Firstrade
2.3

Firstrade

The Best Deal for Option Traders

Since Firstrade's founding in 1985, our foundational principle has been "Clients Experience First." We empower our clients at every life stage through top-tier service and innovative financial solutions. 

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Pros

  • Free stock, ETF, fund and options trading
  • Solid research tools
  • Quality educational tools

Cons

  • No bank cards or electronic wallets for deposits
  • You can trade only on US markets
  • No live chat or 24/7 availability

Firstrade is a US discount broker regulated by the top-tier SEC and FINRA.

It offers free stock, ETF, mutual fund, and options trading. Non-trading fees are low. Research is high-quality with a lot of tools, including trading ideas and detailed fundamental data. The broker also has great educational tools, including videos and webinars. It is a good choice for beginner investors.

On the negative side, no bank cards or electronic wallets are available for money transfer. The product portfolio covers only the US market. Customer service is slow, support is available only 24/5 and there is no live chat.

 

Firstrade Feature

Headquarters USA
 Regulation SEC, FINRA, SIPC
 Platforms Firstrade Proprietary Trading Platform, Options Wizard, Mobile Apps
 Trading Products Stocks, ETFs, Options, Mutual Funds, Fixed Income, Bonds
Stock Commission From $0
 Paper Trading/ Demo Account No
 Minimum Deposit $0
Base Currencies USD
Education Provided
Customer Support 24/5

Fees

Firstrade has low fees. It offers free stock, ETF, funds, and options trading with low non-trading fees. However, margin rates are high.
We compared Firstrade’s fees with two similar brokers we selected, TradeStation and Interactive Brokers. These competitors were selected based on objective factors like products offered, client profile, fee structure, etc. See a more detailed comparison of Firstrade alternatives.

High margin rates

Firstrade USD margin rate fees are higher than the industry average. USD margin rate fees are calculated as follows: Base rate + tiered markup. Markup is 0-25k: +1.75%.

Low options commission

It’s extremely great as Firstrade has commission-free US stock index options trading.

No inactivity fee, no withdrawal fee

There is no account fee or inactivity fee. There is no withdrawal fee if you use ACH transfer. However, withdrawals using domestic or international wire transfers cost $25. We tested ACH, so we paid no withdrawal fee.

Safety

Firstrade is a legit brokerage. It is regulated by top-tier financial authorities, such as the SEC and FINRA. Clients enjoy a high investor protection amount of $500,000, which includes $250,000 for cash. On the other hand, negative balance protection is not provided.

Deposit and withdrawal

We liked Firstrade’s user-friendly deposit and withdrawal process. There is no deposit fee and transferring money is easy. At the same time, there is still room for improvement: you can use only bank transfers and a high fee is charged for wire transfer withdrawals.

Mobile app

Firstrade’s mobile platform is user-friendly with a great search function. On the other hand, two-step login is not available and you can’t trade mutual funds or bonds.

Web trading platform

Firstrade’s web platform has a straightforward design, making it easy to use even for beginners. On the negative side, it lacks a two-step login and the customizability of the main sections is quite limited.
 

Minimum Deposit
$0
$0 Commission & $0 Contract Fee !

1.0
Safe & Secure
3.0
Communication Options
2.0
Detailed Profiles
3.0
Customer Support
2.3 Overall Rating

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Firstrade
2.3/10