IRA Accounts Compared: Fees, Investment Access, and Fit

Last reviewed:: September 10, 2026
Next review:: October 10, 2026
Reviewed by:: ROIStreet Publisher

An IRA is a tax-advantaged retirement account, and the provider you hold it with determines the practical details: what the account costs to keep, what you can buy inside it, whether contributions can be automated, how a rollover or Roth conversion is handled, and what happens to uninvested cash. Those details are published by each firm and differ meaningfully from one platform to the next.

This page compares eight platforms already documented in ROIStreet's canonical platform records — Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Vanguard, E*TRADE, Merrill Edge, Robinhood, SoFi Invest and Betterment — across nineteen published IRA dimensions. Nothing here is ranked, scored or recommended, and nothing on this page is tax advice. Account availability is not the same as your personal eligibility to contribute, and a documented conversion workflow is not a statement that a conversion is appropriate for you.

Educational comparison of published platform features. Not investment, tax, or legal advice. Not an offer or recommendation to open any account or buy any security. Some links are affiliate links. See disclosure.

How this comparison works

ROIStreet compares IRA accounts across seven documented dimensions. Each dimension records what a platform publishes, not how well ROIStreet thinks it performs. Weights describe how much attention each dimension receives in the comparison, not a score.

Evaluation dimensions and their weights
Dimension	Weight	What it covers
IRA fees and minimums	20%	Documents published account fees, subscription charges, advisory fees where relevant, account-opening minimums, minimums to begin investing, and material closure or transfer costs. Preserve product/tier distinctions.
IRA account types and eligibility	15%	Documents which IRA structures are supported, such as Traditional, Roth, Rollover, SEP, SIMPLE or inherited/beneficiary IRA where applicable. Do not infer tax eligibility from account availability.
Investment access	15%	Documents the investments available inside the IRA, including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, fixed income, options, fractional shares, managed portfolios or other supported assets. More investment choice is not automatically better.
Recurring investing and fractional access	10%	Documents whether investors can automate contributions/investing and whether dollar-based or fractional investing is available inside the IRA. Preserve security-eligibility restrictions.
Rollover and conversion workflow	15%	Documents published support for IRA rollovers, direct trustee-to-trustee transfers, Roth conversions, rollover assistance or specialist support. This measures workflow/documentation, not whether a rollover or conversion is tax-appropriate.
Managed advice and service access	10%	Documents whether the platform offers managed IRA portfolios, robo-advisory service, financial coaching, human-advisor access or retirement support, including applicable minimums and fees.
Cash treatment and account infrastructure	15%	Documents how uninvested IRA cash is handled, the applicable cash sweep or money-market structure, investor-protection/legal-entity distinctions and any published variable yield. Separate cash economics from investment returns.

Platform comparison

Listed alphabetically. The order of this table is not a ranking.

