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Charles Schwab vs Ally Invest 2019
The StockBrokers.com annual review (9 years running) takes six months to complete and produces over 30,000 words of research each year. Here's how we test.
Is Ally Invest better than Charles Schwab? After scoring brokers on over 4,000 data points for our 2019 review, Charles Schwab (84.06%) is better than Ally Invest (62.44%). Founded in 1973, Charles Schwab is a full-service brokerage with over $3 trillion in total client assets. As a low-cost leader offering $4.95 stock trades, Charles Schwab provides investors excellent stock research, quality trade tools, and professional planning for the future.
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Special Offer
$4.95 online equity trades + $0.65 per options contract Open Account
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Special Offer
up to $3,500 cash bonus + 90 Days Commission-Free Trades Open Account
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| Open Account | Open Account |
Overall Rating
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
| Overall | ||
| Charles Schwab Review | Ally Invest Review |
Trading Fees
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trade Fee (per trade) | $4.95 | $4.95 |
| ETF Trade Fee | $4.95 | $4.95 |
| Options Base Fee | $4.95 | $4.95 |
| Options Per Contract Fee | $0.65 | $0.65 |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $49.95 | $9.95 |
| Broker Assisted Trades Fee | $25.00 | $20.00 |
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Margin Rates
| Feature |
Charles Schwab
Open Account |
Ally Invest
Open Account |
| Under $24,999.99 | 9.58% | 9.75% |
| $25,000.00 to $49,999.99 | 9.08% | 9.50% |
| $50,000.00 to $99,999.99 | 8.13% | 8.75% |
| $100,000.00 to $249,999.99 | 8.08% | 7.50% |
| $250,000.00 to $499,999.99 | 7.83% | 6.50% |
| $500,000.00 to $999,999.99 | 6.58% | 6.00% |
| Above $1,000,000.00 | 6.25% | 5.25% |
| Commissions & Fees | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Account Fees
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Returned ACH Fee | $25.00 | $30.00 |
| Returned Wire Fee | $25.00 | $30.00 |
| Stock Certificate Processing Fee | $100.00 | $300.00 |
| Stock Certificate Delivery Fee | N/A | $300.00 |
| Paper Statement Fee | $0.00 | $2.00 |
| Paper Confirmation Fee | $0.00 | $1.00 |
| Domestic Wire Fee | $25.00 | $30.00 |
| International Wire Fee | $25.00 | N/A |
| Commissions & Fees |
Investment Options
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Stock Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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OTCBB / Pink Sheets |
Yes | Yes |
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Options Trading |
Yes | Yes |
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Complex Options Max Legs |
4 | 4 |
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Futures Trading |
Yes | No |
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Forex Trading |
No | Yes |
| Commission-Free ETFs | 503 | 116 |
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Mutual Funds (No Load) |
5846 | 7200 |
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Mutual Funds (Total) |
5846 | 14000 |
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Bonds (US Treasury) |
Yes | Yes |
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Bonds (Corporate) |
Yes | Yes |
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Bonds (Municipal) |
Yes | Yes |
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Advisor Services |
Yes | Yes |
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International Trading |
Yes | No |
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Order Types
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Order Type - Market |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - Limit |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - Stop |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - Trailing Stop |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - Contingent |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - MultiContingent |
Yes | No |
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Order Type - OCO |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - OTO |
Yes | Yes |
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Order Type - OTOCO |
Yes | No |
| Offering of Investments | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Trading Platforms
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Desktop Platform (Windows) |
Yes | No |
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Desktop Platform (Mac) |
Yes | No |
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Web Platform |
Yes | Yes |
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Paper Trading |
No | No |
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Trade Journal |
Yes | No |
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Watch Lists - Total Fields |
108 | 21 |
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Two-Factor Authentication Login |
Yes | Yes |
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Heat Mapping |
Yes | No |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Charting Features
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Charting - Trade Off Chart |
Yes | No |
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Charting - Indicators / Studies |
41 | 117 |
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Charting - Drawing Tools |
15 | 36 |
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Charting - Historical Trades |
No | No |
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Charting - Corporate Events |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Automated Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Save Profiles |
Yes | Yes |
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Charting - Study Customizations |
6 | 5 |
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Charting - Custom Studies |
No | No |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Day Trading
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Stock Alerts - Basic Fields |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Alerts - Advanced Fields |
Yes | No |
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Streaming Time & Sales |
Yes | No |
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Streaming TV |
Yes | No |
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Direct Market Routing - Stocks |
Yes | No |
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Direct Market Routing - Options |
No | No |
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Ladder Trading |
No | No |
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Trade Hot Keys |
Yes | No |
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Level 2 Quotes - Stocks |
