits US investors who want a low-cost, do-it-all broker for the long term, and swing traders who trade stocks and options at a steady pace. Look elsewhere if you want futures, forex, cheap margin, hotkeys or the deepest tools for high-volume active trading.
Check the account types, fees and Fidelity Go pricing on Fidelity’s own site before you decide.
Visit Fidelity → Explore Fidelity GoInvesting involves risk, including loss of principal. Available to US residents only.
Fidelity vs Interactive Brokers: Which Is Better?
This is the comparison most serious US investors make, and the answer depends on what you want to do. Fidelity is the easier, more complete broker for long-term investing. Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is the more powerful and cheaper one for active traders, margin users and anyone who wants global markets.
Fidelity figures are from Fidelity’s own pages. IBKR figures are from interactivebrokers.com (US site) and its September 2026 metrics release, October 2026. IBKR says its Lite plan uses payment for order flow on commission-free trades. Our Interactive Brokers review covers it in full.
If you’re building a retirement portfolio, swing trade at a steady pace, want one place for IRAs, 529s and a cash account, and value being able to call someone at 11pm, Fidelity is the easier choice. If you trade options or futures often, borrow on margin, or want to reach many markets, IBKR will usually cost less and do more. Nothing stops you holding both: use Fidelity for long-term accounts and IBKR for trading.
How to Open a Fidelity Account
You apply online at fidelity.com. Have your details ready first:
- Personal details — name, address and date of birth
- Tax details — such as your Social Security number
- Employment and financial background
- A bank account to link for funding
- Choose the account type. A brokerage account for general investing, an IRA for retirement, or Fidelity Go for managed investing. You can open several and use them together.
- Complete the application. Answer the questions honestly. Fidelity checks your identity as part of the process.
- Fund the account. There’s no minimum deposit, and domestic wires cost $0.
- Pick your investments. A broad index fund or ETF is a simple start. If you choose a ZERO fund, remember it can’t move to another broker without being sold first.
- Turn on extra security. Add two-step login and set up alerts, and keep your contact details up to date so you can use the Customer Protection Guarantee.
Requirements and approval can vary, and Fidelity can decline or restrict an application after review.
How to File a Complaint Against Fidelity
If something goes wrong, such as an unauthorised trade, a wrong charge or a transfer problem, work through these steps in order. They apply to US brokerage accounts held at Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC.
- Contact Fidelity first, and put it in writing. Call 800-343-3548, which Fidelity lists as open 24/7, or use secure messaging or chat in your account, and say you want to make a formal complaint. Ask for a reference number, and follow up in writing so you have a record. We couldn’t find a dedicated complaints address on Fidelity’s site, so use the routes on its customer service page.
- Report unauthorised activity straight away. Call 800-544-6666 as soon as you see it. Fidelity’s Customer Protection Guarantee depends on prompt reporting, and it asks you to review statements within 30 days.
- Escalate to FINRA if you’re not satisfied. You can use FINRA’s investor complaint program. FINRA recommends contacting the firm and escalating within it first, and a written complaint is best if you lost money. FINRA’s complaint program can lead to an investigation and sanctions on a firm. Its page doesn’t describe it as a way to get your money back.
- Tell the SEC. The SEC takes complaints about problems with investments, accounts or financial professionals through its investor complaint form.
- Seek compensation through arbitration. Fidelity’s customer agreement says disputes with Fidelity are settled by arbitration, and its separate pre-dispute arbitration agreement says they are decided through FINRA, with the right to a jury trial waived. FINRA runs arbitration and mediation. Read the agreement for your account and consider legal advice before filing.
You can also check a firm’s record on BrokerCheck before and after you complain. Be careful of anyone who offers to recover your money for an upfront fee.
The Bottom Line
Fidelity is safe and legit, and for most long-term US investors it’s the broker we’d start with: $0 commissions, no minimums, an account for almost every goal, the ZERO index funds, strong research and a person on the phone at any hour. It’s also a good, low-cost home for swing trading stocks and options, but it isn’t built for high-volume active traders. It’s US-only, it has no futures or forex, crypto costs 1%, and margin is expensive. Its fines and 2024 data incident are worth knowing about. If you’re in the US and investing for the long term, it’s hard to beat. Remember that investments can fall as well as rise.
Compare Fidelity With
Other brokers we’ve reviewed that readers often weigh against Fidelity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fidelity safe and legit?
Yes. Fidelity has operated since 1946 and is a heavily regulated US broker. Its brokerage arm is registered with the SEC and is a FINRA and SIPC member, and Fidelity says it carries $1 billion of excess-of-SIPC cover. It has paid regulatory fines in recent years and had a data incident in 2024, so use two-step login. Investments can still fall in value.
Is Fidelity regulated, and by whom?