Published fees, minimums and product availability by platform, listed alphabetically
Platform	IRA account types	Annual IRA / account fee	Account-opening minimum	Minimum to begin investing	Stocks / ETFs	Mutual funds	Fractional shares	Recurring investing	Options in IRA	Managed / robo IRA option	Human-advisor / retirement support	Rollover assistance	Roth conversion support	Transfer-out / closure fee	Cash sweep / settlement option	Published cash yield / APY if applicable	Legal entity / investor-protection note	Promotional IRA match if applicable	Last fact checked
Betterment	Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA	No separate IRA account fee. Managed investing costs $5/month when eligible household investing balances are below $24,000 and recurring deposits are under $200/month; otherwise 0.25%/year. Premium uses a separate 0.65% advisory tier.	No minimum balance is required for the standard Betterment managed investing account.	ACH deposits start at $10. Betterment does not require a minimum managed-account balance, but managed investing portfolios currently need at least $50 before rebalancing transactions are eligible to occur.	Yes — Betterment self-directed investing supports eligible U.S.-listed stocks, generally including Russell 3000/S&P 500 names, plus a wide range of ETFs.	Not a standard self-directed mutual-fund menu. Betterment's ordinary managed retail portfolios are primarily ETF-based; the firm documents mutual funds in limited managed contexts and can hold certain transferred mutual-fund positions under applicable transfer rules.	Yes	Yes — managed investing supports recurring auto-deposits; managed portfolios automate allocation/rebalancing. Self-directed investing separately supports dividend reinvestment but is not the same managed recurring-investment workflow.	No current options-trading product documented for Betterment self-directed investing; current eligible securities are stocks and ETFs.	Yes — Betterment IRAs use the managed-investing service rather than a conventional self-directed IRA brokerage experience; eligible structures include Traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs.	Premium includes access to a team of CFP professionals; current Premium eligibility begins at $100,000 and uses the 0.65% pricing tier.	Yes — Betterment supports eligible IRA and workplace-plan rollovers and offers licensed rollover-specialist access for clients moving at least $20,000.	Supported — Betterment documents an in-account Traditional IRA-to-Roth IRA conversion workflow.	$75 per account for an outbound investing-account transfer. Betterment does not charge a separate fee for ordinary account closure/withdrawal to a linked bank, although promotion-related early removal fees can apply.	Betterment managed IRAs maintain a small operational cash allocation through the Cash Sweep Program; eligible cash is swept to FDIC-insured Program Banks, while transfer or settlement cash may temporarily be held in designated Transfer Accounts.	Not applicable to the managed portfolio. Separate Cash Reserve rates are variable and should not be presented as the robo portfolio's yield.	Betterment Securities is a SIPC-member broker-dealer. Eligible brokerage cash is generally SIPC-protected before sweep; eligible cash transferred into Betterment's Cash Sweep Program at program banks may receive FDIC pass-through insurance subject to program conditions. SIPC does not protect against market loss.	No current percentage IRA contribution match identified. Betterment currently offers a separate Tiered Investing Reward for eligible new or previously unfunded clients that can include Traditional, Roth, and SEP managed IRAs; enrollment is available through November 30, 2026 under the current terms. This is a dated tiered reward, not an IRA match.	2026-09-10
Charles Schwab	Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA	$0 opening and maintenance fee for Traditional, Roth and Rollover IRAs.	$0	As little as $1 for eligible fractional-share purchases in a Schwab IRA; other investments have their own market prices or product minimums.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Automatic IRA contributions are supported.	Yes	Yes — eligible Intelligent Portfolios account types include taxable brokerage and IRA structures.	Standard Intelligent Portfolios includes service support but not an assigned CFP relationship. Premium provides unlimited one-on-one guidance from CFP professionals for the published Premium fee/minimum.	Yes — Schwab offers dedicated Rollover Consultants who can walk clients through the rollover process.	Supported — eligible Traditional or SIMPLE IRA assets can be converted to a Roth IRA, subject to applicable rules.	$50 per account for a full transfer out; partial transfer out: $0.	Eligible individual retirement brokerage accounts can use Schwab's Bank Sweep feature; Schwab One Interest can also be available depending on account/cash-feature eligibility.	Cash earns a variable rate through the Schwab Bank Sweep Program; the rate changes over time.	Fully paid customer securities are subject to securities-customer protection and segregation rules. SIPC does not protect against declines in investment value.	Not applicable — no current percentage IRA contribution or transfer match is documented in the official Schwab IRA and pricing materials reviewed September 10, 2026.	2026-09-10
