Written by StockBrokers.com
In this head to head comparison of Robinhood vs J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing, we will compare the trading platforms, mobile apps, range of investments, costs, market research, and more. Let's dive in.
Bottom line: In the Robinhood vs. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing matchup, Robinhood offers the wider trading menu for active investors—thanks to crypto (22 coins) and futures—while J.P. Morgan stands out if you want mutual funds. Both cover the stock and options basics, but StockBrokers.com rates Robinhood higher for Range of Investments (4 stars, #10 of 14) than J.P. Morgan (3.5 stars, #13).
Both platforms provide stock trading, margin, fractional shares, OTC stocks, and options. Neither supports forex. Robinhood adds futures and crypto trading (22 coins), which J.P. Morgan doesn’t offer. Conversely, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers mutual funds, which Robinhood lacks.
Each offers traditional and Roth IRAs and access to advisor services. If your priority is crypto or futures alongside stocks and options, choose Robinhood; if mutual funds are essential, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is the better fit.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
|
|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 22 | 0 |
| Range of Investments |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Options Trading Platforms for 2026, Best Futures Trading Platforms for 2026
For trading platforms and tools, Robinhood generally offers more features than J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing. StockBrokers.com rates Robinhood 3 out of 5 stars and ranks it #8 of 14 brokers, while J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing earns 1 out of 5 stars and ranks #13. Both rely on a browser-based platform and skip desktop downloads, paper trading, and trading journals, but Robinhood packs in more charting options and watch list controls, whereas J.P. Morgan’s standout is the ability to show corporate events on charts.
Platform availability is straightforward: no Windows or Mac downloads for either broker—everything runs in the browser. Neither offers paper trading or a trading journal. Watch lists are more detailed on Robinhood (34 fields) than on J.P. Morgan (20). Robinhood lets you adjust open orders directly on a chart, save multiple chart profiles, and set custom date ranges; J.P. Morgan lacks these three abilities. Both do not show historical trades on charts, do not provide automated chart pattern detection, and do not support creating custom studies.
Charting depth further separates the two. Robinhood supplies 90 technical indicators and 26 drawing tools, plus the option to add notes to charts. J.P. Morgan provides 36 indicators and 10 drawing tools and does not support chart notes, but it can display earnings, splits, and dividends on charts—a feature Robinhood does not include. For simple moving averages, Robinhood offers 6 customization fields versus 3 at J.P. Morgan.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
|
|---|---|---|
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No |
| Paper Trading | No | No |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 34 | 20 |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 36 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 26 | 10 |
| Advanced Trading |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Brokers for 2026, Best Paper Trading Apps & Platforms for 2026
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Robinhood and J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing both offer beginner-friendly stock market education, covering stocks, ETFs, options, and bonds. J.P. Morgan adds mutual fund education and webinars, which Robinhood does not provide. Each broker includes educational videos, but neither offers paper trading, quizzes, or tools to track your learning progress.
For education depth, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing has the edge: it’s rated 4 out of 5 stars and ranks 4th out of 14 brokers on StockBrokers.com. Robinhood is rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and ranks 7th out of 14, making it a decent choice for basic learning through videos. Pick J.P. Morgan if you want mutual fund lessons and webinars; choose Robinhood for straightforward coverage of core topics.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
|
|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | Yes |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes |
| Videos | Yes | Yes |
| Webinars | No | Yes |
| Education |
|
|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2026
Both Robinhood and J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing earn 4 stars for their stock trading apps, but Robinhood holds a slight edge in our comparison. StockBrokers.com ranks Robinhood #7 out of 14 brokers for trading apps, ahead of J.P. Morgan at #10. The key differences: Robinhood packs in more mobile-friendly trading features and charting tools, while J.P. Morgan keeps things simpler and adds useful landscape charting.
App availability is similar: both offer iPhone and Android apps, along with mobile options trading, stock alerts, and custom watch lists (including customizable columns). Robinhood adds Apple Watch support, which J.P. Morgan lacks. Both skip streaming live TV and on-demand videos. Robinhood supports mobile after-hours trading; the source does not specify whether J.P. Morgan’s mobile app offers after-hours trading.
For market data and charts, Robinhood includes streaming quotes and after-hours charting, where J.P. Morgan does not. J.P. Morgan’s app lets you rotate to landscape for charts, which Robinhood doesn’t support. Both allow multiple time frames, but Robinhood offers more technical studies (90 vs. 36). Neither app supports side-by-side stock comparisons on charts.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
|
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes |
| Android App | Yes | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | No |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 90 | 36 |
| Mobile Trading Apps |
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|
Dive deeper: Best Stock Trading Apps for 2026
Bottom line: Robinhood is generally cheaper than J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing across common fees. Both offer $0 account minimums and $0 stock trades. Robinhood charges $0 per options contract, has lower margin rates in the listed tiers, and does not charge to close an IRA. J.P. Morgan’s main edge is lower account transfer fees, which could matter if you expect to move your portfolio.
