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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 | 91 | 91 |
| Trust score | 100 | 94 |
| Cost score | 89 | 88 |
| Platform score | 94 | 93 |
| Withdrawal score | 89 | 80 |
| Best for | 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… | Active traders · Advanced investors · International-market investors |
| Watch out | Needs verification | Fee schedule is complex and varies by product, plan, market and entity · Country availability/restrictions need entity-specific review · No single universal max leverage figure fo… |
Trust & regulation | ||
| Regulators | Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC is SEC registered and regulated by FINRA; FBS and NFS are members of NYSE and SIPC. Source | Regulated by SEC/FINRA/CFTC/NYSE in the US and by FCA, Central Bank of Ireland, ASIC, Hong Kong SFC, SEBI, Kanto Local Finance Bureau and MAS for regional affiliates. Source |
| License numbers | FBS CRD# 7784 / SEC# 8-23292; NFS CRD# 13041 / SEC# 801-50706, 8-26740. Source | US CRD 36418 / SEC 8-47257; UK FCA 208159; AU AFSL 453554; India SEBI INZ000217730 and NSDL IN-DP-602-2021; Singapore MAS CMS100917; Japan Kanto Local Finance Bureau No.187. Source |
| Regulated entities | 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 | Major regulated entities include Interactive Brokers LLC plus UK, Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Singapore affiliates. Source |
| Negative balance protection | Not applicable/not disclosed as a CFD-style negative balance protection policy; margin trading can create debt/interest obligations. Source | No universal negative-balance-protection promise found for Interactive Brokers LLC; IBKR describes real-time margin requirements and protective liquidations to return accounts to margin compliance. Source |
| Investor compensation | 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 | Interactive Brokers LLC securities accounts are protected by SIPC up to $500,000, including $250,000 cash sublimit, plus excess SIPC coverage up to an additional $30 million per account with $900,000 cash sublimit, subject to $150 million aggregate; futures/options on futures are excluded. Regional schemes vary. Source |
| Restricted countries | U.S.-persons focused; sanctioned countries/prohibited parties restricted; no exhaustive country availability list found. Source | Official available-countries page lists countries/territories where applications are available rather than a concise restricted-country list. Treat unsupported/sanctioned-country restrictions as country/entity-dependent and requiring manual review. Source |
Costs & account conditions | ||
| Minimum deposit | $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 | USD 0 account minimum for IBKR Pro and IBKR Lite; broker accounts can require a USD 10,000 up-front deposit applied against commissions. Source |
| Spread from | 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 | Spot currency spreads advertised as narrow as 1/10 pip on Interactive Brokers Australia pricing overview; spreads vary by product/entity/market. Source |
| Commission | $0 online U.S. stock and ETF trades; $0 online options commission plus $0.65/contract; other product/service fees apply. Source | IBKR Lite offers $0 commissions on US stocks and ETFs; IBKR Pro uses fixed/tiered commissions and third-party/exchange/regulatory fees may apply by market/product. Source |
| Maximum leverage | 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 | Not expressed as a single max leverage figure; margin requirements are product-, account-, entity- and regulation-dependent and IBKR applies real-time risk margin. Source |
| Deposit fee | $0 Fidelity fee for EFT and Fidelity does not charge wire fees; external banks may charge. Source | Most standard bank/security deposit methods show no IBKR deposit fee in the extracted official fee table, but physical currency deposits incur a special handling fee of 1% of deposit amount, minimum $50; third-party/bank fees may apply. Source |
| Withdrawal fee | $0 Fidelity fee for EFT and domestic bank wire withdrawals; foreign exchange wire up to 3% of principal; receiving bank may charge. Source | Two free withdrawal requests per calendar month; after the second withdrawal IBKR charges listed fees by currency/method (example USD: wire 10.00, check 4.00, ACH/EFT/SEPA 1.00). Source |
| Inactivity fee | 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 | USD 0 inactivity fee for IBKR Pro and IBKR Lite account minimums page. Source |
Markets, platforms & payments | ||
| Tradable assets | Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, crypto, fixed income, bonds and CDs; Fidelity says stocks include domestic and international. Source | Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, spot currencies, bonds, mutual funds and cash-balance services, with availability varying by entity/country/account permission. Source |
| Trading platforms | Fidelity.com, Fidelity mobile app, Fidelity Trader+ Web/Desktop/Mobile mode, and legacy Active Trader Pro Classic. Source | IBKR Desktop, Trader Workstation, IB Gateway, IBKR Mobile and web/client portal tools. Source |
| Account types | Broad account menu including taxable brokerage, retirement/IRA, cash management, HSA, custodial/youth, education, trust/business, managed and crypto accounts. Source | Supports individual and institutional accounts; official minimums page also distinguishes advisor, family office, hedge fund and broker account structures. Source |
| Deposit methods | EFT/ACH, bank wire, check/mobile check, direct deposit, recurring deposit, Fidelity-to-Fidelity/account transfer, transfer of assets, and eligible payment apps. Source | Wire transfer, check, direct bank transfer/ACH, SEPA/regional bank transfers where available, and securities transfer methods such as ACATS; physical cash deposits are against policy. Source |
| Withdrawal methods | EFT/ACH, bank wire, paper check, Fidelity-to-Fidelity transfers, third-party/person-to-person transfers and eligible debit card/ATM access. Source | Bank wire/transfer, checks and regional transfer rails such as BACS/GIRO/ACH/EFT/SEPA where available; securities transfer methods such as ACATS may also apply. Source |
| Withdrawal processing time | EFT withdrawals 1-3 business days; bank wire same day if submitted by 4 p.m. ET; paper check about 5-6 days. Source | Not captured as a single verified processing-time SLA; varies by withdrawal method, currency, region and receiving bank. 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.