E*TRADE	Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA	No annual IRA account fee for E*TRADE self-directed IRAs.	$0 account minimum for self-directed IRA accounts.	As little as $5 for eligible fractional stock or ETF purchases; other investments have their own market prices or product minimums.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes — eligible Traditional, Roth and Rollover IRAs can enroll in Core Portfolios; the managed program requires $500 to begin active management.	A Core Portfolios service team is available for account support, but a dedicated Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor is not included in the standard robo fee. Full-service human advice is a separate relationship.	Yes — E*TRADE provides a Rollover IRA workflow and rollover evaluation tools for eligible former-employer retirement assets.	Supported — E*TRADE provides an online Roth IRA Conversion Request for converting eligible Traditional, Rollover, SEP, or qualifying SIMPLE IRA assets into a Roth IRA.	$75 for a full outgoing account transfer.	Eligible free credit balances in E*TRADE self-directed accounts are automatically swept through the Bank Deposit Program into interest-bearing deposits at participating FDIC-insured banks; balances above the program deposit maximum can move to the applicable money market sweep fund.	No universal Core Portfolios cash APY is published.	Self-directed brokerage assets are held through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a SIPC member. SIPC applies subject to its limits; cash swept into Bank Deposit Program banks is eligible for FDIC coverage under program terms and is not SIPC-covered while on deposit.	A limited-time retirement-account promotion is currently advertised for qualifying new retirement-account deposits through October 31, 2026. Qualifying deposit tiers and current terms apply — verify on E*TRADE before acting.	2026-09-10
Fidelity	Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA	$0 account fee for a Fidelity Rollover IRA; Fidelity also publishes $0 for SIMPLE IRA annual fees and IRA closeout requests.	$0	Self-directed IRA investing can begin with as little as $1; Fidelity Go begins investing at $10.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes — recurring investments can be scheduled in stocks, ETFs and mutual funds inside Traditional, Rollover and Roth IRAs.	Yes	Yes — Fidelity Go supports retirement accounts, with no minimum to open, $10 to begin investing, $0 advisory fee below $25,000 and 0.35% annually at $25,000 and above.	At $25,000 and above, Fidelity Go includes access to one-on-one financial coaching from a team of Fidelity professionals.	Yes — Fidelity provides an online rollover process and support for moving eligible former-employer plan assets into a Fidelity IRA.	Supported; Fidelity publishes a $0 Roth IRA conversion service fee.	IRA closeout fee: $0.	Certain eligible Fidelity retirement accounts can use the FDIC-Insured Deposit Sweep Program; other core-position choices can apply depending on account type.	No universal Fidelity Go cash APY is published; returns on any short-term holding depend on the underlying fund or position.	SIPC protection is not market-loss insurance and does not protect declining prices, investment decisions, ordinary market losses or crypto holdings.	Not applicable — no current percentage IRA contribution or transfer match is documented in the official Fidelity IRA and fee materials reviewed September 10, 2026.	2026-09-10
Merrill Edge	Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA	No annual account fee for Merrill Edge Self-Directed retirement accounts.	$0	No platform-level minimum for Merrill Edge Self-Directed investing; the price or minimum of the selected security or fund still applies.	Yes	Yes	Direct fractional-share purchase support is not documented in the current official Merrill self-directed product and pricing materials reviewed September 10, 2026.	Recurring IRA funding is supported through Merrill's Automated Funding Service. Merrill also documents Automatic Investment Plans for eligible mutual funds already owned; this does not establish recurring stock or ETF purchases.	Yes	Merrill Guided Investing is available for Traditional, Roth, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs and provides a professionally managed portfolio through Merrill's investment advisory program.	Available through separate advisory programs. Merrill Guided Investing with Advisor provides one-on-one advisor guidance at a 0.85% annual program fee, with a minimum as low as $20,000 for eligible growth-focused strategies; this is separate from a self-directed IRA.	Yes — Merrill provides rollover guidance and support for moving eligible former-employer retirement assets into an IRA.	Supported — Merrill provides one-on-one assistance for converting eligible retirement assets to a Merrill Roth IRA.	$49.95 for a full account transfer; partial account transfer: $0.	Eligible uninvested cash in a Merrill Edge self-directed IRA uses the Retirement Assets Savings Program II (RASP II) bank-deposit sweep structure.	Variable — Merrill publishes current RASP II deposit rates separately; no IRA sweep rate is shown here without a current as-of date.	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated is a SIPC member. Eligible brokerage assets receive SIPC protection subject to its limits; eligible cash in a bank-deposit sweep such as RASP II uses the applicable FDIC framework instead.	No percentage IRA contribution match. Merrill currently advertises a separate one-time cash reward of up to $600 for qualifying new individual IRAs; the reward depends on qualifying net-new-asset tiers and the offer's funding/holding terms. This is an account-opening bonus, not an IRA match.	2026-09-10
Robinhood	Traditional IRA, Roth IRA	No separate annual IRA account-maintenance fee is required for the basic self-directed IRA. Robinhood Gold is optional and currently costs $5/month or $50/year.	$0 brokerage account minimum; $1 minimum fractional order; $50 minimum for Robinhood Strategies.	Self-directed IRA: as little as $1 for eligible fractional stock or ETF purchases. Robinhood Strategies managed IRAs require at least $50 to be actively managed.	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Managed IRA structures are available through Robinhood Strategies in eligible cases; managed Strategies IRAs are not eligible for the contribution match.	No direct access to the Robinhood Strategies investment-advisor team is provided. Managed IRA clients can contact Robinhood support, but the current service does not include a directly accessible personal financial advisor.	Yes — Robinhood supports incoming IRA transfers and eligible old-401(k) rollovers; current 401(k) rollovers are accepted in cash.	Supported — assets in a self-directed Traditional IRA can be converted into a self-directed or managed Roth IRA through Robinhood's documented conversion workflow.	$100 outgoing ACATS transfer fee. A separate early IRA match removal fee can also apply when matched assets leave before satisfying the match holding conditions.	Cash swept to participating program banks can be eligible for FDIC pass-through deposit insurance subject to limits and conditions.	