Ally Invest Stock Broker Review. Is Alley Invest Worth It?

Detailed Review of Ally.com. Is it the Best Choice for Investors seeking Low Commissions on Stocks, Options, ETF's, Futures, Bonds? Find Out More

Ally is not just a broker; they are a financial institution offering banking, credit cards, home loans, and auto finance and insurance.  After the acquisition of TradeKing in 2016, they branched into trading & brokerage services.

This acquisition seems to have worked well as they have a very competitive suite of investing services and excellent customer satisfaction scores.

Ally Invest Review Ratings

Ally Invest Rating 3.9/5.0
💸 Trades & Commissions ★★★★✩
📈 Trading Platform ★★★✩✩
🙋‍♂️Customer Support ★★★★✩
📰 Research & News ★★★✩✩
💵 Account Opening Balance ★★★★★
🔍 Regulation ★★★★★

Ally Invest Review Summary

Ally Invest’s review shows it is a good match for investors seeking low commissions, good execution on Stocks, Options, ETF’s, Futures, Bonds & Semi-Automated Portfolio Management. Banking, Credit Services & Home Loans combined with a great customer service score means Ally could be a good choice for an All-in-One Service Provider.

Ally Invest Broker Review

Round 1 – Stock Brokers Commissions Comparison

Commissions are not the be-all and end-all, but low commissions help reduce slippage, especially if you are an active investor or trader.

Some Brokers offer a flat fee regardless of how many shares are traded.  Some offer an optional “per share” commission structure, which can be beneficial for smaller traders.

At Ally Financial, Stock trading commissions weigh in at $0 per trade, and for larger volume traders, there are discounts available.

Stock trading commissions weigh in at $0 per trade. The Options trading costs are also low at $0 + $0.50 per contract, making them more competitive than T.D. Ameritrade, Fidelity & Merrill.

Ally also offers the full suite of vehicles such as Stocks, Options, Bonds, ETF’s, Forex, and even Commodity Futures, which means you can easily balance your investments across different asset classes to suit your bullish or bearish outlook.

If you are looking for an institution to provide competitive rates across the full suite of investing and banking services, Ally could be an excellent choice.

Round 2- Stock Brokerage – Trading Platform ComparisonStock Broker Trading Platforms

How do you find the in-play stocks, that have high volatility and are in a strong trend?  This is the job of the trading platform.

You need your trading platform to be fast, intuitive, and powerful.  In this section, we rate the brokers on their choice of the trading platform.

Ally Invest does not have the strongest suite of tools available in our Top 10 US Stock Brokers Review.

If you favor being able to manage all your Ally Services in one place over having powerful scanning and fundamental screening or a wealth of expert advisors or studies, then Ally is for you.

Ally is not trying to be the leader as a dedicated brokerage with the most powerful tools; Ally offers its banking and credit services customers the possibility to trade and cost-effectively as an extension of their current services.  Many dedicated banks will upsell brokerage services to clients at higher commission costs because they prefer to have all services under one roof.

Ally has launched its “Ally Invest Live” Html 5 trading application, but it still does not cover all trading vehicles. It does not compare to competitors like Firstrade, TC2000 Brokerage, or Interactive Brokers.

Ally Invest - Live Trader Review
Ally Invest – Live Trader Charts

Round 3 – Stock Brokers – Customer Support & Research ComparisonBrokers Customer Service Review

In this round, we compare:

  • Customer Support – We want to see all three options of Email, Messaging, and Phone.
  • Customer Satisfaction Score – how many complaints or bad reviews within the last year on Twitter or TrustPilot (jump to methodology)
  • Research & Ideas – what services are provided free of charge to help you research a particular stock or sector.  Stand-alone research services can be costly, so free with an account is a big bonus.
  • News – Is a real-time news service available for free or an additionally paid to upgrade

Ally Invest has all the core requirements of good customer service in place. A 24/7 Support desk to handle customer calls and live chat and email services.  The company prides itself on good customer service and has also inherited strong customer service from TradeKing, which it purchased in 2016 to extend its brokerage services.

Because Ally is not a deep specialist broker, it has not yet added any deep Stock Market Research or real-time News Services into its product offering.

Round 4 – Brokerage Regulation & Account MinimumStock Brokers Financial Regulations

Is the company well established, well funded, and well regulated?  This is the main object of this round of comparisons.