Yes | No |
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Level 2 Quotes - Options |
Yes | No |
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Trade Ideas - Backtesting |
Yes | No |
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Short Locator |
No | No |
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Client Liquidity Rebates |
No | No |
| Winner | check_circle |
Mobile Trading Apps
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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iPhone App |
Yes | Yes |
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Android App |
Yes | Yes |
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Apple Watch App |
Yes | No |
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Trading - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - After-Hours |
Yes | No |
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Trading - Conditional Orders |
No | No |
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Trading - Mutual Funds |
Yes | No |
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Trading - Simple Options |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - Complex Options |
Yes | Yes |
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Trading - Option Rolling |
No | No |
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Touch / Face ID |
Yes | Yes |
| Winner | check_circle |
Mobile App Features
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Watch List Syncing |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Alerts - Basic Fields |
No | No |
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Stock Alerts - Advanced Fields |
No | No |
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Charting - After Hours |
No | No |
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Charting - Drawing |
No | No |
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Charting - Study Customizations |
Yes | No |
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Customizable Homescreen |
No | No |
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Heatmapping |
Yes | No |
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Stream Live TV |
Yes | No |
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Barcode Lookup |
No | No |
| Mobile Trading | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Research Overview
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Research - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
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Research - ETFs |
Yes | Yes |
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Research - Mutual Funds |
Yes | Yes |
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Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB |
Yes | Yes |
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Research - Fixed Income |
Yes | No |
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Research - Futures |
Yes | No |
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Research - Forex |
No | No |
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Screener - Stocks |
Yes | No |
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Screener - ETFs |
Yes | No |
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Screener - Mutual Funds |
Yes | No |
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Screener - Options |
Yes | No |
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Screener - Bonds |
Yes | No |
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Misc - Portfolio Builder |
Yes | Yes |
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Misc - Portfolio Allocation |
Yes | No |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Stock Research
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Stock Research - Reports |
8 | 2 |
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Stock Research - Earnings |
Yes | No |
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Stock Research - Insiders |
Yes | No |
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Stock Research - Metric Comp |
Yes | No |
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Stock Research - SEC Filings |
Yes | No |
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Stock Research - Social |
Yes | No |
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Stock Research - Balance Sheet |
Yes | No |
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Stock Research - Cash Flows |
Yes | No |
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Stock Research - News |
Yes | Yes |
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Stock Research - ESG |
No | No |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
ETF Research
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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ETFs - Strategy Overview |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Top 10 Holdings |
Yes | No |
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ETFs - Sector Exposure |
Yes | No |
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ETFs - Risk Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Performance Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Ratings |
Yes | Yes |
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ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap |
Yes | No |
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ETFs - Reports |
Yes | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Mutual Fund Research
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview |
Yes | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Prospectus |
Yes | No |
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Mutual Funds - Reports |
Yes | No |
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Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown |
Yes | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings |
Yes | No |
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Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation |
Yes | No |
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Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation |
Yes | Yes |
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Mutual Funds - Country Allocation |
Yes | No |
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Mutual Funds - StyleMap |
Yes | No |
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Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings |
Yes | Yes |
| Research | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Options Trading
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Option Chains - Streaming |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Chains - Total Columns |
41 | 8 |
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Option Chains - Greeks |
5 | 1 |
