E*TRADE has a stock loan program in which you can share the revenue it generates from lending the stocks held in your account to other traders or hedge funds (usually for short sales).
E*TRADE's order routing technology uses both spray and sequential routing, and most orders are sent to market makers. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our TD Ameritrade offers investors access to more mutual funds and ETFs that are free of transaction fees.
Due to its comprehensive educational offerings, live events, and in-person help available at a vast network of branch offices, TD Ameritrade is our top choice for beginners. For options orders, an options regulatory fee per contract may apply.StockBrokers.com is committed to the highest ethical standards and reviews services independently.
Both brokers generate interest income from the difference between what you're paid on your idle cash and what they earn on customer balances. E*TRADE offers two apps: The E*TRADE mobile app and the more advanced Power E*TRADE app. E*TRADE's official website can be difficult to navigate due to its two-level menus. E*TRADE offers 24/7 phone line support with access to brokers as well as to retirement specialists, financial consultants, active trader consultants, and product specialists.
E*TRADE and TD Ameritrade's security are up to industry standards.
TD Ameritrade: $0 commission stock and ETF trades. Checking Accounts, Debit Cards and Credit Cards are offered by TD Ameritrade while E*TRADE offers Checking Accounts, Savings Accounts and Debit Cards. Through Nov. 2019, neither brokerage had any significant data breaches reported by the Identity Theft Research Center. E*TRADE Review TD Ameritrade Review Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. For our 2020 annual broker review, we spent hundreds of hours assessing 15 brokerages to find the
E*TRADE and TD Ameritrade have both put effort into creating well-designed, fully functional mobile apps. TD Ameritrade offers 24/7 phone support, as well as chatbots on Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Apple Business Chat, and WeChat (in Asia). Both have per-contract options fees of $0.65, and $25 for broker-assisted trades, but mutual funds outside the no-fee list will cost $49.99 through Ameritrade versus E*TRADE's $19.99. The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation. Overall, between E*TRADE and TD Ameritrade, TD Ameritrade is the better online broker. The thinkorswim interface is more intuitive, easier to navigate, and you can create analysis tools using thinkScript. Learn more Both brokerages offer educational content, including articles, glossaries, videos, and webinars.
However, only E*TRADE allows you to calculate the tax impact of future trades. E*TRADE and TD Ameritrade both support robust apps with useful functionality and modern layouts. You can also place orders from a chart and track them visually. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts.
Streaming real-time data is included, and you can trade the same asset classes that each broker offers through its respective web platform (except for single name bonds for E*TRADE). Live chat is supported on its app, and a virtual client service agent, Ask Ted, provides automated support online. Many of the online brokers we evaluated provided us with in-person demonstrations of its platforms at our offices. Both brokerages provide access to watchlists, streaming real-time data and news, charting and research, and trade tickets on mobile. Overall, TD Ameritrade was Investopedia's top pick for beginners, while E*TRADE ranked high for active traders and experienced investors.
E*Trade vs TD Ameritrade Results TD Ameritrade won most categories, but E*Trade would be a good choice for option traders. We publish unbiased product reviews; our opinions are our own and are not influenced by payment we receive from our advertising partners.