Stock FAQs

why is tdameritrade the best stock broker

by Aric Herzog Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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With its dizzying area of powerful tools, analysis software, screeners, scanners, and chart studies, TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade is a broker that offers an electronic trading platform for the trade of financial assets including common stocks, preferred stocks, futures contracts, exchange-traded funds, options, cryptocurrency, mutual funds, and fixed income investments. It also provides margin lending, an…

stands above its peers when it comes to innovative technology and earns the top spot as the best online stock broker. Despite its extensive software capabilities, fees and commissions are highly competitive compared to its rivals.

TD Ameritrade also excels at offering low-cost and low-minimum funds, with over 500 mutual funds on its platform with expense ratios of 0.50% or less, and over 1,000 with investment minimums of $100 or less. It's an ideal broker for beginner mutual fund investors.

Full Answer

Is TD Ameritrade the best discount broker?

TD Ameritrade is one of the top discount brokers in the United States. Among active traders, they’re best known for their extensive ThinkOrSwim trading platform. TD Ameritrade’s main game is equities and options, but they also offer futures, forex, fixed income, mutual funds and the like. Why TD Ameritrade Over Others?

What is the TD Ameritrade free stock Commission?

Stock commissions at TD Ameritrade are free. They’re subsidized by payment for order flow, which means that TD Ameritrade might send your order to a market maker, rather than an official exchange or ECN.

Can You short stocks on TD Ameritrade?

TD Ameritrade's margin accounts also require that you keep at least 30% of your account value as equity at all times. Once you have the account properly funded, you can start shorting stocks. (Learn more about how to short a stock .) Is TD Ameritrade free?

Which TD Ameritrade apps do investors like the most?

Investors tethered to their phones will appreciate the slate of TD Ameritrade mobile apps. The TD Ameritrade Mobile and thinkorswim apps are on a par with the desktop platform and received a near perfect ranking on our survey.

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Why TD Ameritrade is the best?

TD Ameritrade delivers $0 trades, fantastic trading platforms, excellent market research, industry-leading education for beginners and reliable customer service. This outstanding all-around experience makes TD Ameritrade one of our top overall brokers in 2022.

Is TD Ameritrade a good brokerage firm?

TD Ameritrade stands out as a top online stock broker for its compelling features, such as highly-accessible customer support, in-depth and comprehensive stock trading research, no minimum account sizes, and competitive commission prices.

Can Ameritrade be trusted?

Yes. TD Ameritrade is a trusted company with a long-standing name in investment buying and trading, and it's stayed up to date with its technology and online resources. It offers a diverse array of investment products, account types and trading tools.

Is TD Ameritrade safer than Robinhood?

After testing 15 of the best online brokers over six months, TD Ameritrade (95.41%) is better than Robinhood (64.85%).

Is TD Ameritrade really free?

Is TD Ameritrade free? TD Ameritrade offers commission-free trading of stocks, options and ETFs, and charges no annual or inactivity fees, which means you can hold an account at the broker for free.

Does TD Ameritrade have hidden fees?

TD Ameritrade charges $49.99 to buy or sell any no-load mutual funds not on its no-transaction-fee list. E-Trade charges $19.99 for buying or selling any funds not on its no-transaction fee list. Most other brokers charge similar fees. Avoid these fees at all costs.

Who owns TD Ameritrade?

Charles Schwab CorporationTD Ameritrade / Parent organizationThe Charles Schwab Corporation, also commonly known as Schwab, is an American multinational financial services company, bank, and stockbroker that offers an electronic trading platform along with ... Wikipedia

Is Ameritrade good for day trading?

TD Ameritrade is a top choice for day traders thanks to their commission-free structure, the wealth of available asset classes and securities, and the irreplaceable thinkorswim platform. Getting started is quick and easy, plus you can give the platform a test spin using the paper trading account on thinkorswim.

What bank does TD Ameritrade use?

TD Ameritrade does not have a routing number for wire transfers, the way banks do, and it cannot initiate wires. Instead, TD Ameritrade uses Wells Fargo as an intermediary bank to channel the funds into your brokerage account.

Does TD Ameritrade charge a fee?

