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eToroAlly Invest Review
Written by Sam Levine, CFA, CMT
Edited by Carolyn Kimball
Fact-checked by Steven Hatzakis
Reviewed by Blain Reinkensmeyer
Easy to use and convenient, Ally Invest is fine for beginners and casual investors who are already Ally customers. Like many of Ally’s services, Invest caters to those beginning to accumulate savings and wealth.
Its margin rates and commissions are low, but one-time fees (such as those for outgoing transfers or closing retirement accounts) are higher than many competitors. My testing found that Invest is missing many features that I rely on when I trade, such as streaming quotes, adjusting trades on charts, and ladder trading.
-
Minimum Deposit:
$0.00 -
Stock Trades:
$0.00 -
Options (Per Contract):
$0.50
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Pros & Cons
Pros
- As a best-in-class banking and brokerage combination, Ally delivers universal account access and instant money transfers between accounts.
- Ally offers $0 no-load mutual fund trades.
- Bond buyers will find plenty of choices and useful muni bond research.
- Personal wealth management services are available to clients with only $100,000 in investable assets, for a reasonable 0.85% annual fee.
- Customer support is excellent. My calls and chats with Ally’s 24/7 support (give or take holidays) had relatively low wait times and well-informed reps.
- Ally has supportive educational content directed at those beginning to save toward financial goals and building wealth.
Cons
- Ally Invest's web charts are better than many other brokers, but its trading tools aren’t in the same league as the leading competitors.
- Ally doesn’t offer crypto, futures, or forex.
- Stocks under $2.00 have a commission of $4.95, plus $0.01 per share, with a commission cap of “the principal value of the trade,” which can be hit with very low-priced securities.
Overall summary
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Overall |
|
| Investment Options |
|
| Commissions & Fees |
|
| Mobile Trading Apps |
|
| Platforms & Tools |
|
| Research |
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| Customer Service |
|
| Education |
|
| Ease Of Use |
|
Ally Invest Trading Platform Screenshots
Website:
Mobile app:
Customer service
To score Customer Service, StockBrokers.com partners with customer experience research firm Confero to conduct phone tests from locations throughout the United States. For this year's testing, 135 customer service tests were conducted over six weeks, with wait times logged for each call.
Customer service representatives were asked for assistance or details for prospective customers in several areas of broker services, including account opening, trading tools, apps, rollovers, active trading, and more. Here are the results for Ally Invest.
- Average Connection Time: <1 minute
- Average Net Promoter Score: 8.7 / 10
- Average Professionalism Score: 8.3 / 10
- Overall Score: 8.69 / 10
- Ranking: 4th of 13 brokers
What is Ally Invest?
Ally Invest is the brokerage arm of Ally Financial, which offers traditional banking services such as checking and savings accounts, mortgages, and consumer credit cards and loans.
Is Ally Invest a good broker?
Current Ally customers who are willing to accept a limited roster of features to manage most of their finances at the same firm will find Ally Invest to be, well, convenient. We were pleasantly surprised by the research available on the website.
Ally's brokerage side also has excellent fixed-income market access and research and offers a very wide choice of mutual funds. Short-term traders, mobile-only, and tool-hungry investors should consider other brokers.
Is Ally Invest good for beginners?
Yes, for beginners looking to bank and invest under one roof, Ally Invest could be a good place to start, especially if you already have ties to Ally. The platform is easy to use, there's supportive education content directed towards beginners just starting to save, and I found the customer support to be better than what I find at many other brokers.
Does Ally charge brokerage fees?
Ally doesn’t charge commissions or fees on no-load mutual funds and stock and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), except for stocks priced under $2, which have a minimum of $4.95 a trade and a maximum of 20% of the principal value. Options trades are 50 cents per contract, with no exercise or early assignment fees. Bond trades are $1 per bond. There are also incidental fees.
What is the minimum balance for Ally Invest?
Like many online U.S. brokers, Ally Invest doesn’t have a minimum balance and there’s no minimum deposit required to open an account, making it a good choice for investors who want to regularly invest in mutual funds.