Self-directed Robinhood IRAs are not eligible for the High-Yield Cash Program. Robinhood Strategies managed accounts currently earn 3.35% APY on eligible swept cash as of February 11, 2026; the rate is variable and managed portfolios generally keep cash near 0.5%.	Robinhood Financial LLC and Robinhood Securities LLC are SIPC members for eligible securities/cash. Robinhood Crypto positions and Robinhood Derivatives futures positions are not SIPC-protected. Eligible swept cash at program banks may receive FDIC pass-through insurance subject to program conditions. SIPC does not insure market losses.	Self-directed IRA annual contributions receive a 1% match without Gold or 3% with Robinhood Gold. Eligible IRA transfers and old-401(k) rollovers receive a 1% match. Contribution-match assets generally must remain in the IRA for at least five years, and Gold contribution matches also require maintaining Gold for at least one year. Managed Robinhood Strategies IRAs are not eligible for the contribution match.	2026-09-10
SoFi Invest	Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA	Self-directed IRA: $0 annual account fee. Robo IRA: 0.25% annual advisory fee. SoFi's current fee schedule also lists a $100 IRA closing fee that may be assessed when the account balance drops below $100.	Self-directed minimum $5. Robo Investing minimum $50. Private-market fund minimums are fund-specific, including USVC $500 and CAZ funds $2,500.	Self-directed IRA: $5 minimum to begin investing. Robo IRA: $50 minimum to begin investing.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes — eligible fractional stocks/ETFs; scheduled dollar-based purchases.	Yes	Both self-directed and Robo IRA structures are available; the current 1% IRA contribution match applies to eligible self-directed or Robo IRAs but excludes SEP IRAs.	Access to SoFi financial-planning professionals is included; current robo materials advertise access to licensed financial advisors and a complimentary 30-minute financial-planner session. This is not a dedicated personally assigned advisor relationship.	Yes — SoFi accepts eligible IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers. Current 401(k) rollover assistance can use Capitalize; SoFi and Capitalize state that they charge no additional fee to process an eligible rollover to a SoFi IRA, though the former provider may charge fees.	Supported — SoFi permits a Traditional IRA-to-Roth IRA conversion; the current workflow directs clients to contact SoFi by phone or chat to request the conversion.	$100 ACAT fee for full or partial outgoing transfers from SoFi Invest. Promotion-related early withdrawal fees can apply separately when matched assets leave before the holding period is satisfied.	Brokerage cash sweep: eligible uninvested brokerage cash may be swept by Apex to program banks and may earn variable interest. The brokerage-sweep APY can change daily without notice; no fixed current APY is published here. Swept deposits may be eligible for FDIC insurance at program banks; before sweep, applicable brokerage cash follows SIPC rules.	No robo-portfolio cash APY is published. Separate SoFi banking or brokerage cash products should not be presented as the managed portfolio's yield.	Self-directed brokerage is offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, with securities clearing/custody through Apex Clearing. Robo advisory services are offered through SoFi Wealth LLC. SoFi Crypto is offered by SoFi Bank, N.A.; crypto/digital assets are not deposits and are not FDIC- or SIPC-insured.	SoFi currently offers a 1% match on eligible IRA cash contributions made by ACH or eligible SoFi Bank transfer into self-directed or Robo IRAs, excluding SEP IRAs. Eligible matched deposits generally must remain in the account for five years to avoid an early withdrawal fee. A separate 1% match applies to qualifying 401(k) rollovers completed through Capitalize into eligible Traditional or Roth IRAs.	2026-09-10
Vanguard	Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA	Vanguard Brokerage may charge a $25 annual account service fee; the fee is waived for clients who elect eligible e-delivery and in certain other qualifying circumstances.	$0 to open a Vanguard Brokerage IRA.	Vanguard ETFs can be purchased fractionally from $1. Mutual-fund minimums vary by fund; some Vanguard funds begin at $1,000 and most other Vanguard mutual funds at $3,000. Other investments use their applicable market price or product minimum.	Yes	Yes	Yes — fractional investing is available for Vanguard ETFs, with purchases from $1. Not every stock, ETF, or mutual fund is fractionally eligible.	Yes — Vanguard supports recurring investments into eligible brokerage/fund accounts, including retirement-account funding workflows; investment eligibility depends on the product selected.	Vanguard Brokerage offers options trading subject to prior approval for each account. IRA availability is subject to account and strategy restrictions; not every options strategy is permitted in every IRA.	Yes — Digital Advisor supports eligible taxable and retirement accounts including Traditional and Roth IRA structures.	No human financial advisor is included with standard Digital Advisor. Vanguard Personal Advisor is a separate higher-minimum service with human-advisor access.	Yes — Vanguard supports Rollover IRAs and provides account-transfer/rollover workflows for eligible retirement assets.	Supported — Vanguard provides a documented Traditional IRA-to-Roth IRA conversion workflow.	$100 for an account closure and full transfer to another firm; specified high-asset and Vanguard-affiliated advisory-service clients can qualify for waivers.	Uninvested cash in a Vanguard Brokerage IRA is held in the account's settlement fund until it is invested; the applicable settlement option and yield can change with the account and product.	No universal Digital Advisor cash APY is published. Any settlement-fund yield depends on the applicable underlying fund and current market rates.	IRA investments held in a Vanguard brokerage account are covered by SIPC subject to its limits. SIPC protects against certain brokerage-custody failures, not market losses.	Not applicable — no current percentage IRA contribution or transfer match is documented in the official Vanguard IRA and fee materials reviewed September 10, 2026.	2026-09-10

