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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 | 82 | 91 |
| 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 |
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 |
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.