How do I get my money out of Ally Invest?
Select “Transfers” at the top of the Ally Invest website to move money. Ally allows you to withdraw available cash or margin via ACH, a check, an instant transfer to your Ally account, or a wire.
Is Ally Invest good for day trading?
Ally Invest doesn’t charge stock commissions (like almost all brokers today) but is missing features many traders rely upon, such as Level 2 quotes, adjusting trades on charts, low margin rates, and detailed option data, among many others. See our five top picks in our guide to the best day trading platforms.
Is Ally Invest trustworthy?
Yes, Ally Invest is a member of both FINRA and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, or SIPC, which carries protection for customer accounts in the event of a broker’s bankruptcy. It’s important to understand that, as with any broker, SIPC insurance does not protect against market losses — investing is a risky endeavor.
Is Ally Invest’s robo advisor any good?
Ally’s robo portfolios, also known as automated investing services, make it easy for investors to invest in portfolios aligned with their goals. Ally uses low-cost exchange-traded funds and rebalances them as market conditions change. The investment minimum is just $100 and Ally doesn’t charge for robo portfolios with cash allocations of 30%. Otherwise, the annual fee is 0.30% of assets under robo management.
How does Ally Invest make its money?
Ally Invest makes money in the same way that other banks and brokers do. On brokerage accounts, Ally makes money from the practice of payment for order flow, or PFOF, as do nearly all other brokers in this age of $0 trades. Read more about PFOF.
About Ally Invest
Ally Invest is the online brokerage arm of Ally Financial (publicly traded, "ALLY"), which also operates Ally Bank. Ally Financial is best known for its FDIC-insured banking services through Ally Bank, which includes online banking, auto financing, and home loans.
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Show allStockBrokers.com Review Methodology
Our mission at StockBrokers.com is simple: provide thorough and unbiased reviews of online brokers, based on an extraordinary level of hands-on testing and data collection. Our ratings and awards are based on this data and our in-house experts’ deep authority in the field; brokers cannot pay for preferential treatment. Here’s more about trustworthiness at StockBrokers.com.
Our research team conducts thorough testing on a wide range of features, products, services, and tools for U.S. investors, collecting and validating thousands of data points in the process; this makes StockBrokers.com home to the largest independent database on the web covering the online broker industry. We test all available trading platforms for each broker and evaluate them based on a host of data-driven variables.
As part of our process, all brokers had the annual opportunity to provide updates and key milestones and complete an in-depth data profile, which we hand-checked for accuracy. Brokers also were offered the opportunity to provide executive time for an annual update meeting.
Our rigorous data validation process yields an error rate of less than .001% each year, providing site visitors quality data they can trust. Learn more about how we test or about StockBrokers.com.
Ally Invest 2024 Results
For the StockBrokers.com 2024 Annual Awards, announced on Jan. 23, 2024, all U.S. equity brokers we reviewed were assessed on over 200 different variables across eight areas: Commissions & Fees, Investment Options, Platforms & Tools, Research, Mobile Trading, Education, Ease of Use, and Overall.
StockBrokers.com also presented “Best in Class” awards to brokers for additional categories Beginners, Options Trading, Futures Trading, Active Trading, IRA Accounts, Investor Community, Penny Stock Trading, Banking Services and Customer Service. A “Best in Class” designation means finishing in the top five brokers for that category.
For more information, see how we test. New to investing? Check out our beginner's guide on how to invest.
Category awards
| Rank #1 | Streak #1 | Best in Class | Best in Class Streak | |
| Bank Brokerage | 7 | |||
| Customer Service | 2 |
Ally Invest fees and features data
The data collection efforts at StockBrokers.com are unmatched in the industry. The following tables show a deeper dive into the offerings available at this broker. You can also compare its offerings side-by-side with those of other brokers using our Comparison Tool.
In addition to meticulous annual data collection by our in-house analyst, every broker that participates in our review is afforded the opportunity to complete an in-depth data profile. We then audit each data point to ensure its accuracy.
