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Best Brokerage Firms for High Net Worth Individuals for 2026

Jessica Inskip

Written by Jessica Inskip
Edited by Jeff Anberg
Fact-checked by Steven Hatzakis
Reviewed by Blain Reinkensmeyer

January 27, 2026
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Jessica Inskip Jessica Inskip

Jessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research.

stockbrokers-com-favicon.ico Why you can trust us

Led by Jessica Inskip, Director of Investor Research, the StockBrokers.com research team collects thousands of data points across hundreds of variables. We evaluate features important to every kind of investor, including beginners, casual investors, passive investors, and active traders. We carefully track data on margin rates, trading costs, and fees to rate stock brokers across our proprietary testing categories.

Our researchers open personal brokerage accounts and test all available platforms on desktop, web, and mobile for each broker reviewed on StockBrokers.com. Learn more about how we test.

There’s no single definition of a high net worth investor, but the term generally refers to individuals with $1 million or more in investable assets. At this level, financial decisions become more nuanced, and investors often gain access to a tier of brokerage services designed to go far beyond basic trading. Firms competing for these clients emphasize personalized support, preferential pricing, and access to investment opportunities not typically available to everyday investors.

For high net worth investors, choosing a brokerage isn’t about finding the lowest trading commission. It’s about working with a firm that can support complex financial lives, from tax-aware investing and estate planning to charitable giving, alternative investments, and sophisticated account structures. Reliable, human support also matters, especially when managing large balances where mistakes can be costly.

To identify the best brokerage firms for high net worth investors, I analyzed hundreds of data points through the lens of investors with significant assets and advanced planning needs. This guide highlights the brokers that stood out most during testing, based on the depth of their services, quality of support, and overall value for high net worth clients.

Best Brokers for High Net Worth Individuals

Below are the brokerage firms that performed best during my evaluation. Each offers a distinct mix of investment access, planning tools, and service models, making them well suited to different types of high net worth investors and financial priorities.

Broker
Overall
"Best for"
Bullet Points
Overall Score
5.0/5
Best broker for high net worth investors
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65
Why we like it
Review

Schwab has the most integrated suite of tools, reports, and services for high net worth investors, all supported by a dedicated cadre of exceptionally qualified wealth advisors. Read full review

Pros
  • thinkorswim is the industry benchmark for professional-grade trading and charting.
  • Best in Class Research features actionable daily updates and deep fundamental data.
  • Top-tier education with webinars, videos, and courses.
Cons
  • No spot crypto trading (limited to ETFs and futures).
  • "Stock Slices" (fractional shares) are limited to S&P 500 companies.
  • Base margin rates are significantly higher than dedicated low-cost competitors.
Overall Score
5.0/5
Best for fixed income investors
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65
Why we like it
Review

Fidelity has a top-notch reputation and delivers a wide range of well organized and high-quality content that addresses high net worth concerns. Read full review

Pros
  • Excellent research and mobile app
  • Top-notch education
  • Decades of reliable client service
Cons
  • No dedicated mobile app for active trading
Overall Score
5.0/5
Best for self-directed investors
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65 info
Why we like it
Review

Interactive Brokers offers professional tools and reporting, competitive pricing, global access, and a wide range of investment choices. Read full review

Pros
  • 150+ markets to trade.
  • IBKR Desktop platform has institutional power and intuitive usability.
  • Industry-leading margin rates and competitive interest yields.
Cons
  • Density of features requires a significant time investment.
  • Educational content skips over the basics for true beginners.
  • Certain tools lack the curated context needed.
Overall Score
4.5/5
Best for options income traders
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65
Why we like it
Review

E*TRADE stands out for its zero-fee mutual fund trades, easy-to-use trading platforms and Morgan Stanley research. Read full review

Pros
  • High-quality experience for both passive investors and active traders.
  • Access to Morgan Stanley’s deep market analysis and interactive reports.
  • Excellent bond resource center and a user-friendly ladder tool.
Cons
  • Base margin rates, starting at over 12%, are significantly higher than top competitors.
  • You can’t buy Bitcoin or Ethereum directly; crypto exposure is limited to ETFs and futures.
  • You can’t buy fractional shares of individual stocks.
Overall Score
4.5/5
Best for premium services & exclusive perks
  • Minimum Deposit: $0.00
  • Stock Trades: $0.00
  • Options (Per Contract): $0.65
Why we like it
Review