Getting started and placing trades are low-cost with either broker: $0 to open an account and $0 for online stock trades. Options exercise and assignment are $0 at both. The big difference is per-contract options pricing—Robinhood is $0 per contract, while J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is $0.65 per contract. For IRAs, both have a $0 annual fee, but Robinhood’s IRA closure fee is $0 versus $75 at J.P. Morgan.
Borrowing on margin is cheaper at Robinhood at the balances shown: 5.75% under $25,000; 5.75% from $25,000–$49,999; and 5.55% from $50,000–$99,999. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing lists 12.25%, 12.00%, and 11.50% for those same tiers. For ACAT transfers, J.P. Morgan is lower at $0 for partial and $75 for full, while Robinhood charges $100 for both partial and full transfers.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
|
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.65 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $75.00 |
Dive deeper: Best Free Trading Platforms for 2026
Comparing Robinhood vs. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing for day trading shows that both platforms are light on pro-grade tools. Neither offers streaming time and sales, streaming live TV, direct market routing, trading hotkeys, basic or advanced backtesting, a short locator, or maker/taker rebates—gaps that matter to traders who need fast data, advanced routing, and strategy testing.
The key difference is that Robinhood includes Level 2 quotes and ladder trading, while J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing does not. If you depend on seeing order book depth or prefer ladder-based order entry, Robinhood is the more capable pick. If those features aren’t essential and you place only occasional intraday trades, J.P. Morgan can work, but neither platform is built for heavy, tool-driven day trading.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
|
|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No |
| Streaming TV | No | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No |
| Short Locator | No | No |
Dive deeper: Best Day Trading Platforms of 2026 for Beginners and Active Traders
Bottom line: For market research, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers broader coverage and more tools than Robinhood. J.P. Morgan is rated 4 stars and ranked #7 out of 14 by StockBrokers.com, while Robinhood earns 2.5 stars and ranks #10. If you want deeper screening across more asset types and downloadable stock reports, J.P. Morgan is the stronger pick; if you mainly need simple stock and ETF research, Robinhood can suffice.
Both brokers provide stock and ETF research, over-the-counter (Pink Sheets/OTCBB) research, and a view of your portfolio allocation by asset class. Neither platform includes social media sentiment or ESG research. For downloadable PDFs, Robinhood offers none, while J.P. Morgan provides two stock research reports; neither offers PDF reports for ETFs or mutual funds.
The biggest differences show up in asset coverage and screeners. Robinhood lacks mutual fund and bond research and does not include ETF, mutual fund, or bond screeners—only a stock screener. J.P. Morgan adds research for mutual funds and bonds and includes screeners for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds, making it better for investors who compare many products and want more idea-generation filters.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
|
|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | No | Yes |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | Yes |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | Yes |
| Screener - Fixed Income | No | Yes |
| Research |
|
|
If you’re comparing the banking capabilities of Robinhood vs. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing, Robinhood does not offer checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), or mortgage loans, but it does provide both a debit card and a credit card; J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers checking and savings accounts, debit and credit cards, mortgage loans, and CDs, making it a better fit if you want traditional banking and investing in one place, while Robinhood suits users who only need card access alongside their brokerage.
| Feature |
Robinhood
|
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
|
|---|---|---|
| Checking Accounts | No | Yes |
| Savings Accounts | No | Yes |
| Debit Cards | Yes | Yes |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | No | Yes |
| Brokerage CDs | No | Yes |
Dive deeper: Best Brokerage Checking Accounts for 2026
After opening live accounts and testing 14 of the best online brokers, our research and live account testing finds that Robinhood is better than J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing. Robinhood finished with an overall score of 69.6%, while J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing finished with a score of 67.5%.
Robinhood is best known for its commission-free trading, modern mobile and desktop platforms, and low-cost access to options, margin, and futures trading.
Robinhood offers cryptocurrency trading with 22 supported coins, while J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing does not offer crypto trading (0 coins). Investors seeking access to digital assets may prefer Robinhood, whereas J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing focuses on traditional securities.
Dive deeper: Best Online Brokers for Crypto Trading in 2026
Both Robinhood and J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offer traditional and Roth IRA accounts without annual fees, but while Robinhood imposes no closure fee, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing charges $75 for account closure.
