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The comparison reads the same evidence fields used by broker profiles, so users can scan scores, regulation, costs, platforms, withdrawals, and caveats side by side.
Broker 1
Broker 2
| VS field |  |  |
|---|---|---|
Decision summary | ||
| Overall score | 82 | 88 |
| Trust score | 88 | 93 |
| Cost score | 82 | 86 |
| Platform score | 76 | 89 |
| Withdrawal score | 78 | 89 |
| Best for | US residents who already bank with Ally · Long-term ETF/stock investors seeking low commissions · Investors wanting optional robo portfolios or remote advisor service | U.S. self-directed stock/ETF investors · Options traders · Futures traders needing CME/ICE US/CFE access |
| Watch out | US residents only, with limited active-duty military exceptions · No cryptocurrency spot trading · No direct futures offering found in official sources | Needs verification |
Trust & regulation | ||
| Regulators | Ally Invest Securities is a FINRA/SIPC member; Ally Invest Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Source | FINRA/SEC/SIPC for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC; NFA/CFTC for futures; FDIC for Morgan Stanley Private Bank deposits; NYDFS for Zero Hash crypto-related services disclosed by E*TRADE. Source |
| License numbers | CRD#: 136131 / SEC#: 8-66982 Source | Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC: CRD# 149777; SEC# 801-70103 and 8-68191. E*TRADE Futures LLC: NFA ID 0401545 from NFA BASIC search result. Source |
| Regulated entities | Securities offered through Ally Invest Securities LLC; advisory services offered by Ally Invest Advisors Inc. Source | Securities and advisory services: Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC; commodity futures/options on futures: E*TRADE Futures LLC; banking: Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association; crypto commission charged by zerohash with Zero Hash NYDFS virtual currency business licenses noted on crypto page. Source |
| Negative balance protection | No negative balance protection for margin accounts; Ally/Apex state customers can lose more than deposited and are responsible for shortfalls. Source | No negative balance protection found; official margin/futures disclosures state customers may lose more than deposited funds and be liable for deficits. Source |
| Investor compensation | SIPC protection up to $500,000 including $250,000 cash; additional London Underwriters policy up to $150 million aggregate and $37.5 million per customer including $900,000 cash. Source | SIPC: up to $500,000 including $250,000 cash; excess of SIPC policy: $1B aggregate firmwide, $1.9M per client uninvested cash; FDIC: brokerage sweep up to $500,000 individual/$1,000,000 joint and bank deposits at least $250,000 or $500,000 for Premium Savings where conditions are met. Source |
| Restricted countries | Ally Invest does not open or maintain accounts for residents of foreign countries; customers must live in the USA except possible active military exceptions. Source | Official promotional terms exclude non-U.S. residents and residents of any jurisdiction where an offer is not valid. Full account-opening country availability/restriction list was not located in public pages checked. Source |
Costs & account conditions | ||
| Minimum deposit | Not disclosed in extracted official sources; needs editor review. Source | Brokerage accounts: no minimum funding requirements; Core Portfolios: $500 minimum; Premium Savings/Bank CD/Checking: $0 minimum opening deposit but must be funded within 90 days to remain open where disclosed. Source |
| Spread from | Not applicable or not broker-level for this investment-platform profile; review if leveraged products apply. Source | Not applicable as a primary pricing metric for this U.S. securities/futures/banking platform; E*TRADE discloses commissions, contract fees, bond markups/markdowns and margin rates rather than forex/CFD-style spreads. Source |