Merrill Edge has a compelling reward program for high net worth clients and its ties to Bank of America and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management can facilitate everything from a debit card to bringing your private company public. Read full review

Pros
  • Integration with Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards program.
  • The Options Strategy Assistant blends education with execution.
  • Tax Resource Center and Retirement Income Portfolios maximize savings and income.
Cons
  • No cryptocurrency, futures, or fractional shares available for trading.
  • Trading options on the mobile app is a frustrating experience.
  • The MarketPro platform lacks the polish required for active trading.

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Top brokers for high net worth investors

1. Charles Schwab - Best broker for high net worth investors

Company Overall Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract)
Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
5/5 Stars $0.00 $0.00 $0.65

Why Charles Schwab is the best broker for high-net-worth investors: Charles Schwab earns the top spot for high-net-worth investors because it combines full-scale wealth capabilities with one of the strongest self-directed experiences in the industry. Schwab is built to support complex financial lives, whether that means managing multiple taxable and retirement accounts, coordinating trust or business accounts, or balancing long-term planning with active decision-making. It offers the kind of depth and operational reliability that becomes increasingly important as your net worth grows.

Wealth management that adapts to how involved you want to be: Schwab stands out for giving investors real choice in how they engage with guidance. You can work with dedicated wealth management and planning services, or take a more hands-on approach using Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, which pairs automated portfolio management with ongoing access to Certified Financial Planners. This flexibility makes it easy to scale advice up or down without changing firms or feeling locked into a single model.

Institutional-grade research and fixed-income depth: Schwab’s research experience is one of its biggest differentiators for high net worth investors. From detailed stock, ETF, and mutual fund analysis to a best-in-class fixed-income platform, Schwab delivers the tools needed to evaluate risk, income, and opportunity across market conditions. Bond and CD ladders, yield curve analysis, robust screeners, and access to fixed-income specialists make it especially well suited for investors managing large, diversified portfolios.

Desktop chart of U.S. unemployment rates alongside a live news feed and streaming headlines

This screenshot showcases a desktop chart of U.S. unemployment rates alongside a live news feed and streaming headlines, enabling traders to track macroeconomic trends in real time. Access to this level of economic insight helps investors connect data with market movement.

Jessica's take:

"Schwab is one of the few brokers that truly scales with you. It handles complex needs like trusts, fixed income, and multi-account households with ease, while still giving you the option to stay hands-on or get guidance when you want it."

Jessica Inskip

jessica_inskip_170.png

Built for complexity and longevity: With support for trust accounts, business entities, advanced account maintenance, and seamless money movement, Schwab is designed to grow with you. It is a platform that prioritizes durability, clarity, and control, making it an excellent long-term home for high-net-worth individuals who want both sophistication and flexibility in one place.

2. Fidelity - Best for fixed-income investors

Company Overall Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract)
Fidelity logoFidelity
5/5 Stars $0.00 $0.00 $0.65

Fidelity is built for investors who want depth without drama, strong planning tools, fast execution across asset classes, and a platform that scales from “I’m optimizing taxes” to “I’m coordinating legacy decisions.” Where Fidelity really earns its place is how naturally it blends philanthropy, fixed income, and day-to-day portfolio oversight into one cohesive experience.

Philanthropic services: Fidelity’s charitable giving tools are a standout for high-net-worth households, especially when donating appreciated assets becomes part of your tax strategy. The Fidelity Charitable Giving Account makes it easy to contribute in a tax-smart way, while Fidelity Philanthropic Consulting adds the human layer, helping you align giving with your values, your goals, and the kind of legacy you actually want to leave behind.

Fixed-income offerings: Fidelity’s fixed income offering is legitimately one of the most complete in the retail space. You get broad access to CDs and bonds, the ability to participate in Treasury auctions and trade the secondary market online, plus research that helps you compare yield, spread, and structure with confidence. And if you’re laddering CDs, Fidelity makes that workflow feel approachable instead of institutional-only.