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Option Chains - Quick Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Analysis - P&L Charts |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Probability Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Probability Analysis Adv |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Positions - Greeks |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Positions - Adv Analysis |
Yes | Yes |
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Option Positions - Rolling |
Yes | No |
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Option Positions - Grouping |
Yes | Yes |
| Platforms & Tools | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Beginners
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Has Education - Stocks |
Yes | Yes |
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Has Education - ETFs |
Yes | No |
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Has Education - Options |
Yes | Yes |
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Has Education - Mutual Funds |
Yes | Yes |
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Has Education - Fixed Income |
Yes | Yes |
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Has Education - Retirement |
Yes | Yes |
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Paper Trading |
No | No |
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Videos |
Yes | No |
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Webinars (Monthly Avg) |
50 | 17 |
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Webinars (Archived) |
Yes | No |
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Live Seminars |
Yes | Yes |
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Progress Tracking |
No | No |
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Interactive Learning - Quizzes |
No | No |
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Investor Magazine |
Yes | No |
| Education | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Banking
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
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Retail Locations |
357 | 0 |
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Member FDIC |
Yes | Yes |
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Checking Accounts |
Yes | Yes |
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Savings Accounts |
Yes | Yes |
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Credit Cards |
Yes | Yes |
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Debit Cards |
Yes | Yes |
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Mortgage Loans |
Yes | Yes |
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No Fee Banking |
Yes | Yes |
| Banking | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Overall
| Feature | Charles Schwab | Ally Invest |
| Charles Schwab Review | Ally Invest Review | |
| Overall | ||
| Winner | check_circle |
Comparing brokers side by side is no easy task. For our annual broker review, we assess over a dozen brokers on hundreds of different variables to find the best online broker. Yielding a database of over 4,000 data points, let's compare Ally Invest vs Charles Schwab.
To start this comparison, first, we will take a look at the online broker commission rates for placing regular stock and options trades. Ally Invest and Charles Schwab both cost $4.95 per trade. Looking at options, the base fees charged are the same for both brokers, $4.95. Option contracts at both of the brokerages are the same at $0.65 each. It's important to note that not all brokers charge a flat fee per trade. Thus, it is important to read the full commission notes for each broker, which we include with each online broker review.
Next to commission rates, being able to trade what you want is important. Charles Schwab offers clients Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Futures Trading while Ally Invest offers Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Forex Trading. Looking at mutual funds, Charles Schwab trails Ally Invest by 8,154 total mutual funds, with Ally Invest offering 14000 and Charles Schwab offering 5846.
Trading access aside, by comparing popular features and functionality, we can break down relevant differences between both brokers. Ally Invest nor Charles Schwab offers virtual trading. Taking a look at mobile trading, Ally Invest along with Charles Schwab both support the iPhone App, iPad App and Android App. Not to be left out, online banking is also a nice benefit for many investors, and some brokerages provide these services to clients. Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Debit Cards, Credit Cards and Mortgage Loans are found at Ally Invest alongside Charles Schwab.
Overall, between Ally Invest and Charles Schwab, Charles Schwab is the winner.
Ally Invest Review
Charles Schwab Review
To start this comparison, first, we will take a look at the online broker commission rates for placing regular stock and options trades. Ally Invest and Charles Schwab both cost $4.95 per trade. Looking at options, the base fees charged are the same for both brokers, $4.95. Option contracts at both of the brokerages are the same at $0.65 each. It's important to note that not all brokers charge a flat fee per trade. Thus, it is important to read the full commission notes for each broker, which we include with each online broker review.
Next to commission rates, being able to trade what you want is important. Charles Schwab offers clients Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Futures Trading while Ally Invest offers Stock Trading, Options Trading, Mutual Funds and Forex Trading. Looking at mutual funds, Charles Schwab trails Ally Invest by 8,154 total mutual funds, with Ally Invest offering 14000 and Charles Schwab offering 5846.
Trading access aside, by comparing popular features and functionality, we can break down relevant differences between both brokers. Ally Invest nor Charles Schwab offers virtual trading. Taking a look at mobile trading, Ally Invest along with Charles Schwab both support the iPhone App, iPad App and Android App. Not to be left out, online banking is also a nice benefit for many investors, and some brokerages provide these services to clients. Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts, Debit Cards, Credit Cards and Mortgage Loans are found at Ally Invest alongside Charles Schwab.
Overall, between Ally Invest and Charles Schwab, Charles Schwab is the winner.
Ally Invest Review
Charles Schwab Review
All pricing data was obtained from a published web site as of 02/18/2019 and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed. For stock trade rates, advertised pricing is for a standard order size of 500 shares of stock priced at $30 per share. For options orders, an options regulatory fee per contract may apply.
