Fidelity is widely regarded as the best all-around broker for most investors. No commissions, no payment for order flow, excellent research, and best-in-class retirement account support. Sign up at https://www.fidelity.com
Individual brokerage: taxable account, no contribution limits.
Roth IRA: tax-free growth, $7,000/year limit (2024), $8,000 if age 50+.
Traditional IRA: tax-deductible contributions, taxed on withdrawal.
401(k) rollover IRA: move old employer 401(k) into Fidelity.
HSA: triple tax advantage if you have a high-deductible health plan.
529 college savings, custodial accounts (UGMA/UTMA) for minors.
No PFOF: Fidelity doesn't sell your orders to market makers --
studies show ~$8 better execution per 100 shares vs Robinhood.
Research depth: Fidelity's own analysts + Morningstar, Argus, S&P -- all free.
Fractional shares: buy as little as $1 of any S&P 500 stock.
$0 commissions on stocks and ETFs; $0.65/contract on options.
Zero-expense index funds: FZROX (0.00% fee) beats even Vanguard's VOO.
24/7 live customer service via phone and chat.
Free desktop platform for active traders:
Advanced charting with 100+ technical indicators.
Real-time streaming quotes and news alerts.
Multi-leg options order entry and analysis.
Download: https://www.fidelity.com/trading/advanced-trading-tools/active-trader-pro
The mobile app is great for monitoring; Active Trader Pro is for serious trading.
4 funds with 0.00% expense ratio -- the cheapest funds in existence:
FZROX: Total US Market (equivalent to VTI, but free).
FZILX: Total International Market.
FZIPX: Extended US Market (small/mid-cap).
FZILX + FZROX together cover ~99% of global investable assets at zero cost.
Note: these are Fidelity-exclusive -- you can't transfer them to another broker.
Related: Choosing a Trading Platform • How to Open a Brokerage Account • Buy and Hold -- The Simple Path to Wealth • ETFs for New Traders