Trading fees
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $0.00 |
| Stock Trades | $0.00 |
| Mutual Fund Trade Fee | $0.00 |
| Options (Base Fee) | $0.00 |
| Options (Per Contract) | $0.50 |
| Futures (Per Contract) | (Not offered) |
| Broker Assisted Trade Fee | $20 |
Account fees
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| IRA Annual Fee | $0.00 |
| IRA Closure Fee | $25.00 |
| Account Transfer Out (Partial) | $50.00 |
| Account Transfer Out (Full) | $50.00 |
| Options Exercise Fee | $0.00 |
| Options Assignment Fee | $0.00 |
Margin rates
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Margin Rate Under $25,000 | 13% |
| Margin Rate $25,000 to $49,999.99 | 12.75% |
| Margin Rate $50,000 to $99,999.99 | 12% |
| Margin Rate $100,000 to $249,999.99 | 10.75% |
| Margin Rate $250,000 to $499,999.99 | 9.75% |
| Margin Rate $500,000 to $999,999.99 | 9.25% |
| Margin Rate Above $1,000,000 | 8.5% |
Investment options
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Stock Trading | Yes |
| Margin Trading | Yes |
| Fractional Shares | No |
| OTC Stocks | Yes |
| Options Trading | Yes |
| Complex Options Max Legs | 4 |
| Futures Trading | No |
| Forex Trading | No |
| Crypto Trading | No |
| Crypto Trading - Total Coins | 0 |
| Mutual Funds (No Load) | 13000 |
| Mutual Funds (Total) | 14000 |
| Bonds (US Treasury) | Yes |
| Bonds (Corporate) | Yes |
| Bonds (Municipal) | Yes |
| Advisor Services | Yes |
| International Countries (Stocks) | 0 |
Order types
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Order Type - Market | Yes |
| Order Type - Limit | Yes |
| Order Type - After Hours | Yes |
| Order Type - Stop | Yes |
| Order Type - Trailing Stop | No |
| Order Type - OCO | No |
| Order Type - OTO | No |
| Order Type - Broker Assisted | Yes |
Beginners
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Education (Stocks) | Yes |
| Education (ETFs) | Yes |
| Education (Options) | Yes |
| Education (Mutual Funds) | Yes |
| Education (Bonds) | Yes |
| Education (Retirement) | Yes |
| Retirement Calculator | No |
| Investor Dictionary | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Videos | No |
| Webinars | No |
| Webinars (Archived) | Yes |
| Progress Tracking | No |
| Interactive Learning - Quizzes | No |
Stock trading apps
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| iPhone App | Yes |
| Android App | Yes |
| Apple Watch App | No |
| Trading - Stocks | Yes |
| Trading - After-Hours | Yes |
| Trading - Simple Options | Yes |
| Trading - Complex Options | Yes |
| Order Ticket RT Quotes | Yes |
| Order Ticket SRT Quotes | No |
Stock app features
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Market Movers (Top Gainers) | Yes |
| Stream Live TV | No |
| Videos on Demand | No |
| Stock Alerts | No |
| Option Chains Viewable | Yes |
| Watch List (Real-time) | Yes |
| Watch List (Streaming) | No |
| Watch Lists - Create & Manage | Yes |
| Watch Lists - Column Customization | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 10 |
Stock app charting
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Charting - After-Hours | No |
| Charting - Can Turn Horizontally | No |
| Charting - Multiple Time Frames | Yes |
| Charting - Technical Studies | 0 |
| Charting - Study Customizations | No |
| Charting - Stock Comparisons | No |
Trading platforms overview
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Active Trading Platform | N/A |
| Desktop Trading Platform | No |
| Desktop Platform (Mac) | No |
| Web Trading Platform | Yes |
| Paper Trading | No |
| Trade Journal | No |
| Watch Lists - Total Fields | 10 |
Trading platform stock chart features
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Charting - Adjust Trades on Chart | No |
| Charting - Indicators / Studies | 120 |
| Charting - Drawing Tools | 36 |
| Charting - Notes | Yes |
| Charting - Index Overlays | Yes |
| Charting - Historical Trades | No |
| Charting - Corporate Events | No |
| Charting - Custom Date Range | No |
| Charting - Custom Time Bars | No |
| Charting - Automated Analysis | Yes |
