GOBankingRates Announces the Best Brokers of 2018

The leading personal finance site ranked Fidelity 'Best Broker' of the year.

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Sep 12, 2018, 07:15 ET

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With dozens of brokerage firms uniquely suited for investors' needs, it can be difficult to navigate the masses and choose the best provider to manage your investments.

GOBankingRates took an objective look at services and offerings by the leading brokerages and revealed a list of the top-ranked brokers in six categories.

Personal finance website GOBankingRates announces the top-ranked brokerages of 2018.

"Choosing a broker can be an intimidating process, but once you do it, it can open so many financial doors," said Laira Martin, lead editor, GOBankingRates. "We simplified the process by doing the research for our readers so they can easily choose a broker that works for their individual needs and start investing."

To determine its category rankings, GOBankingRates examined the top brokerages by asset size.

Best Investment Brokers: Fidelity
Ally Invest
Charles Schwab
TD Ameritrade
E-TRADE

Best Robo-Advisors: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios
SoFi Wealth Management
WiseBanyan
Blooom

Best Roth IRA Accounts: TD Ameritrade
Merrill Edge
Charles Schwab
E-TRADE
Ally Invest

Best IRA Accounts: E-TRADE
TD Ameritrade
Fidelity
Charles Schwab
Merrill Edge

Best Online Stock Brokers for Beginners: Charles Schwab
TD Ameritrade
Merrill Edge
E-TRADE
Fidelity

Best 401K Companies: T. Rowe Price
ShareBuilder 401K
Employee Fiduciary
Ubiquity
Charles Schwab

The Best Investment Brokers category scored brokerages based on the following factors:

(1) Cost to trade
(2) Number of account types offered
(3) Number of investment options
(4) Opening investment requirement
(5) Promotional or introductory offers
(6) Free research and educational tools
(7) Customer experience, which includes: access to financial advisors, mobile and online access, and 24/7 customer service with a live person.

Brokers were then ranked according to their total score.

Each individual category took into consideration other factors tailored to the individual features and services of that account type. You can check out each ranking category for full methodologies.

"Every investor is different, as is every broker, so we focused on evaluating the fundamentals of effective and affordable investing: low costs and minimums, tons of investing options, helpful tools and information, and access to professional resources that can help investors reach their goals," said Martin.

GOBankingRates is also helping readers to jumpstart their investments by entering for a chance to win $1,000. Enter the sweepstakes daily at GOBankingRates.com/best-brokers.

For more information on the rankings and finalists, visit gobankingrates.com/best-brokers.

About GOBankingRates

GOBankingRates.com is a personal finance news and features website dedicated to helping visitors Live Richer™. From tips on saving money to investing for retirement or finding a good interest rate, GOBankingRates helps turn financial goals into milestones and money dreams into realities. Its content is regularly featured on top-tier media outlets, including MSN, MONEY, AOL Finance, CBS MoneyWatch, Business Insider and dozens of others. GOBankingRates specializes in connecting consumers with the financial institutions and products that best match their needs. Start your journey toward a rich mind and full wallet with us here.

Contact:

Natalie Richter, Media Relations
GOBankingRates.com
[email protected]
310-297-9233 x137

SOURCE GOBankingRates