Note: $0 commission applies to U.S. exchange-listed stocks, ETFs, and options. A $0.65 per contract fee applies for options trades, with no exercise or assignment fees. A $6.95 commission applies to online trades of over-the-counter (OTC) stocks (stocks not listed on a U.S. exchange).

What's better Etrade or Ameritrade?

Both brokers offer excellent flexibility on order types across platforms, but TD Ameritrade gets a slight edge for having a stronger offering of conditional order types and a better mobile experience for using them.

Is TD Ameritrade better than Fidelity?

In our Best Online Brokers reviews, Fidelity earned best for low costs and was also best overall. TD Ameritrade was best for beginners and best for mobile.

What is TD Ameritrade?

TD Ameritrade also offers the standard lineup of stocks, bonds, equity options, ETF’s, closed-end funds, and mutual funds. And the bond category includes Strips, Zeroes, and brokered CD’s. Missing at TD Ameritrade are warrants, precious metals, contracts for difference, and foreign stocks.

Does TD Ameritrade have free ATM fees?

Besides the free debit card with no ATM fees, TD Ameritrade also reimburses any ATM fees incurred while using the card in the United States. Checkbook reorders are free as well. TD Ameritrade offers FDIC insurance on free cash balances through TD Bank.

Does TD Ameritrade have Thinkorswim?

TD Ameritrade clients with any trading frequency and any account balance get to use the company’s desktop software thinkorswim for free. The program is on a professional-level, so it does require some time to learn. Thankfully, there is a demo login where a practice currency can be used.

Does TD Ameritrade have a smartwatch app?

TD Ameritrade goes further than its desktop platform, offering a smartwatch app for Apple watches. It shows market indexes, trading data for stocks, and a watch list. iMessage is another feature Apple users get.

Does TD Ameritrade have a video channel?

TD Ameritrade clients get a lot of great resources in this category, starting with a video channel at tdameritradenetwork.com. Guests can access it, too. There is live programming and on-demand videos. During our investigation, we found topics on interest rates, precious metals, and the retailing industry.

Is TD Ameritrade a discount broker?

TD Ameritrade is more than just a discount broker for self-directed accounts. It also offers a large suite of managed accounts. At the bottom of the heap is a robo program that costs just 30 basis points. Both recurring deposits and a $500 minimum initial deposit are required.

What is TD Ameritrade?

TD Ameritrade was a pioneer in lowering brokerage clients' costs and trading commissions in the digital age. And just recently, it joined other major brokers in dropping commissions further — to $0 per stock trade. In November, Charles Schwab agreed to acquire TD Ameritrade in a merger of industry giants.

Did Charles Schwab buy TD Ameritrade?

In November, Charles Schwab agreed to acquire TD Ameritrade in a merger of industry giants. Schwab hasn't revealed how it will integrate TDA accounts into its services. Charles Schwab ( SCHW) also ranked among the IBD Best Online Brokers in 2020. In their TD Ameritrade review for IBD's survey — which included the period just before and after ...

Is Ameritrade a research tool?

Overall, Ameritrade ranks highly in the Educational Resources and Research Tools categories. Its extensive media and news offerings give customers a wealth of information at their fingertips for making trades. The company relies on these elements to raise the quality of service for customers.

Who Should Choose TD Ameritrade?

TD Ameritrade is well suited to the needs of both novice and experienced investors, especially those who are looking for a full-featured online broker that offers great educational resources.

TD Ameritrade Commissions and Fees

TD Ameritrade charges zero trading commissions for online purchases of stocks and exchange-traded funds ( ETFs )—just like the rest of its major competitors. The commissions and fees the brokerage does charge are at rates broadly comparable to other services.

TD Ameritrade Platform and Technology

From basic to specialty accounts, TD Ameritrade customers will find everything they need, including:

TD Ameritrade Mobile Apps

Investors tethered to their phones will appreciate the slate of TD Ameritrade mobile apps. The TD Ameritrade Mobile and thinkorswim apps are on a par with the desktop platform and received a near perfect ranking on our survey.

TD Ameritrade Range of Offerings

TD Ameritrade offers a full gamut of tradable asset classes, from traditional stocks, mutual funds and ETFs to American depositary receipts (ADRs), penny stocks and initial public offerings ( IPOs ). Fixed income investors will find bond specialists and screeners to help populate this asset category.

