Fidelity financial advisors: what are the pros and cons?
Find out more about the financial advisory firm Fidelity, its advantages and disadvantages, and the many different services it offers in nine countries.
Summary
Fidelity is a financial services and brokerage firm that’s based in the US but operates in nine countries.
Fidelity is suited to a broad range of clients due to its extensive service offerings.
Fidelity financial advisors are known for their expert advice and excellent customer service.
Fidelity: who are they?
Fidelity is a full-service brokerage and financial advisory firm based in nine different countries spanning across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, since it opened its doors as the Fidelity Management & Research Company in 1946, Fidelity financial advisors are well respected in the industry.
Assets Under Management:
$4.5 trillion
Fee Structure:
Fee-only & fee-based
Fee:
0.2%-1.5%
Minimum Account Sizes:
$50,000
What does Fidelity do?
Fidelity provides a wide range of specialized financial services for clients who need help navigating different financial circumstances, goals, investments, or challenges.
Some of the services that Fidelity financial advisors provide include banking set-up, ETF trading, retirement planning, and investment planning.
Fidelity is best known for its efficient and comprehensive trading execution, as well as its outstanding research facilities and low-expense mutual funds.
What are Fidelity’s pros and cons?
All businesses have strengths and weaknesses to consider.
For a closer look at the various ways in which it performs best and where there’s room for improvement, Fidelity’s pros and cons are outlined below:
Pros:
Outstanding research capacity
Accounts have no set-up or maintenance fees
Highly rated customer service
Fractional share purchases allowed
Cons:
No cryptocurrency trading options
Higher fees for larger accounts
Broker-assisted trades are higher than the industry standard
Trading with non-Fidelity accounts
Fidelity: financial services
Fidelity’s information services are far-reaching.
While specializing in mutual fund trading and affordable, value-fund investments, Fidelity's services are designed to meet a variety of different client needs.
Let’s take a closer look at the exact services that Fidelity provides:
Retirement and IRAs
Spending and saving
Investing and trading
Mutual funds
Direct indexing
Fixed income
Financial planning
ETFs
Sustainable investing
College savings
Fidelity has structured their services in such a way that a wide demographic of people can utilize and benefit from its offerings.
Fidelity: fees
Fidelity’s fee and commission structure is as follows:
Stock and ETF trades: $0 online, $32.95 broker-assisted
Options trading: $0 commission, $.65 transaction fee per contract, add $32.95 if broker-assisted
Fidelity FundsNetwork® mutual fund trades: $0 commission, add $100 - $250 if broker-assisted
Other mutual funds: Up to $49.95 per purchase plus $100 - $250 if broker-assisted
Futures and futures options: n/a
Treasuries: $0 online, $19.95 for broker-assisted
Bonds: $1 mark-up per bond
Margin loans: Varied interest rates
Advisory fees: $0 for $10k or less, $3/month for $10k to under $50k, 0.2% to 1.5% for premium portfolio management
In addition to these basic fees, Fidelity also charges higher rates for premium services and trading structures. The latter is a hybrid AI and personal advisor service that incorporates both data analytics and human skill to create a balanced and comprehensive set of services, such as:
Fidelity Wealth Management requires a minimum balance of $250,000, and the fee runs from 0.5% to 1.5%.
Private Wealth Management requires a minimum balance of $2m, and its fee ranges from 0.2% to 1.04%.
Fidelity: technology
Fidelity’s relationship with technology is significant.
Not only do they offer a functional mobile app for client trading purposes, but they also boast a research and data analysis system that enables cutting-edge market research and accurate financial management.
Fidelity security: is it secure?
Yes, Fidelity has an established security system that meets and, in some cases, exceeds industry standards.
With multi-factor authentication methodologies and contemporary data protection tools, Fidelity information services clients can rest assured their personal information is handled with the highest degree of sensitivity and caution.
Fidelity: customer service
Fidelity’s customer service has a reputation for excellence. They offer comprehensive in-person and phone tree customer support so that clients can access the help they need or get information about Fidelity services at all times.
Fidelity prioritizes strong client relationships and, as such, has initiated a customer service system that is aimed at keeping clients consistently happy and satisfied.
Seek expert financial advice
Fidelity is a well-established financial services firm that operates in nine countries. It offers numerous services, including investing, trading, retirement, and trading. Fidelity’s financial advisors are well respected, and their customer service is exemplary.
If you’re looking for financial advice, Unbiased can help. We match people in need of financial advice with expert financial advisors who can fulfill their needs, making it easier than ever to achieve personal and professional financial goals. Get matched now.
Writers
Our team of writers, who have decades of experience writing about personal finance, including investing and retirement, are here to help you find out what you must know about life’s biggest financial decisions.