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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.

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VS field	Stake hellostake.com ETF BrokerMutual Fund PlatformETF	Fidelity fidelity.com Stock BrokerETF BrokerETF
Decision summary
Overall score

Trust score	82	100

Cost score	78	89

Platform score	78	94

Withdrawal score	74	89

Best for	Australian investors wanting CHESS-sponsored ASX holdings · AU/NZ investors wanting simple U.S. stock/ETF access · Beginner-to-intermediate self-directed investors who value simpl…	Evidence supports Fidelity as a U.S.-focused, highly regulated multi-asset broker for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds/CDs, options, cash management, managed portfolios, and sepa…

Watch out	Needs verification	Needs verification

Trust & regulation
Regulators	Australia: ASIC via AFSL/authorised representative; New Zealand: FMA financial advice licence and FSP registration; U.S. partner DriveWealth is SEC/FINRA regulated and SIPC member. Source	Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC is SEC registered and regulated by FINRA; FBS and NFS are members of NYSE and SIPC. Source
License numbers	AU FSG lists Stake AR 1241398, Stakeshop AFSL 548196, DriveWealth SEC No. 8-69161 and FINRA CRD 165429, FinClear Execution AFSL 246842, FinClear Services AFSL 338364, Airwallex AFSL 487221. NZ site lists NZBN 9429047452152 and FSP774414. Source	FBS CRD# 7784 / SEC# 8-23292; NFS CRD# 13041 / SEC# 801-50706, 8-26740. Source
Regulated entities	Stake is an authorised representative of Stakeshop AFSL Pty Ltd; services use FinClear for Australian execution/clearing, DriveWealth for U.S. securities, Airwallex for payments/FX and K2 for Stake Accumulate. Source	Primary securities brokerage entities are Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (FBS) and National Financial Services LLC (NFS), each member NYSE/SIPC; advisory and crypto entities differ by product. Source
Negative balance protection	Not disclosed in checked official pages; because this is not a CFD/forex broker claim, human review is needed before assigning a regulatory protection label. Source	Not applicable/not disclosed as a CFD-style negative balance protection policy; margin trading can create debt/interest obligations. Source
Investor compensation	U.S. securities are held through DriveWealth, a SIPC member; Stake also states DriveWealth sweeps uninvested USD cash to Citibank where FDIC coverage may apply. AU FSG says Stake holds Professional Indemnity Insurance for AFSL activities. Source	SIPC coverage up to $500,000/$250,000 cash plus Fidelity excess SIPC; FDIC sweep coverage may apply to eligible cash programs; important exclusions apply. Source
Restricted countries	Public official sources reviewed clearly support Australia and New Zealand availability but do not provide a full restricted-country list. AU terms reserve the right not to open accounts for residents outside Australia; NZ terms restrict account opening to NZ resident individuals. Source	U.S.-persons focused; sanctioned countries/prohibited parties restricted; no exhaustive country availability list found. Source

Trust & regulation

Regulators

Australia: ASIC via AFSL/authorised representative; New Zealand: FMA financial advice licence and FSP registration; U.S. partner DriveWealth is SEC/FINRA regulated and SIPC member.

Costs & account conditions
Minimum deposit	No general minimum deposit was found in checked official pricing, FSG, withdrawal and terms pages; trade/funding minimums apply by product/market. Source	$0 to open a retail brokerage account; Fidelity states no account minimum and ability to invest with as little as $1; exceptions apply by account/product. Source
Spread from	Not applicable for listed securities brokerage; Stake discloses brokerage and FX fees rather than spreads for share/ETF trades. Source	Not applicable to Fidelity's core U.S. stock/ETF brokerage model; securities trade by exchange/market prices rather than quoted CFD/FX spreads. Source
Commission	Stake charges flat brokerage on AU and U.S. equity trades, with percentage pricing above 30,000 in the relevant currency. Source	$0 online U.S. stock and ETF trades; $0 online options commission plus $0.65/contract; other product/service fees apply. Source
Maximum leverage	No maximum leverage was disclosed in checked public Stake pages; Stake is primarily a listed securities platform rather than a CFD/forex leverage broker. Source	No universal maximum leverage ratio disclosed for Fidelity retail brokerage; margin borrowing is available subject to approval and margin requirements/rates rather than a single max leverage figure. Source
Deposit fee	AU FSG lists card funding fees: debit 0.5%, credit 2.5%. General bank-transfer deposit fee was not disclosed in checked sources. Source	$0 Fidelity fee for EFT and Fidelity does not charge wire fees; external banks may charge. Source
Withdrawal fee	AU support: Stake AUS withdrawal fee free; Wall St no withdrawal fee charged by Stake, but FX fees may apply. NZ support: no withdrawal fee charged by Stake, FX fee 1% minimum $2. Source	$0 Fidelity fee for EFT and domestic bank wire withdrawals; foreign exchange wire up to 3% of principal; receiving bank may charge. Source
Inactivity fee	Stake support says no inactivity fees nor account keeping fees regardless of portfolio size, cash balance or time away. Source	No explicit inactivity-fee line found in official fee schedule; official account pages state no retail brokerage account fees/no account or subscription fees. Treat as needs manual confirmation before publishing as '$0 inactivity fee'. Source

Markets, platforms & payments
Tradable assets	AU customers can trade 2,500+ ASX-listed securities and 9,500+ U.S. stocks/ETFs/government bonds/OTC securities; homepage says 12K+ stocks and ETFs; Stake Accumulate is an income investment fund. Source	Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, crypto, fixed income, bonds and CDs; Fidelity says stocks include domestic and international. Source
Trading platforms	Stake supports web trading at trading.hellostake.com and mobile apps on iOS/Android; minimum OS requirements are iOS 16 and Android 12. Source	Fidelity.com, Fidelity mobile app, Fidelity Trader+ Web/Desktop/Mobile mode, and legacy Active Trader Pro Classic. Source
Account types	AU terms define Joint Account to include account types other than individual including company, trust and SMSF; NZ terms say NZ accounts can be opened by New Zealand resident individuals over 18. Source	Broad account menu including taxable brokerage, retirement/IRA, cash management, HSA, custodial/youth, education, trust/business, managed and crypto accounts. Source
Deposit methods	Stake discloses Airwallex wallet/payment services and card funding via debit/credit cards including Apple Pay and Google Pay; bank-transfer deposits must be from an account in the customer's own name. Source	EFT/ACH, bank wire, check/mobile check, direct deposit, recurring deposit, Fidelity-to-Fidelity/account transfer, transfer of assets, and eligible payment apps. Source
Withdrawal methods	Withdrawals go to one linked bank account in the account holder's name and cannot be sent to third-party accounts; AU withdrawals are paid in AUD. Source	EFT/ACH, bank wire, paper check, Fidelity-to-Fidelity transfers, third-party/person-to-person transfers and eligible debit card/ATM access. Source
Withdrawal processing time	Recent deposits, transfers or sell proceeds need to clear first, usually 2-3 business days; processing times may vary. Source	EFT withdrawals 1-3 business days; bank wire same day if submitted by 4 p.m. ET; paper check about 5-6 days. Source

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