Dive deeper: Best IRA Accounts for 2026
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0 of 5| Overall Rating | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
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| Customer Service | N/A |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Robinhood Review | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Review |
| Broker Screenshots | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
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| Broker Gallery (click to expand) |
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| Trading Fees | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Penny Stock Fees (OTC) | N/A | $0.00 | |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | N/A | $0 | |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.00 | $0.65 | |
| Futures (Per Contract) | $0.75 | (Not offered) | |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | N/A | Varies |
| Margin Rates | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 5.75% | 12.25% | |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 5.75% | 12% | |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 5.55% | 11.5% | |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 5.25% | 11.25% | |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 5.25% | 11.25% | |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 5.25% | 10.5% | |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 5% | 10% |
| Account Fees | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| IRA Closure Fee | $0.00 | $75.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $100.00 | $0.00 | |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $100.00 | $75.00 | |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 | |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Investment Options | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Account Feature - Margin Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Fractional Shares (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| OTC Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Options Trading | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 | 1 | |
| Futures Trading | Yes | No | |
| Forex Trading | No | No | |
| Crypto Trading | Yes | No | |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 22 | 0 | |
| Fixed Income (Treasurys) | No | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) | No | Yes | |
| Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) | No | Yes | |
| Traditional IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Roth IRAs | Yes | Yes | |
| Advisor Services | Yes | Yes | |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 1 | 0 |
| Order Types | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | Yes | No | |
| Order Type - OCO | No | No | |
| Order Type - OTO | No | No | |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | No | Yes |
| Beginners | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Options) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | No | Yes | |
| Education (Fixed Income) | Yes | Yes | |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes | Yes | |
| Retirement Calculator | No | Yes | |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes | No | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Videos | Yes | Yes | |
| Webinars | No | Yes | |
| Progress Tracking | No | No | |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No | No |
| Stock Trading Apps | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes | Yes | |
| Android App | Yes | Yes | |
| Apple Watch App | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes | Yes | |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes | No | |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes | Yes | |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | Yes | No |
| Stock App Features | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Research - Market Movers | Yes | Yes | |
| Stream Live TV | No | No | |
| Videos on Demand | No | No | |
| Stock Alerts | Yes | Yes | |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Real-time) | Yes | Yes | |
| Watchlist (Streaming) | Yes | No | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Create & Manage | Yes | Yes | |
| Mobile Watchlists - Column Customization | Yes | Yes |
| Stock App Charting | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 90 | 36 | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | Yes | Yes | |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No | No |
| Trading Platforms | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | Robinhood Legend | No | |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No | No | |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No | No | |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes | Yes | |
| Paper Trading | No | No | |
| Trade Journal | No | No | |
| Watchlists - Total Fields | 34 | 20 |
| Stock Chart Features | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 90 | 36 | |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 26 | 10 | |
| Charting - Notes | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Historical Trades | No | No | |
| Charting - Corporate Events | No | Yes | |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | Yes | No | |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | No | No | |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 6 | 3 | |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No | No |
| Day Trading | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No | No | |
| Streaming TV | No | No | |
| Direct Market Routing - Equities | No | No | |
| Ladder Trading | Yes | No | |
| Trade Hot Keys | No | No | |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | Yes | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No | No | |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No | No | |
| Short Locator | No | No | |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No | No |
| Research Overview | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - ETFs | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes | Yes | |
| Research - Fixed Income | No | Yes | |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes | Yes | |
| Screener - ETFs | No | Yes | |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No | Yes | |
| Screener - Fixed Income | No | Yes | |
| Portfolio Asset Allocation | Yes | Yes |
| Stock Research | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 | 2 | |
| Stock Research - Earnings | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes | No | |
| Stock Research - Social | No | No | |
| Stock Research - News | Yes | Yes | |
| Stock Research - ESG | No | No | |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No | No |
| ETF Research | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETFs - Investment Objective | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Assets | Yes | Yes | |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | Yes | Yes | |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | No | No | |
| ETFs - Ratings | No | Yes | |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No | Yes | |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | No | No |
| Mutual Fund Research | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Investment Objective | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | No | No | |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No | Yes | |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | No | Yes |
| Options Trading | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option Chains - Total Greeks | 5 | 0 | |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | Yes | No |
| Banking | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | No | Yes | |
| Checking Accounts | No | Yes | |
| Savings Accounts | No | Yes | |
| Credit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Debit Cards | Yes | Yes | |
| Mortgage Loans | No | Yes |
| Customer Service | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospective Customers) | No | No | |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes | Yes | |
| Email Support | Yes | Yes | |
| Live Chat (Prospective Customers) | No | No | |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes | No | |
| 24/7 Support | Yes | Yes |
| Overall | Robinhood | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Research |
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| Education |
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| Ease of Use |
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| Winner | check_circle | ||
| Review | Robinhood Review | J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Review |
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