Betterment

IRA account types: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA
Annual IRA / account fee: No separate IRA account fee. Managed investing costs $5/month when eligible household investing balances are below $24,000 and recurring deposits are under $200/month; otherwise 0.25%/year. Premium uses a separate 0.65% advisory tier.
Account-opening minimum: No minimum balance is required for the standard Betterment managed investing account.
Minimum to begin investing: ACH deposits start at $10. Betterment does not require a minimum managed-account balance, but managed investing portfolios currently need at least $50 before rebalancing transactions are eligible to occur.
Stocks / ETFs: Yes — Betterment self-directed investing supports eligible U.S.-listed stocks, generally including Russell 3000/S&P 500 names, plus a wide range of ETFs.
Mutual funds: Not a standard self-directed mutual-fund menu. Betterment's ordinary managed retail portfolios are primarily ETF-based; the firm documents mutual funds in limited managed contexts and can hold certain transferred mutual-fund positions under applicable transfer rules.
Fractional shares: Yes
Recurring investing: Yes — managed investing supports recurring auto-deposits; managed portfolios automate allocation/rebalancing. Self-directed investing separately supports dividend reinvestment but is not the same managed recurring-investment workflow.
Options in IRA: No current options-trading product documented for Betterment self-directed investing; current eligible securities are stocks and ETFs.
Managed / robo IRA option: Yes — Betterment IRAs use the managed-investing service rather than a conventional self-directed IRA brokerage experience; eligible structures include Traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs.
Human-advisor / retirement support: Premium includes access to a team of CFP professionals; current Premium eligibility begins at $100,000 and uses the 0.65% pricing tier.
Rollover assistance: Yes — Betterment supports eligible IRA and workplace-plan rollovers and offers licensed rollover-specialist access for clients moving at least $20,000.
Roth conversion support: Supported — Betterment documents an in-account Traditional IRA-to-Roth IRA conversion workflow.
Transfer-out / closure fee: $75 per account for an outbound investing-account transfer. Betterment does not charge a separate fee for ordinary account closure/withdrawal to a linked bank, although promotion-related early removal fees can apply.
Cash sweep / settlement option: Betterment managed IRAs maintain a small operational cash allocation through the Cash Sweep Program; eligible cash is swept to FDIC-insured Program Banks, while transfer or settlement cash may temporarily be held in designated Transfer Accounts.
Published cash yield / APY if applicable: Not applicable to the managed portfolio. Separate Cash Reserve rates are variable and should not be presented as the robo portfolio's yield.
Legal entity / investor-protection note: Betterment Securities is a SIPC-member broker-dealer. Eligible brokerage cash is generally SIPC-protected before sweep; eligible cash transferred into Betterment's Cash Sweep Program at program banks may receive FDIC pass-through insurance subject to program conditions. SIPC does not protect against market loss.
Promotional IRA match if applicable: No current percentage IRA contribution match identified. Betterment currently offers a separate Tiered Investing Reward for eligible new or previously unfunded clients that can include Traditional, Roth, and SEP managed IRAs; enrollment is available through November 30, 2026 under the current terms. This is a dated tiered reward, not an IRA match.
Last fact checked: 2026-09-10