| Commission | Not disclosed in extracted official sources; needs editor review. Source | stock_commission: $0 for online U.S. exchange-listed stock trades; OTC stock trades $6.95 online or $4.95 for 30+ trades/quarter; broker-assisted trades add $25.; etf_commission: $0 online ETF trades.; options_commission: Options: $0 base commission, $0.65 per contract, reduced to $0.50 with 30+ trades per quarter; exercise/assignments $0; regulatory/exchange fees may apply.; futures_commission: Futures and options on futures: $1.50 per contract per side plus exchange, NFA and other fees.; mutual_fund_commission: $0 for no-load, no-transaction-fee funds; load funds per prospectus; E*TRADE states $0 for online U.S.-listed mutual fund trades in FAQs.; bond_commission: Bonds/CDs: $1 per bond for online secondary trades ($10 min/$250 max); U.S. Treasury auction and online Treasury secondary trades $0; broker-assisted online secondary pricing plus $20 commission.; crypto_commission: Cryptocurrency commission: 0.50% on notional trade value, charged by zerohash, of which E*TRADE receives a portion. Source |
| Maximum leverage | For common stock margin, maximum loan currently may be 50% of marginable securities purchased; requirements vary. Source | Product-dependent. For securities margin, official margin disclosure gives minimum Reg T margin account equity of $2,000 and portfolio margin eligibility at $100,000 equity plus Level 4 options approval, but no single maximum leverage ratio. For futures, overnight margin is 100% of exchange minimum requirements and intraday margin is 50% of initial requirements for all products except Bitcoin; eligible futures IRAs are 200% of initial requirements with $25k minimum equity. Source |
| Deposit fee | Standard and expedited transfers between Ally Bank and Ally Invest, and transfers with other institutions, are free; returned ACH may cost $30. Source | ACH Transfer Money is free; incoming wire transfers listed as $0; incoming non-U.S. currency may incur conversion fees from Wells Fargo/MSPBNA note says MSPBNA does not charge fees on incoming USD wires. Source |
| Withdrawal fee | Selected withdrawal/transfer-out fees include $5 check withdrawal, $30 outgoing domestic wire, $50 ACAT out, $115 DRS per position, $50 DWAC per position plus possible transfer-agent fees, and $25 outgoing DTC per position. Source | Outgoing wire transfers: $25; full outgoing account transfer: $75; check requests: $0; stop payment requests: $25. Source |
| Inactivity fee | No explicit inactivity fee found in the official commissions and fees schedule reviewed. Source | No inactivity fee found in checked official Pricing and Rates account activity, special request and brokerage account pages. Source |
Markets, platforms & payments | ||
| Tradable assets | Stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds, and fixed income securities are available. Source | E*TRADE offers stocks, ETFs, options, futures, mutual funds, bonds/CDs, IPOs, crypto-related securities/futures, cash savings and managed portfolios. Source |
| Trading platforms | Ally Invest provides web/mobile account access, screeners, watchlists, market data, news, metrics, TipRanks Smart Score, and analyst ratings. Source | E*TRADE Web/App for investors; Power E*TRADE Web/App/Pro for active and advanced traders. Source |
| Account types | Not disclosed in extracted official sources; needs editor review. Source | Brokerage, retirement, managed portfolios, small-business retirement, banking and crypto-related account/exposure categories are listed on the official accounts page. Source |
| Deposit methods | Funding methods evidenced include check, wire, ACH, ACAT, DTC transfers, and Ally Bank-Ally Invest transfers. Source | Funding methods include Transfer Money (ACH), wire, external asset/account transfer, mobile or mailed checks, direct deposit and internal transfers. Source |
| Withdrawal methods | Withdrawals/transfers include ACH, wire, check, Ally Bank transfers, ACAT transfer out, DRS, DWAC, and outgoing DTC. Source | Withdrawals/money movement supported via Transfer Money, wires, check requests, internal transfers and account transfers; exact outbound methods depend on account type and destination. Source |
| Withdrawal processing time | Transfer timing depends on method: Ally Bank/Self-Directed 1-2 minutes, Robo/Personal Advice up to 5 business days, ACAT 5-7 business days. Source | ACH outbound to external account: contact receiving external institution; wire transfer: same business day if received before 6 p.m. ET; internal transfers generally immediate; full brokerage transfer electronically typically 10+ business days, paper/mail 3-6 weeks. Source |
BrokerVS provides broker comparison research only. Scores and evidence can vary by country, account type, and legal entity; users should verify source links before opening an account.