Any U.S.-based Broker should be a member of the following institutions.

Financial Industry Regulation Authority (FINRA) Membership.

FINRA is a nonprofit organization established to protect investors and ensure that the members comply with the law and the Securities and Exchange Commission rules.  They audit all members regularly.

Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) Membership.

The SIPC is there to protect and hopefully recover any money lost if a Brokerage firm fails.  Although Broker failure is rare, it can happen, and SIPC membership ensures that your account is protected up to $500,000.

Ally Financial has all the protection and oversight required in the U.S.A, they are fully registered in the FINRA Database and have SIPC insurance.

Ally Invest – Stock Broker Comparison Master Table (Searchable)

Here you can find the table containing all the data in one place.  Use the search box to filter on a particular item you are looking to compare.  For example, type “forex” or “margin,” and you will get only the relevant rows to compare.

BrokerageAlly Invest Broker Review
ResultHighly Recommended
Great for:Investors seeking low commissions & many services
Likes★ Competitive Commissions
★ Full Suite of Investing Vehicles
★ Banking
★ Great Customer Service
Dislike✘ Higher Margin Costs
✘ No News or Research Services
Trades & Commissions
Direct Market Access DMA
Stock Trading
Stock Trading Fees$0
Per Share Trading Fees
Stock Trading Fees (Max)
Options
Options Trading Fees$0 + $0.50 per contract
Leverage Available
ETF Trades
Exchange Traded Funds (ETF)$0
Number of Commission Free ETF's
Futures
Mutual Funds$9.95
Bond Purchase
Bonds$1 + Net Yield
Forex Trading
Foreign Exchange (fx) Commission $ per 1,000Spread
Margin Account Interest Charges4.75% to 9.25%
Margin Costs Rating★★★
Trades & Commissions Score★★★★
Trading Platform
Software ProviderAlly Financial
Trading Platform CostFree
Web Software
Desktop Software
Mobile Software
LII Quotes
Indicators / Studies100+
Streaming Charts
Watchlists
Profit / Loss Graphs
Probability Calculators
Options Chains
Trading Platform Score★★★
BrokerageAlly Invest Stock Broker Review. Is Alley Invest Worth It? - 5
Customer Support & Research
Customer Support (Phone & Live Chat)
Customer Satisfaction Score*★★★★
Research & Trade Ideas
News
Customer Support & Research Score★★★★
Account & Company Details
Available for U.S. Citizens
Account Minimum$0
FINRA Member
SIPC Insurance - Assets
Regulated BySEC
-

Do you want more Stock Broker Reviews?

Please read our Review of the Best U.S. Online Stock Brokers Comparison, or our Best Penny Stock Brokers or Best Brokers In-Depth Review

Notes on the Review

Customer Satisfaction Score (Star Ratings)

The customer satisfaction score was compiled using the following methodology.

The Twitter Accounts of the Brokers were scanned back for one year for any negative feedback from customers.  Also, TrustPilot UK and USA were reviewed, and any negative comments counted against the broker.  These two sources of information were combined to provide the star rating you see below.

★★★★★ – No Complaints & Positive Recommendations  (1 year)
★★★★ – No Complaints  (1 year)
★★★ – < 10 Complaints (1 year)
★★ – 10 to 20 Complaints (1 year)
★ – > 20 Complaints (1 year)

We independently research and recommend the best products. We also work with partners to negotiate discounts for you and may earn a small fee through our links.

Review Methodology

Over 200 data points were collected during this review.  Brokers change services, terms, and commissions regularly.  If you represent a Brokerage House or are a client and spot an inaccuracy, please leave a comment or contact us here, and we will endeavor to correct it.

 

Ally Invest Stock Broker Review. Is Alley Invest Worth It?
Ally Invest Stock Broker Review. Is Alley Invest Worth It? - 6

Ally Invest's review shows it is a good match for investors seeking low commissions, good execution on Stocks, Options, ETF’s, Futures, Bonds & Semi-Automated Portfolio Management. Banking, Credit Services & Home Loans combined with a great customer service score means Ally could be a good choice for an All-in-One Service Provider.

Product SKU: NA

Product Brand: Ally Invest

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 0.00

Price Valid Until: 2025-02-09

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.9

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