Platform experience, research, and support: Fidelity keeps the “wealth admin” side clean. Positions are easy to scan, tax and margin details are clearly labeled, and the broader research experience is strong (especially the economic calendar and market insights). Add in a reputation for specialist support and an account lineup that covers everything from complex entities to family-focused accounts, and you’ve got a brokerage that can handle real-world complexity without making you feel like you need a team just to log in.

Economic calendar

Fidelity’s economic calendar is hands-down one of the best out there. It's clean, easy to navigate, and packed with useful info. It clearly highlights market-moving events for the week, so you know exactly what to watch. Tap on any item to get more context, making it a great tool for staying ahead of and understanding key economic events.

3. Interactive Brokers - Best for self-directed investors

Company Overall Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract)
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
5/5 Stars $0.00 $0.00 $0.65 info

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is built to help high net worth self-directed investors with risk management at scale. Between global market access and an institutional-grade toolset, IBKR is a strong fit for traders managing larger, more complex portfolios who want to stay fully in the driver’s seat.

Institutional-level risk and portfolio analytics: This is where IBKR really earns its place. Trader Workstation includes tools like Risk Navigator and scenario analysis that let you stress-test positions, measure exposure versus a benchmark, and model “what-if” outcomes without doing manual math. If you are managing concentrated positions, hedges, or multiple strategies across accounts, this level of analytics is a major advantage.

Execution and advanced order control: IBKR offers a deep menu of advanced orders and algo trading tools designed to reduce friction when size matters. You can build bracket orders, hedge orders, and sophisticated options trades with net Greeks and profile analysis, plus features like “walk” orders that help options traders adjust pricing without constant cancel-replace workflows.

Research depth for serious decision-making: IBKR doesn’t just give headlines. You get broad third-party research access, AI news summaries on quote pages, and connected insights that link a stock to peers, themes, and related products. It’s especially strong for investors who research deeply and want multiple lenses before deploying serious capital.

A screenshot of comments on a typical educational course.

Interactive Brokers’ Traders' Academy is a comprehensive education hub covering everything from beginner investing basics to advanced trading strategies. Organized by product type and skill level, the platform even offers accredited courses designed for financial professionals seeking continuing education.

4. E*TRADE - Best for options income traders

Company Overall Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract)
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
4.5/5 Stars $0.00 $0.00 $0.65

E*TRADE works for self-directed investors who want a trading-first platform plus comprehensive research. With Morgan Stanley-backed insights and a workflow that supports frequent, higher-dollar decision-making, it’s a strong “do it yourself, but not alone” experience.

Options tools that scale: Power E*TRADE Pro makes multi-leg options trading straightforward (including drag-and-drop) and pairs it with Snapshot Analysis for risk/reward and probability. For income-focused high net worth traders, E*TRADE’s options suite, like the income backtester, strategy optimizer, and probability tools, adds structure for covered calls and cash-secured puts.

Macros and event tracking: The calendar is a standout: earnings and economic events are filterable and built to trade around, complete with implied move analysis and direct trade launch. Add Bloomberg TV, streaming news, and Market View, and you can stay on top of catalysts without leaving the platform.

5. Merrill Edge Self-Directed - Best for premium services & exclusive perks

Company Overall Minimum Deposit Stock Trades Options (Per Contract)
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
4.5/5 Stars $0.00 $0.00 $0.65

Merrill Edge Self-Directed is at its best when you want your investing, banking, and borrowing under one roof. The web experience is polished, and the Dynamic Insights dashboard does a great job answering the only three questions that matter: how you’re doing, what’s happening in your positions, and what’s moving the market.

MarketPro tools: Merrill Edge MarketPro brings serious depth with highly customizable layouts, robust charting, and Trading Central event markers that add context right on the chart. There’s also a portfolio analysis tool that helps you break down performance, P/E (TTM), and beta by position, sector, or product.

Comprehensive research: Merrill’s in-house research is a legitimate differentiator. They have deep macro and micro coverage, frequent updates, and helpful idea tools like Stock Story/Fund Story and thematic Idea Builder.

Bonds and margin rate comparison

Company Fixed Income (Municipal Bonds) Fixed Income (Corporate Bonds) Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99
Charles Schwab logoCharles Schwab
Yes Yes 12.08%
Fidelity logoFidelity
Yes Yes 12.075%
Interactive Brokers logoInteractive Brokers
Yes Yes 6.83% info
E*TRADE logoE*TRADE
Yes Yes 12.7%
Merrill Edge logoMerrill Edge
Yes Yes Varies info

FAQs

Which is the best broker for high net worth investors?

