Fidelity vs. J.P. Morgan: Key Points
• You can open self-directed trading accounts at J.P. Morgan Investing, Charles Schwab, and Fidelity Investments.
• Only Schwab and Fidelity provide managed accounts.
• Fidelity and Schwab have more advanced software.
J.P. Morgan Investing vs. Fidelity and Schwab Introduction
Are you seeking a financial company to handle your money and grow your investments? If so, take a look at Schwab, Fidelity, and J.P. Morgan Investing. Here’s a quick look at how these three major firms compare:
Services
Category #1: Cost
| Broker Fees |
Stock/ETF
Commission |
Mutual Fund
Commission |
Options
Commission |
Maintenance
Fee |
Annual IRA
Fee |
|
Charles Schwab
|
$0
|
$49.95 ($0 to sell)
|
$0.65 per contract
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
Fidelity
|
$0
|
$49.95
|
$0.65 per contract
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
Chase
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0.65 per contract
|
$0
|
$0
|
Assets and Accounts
Self-directed traders at Charles Schwab can invest in the following:
- Stocks (including OTC, penny, and foreign shares)
- Options
- ETFs
- Closed-end funds
- Mutual funds
- Forex
- Futures
- Bonds and other fixed-income products
Fidelity doesn’t have futures or forex but keeps everything else on Schwab’s list and adds crypto trading. J.P. Morgan Investing doesn’t offer cryptocurrencies, futures, forex, penny stocks, or foreign assets. However, it does include everything else on Schwab’s list.
Next is investment advice. Schwab and Fidelity both have managed accounts. J.P. Morgan Investing itself doesn’t offer advice, but its sister brand J.P. Morgan Wealth Management does full-service accounts. Only Fidelity and Schwab have robo accounts.
Taxable and tax-deferred accounts are offered at all three firms. Fidelity and Schwab, but not J.P. Morgan Investing, have extra account choices like trusts and 529 plans.
Winner: Very close between Fidelity and Schwab
Cash Management
Investing is just the start at these three companies. Bank products of many types can be opened or linked at all of them.
J.P. Morgan Investing is part of Chase Bank, and any deposit account at Chase will connect to a brokerage account automatically. Chase provides benefits like debit cards and checks, though some bank accounts have fees, and free withdrawals are only at Chase ATMs (unless you have Sapphire checking at $25 a month).
You can avoid these fees at Schwab Bank, which issues a Visa debit card and checks with its no-fee checking account. The card offers endless ATM reimbursements worldwide and no foreign transaction fees.
Fidelity refunds ATM fees across the U.S. on one of its combined brokerage-bank accounts. Another service, called Bloom, doesn’t provide ATM fee refunds, but it has other perks, such as cash back and savings rewards.
All three firms have money market funds with yields of around 4% APY.
Winner: Schwab
Margin
Brokerage accounts at these three companies can have margin enabled. Even with margin, J.P. Morgan Investing doesn’t allow short selling of stocks and ETFs, and you can’t trade mutual funds, bonds, or options in a margin account there.
Schwab’s margin rate is 12.575% to 10.875%. Fidelity clients pay 12.575% to 8.575%. J.P. Morgan Investing customers are charged 12.25% to 7.25%.
Winner: Fidelity
Mobile Apps
Fidelity has two apps: a main Fidelity app and the Bloom app. You can find trading tools, charting, and research on the main app. Charts have 8 technical studies and 5 chart types. Option chains contain 12 standard spreads, and you can build custom orders.
Schwab also has two apps. Its second app isn’t for banking; it’s a trading powerhouse called thinkorswim. It has charting with over 400 indicators, though candlestick is the only chart style. The order form includes advanced features.
J.P. Morgan Investing runs inside the Chase Bank app, so you get plenty of personal-finance tools, but its trading section is limited with basic features.
Winner: Schwab
Websites
thinkorswim shows up again on Schwab’s website, but this time as a browser-based platform. It loses some technical indicators, although a few advanced features remain, like Level II quotes.
Fidelity does not have a standalone web platform, but its main site has impressive trading tools, including a high-level trading ticket with conditional, OCO, and bracket orders. Charts have loads of drawing tools and styles.
The J.P. Morgan Investing website also offers charting, though it can’t go full-screen. Its trading tools lag behind Fidelity’s and Schwab’s in advanced features. For instance, there are no option tools.
Winner: Schwab
Desktop Programs
Both Fidelity and Schwab customers can use desktop trading at no cost. Schwab provides thinkorswim, while Fidelity offers Active Trader Pro. Both platforms have many advanced capabilities.
Winner: Schwab
Extra Services
Extended Hours: Offered at Fidelity and Schwab.
Recurring Mutual Fund Purchases: All three broker-dealers allow automatic mutual fund buys.
Dividend Reinvestment Plans: DRIP can be activated for stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds at any of these firms.
Fully-Paid Stock Lending: Fidelity and Schwab give customers the chance to earn extra income by loaning shares.
Fractional Shares: Schwab lets you invest in the 500 stocks of the S&P Index in dollar amounts. Fidelity offers dollar-based stock and ETF trades for nearly all securities.
Initial Public Offerings: Fidelity and Schwab both give access to IPOs.
IRA Lineups: You can open retirement accounts at all three firms. Only J.P. Morgan Investing has an exit fee.
Winner: Fidelity and Schwab
Promotions
Charles Schwab: $0 commissions + satisfaction guarantee at Charles Schwab.
Chase:
Get $0 stock commissions at J.P. Morgan.
Fidelity: Currently, no promotions.
Our Recommendations
Mutual Funds: Fidelity offers the largest selection. Schwab has more no-transaction-fee funds.
Long-Term Investors & Retirement Savers: Fidelity or Schwab.
Active Stock Trading: Schwab with thinkorswim in desktop mode.
Small Accounts: Schwab’s robo service requires $5k, so that might be out. Fidelity’s automated service has no minimum. Regular brokerage accounts at all three firms have no minimum.
Beginning Investors: A managed account at any of these companies.
Fidelity vs JP Morgan Judgment
Overall, Charles Schwab holds a lead over Fidelity, and both of them stay well ahead of J.P. Morgan
Investing.
Open Charles Schwab Account
Visit Schwab Website
Open Chase Account
Visit JP Morgan Website
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Updated on 1/29/2025.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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