Investment Selection

• Investment selection: 31%
• Trading platform: 22%
• Fees: 11%
• Customer support: 11%
• Cash sweep rate: 8%
• Retirement account options: 12%
• Account minimum: 5%

Reviewers

Chris Davis

Managing Editor
13 years of experience

Sabrina Parys

Editor & Content Strategist
5 years of experience

Sam Taube

Lead Writer
10 years of experience

Bella Avila

Editor & Content Strategist
2 years of experience

Alana Benson

Editor & Content Strategist
6 years of experience

June Sham

Lead Writer & Content Strategist
12 years of experience

Arielle O'Shea

Head of Content, Investing & Taxes
20 years of experience

Tina Orem

Editor & Content Strategist
23 years of experience

Taryn Phaneuf

Lead Writer & Content Strategist
14 years of experience

Data Collection and Review Process

We collect data from providers and observe provider demonstrations as necessary. Our process starts by sending detailed questionnaires to providers. The questionnaires are structured to equally elicit both favorable and unfavorable responses. They are not designed or prepared to produce any predetermined results. The questionnaire answers, combined with product demonstrations, interviews of provider personnel and hands-on research by our specialists, make up our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 30 factors.

The final output produces overall star ratings, which are rounded to the nearest tenth. We then apply a standard adjustment to the final score to account for factors we consider table-stakes offerings. If the broker doesn’t offer these, they do not get an adjustment. For the broker’s overall score, this standardized adjustment applies if they earn five stars in our account minimum category, which requires them to have an account minimum of $25 or less.

These overall star ratings appear on roundup pages and the provider’s review. We then undergo an additional evaluation process to create lists of the best brokers for certain types of consumers. This evaluation adjusts the weighting of factors (and may eliminate or add factors) to emphasize those that matter most to the consumer targeted by the list — for example, our list of the best brokers for beginners heavily weights factors like educational support and website ease of use. Because of this, a provider’s overall star rating is not always the primary factor that determines inclusion in lists or NerdWallet’s awards program.

Information Updates

Our writers and editors conduct broker reviews on an annual basis. Throughout the year, we maintain contact with providers and update any changes to their offerings.

Factor Weightings

The weighting of each rating factor is based on our team’s assessment of which features are most important to consumers and which ones impact the consumer experience in the most meaningful way. Providers earn an overall score based on the factors and weightings detailed on this page. However, as described above, the factors considered and how heavily those factors are weighted are then adjusted to create lists that target specific types of consumers, like beginners, advanced traders or IRA investors.

Account Minimum

We considered whether providers require an account minimum (the lowest dollar amount you can open an account with) and, if so, how much the minimum is. An account minimum of $25 or less earns the highest rating, which is 5 stars, and an account minimum of $2,500 or higher earns the lowest rating, 1 star.

Investment Selection

This category takes into account the following from each provider:

• Tradable securities: If a provider offers stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, bonds, options, cryptocurrency, and futures or forex, they earn the highest score (5 stars) in that subcategory. If a provider doesn’t offer at least stocks, mutual funds, ETFs and bonds, it earns the lowest score.

• Number of no-transaction-fee mutual funds: If a provider offers more than 9,000 no-transaction-fee mutual funds, it earns the highest score. If it offers none, it earns the lowest score.

• Availability of fractional shares: If a provider offers fractional shares, it earns the highest score. If a provider does not offer fractional shares, it earns the lowest score.

• Margin rates: If a provider’s maximum margin rate is under 7%, it earns the highest score. If the broker does not offer margin trading, it earns the lowest score.

Trading Platform

This category takes into account the following from each provider:

• Platforms and capabilities: We consider how many features each provider offers customers. If a provider offers advanced analysis and screening tools, technical indicators and studies for charting, and a large variety of streaming news and research free to all customers, it earns the highest score. If it offers no trading platform, it earns the lowest score.

• User experience: This is based on the reviewer’s hands-on experience related to opening an account, funding it, learning how to place a trade and navigating the platform. Platforms with cumbersome signup processes and confusing interfaces received the lowest score, while those with the smoothest onboarding and most intuitive experience received the highest score.

• Execution quality: If a provider’s reported execution quality (defined as the percent of orders executed at or better than the National Best Bid and Offer) was above 98%, it received the highest score. Providers who declined to share their execution quality received the lowest score.

• IPO access: If a provider offers clients access to IPOs, it receives the highest score.

• OTC access: If a provider offers clients full access to over-the-counter (OTC) stock on the OTC Bulletin Board with zero commissions, it receives the highest score.

• Trading hours and market access: Providers that offer 24/5 trading access receive the highest score, while providers that only let clients place trades during specific windows receive the lowest score.

• Payment for order flow: Providers that receive “payment for order flow,” defined as payments a broker receives from a market maker in exchange for routing orders to them, receive the lowest score.

• Paper trading: If a broker offers a virtual trading platform that lets users practice trading various instruments, including stocks, options and futures, it receives the highest score. If it does not offer paper trading, it receives the lowest score.

• Investment baskets: If the broker offers custom portfolio building tools, often called basket trading, and up to 100 securities can be included in a basket, the broker receives the highest score. If there is no basket trading feature, it receives the lowest.

Default Sweep Interest Rate

The default sweep interest rate is the interest customers receive on their uninvested cash. Providers that offer clients more than 4% on their uninvested cash, without requiring the client to enroll in any additional programs or take any additional steps, receive the highest score. Providers whose interest rates on uninvested cash are below 0.5% receive the lowest score.

Trading Costs

This category considers:

• Stock trading costs: If a provider charges no fee to trade stocks, it earns the highest rating. If a provider charges more than $5, it earns the lowest rating.

• Options trading costs: If a provider charges less than 50 cents per contract to trade options, it earns the highest rating. If a provider charges more than $1, it earns the lowest rating.

Retirement Account Options

This category considers:

• IRAs: If a broker also offers IRAs and includes an IRA match of 3% or more, it receives the highest score. If it offers no IRAs, it receives the lowest score.

• Target-date mutual funds: If a broker offers access to target-date mutual funds, it receives the highest score. If it does not offer target-date mutual funds, it receives the lowest score.