Charles Schwab

IRA account types: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA
Annual IRA / account fee: $0 opening and maintenance fee for Traditional, Roth and Rollover IRAs.
Account-opening minimum: $0
Minimum to begin investing: As little as $1 for eligible fractional-share purchases in a Schwab IRA; other investments have their own market prices or product minimums.
Stocks / ETFs: Yes
Mutual funds: Yes
Fractional shares: Yes
Recurring investing: Automatic IRA contributions are supported.
Options in IRA: Yes
Managed / robo IRA option: Yes — eligible Intelligent Portfolios account types include taxable brokerage and IRA structures.
Human-advisor / retirement support: Standard Intelligent Portfolios includes service support but not an assigned CFP relationship. Premium provides unlimited one-on-one guidance from CFP professionals for the published Premium fee/minimum.
Rollover assistance: Yes — Schwab offers dedicated Rollover Consultants who can walk clients through the rollover process.
Roth conversion support: Supported — eligible Traditional or SIMPLE IRA assets can be converted to a Roth IRA, subject to applicable rules.
Transfer-out / closure fee: $50 per account for a full transfer out; partial transfer out: $0.
Cash sweep / settlement option: Eligible individual retirement brokerage accounts can use Schwab's Bank Sweep feature; Schwab One Interest can also be available depending on account/cash-feature eligibility.
Published cash yield / APY if applicable: Cash earns a variable rate through the Schwab Bank Sweep Program; the rate changes over time.
Legal entity / investor-protection note: Fully paid customer securities are subject to securities-customer protection and segregation rules. SIPC does not protect against declines in investment value.
Promotional IRA match if applicable: Not applicable — no current percentage IRA contribution or transfer match is documented in the official Schwab IRA and pricing materials reviewed September 10, 2026.
Last fact checked: 2026-09-10

E*TRADE

IRA account types: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA
Annual IRA / account fee: No annual IRA account fee for E*TRADE self-directed IRAs.
Account-opening minimum: $0 account minimum for self-directed IRA accounts.
Minimum to begin investing: As little as $5 for eligible fractional stock or ETF purchases; other investments have their own market prices or product minimums.
Stocks / ETFs: Yes
Mutual funds: Yes
Fractional shares: Yes
Recurring investing: Yes
Options in IRA: Yes
Managed / robo IRA option: Yes — eligible Traditional, Roth and Rollover IRAs can enroll in Core Portfolios; the managed program requires $500 to begin active management.
Human-advisor / retirement support: A Core Portfolios service team is available for account support, but a dedicated Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor is not included in the standard robo fee. Full-service human advice is a separate relationship.
Rollover assistance: Yes — E*TRADE provides a Rollover IRA workflow and rollover evaluation tools for eligible former-employer retirement assets.
Roth conversion support: Supported — E*TRADE provides an online Roth IRA Conversion Request for converting eligible Traditional, Rollover, SEP, or qualifying SIMPLE IRA assets into a Roth IRA.
Transfer-out / closure fee: $75 for a full outgoing account transfer.
Cash sweep / settlement option: Eligible free credit balances in E*TRADE self-directed accounts are automatically swept through the Bank Deposit Program into interest-bearing deposits at participating FDIC-insured banks; balances above the program deposit maximum can move to the applicable money market sweep fund.
Published cash yield / APY if applicable: No universal Core Portfolios cash APY is published.
Legal entity / investor-protection note: Self-directed brokerage assets are held through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, a SIPC member. SIPC applies subject to its limits; cash swept into Bank Deposit Program banks is eligible for FDIC coverage under program terms and is not SIPC-covered while on deposit.
Promotional IRA match if applicable: A limited-time retirement-account promotion is currently advertised for qualifying new retirement-account deposits through October 31, 2026. Qualifying deposit tiers and current terms apply — verify on E*TRADE before acting.
Last fact checked: 2026-09-10