Yes. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC is registered with the SEC and is a member of FINRA, which you can verify on BrokerCheck (CRD 7784). National Financial Services LLC, another Fidelity company, clears and holds client assets.
What happens to my money if Fidelity goes bust?
SIPC protects up to $500,000 of securities and cash, including $250,000 of cash. Fidelity says it adds $1 billion of excess cover in total, with no per-customer limit on securities and a $1.9 million per-customer limit on cash. None of this covers falls in the value of your investments, and crypto isn’t covered.
Is Fidelity available outside the United States?
No. Fidelity says it doesn’t open accounts for new customers who live outside the US. Fidelity International is described on Fidelity’s own legal page as a non-US company and affiliate of FMR LLC. Its products are separate, and this review covers only Fidelity Investments in the US.
Does Fidelity have a minimum deposit?
No. Retail accounts have no minimum to open. Fractional shares start at $1, and Fidelity Go needs at least $10 to start investing.
How much does Fidelity cost?
US stocks and ETFs are $0 online, options are $0.65 a contract, and retail accounts have no account, inactivity or IRA closeout fees. Crypto costs 1% a trade, and margin rates run from 7.75% to 12.075%. See fees and costs.
What are Fidelity’s ZERO funds?
Four index mutual funds with a 0.00% expense ratio and no minimum: ZERO Total Market, ZERO International, ZERO Large Cap and ZERO Extended Market. They’re only available through Fidelity brokerage accounts, so you can’t hold them at another broker. See the ZERO funds section.
Is Fidelity good for retirement accounts?
Yes. It offers Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE and rollover IRAs, a Solo 401(k), a Crypto IRA and an HSA, with no minimums and no IRA closeout fee, plus 24/7 phone support for questions.
Does Fidelity offer futures or forex trading?
We found no futures or forex trading on Fidelity’s pages in October 2026, and no announcement of either. If you need them, a broker such as Interactive Brokers offers both.
Can I buy crypto on Fidelity?
Yes. A Fidelity Crypto account supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Solana and Fidelity’s Digital Dollar, and a Crypto IRA is available outside California and Oregon. Fidelity charges 1% on each buy and sell. Fidelity says crypto isn’t insured by the FDIC or SIPC.
What is Fidelity Go and how much does it cost?
Fidelity’s robo-adviser. There’s no advisory fee under $25,000 and 0.35% a year at $25,000 and above, when free coaching and tax-loss harvesting for taxable accounts also start. There’s no minimum to open, and you need $10 to start investing.
Is Fidelity good for beginners?
Yes. There’s no minimum, the website and app are easy to use, fractional shares start at $1, Fidelity Go can manage a portfolio for you, and you can phone a person at any hour.
Is Fidelity good for swing trading?
Yes. Stocks and ETFs cost $0 online, options cost $0.65 a contract, and the free Trader+ platform has Level 2 data, bracket orders, alerts and multi-leg options. Margin is expensive, so be careful if you borrow. See swing and active trading.
Is Fidelity good for day trading?
It’s workable for occasional day trading, but not built for high volume. Fidelity’s pages don’t mention hotkeys or an API, there are no futures or forex, and margin and options cost more than at Interactive Brokers.
Does Fidelity still have the pattern day trader rule?
No. The rule was replaced on 4 June 2026 by an intraday margin framework. Fidelity says there’s no $25,000 minimum and no day-trade counting, but you still need $2,000 for a margin account and must cover any intraday margin deficit promptly.
Is Fidelity customer support good?
It’s one of Fidelity’s strongest areas. It lists 24/7 phone support, chat on extended hours, and 215 Investor Centers. See customer support.
Did Fidelity have a data breach?
Yes. In August 2024 an unauthorised party pulled about 373,000 document images, affecting about 77,000 people, according to the Massachusetts Securities Division, which fined Fidelity $1.25 million in April 2026. Fidelity offered affected people two years of credit monitoring.
How do I file a complaint against Fidelity?
Contact Fidelity first, by phone on 800-343-3548 or through your account, and follow up in writing. If you’re not satisfied, you can complain to FINRA and the SEC, and arbitration is the route to seek compensation. See how to file a complaint.
Can I trade international stocks on Fidelity?
Yes, across 25 markets and 16 currencies, but orders are day orders, cash-only and long-only, and commissions are charged in local currency. Interactive Brokers covers many more markets.
Fidelity vs Interactive Brokers: which is better?
Fidelity for long-term investing, retirement accounts and support. Interactive Brokers for active trading, margin and global markets. See the full comparison and our Interactive Brokers review.
This review is for informational purposes only and isn’t financial or investment advice. Fees and features are accurate as of October 2026 and can change — always confirm current terms with Fidelity before opening an account. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Margin, options and crypto carry additional risks. Fidelity Investments is available to US residents only. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. We don’t have an affiliate relationship with Fidelity and we don’t earn anything if you open an account through links on this page.