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Citi Self Invest Review

Written by Sam Levine, CFA, CMT
Fact-checked by Steven Hatzakis
Reviewed by Blain Reinkensmeyer
Edited by John Bringans

June 30, 2025

I opened a Citi Self Invest account and found it easy to use, easy on the eyes, and very convenient for Citi customers. For now, the investment options and tools are sparse. Clients can trade listed stocks, ETFs, and approximately 820 no-load, no-transaction-fee mutual funds. Best of all, there are no account fees or investment minimums.

Citi’s do-it-yourself brokerage is best for clients with limited needs. I like its simplicity, but it could be much stronger with only a few more features. If Citi adds more investment data, stock and fund research, a richer library of educational content, and market commentary, this would be a fine broker for beginning investors.

Minimum Deposit: $0.00
Stock Trades: $0.00
Options (Per Contract): N/A

Ratings Awards Historical Rankings

3.5

OVERALL SCORE

Range of Investments
Mobile Trading Apps
Platforms & Tools
Research
Education
Ease of Use
Customer Service	N/A

Check out StockBrokers.com's picks for the best stock brokers in 2025.

Pros & cons

thumb_up_off_alt Pros

Easy account setup, even without a Citi bank account
Smooth integration between investing and banking
Clean, user-friendly app and website design

thumb_down_off_alt Cons

Basic charts and no in-depth research tools
Strong education content, but limited in scope
Support often confused between banking and investing

Citi Self Invest Star Ratings

Feature	Citi Self Invest
Overall
Range of Investments
Mobile Trading Apps
Platforms & Tools
Research
Customer Service	N/A
Education
Ease of Use

FAQ

What is a Citi Self Invest brokerage account?

A Citi Self Invest account lets Citi customers buy, sell, and hold stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds. Logging on to the Citi website or mobile app allows you to access your Citi Self Invest account next to your banking.

Is Citi Self Invest good?

Citi Self Invest ranked low in our scoring because it’s missing many features and investment choices that are common at other online brokers. If you’re just looking for $0 commission stock and fund trades, Citi’s mobile app and website are attractively designed and very easy to use.

What is self-directed investing?

Self-directed investing is when you buy and sell investments without the help of a pro. Many people prefer self-directed investing for its convenience, the freedom to make their own investing decisions, and to save money on advice fees and commissions.

What is Citi Private Client?

Citigold Private Client is Citi’s service for high net worth investors. Citigroup customers with an average monthly balance of $1,000,000 get enhanced services such as a dedicated service team, more investing options, and premier banking services.

Can I buy bonds through Citibank?

Citi Self Invest does not have bond trading, but clients of Citi’s advisor-assisted wealth management services are able to buy bonds.

Does Citi Self Invest have a trading platform?

Citi Self Invest doesn’t have a platform designed for active traders. Customers can access their investment accounts via the Citi mobile app and the citi.com website.

Is Citi Self Invest good for beginners?

Citi Self Invest is very easy to use, but is not one of our picks for best trading platforms for beginners. It lacks beginner-friendly features such as paper trading and fractional shares. There’s also little guidance and research. The investor education articles are excellent, but other brokers offer a wider selection.

How much do you need to invest in Citi Self Invest?

Citi Self Invest has no minimum investment, but your account will close if you don’t deposit funds within six months. New accounts may be eligible for a Citi Self Invest bonus of up to $500.

Is Citi a safe company to invest with?

Yes, I view Citi as safe. Like all U.S. brokerage firms, Citi Self Invest is regulated by FINRA, and customer accounts are protected against insolvency by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, or SIPC. These protections do not cover market losses.

Does Citi Self Invest charge account fees?

Citi Self Invest does not charge monthly or annual fees, but there are incidental charges, such as transfers out and closing a retirement account. Citi provides a list of those charges.

StockBrokers.com Review Methodology

Why you should trust us

Sam Levine, CFA, CMT, formerly a lead writer for StockBrokers.com, has over 30 years of investing experience and actively trades stocks, ETFs, options, futures, and options on futures. He's held roles as a portfolio manager, financial consultant, investment strategist and journalist. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designations and served on the board of directors of the CMT Association.

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 for each broker.
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 Citi Self Invest

Citi Self Invest is an online brokerage established in July 2021. Self-directed clients can use it to buy mutual funds, stocks, and exchange-traded funds. The service falls under the umbrella of Citigroup’s Citi Personal Wealth Management division.

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About the Editorial Team

Sam Levine has over 30 years of experience in the investing field as a portfolio manager, financial consultant, investment strategist and writer. He also taught investing as an adjunct professor of finance at Wayne State University. Sam holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and the Chartered Market Technician designations and is pursuing a master's in personal financial planning at the College for Financial Planning. Previously, he was a contributing editor at BetterInvesting Magazine and a contributor to The Penny Hoarder and other media outlets.

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 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.

John Bringans is the Managing Editor of StockBrokers.com. An experienced media professional, John has a decade of editorial experience with a background that includes key leadership roles at global newsroom outlets. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University, and conducts research on forex and the financial services industry while assisting in the production of content.