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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 | 83 | 91 |
| Trust score | 86 | 100 |
| Cost score | 78 | 89 |
| Platform score | 92 | 94 |
| Withdrawal score | 80 | 89 |
| Best for | active stock and ETF traders · complex options traders · futures traders | 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 | TradeStation Securities is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC, an FCM registered with the CFTC, a member of FINRA and NFA, and a member of SIPC for securities accounts. Source | Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC is SEC registered and regulated by FINRA; FBS and NFS are members of NYSE and SIPC. Source |
| License numbers | FINRA BrokerCheck lists TRADESTATION SECURITIES, INC. with CRD#: 39473 / SEC#: 8-48711. Source | FBS CRD# 7784 / SEC# 8-23292; NFS CRD# 13041 / SEC# 801-50706, 8-26740. Source |
| Regulated entities | TradeStation Securities, Inc. is the U.S. broker-dealer/futures commission merchant; official disclosures also name TradeStation Europe B.V., TradeStation International Ltd and TradeStation Technologies, Inc. as TradeStation Group subsidiaries operating under the brand. 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 | No negative balance protection was found; official margin disclosures say margin customers can lose more funds than they deposit, and futures risk disclosures say futures losses can be substantial and could exceed margin requirements. Source | Not applicable/not disclosed as a CFD-style negative balance protection policy; margin trading can create debt/interest obligations. Source |
| Investor compensation | SIPC plus excess Lloyd's coverage for securities accounts; futures accounts rely on CFTC/NFA segregation rules rather than SIPC. 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 | No official country-by-country eligibility or restricted-countries list was found in the checked official pages. Contact page distinguishes United States, International, and Europe support paths and points non-U.S. prospects to TradeStation International/Europe sites. Source | U.S.-persons focused; sanctioned countries/prohibited parties restricted; no exhaustive country availability list found. Source |
Costs & account conditions | ||
| Minimum deposit | Standard account minimum deposit was not found in official pages checked. Promotional pricing requires at least $5,000 net-new external assets; futures options opening transactions require $5,000 minimum start-of-day equity; margin/short stock requires $2,000 to open and maintain positions. 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 to the core listed securities/futures brokerage pricing model; TradeStation pricing is commission, exchange, routing, clearing, market-data and service-fee based rather than advertised spread-based. No forex/CFD spread schedule found. 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 | Tiered active-trader pricing: U.S. stocks/ETFs $0; options, futures, futures options, mutual funds and fixed income have product-specific fees with exceptions for direct routing, OTC/sub-dollar, exchange/regulatory, clearing and service fees. 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 | Equities margin may provide intraday buying power up to 4x margin excess and overnight buying power up to 2x; futures margin is product-specific and can change, with advertised low intraday margins for select contracts. 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 | Receiving wires $0; returned ACH/check $25. ACH deposit fees were not otherwise disclosed in public pages checked. Source | $0 Fidelity fee for EFT and Fidelity does not charge wire fees; external banks may charge. Source |
| Withdrawal fee | Wire withdrawal/service fees vary by domestic/international and account type; outgoing account transfer $125; DTC receive/deliver $25 per issue. 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 | Inactivity fee $10/month for equities and futures accounts, waived if minimum activity/account-balance criteria are met. 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 | Official product/pricing pages support stocks, ETFs/ETPs, options, futures, futures options, mutual funds, treasuries and fixed income; crypto exposure is via futures/ETPs/market data rather than current spot crypto brokerage. Source | Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, crypto, fixed income, bonds and CDs; Fidelity says stocks include domestic and international. Source |
| Trading platforms | Advanced platform suite includes TITAN X, desktop, web, mobile, FuturesPlus, APIs and simulator/analytics tools. Source | Fidelity.com, Fidelity mobile app, Fidelity Trader+ Web/Desktop/Mobile mode, and legacy Active Trader Pro Classic. Source |
| Account types | Individual & joint, retirement, entity and institutional accounts; product pages enumerate individual/joint/custodial, IRA variants, and entity structures. Source | Broad account menu including taxable brokerage, retirement/IRA, cash management, HSA, custodial/youth, education, trust/business, managed and crypto accounts. Source |
| Deposit methods | Funding page points to equities, futures and futures-options funding instructions; contact/service-fee pages indicate ACH/Smart Transfer and wire transfers are supported, with transfer and DTC-related service fees listed. 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 | ACH/Smart Transfer and wires supported; check withdrawals suspended indefinitely. 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 | Not disclosed in the checked public official pages; likely varies by method/account and should be manually confirmed in account funding/HUB instructions. 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 |
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.