Ally Invest
ally.com
Brokerage arm of Ally Bank with $0 stock and ETF commissions, options at $0.50 a contract, no account minimum and robo portfolios alongside the bank.
What it is
Ally Invest is the investing side of Ally, the online bank, and its main appeal is having brokerage and bank accounts under one login. Self-directed accounts trade US stocks, ETFs, options, bonds and no-load mutual funds with no account minimum. Stocks and ETFs are commission-free, options cost $0.50 per contract with no commission, and Ally charges no commission to close short options trading for less than five cents.
The fee schedule has a few exceptions worth reading. Stocks under $2 cost $4.95 plus one cent per share, OTC and pink-sheet orders carry the same charge with a $100 minimum order, certain single-listed index options add a $0.35-per-contract exchange fee, bonds are $1 each (minimum $10, maximum $250 per trade) and moving your account out costs $50. Margin accounts need a $2,000 deposit.
Ally also sells Robo Portfolios from $100, with no advisory fee on the cash-enhanced version and 0.30% a year on the market-focused one, and Personal Advice with a human advisor from $100,000 at a blended 0.75% to 0.85%. The self-directed platform covers the basics: option chains, TipRanks analyst ratings and Smart Scores, screeners, watchlists and dividend reinvestment. Pre-market trading runs 8:00 to 9:30 am ET and after-hours only until 5:00 pm ET. There is no futures, forex or crypto trading.
Key features
- Commission-free stocks and ETFs
- $0 commissions on US-listed stocks and ETFs priced at $2 or more, with no account minimum.
- Options trading
- $0 commission and $0.50 per contract, with no commission to close short options priced under five cents. Strategy guides cover covered calls through short straddles.
- Bank integration
- Brokerage accounts sit alongside Ally Bank checking and savings under the same login, making transfers between them simple.
- Research from TipRanks
- Analyst ratings and the TipRanks Smart Score (1 to 10) for stocks, plus ETF screeners, watchlists and charts.
- Robo Portfolios
- Automated portfolios from $100: a cash-enhanced version with no advisory fee and a market-focused version at 0.30% a year.
- Account types
- Individual cash and margin accounts, and traditional, Roth and rollover IRAs; dividend reinvestment is available on eligible securities.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks and ETFs | $0 | Stocks under $2: $4.95 plus $0.01 per share |
| Options | $0.50/contract | No commission; certain index options add a $0.35-per-contract exchange fee |
| Bonds | $1/bond | $10 minimum, $250 maximum per transaction |
| Robo Portfolios | 0% or 0.30%/yr | $100 minimum; 0.30% applies to market-focused portfolios |
| Personal Advice | 0.75%-0.85%/yr | $100,000 minimum; blended advisory fee |
No account minimum for self-directed cash accounts; margin requires $2,000. Other fees: OTC and pink-sheet orders need a $100 minimum, broker-assisted trades add $20, and a full account transfer out costs $50.
Free option: Opening and holding a self-directed account costs nothing: no minimum, and $0 commissions on eligible US stocks and ETFs.
Checked September 25, 2026 on ally.com. Prices change; confirm on the provider's site before you subscribe.
Strengths
- Banking and brokerage accounts in one place with one login
- No account minimum and $0 commissions on most stock and ETF trades
- Options at $0.50 per contract with no base commission
- Robo and human-advice options for money you do not want to manage yourself
Limitations
- The product list covers stocks, ETFs, options, bonds and mutual funds only: no futures, forex or cryptocurrency
- Extended hours are short: pre-market from 8:00 am and after-hours only until 5:00 pm ET
- Stocks under $2 and OTC stocks carry a $4.95 commission plus a cent per share
- A $50 fee applies to transfer a self-directed account out
- Changing your options trading level has to be done from the desktop site
Good fit for
- Ally Bank customers who want investing next to their savings
- Buy-and-hold investors trading listed stocks, ETFs and simple options strategies
- Beginners who want no minimums and the option of a robo portfolio
Look elsewhere if
- Active traders who want advanced charting, futures or long extended-hours sessions
- Traders focused on penny stocks or OTC shares, given the per-share commission
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Ally Invest questions
How much does Ally Invest charge for options?
$0 commission plus $0.50 per contract. Ally charges no commission to close short options trading under five cents, and passes through a $0.35 exchange fee on certain index options.
Does Ally Invest have an account minimum?
No minimum for self-directed cash accounts. Margin accounts need $2,000, Robo Portfolios $100 and Personal Advice $100,000.
Can you trade crypto or futures at Ally Invest?
No. Ally Invest offers stocks, ETFs, options, bonds and mutual funds, but not futures, forex or crypto.
Does Ally Invest offer extended-hours trading?
Yes, pre-market from 8:00 to 9:30 am ET and after-hours from 4:00 to 5:00 pm ET.
Does Ally Invest offer IRAs?
Yes: traditional, Roth and rollover IRAs are available for self-directed investing.
Written from Ally Invest's own website and documentation. All Trading Tools lists and compares tools; it does not recommend trades or give financial advice. Sources: ally.com/invest, ally.com/invest/commissions-and-fees, ally.com/invest/self-directed-trading, ally.com/invest/self-directed-trading/options-trading, ally.com/help/invest/trading.