Fidelity

IRA account types: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA
Annual IRA / account fee: $0 account fee for a Fidelity Rollover IRA; Fidelity also publishes $0 for SIMPLE IRA annual fees and IRA closeout requests.
Account-opening minimum: $0
Minimum to begin investing: Self-directed IRA investing can begin with as little as $1; Fidelity Go begins investing at $10.
Stocks / ETFs: Yes
Mutual funds: Yes
Fractional shares: Yes
Recurring investing: Yes — recurring investments can be scheduled in stocks, ETFs and mutual funds inside Traditional, Rollover and Roth IRAs.
Options in IRA: Yes
Managed / robo IRA option: Yes — Fidelity Go supports retirement accounts, with no minimum to open, $10 to begin investing, $0 advisory fee below $25,000 and 0.35% annually at $25,000 and above.
Human-advisor / retirement support: At $25,000 and above, Fidelity Go includes access to one-on-one financial coaching from a team of Fidelity professionals.
Rollover assistance: Yes — Fidelity provides an online rollover process and support for moving eligible former-employer plan assets into a Fidelity IRA.
Roth conversion support: Supported; Fidelity publishes a $0 Roth IRA conversion service fee.
Transfer-out / closure fee: IRA closeout fee: $0.
Cash sweep / settlement option: Certain eligible Fidelity retirement accounts can use the FDIC-Insured Deposit Sweep Program; other core-position choices can apply depending on account type.
Published cash yield / APY if applicable: No universal Fidelity Go cash APY is published; returns on any short-term holding depend on the underlying fund or position.
Legal entity / investor-protection note: SIPC protection is not market-loss insurance and does not protect declining prices, investment decisions, ordinary market losses or crypto holdings.
Promotional IRA match if applicable: Not applicable — no current percentage IRA contribution or transfer match is documented in the official Fidelity IRA and fee materials reviewed September 10, 2026.
Last fact checked: 2026-09-10

Merrill Edge

IRA account types: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA
Annual IRA / account fee: No annual account fee for Merrill Edge Self-Directed retirement accounts.
Account-opening minimum: $0
Minimum to begin investing: No platform-level minimum for Merrill Edge Self-Directed investing; the price or minimum of the selected security or fund still applies.
Stocks / ETFs: Yes
Mutual funds: Yes
Fractional shares: Direct fractional-share purchase support is not documented in the current official Merrill self-directed product and pricing materials reviewed September 10, 2026.
Recurring investing: Recurring IRA funding is supported through Merrill's Automated Funding Service. Merrill also documents Automatic Investment Plans for eligible mutual funds already owned; this does not establish recurring stock or ETF purchases.
Options in IRA: Yes
Managed / robo IRA option: Merrill Guided Investing is available for Traditional, Roth, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs and provides a professionally managed portfolio through Merrill's investment advisory program.
Human-advisor / retirement support: Available through separate advisory programs. Merrill Guided Investing with Advisor provides one-on-one advisor guidance at a 0.85% annual program fee, with a minimum as low as $20,000 for eligible growth-focused strategies; this is separate from a self-directed IRA.
Rollover assistance: Yes — Merrill provides rollover guidance and support for moving eligible former-employer retirement assets into an IRA.
Roth conversion support: Supported — Merrill provides one-on-one assistance for converting eligible retirement assets to a Merrill Roth IRA.
Transfer-out / closure fee: $49.95 for a full account transfer; partial account transfer: $0.
Cash sweep / settlement option: Eligible uninvested cash in a Merrill Edge self-directed IRA uses the Retirement Assets Savings Program II (RASP II) bank-deposit sweep structure.
Published cash yield / APY if applicable: Variable — Merrill publishes current RASP II deposit rates separately; no IRA sweep rate is shown here without a current as-of date.
Legal entity / investor-protection note: Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated is a SIPC member. Eligible brokerage assets receive SIPC protection subject to its limits; eligible cash in a bank-deposit sweep such as RASP II uses the applicable FDIC framework instead.
Promotional IRA match if applicable: No percentage IRA contribution match. Merrill currently advertises a separate one-time cash reward of up to $600 for qualifying new individual IRAs; the reward depends on qualifying net-new-asset tiers and the offer's funding/holding terms. This is an account-opening bonus, not an IRA match.
Last fact checked: 2026-09-10

