Ally Invest Review Low-Cost Trades on Stocks & Other Investments

Posted On: June 14, 2023
Studio: Forex Trading
Rating:

If fractional shares are critical to you, Robinhood and Fidelity Investments allow you to purchase and reinvest in fractional shares in thousands of stocks. On any standard account, you’ll also be charged a $50 fee for a full or partial transfer. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money.

Stock research features

You’ll need at least $100 to use Ally Invest Robo-Portfolio, but you won’t need to worry about advisory fees unless you open a market-focused portfolio. Ally’s self-directed brokerage accounts also offer commission-free trading on stocks, ETFs, and options. Ally Invest also offers access to over 12,000 mutual funds, some of which are fee-free. You’ll pay a flat-rate commission of $9.95 per transaction, no matter which funds you purchase. With Ally, you can borrow over $1 million to trade in leverage, depending on the value of the cash and assets you currently hold in your account. Ally’s leverages rates are a bit lower than some competitors like Fidelity — you’ll pay between 8.75% and 4.25% depending on how much you’re borrowing.

  • It’s a good platform for someone starting to become a short-term trader and long-term investor.
  • Ally Invest Robo Portfolios is another option for those looking to take an automated approach to investing.
  • Ally Ally Invest is a comprehensive investment and banking platform for passive and active investors to open automated and self-directed investment accounts.
  • Ally Mobile is available as a free download for both iOS and Android platforms.
  • The 120Hz high-refresh-rate display with VRR support further improves the gaming experience, providing sharp visuals and reduced motion blur.
  • Along with years of experience in media distribution at a global newsroom, Jeff has a versatile knowledge base encompassing the technology and financial markets.
  • Our editors independently researched the information in this Ally Invest review.

Ally’s self-directed brokerage accounts are free to open and require no minimum deposit. Commissions are not charged on most U.S.-listed stocks, ETFs, and options (a $0.50 per contract fee still applies to options). Ally also offers no-load mutual funds, low-cost bonds, crypto-backed securities, and fixed-income assets. While Ally Invest offers commission-free stock trading, it lacks many of the features that active traders rely on. There’s no Level 2 market data, limited chart-trading capabilities, and higher-than-average margin rates compared to brokers that cater to frequent traders.

Its low account minimums cut smaller-time customers a break, but high rollers find plenty to like in Cash-Enhanced Managed Portfolios free of advisory fees. A wide range of available account types and easy access to Ally Bank further enhance Ally Invest’s appeal. Ally’s robo portfolios, also known as automated investing services, make it easy for investors to invest in portfolios aligned with their goals.

  • Based on Ally Invest reviews and GOBankingRates research, Ally Invest may be best for armchair day traders in search of a full-featured, low-cost trading platform.
  • Exploring Ally Invest’s research tools for the first time, I had high hopes for robust market insights that would help me find and validate new trading ideas.
  • Whatever option you select, there is a minimum deposit requirement of just $100, which is much lower than many other competing robo-advisors.
  • Ally Invest’s platform is robust enough to service new investors or experienced traders.
  • That means 96.95% of orders sold for at a price that was at or better than the National Best Bid and Offer.
  • Ally Invest is an online brokerage known for its straightforward, user-friendly platform and basic research tools that work well for anyone taking a long-term, buy-and-hold approach to investing.

Ally Invest Commission Fees:

You’ll see how other members are doing it, share charts, share ideas and gain knowledge. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some platforms, but it’s customizable and comprehensive enough to get the job done. The Ally Invest platform offers eight types of streaming charts and 36 drawing tools. Tastytrade is an excellent broker for those focused on active trading, especially for options, and its “follow feed” helps you find successful traders to copy. Ally Invest Robo Portfolios is another option for those looking to take an automated approach to investing. For just a $100 minimum investment, Robo Portfolios will invest based on your goals and automatically rebalance your portfolio daily.

You’ll find interest-bearing checking accounts, money market accounts, CDs (including no-penalty CDs), plus home and auto loans all accessible through a single online hub. What also caught my eye during my review was Ally’s competitive fixed-income pricing. Bonds and Treasurys cost $1 per bond, with a $10 minimum and a $250 maximum per transaction. For context, one bond typically equals $1,000 in face value, so if you decide to buy 10 bonds, you’re looking at $10 in fees (hitting that minimum). As for options, you’ll pay $0.50 per contract for equity options and $0.35 per contract for index options, both of which are in line with many other brokers. Overall, Ally’s fee structure feels fair to me and in-line with the competition.

StockBrokers.com Review Methodology

With no account minimum it’s easy for beginners to get started, while active investors will appreciate Ally’s commission-free trades on eligible U.S. securities and low options contract fee. Advanced investors looking to trade futures or cryptocurrency, however, may find a better home at another broker. ally invest review Ally Invest works for buy-and-hold investors and active traders alike.

Ally Invest Broker Review 2025

Novice investors will quickly be able to master Ally’s desktop and streamlined mobile platforms, which are easy to sync across multiple devices. Traders who bank with Ally will also find the broker’s mobile app particularly useful, automatically linking your Ally banking and Ally investing accounts. Lightspeed is all about active traders who can deliver volume to the broker, and so everything is optimized around making the experience the best for them.

Mutual fund research features

Customers who frequently trade from various computers — home and work, for example — will appreciate this web-based platform, which doesn’t require any downloads. Ally also allows its customers to trade via mobile devices with Ally Mobile. The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

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I do like that Ally allows you to sign in with a passcode so you don’t have to enter your password every time.” The availability of discounted units ensures that a wider audience can experience the benefits of the ROG Ally X, from its powerful hardware to its efficient performance. As SteamOS continues to improve, the value of the ROG Ally X is likely to increase, making it a smart investment for gamers looking to upgrade their portable gaming experience.

Ally Invest Options

Simply go to the “Transfers” section on the Ally Invest website to initiate a withdrawal. You can transfer funds via ACH, request a check, do an instant transfer to your Ally Bank account, or opt for a wire transfer. If you’re already banking with Ally, moving money between accounts is seamless and typically quicker than external transfers. On the bright side, their fixed-income content really stood out to me. ” article dives into the different types of bonds, how economic factors can affect them, and even covers ratings and underwriting.

It can also be convenient to simply have all your accounts in one place when tax time arrives. Often, Ally Invest ends up feeling like just another tab on the dashboard of the entire Ally website. The investment information provided on this page is for informational and general educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment or financial advice. Bankrate does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it provide individualized recommendations or personalized investment advice. Investment decisions should be based on an evaluation of your own personal financial situation, needs, risk tolerance and investment objectives. We test all available trading platforms for each broker and evaluate them based on a host of data-driven variables.

The Bullish Bears team focuses on keeping things as simple as possible in our online trading courses and chat rooms. We provide our members with courses of all different trading levels and topics. If you’ve looked for trading education elsewhere then you’ll notice that it can be very costly. Our watch lists and alert signals are great for your trading education and learning experience. Simplicity is always best when you start trading, and Ally Invest’s platform fits the bill.

In addition, mobile app usage is protected by two-factor authentication. Although Ally Invest reviews are mostly positive, the investment platform may not be the best fit for everyone. Here’s how Ally Invest compares to other popular stock trading apps. Ally’s margin rates range from 7.50% to 12.00%, which is higher than platforms like Interactive Brokers (5.17% to 5.58%) and Robinhood (4.7% to 5.75%).