After testing 16 of the best brokers in the industry, we found that Charles Schwab is the best broker for high-net-worth investors. Schwab stands out for its ability to handle complex financial lives, offering strong self-directed tools alongside scalable wealth management, trust and business account support, and best-in-class fixed-income research. Its flexibility, institutional-grade resources, and long-term reliability make it great for managing large, diversified portfolios.

What is considered a high net worth investor?

Within the online stock brokerage industry, a high net worth individual (HNWI) is generally defined as someone who has liquid financial assets exceeding a certain threshold, typically ranging from $1 million to $5 million (in some cases, up to $10 million). However, the exact amount may vary depending on the brokerage, country, or market segment.

Where do high net worth individuals invest?

High net worth individuals usually have diversified portfolios of a variety of investments. They are typically less concerned about growth and more concerned with maintaining their purchasing power, minimizing taxes, and preserving their assets.

Is it safe to keep more than $500,000 in a brokerage account?

It’s likely safe, but it’s not optimal. The maximum coverage offered by the Securities Investors Protection Corporation is $500,000 per individual, of which a maximum of $250,000 can be cash. Some brokerages can automatically sweep cash balances into several FDIC insured accounts at partner banks.

Our testing

Why you should trust us

Jessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. A former FINRA-licensed rep, she held Series 7, 63, 66, and 4 licenses. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research, appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg, The Schwab Network, Fox Business, and Yahoo! Finance, and hosts the Market MakeHer podcast.

Blain Reinkensmeyer, co-founder of StockBrokers.com, has been investing and trading for over 25 years. After having placed over 2,000 trades in his late teens and early 20s, he became one of the first in digital media to review online brokerages. Today, Blain is widely respected as a leading expert on finance and investing, specifically the U.S. online brokerage industry. Blain has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Fast Company, among others. Blain created the original scoring rubrics for StockBrokers.com and oversees all testing and rating methodologies.

How we tested

  • We used our own brokerage accounts for testing.
  • We collected thousands of data points across the brokers we review.
  • We tested each online broker's website, desktop platforms, and mobile app, where applicable.
  • We maintained strict editorial independence; brokers cannot pay for inclusion or a higher rating.

Our research team meticulously collected data on every feature of importance to a wide range of customer profiles, including beginners, casual investors, passive investors, and active traders. We carefully track variables like margin rates, trading costs, fees, and platform features and use them to help rate brokers across a range of categories measuring ease of use, range of investments, research, education, and more.

At StockBrokers.com, our reviewers use a variety of computing devices to evaluate platforms and tools. Our reviews and data collection were conducted using the following devices: iPhone SE running iOS 17.5.1, MacBook Pro M1 with 8 GB RAM running the current MacOS, and a Dell Vostro 5402 laptop i5 with 8 GB RAM running Windows 11 Pro.

Each broker was evaluated and scored on over 200 different variables across seven key categories: Range of Investments, Platforms & Tools, Research, Mobile Trading, Education, Ease of Use, and Overall. Learn more about how we test.

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About the Editorial Team

Jessica Inskip

Jessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. A former FINRA-licensed rep, she held Series 7, 63, 66, and 4 licenses. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research, appears regularly on CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg, and hosts the Market MakeHer podcast.

Jeff Anberg

Jeff Anberg is a Senior Editor at StockBrokers.com. Along with years of experience in media distribution at a global newsroom, Jeff has a versatile knowledge base encompassing the technology and financial markets. He is a long-time active investor and engages in research on emerging markets like cryptocurrency. Jeff holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy from San Francisco State University.

Steven Hatzakis

Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. Steven is an active fintech and crypto industry researcher and advises blockchain companies at the board level. Over the past 20 years, Steven has held numerous positions within the international forex markets, from writing to consulting to serving as a registered commodity futures representative.

Blain Reinkensmeyer

Blain Reinkensmeyer has 20 years of trading experience with over 2,500 trades placed during that time. He heads research for all U.S.-based brokerages on StockBrokers.com and is respected by executives as the leading expert covering the online broker industry. Blain’s insights have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune, among other media outlets.

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