TD Ameritrade Research and Education

Forbes Advisor chose TD Ameritrade as our best online broker for beginners and best day trading platform for education in large part due to its unbeatable research and education resources.

TD Ameritrade Customer Service and Security

Customer service is an area where TD Ameritrade outshines much of the competition.

How is NerdWallet rating determined?

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula for online brokers and robo-advisors takes into account over 15 factors, including account fees and minimums, investment choices, customer support and mobile app capabilities.

Is NerdWallet an investment advisor?

NerdWallet, In c. is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. Its articles, interactive tools and other content are provided to you for free, as self-help tools and for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide investment advice.

Is TD Ameritrade a broker?

TD Ameritrade is a rare broker that covers all of the bases and does it very well. For a broker with no commission on stock, ETF and options trades, clients get an impressive list of services including portfolio-building guidance, hands-on investing courses, high-quality research, trading tools and a wide selection of no-transaction-fee mutual funds. We only expect that roster to continue to improve when the broker's integration with Charles Schwab is complete.

Does TD Ameritrade charge commission?

Like other brokers that don't charge commissions for stock or ETF trades, TD Ameritrade makes money from products that do carry a fee. The company charges a fee for futures and forex trades, its robo-advisor and financial advisory offerings and broker-assisted trades.

What is TD Ameritrade website?

TD Ameritrade provides three different trading platforms: website-based, Trade Architect and Thinkorswim. The website’s landing page functions as a straightforward, easy to use trading platform. It's perfect for beginner investors who will find professional level trading software too complex.

Does a broker have 24/7 support?

The customer support is top-notch. In addition to the initial broker call when a client opens an account, and periodic follow-up calls just to check-in, they offer 24/7 support, with very friendly and helpful representatives. They also offer an online chat feature, which is automated, but can identify common questions and instantly link to solutions or request web pages.

TD Ameritrade at a Glance

TD Ameritrade became a subsidiary of Charles Schwab Corp. in 2020, and the two brokerages plan to fully merge in 2023. TD Ameritrade created a highly regarded trading platform called Thinkorswim, which is used by new investors and experienced traders alike.

What Should I Know About TD Ameritrade?

Founded in 1975 as First Omaha Securities, the company has grown through acquisitions and internal growth to become one of the largest brokerages. The company has 11 million client accounts worth more than $1 trillion. Clients place approximately 500,000 trades each day.

TD Ameritrade Fees & Costs

Like competitors, TD Ameritrade offers commission-free stock and ETF trading. There are no minimum investments or account fees.

Product Offering

TD Ameritrade has a comprehensive list of tradable securities from all corners of the market. The company plans to offer cryptocurrency investing as well. Traders will appreciate the Thinkorswim trading platform. Do-it-yourselfers will benefit from the deep research, screening and investment management tools.

Customer Service and Satisfaction

TD Ameritrade offers customer service options including phone, an FAQ page, branch access, an artificial intelligence bot and a mobile trading app live chat. The contact phone numbers are specific for new accounts, existing customers and retirement-account questions.

Platform Features

The TD Ameritrade platform receives high marks for offering nearly all the tools and services most investors will need.

Research and Education

TD Ameritrade offers among the most comprehensive research and education portals of all of the brokerage firms. Beginners and pros alike will find a wealth of investing strategy and market news on the platform. TD Ameritrade Media Productions Co., an affiliate of the brand, offers coaches and courses to teach investing and trading strategies.

When did TD Ameritrade have to reimburse?

In 2011, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) forced TD Ameritrade to reimburse $10 million to customers it failed to warn about the dangers of a mutual fund known as the Reserve Yield Plus Fund.

When did Charles Schwab buy TD Ameritrade?

Charles Schwab acquired TD Ameritrade on October 6, 2020.

Who is Rickie Houston?

Rickie Houston is a wealth-building reporter for Business Insider, tasked with covering brokerage products, investment apps, online advisor services, cryptocurrency exchanges, and other wealth-building financial products. He is also a Certified Educator in Personal...

Is TD Ameritrade a Schwab?

TD Ameritrade has announced that it will conduct business as usual but plan to combine its business with Schwab's over the next 18-36 months. Rickie Houston is a wealth-building reporter at Personal Finance Insider who covers investing, brokerage, and wealth-building products. Rickie Houston, CEPF.

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