| Charting - Save Profiles | Yes |
| Trade Ideas - Technical Analysis | Yes |
| Charting - Study Customizations | 8 |
| Charting - Custom Studies | No |
Day trading features
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Streaming Time & Sales | No |
| Streaming TV | No |
| Direct Market Routing - Stocks | No |
| Ladder Trading | No |
| Trade Hotkeys | No |
| Level 2 Quotes - Stocks | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting | No |
| Trade Ideas - Backtesting Adv | No |
| Short Locator | No |
| Order Liquidity Rebates | No |
Investment research overview
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Research - Stocks | Yes |
| Research - ETFs | Yes |
| Research - Mutual Funds | Yes |
| Research - Pink Sheets / OTCBB | Yes |
| Research - Bonds | Yes |
| Screener - Stocks | Yes |
| Screener - ETFs | Yes |
| Screener - Mutual Funds | No |
| Screener - Bonds | Yes |
| Misc - Portfolio Allocation | Yes |
Stock research features
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Stock Research - PDF Reports | 0 |
| Stock Research - Earnings | No |
| Stock Research - Insiders | Yes |
| Stock Research - Social | Yes |
| Stock Research - News | Yes |
| Stock Research - ESG | No |
| Stock Research - SEC Filings | No |
ETF research features
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| ETFs - Strategy Overview | Yes |
| ETF Fund Facts - Inception Date | No |
| ETF Fund Facts - Expense Ratio | Yes |
| ETF Fund Facts - Net Assets | Yes |
| ETF Fund Facts - Total Holdings | No |
| ETFs - Top 10 Holdings | Yes |
| ETFs - Sector Exposure | No |
| ETFs - Risk Analysis | No |
| ETFs - Ratings | Yes |
| ETFs - Morningstar StyleMap | No |
| ETFs - PDF Reports | No |
Mutual fund research features
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Mutual Funds - Strategy Overview | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Chart | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Performance Analysis | No |
| Mutual Funds - Prospectus | No |
| Mutual Funds - 3rd Party Ratings | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Fees Breakdown | No |
| Mutual Funds - Top 10 Holdings | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Asset Allocation | No |
| Mutual Funds - Sector Allocation | Yes |
| Mutual Funds - Country Allocation | No |
| Mutual Funds - StyleMap | No |
Options trading overview
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Option Chains - Basic View | Yes |
| Option Chains - Strategy View | Yes |
| Option Chains - Streaming | Yes |
| Option Chains - Total Columns | 8 |
| Option Chains - Greeks | 5 |
| Option Chains - Quick Analysis | Yes |
| Option Analysis - P&L Charts | No |
| Option Probability Analysis | Yes |
| Option Probability Analysis Adv | No |
| Option Positions - Greeks | Yes |
| Option Positions - Greeks Streaming | No |
| Option Positions - Adv Analysis | No |
| Option Positions - Rolling | No |
| Option Positions - Grouping | Yes |
Banking features
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Bank (Member FDIC) | Yes |
| Checking Accounts | Yes |
| Savings Accounts | Yes |
| Credit Cards | Yes |
| Debit Cards | Yes |
| Mortgage Loans | Yes |
Customer service options
| Feature |
Ally Invest
|
|---|---|
| Phone Support (Prospect Customers) | Yes |
| Phone Support (Current Customers) | Yes |
| Email Support | Yes |
| Live Chat (Prospect Customers) | No |
| Live Chat (Current Customers) | Yes |
| 24/7 Support | Yes |
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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.
Carolyn Kimball is a former managing editor for StockBrokers.com and investor.com. Carolyn has more than 20 years of writing and editing experience at major media outlets including NerdWallet, the Los Angeles Times and the San Jose Mercury News. She specializes in coverage of personal financial products and services, wielding her editing skills to clarify complex (some might say befuddling) topics to help consumers make informed decisions about their money.
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.