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Broker Comparison

Ally Invest vs Lightspeed Financial

Compare Ally Invest and Lightspeed Financial side by side: fees, regulation, platforms.

Ally Invest

Ally Invest

DIY investors who also want managed portfolio options

Ally Invest combines self-directed trading with robo portfolios and personal advice, with $0 commissions on m…

VS
Lightspeed Financial

Lightspeed Financial

High-volume active and professional traders

Lightspeed Financial is a US broker targeting active and professional traders with volume-tiered commissions …

Head-to-head comparison

Ally Invest vs Lightspeed Financial
Feature Ally Invest Lightspeed Financial
Minimum deposit No minimum deposit required for Self-Directed brokerage cash account; $2,000 for Self-Directed brokerage margin accounts; $100 for Robo Portfolios; $100,000 for Personal Advice -
Stock trading fee $0 commission Per-share: from $0.001 (over 15 million shares/month) to standard rate (under 250,000 shares/month); per-trade: from $2.00 (over 10,000 trades/month) to $3.99 (over 250 trades/month); $0.25 minimum per order on Web and Mobile
Regulators FINRA, SIPC, SEC FINRA, NFA, SIPC
Best for DIY investors who also want managed portfolio options High-volume active and professional traders
Markets & account
Stocks
ETFs
Bonds
-
Options
Futures
-
Funds
-
Margin
Ready Made Portfolios
-
Demo Account
-

Pros & cons

Ally Invest

Ally Invest

Pros

  • $0 commissions on most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs
  • $0 options commission with a $0.50 contract fee
  • $100 minimum for Ally Invest Robo Portfolios
  • Cash-enhanced Robo Portfolios have no advisory fee
  • Daily robo review and rebalancing at no extra fee
  • $75 ACAT transfer-fee credit on $2,500+ transfers
  • Apex adds up to $150 million aggregate excess coverage

Cons

  • $2,000 minimum deposit for Self-Directed margin accounts
  • $100,000 minimum assets for Personal Advice
  • Market-focused Robo Portfolios charge 0.30% annually
  • Low-priced securities cost $4.95 plus $0.01 per share
  • Personal Advice is available only to current customers
  • Withdrawals over 20% of Personal Advice account require a call
  • Robo ETF expense ratios are not included in advisory fee
Lightspeed Financial

Lightspeed Financial

Pros

  • Volume-tiered stock commissions as low as $0.001 per share
  • Options commissions as low as $0.20 per contract for high-volume traders
  • Multiple professional platforms including Lightspeed Trader Pro, Sterling Trader Pro, and Eze EMS
  • Futures trading available via CQG integration
  • FINRA and NFA member with SIPC protection
  • 10-day demo account available to test platforms
  • ACH deposits and withdrawals are free

Cons

  • $25,000 account minimum for flagship desktop platforms
  • $25 monthly minimum fee for accounts under $15,000
  • Lightspeed Trader Pro software fee of up to $130 per month
  • No fractional shares, no crypto, no forex
  • High minimum balances make the platform inaccessible to casual investors
  • Platform complexity presents a steep learning curve for less experienced traders
  • Margin rates of 11.00% at lower debit balances are above some competitors
Ally Invest

Ally Invest

Ally Invest combines self-directed trading with robo portfolios and personal advice, with $0 commissions on most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs.

Visit Ally Invest Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

Lightspeed Financial

Lightspeed Financial

Lightspeed Financial is a US broker targeting active and professional traders with volume-tiered commissions on stocks, ETFs, options, and futures via multiple professional-grade platforms.

Visit Lightspeed Financial Read review

Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply.

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