Robinhood

IRA account types: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA
Annual IRA / account fee: No separate annual IRA account-maintenance fee is required for the basic self-directed IRA. Robinhood Gold is optional and currently costs $5/month or $50/year.
Account-opening minimum: $0 brokerage account minimum; $1 minimum fractional order; $50 minimum for Robinhood Strategies.
Minimum to begin investing: Self-directed IRA: as little as $1 for eligible fractional stock or ETF purchases. Robinhood Strategies managed IRAs require at least $50 to be actively managed.
Stocks / ETFs: Yes
Mutual funds: No
Fractional shares: Yes
Recurring investing: Yes
Options in IRA: Yes
Managed / robo IRA option: Managed IRA structures are available through Robinhood Strategies in eligible cases; managed Strategies IRAs are not eligible for the contribution match.
Human-advisor / retirement support: No direct access to the Robinhood Strategies investment-advisor team is provided. Managed IRA clients can contact Robinhood support, but the current service does not include a directly accessible personal financial advisor.
Rollover assistance: Yes — Robinhood supports incoming IRA transfers and eligible old-401(k) rollovers; current 401(k) rollovers are accepted in cash.
Roth conversion support: Supported — assets in a self-directed Traditional IRA can be converted into a self-directed or managed Roth IRA through Robinhood's documented conversion workflow.
Transfer-out / closure fee: $100 outgoing ACATS transfer fee. A separate early IRA match removal fee can also apply when matched assets leave before satisfying the match holding conditions.
Cash sweep / settlement option: Cash swept to participating program banks can be eligible for FDIC pass-through deposit insurance subject to limits and conditions.
Published cash yield / APY if applicable: Self-directed Robinhood IRAs are not eligible for the High-Yield Cash Program. Robinhood Strategies managed accounts currently earn 3.35% APY on eligible swept cash as of February 11, 2026; the rate is variable and managed portfolios generally keep cash near 0.5%.
Legal entity / investor-protection note: Robinhood Financial LLC and Robinhood Securities LLC are SIPC members for eligible securities/cash. Robinhood Crypto positions and Robinhood Derivatives futures positions are not SIPC-protected. Eligible swept cash at program banks may receive FDIC pass-through insurance subject to program conditions. SIPC does not insure market losses.
Promotional IRA match if applicable: Self-directed IRA annual contributions receive a 1% match without Gold or 3% with Robinhood Gold. Eligible IRA transfers and old-401(k) rollovers receive a 1% match. Contribution-match assets generally must remain in the IRA for at least five years, and Gold contribution matches also require maintaining Gold for at least one year. Managed Robinhood Strategies IRAs are not eligible for the contribution match.
Last fact checked: 2026-09-10

SoFi Invest

IRA account types: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA
Annual IRA / account fee: Self-directed IRA: $0 annual account fee. Robo IRA: 0.25% annual advisory fee. SoFi's current fee schedule also lists a $100 IRA closing fee that may be assessed when the account balance drops below $100.
Account-opening minimum: Self-directed minimum $5. Robo Investing minimum $50. Private-market fund minimums are fund-specific, including USVC $500 and CAZ funds $2,500.
Minimum to begin investing: Self-directed IRA: $5 minimum to begin investing. Robo IRA: $50 minimum to begin investing.
Stocks / ETFs: Yes
Mutual funds: Yes
Fractional shares: Yes
Recurring investing: Yes — eligible fractional stocks/ETFs; scheduled dollar-based purchases.
Options in IRA: Yes
Managed / robo IRA option: Both self-directed and Robo IRA structures are available; the current 1% IRA contribution match applies to eligible self-directed or Robo IRAs but excludes SEP IRAs.
Human-advisor / retirement support: Access to SoFi financial-planning professionals is included; current robo materials advertise access to licensed financial advisors and a complimentary 30-minute financial-planner session. This is not a dedicated personally assigned advisor relationship.
Rollover assistance: Yes — SoFi accepts eligible IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers. Current 401(k) rollover assistance can use Capitalize; SoFi and Capitalize state that they charge no additional fee to process an eligible rollover to a SoFi IRA, though the former provider may charge fees.
Roth conversion support: Supported — SoFi permits a Traditional IRA-to-Roth IRA conversion; the current workflow directs clients to contact SoFi by phone or chat to request the conversion.
Transfer-out / closure fee: $100 ACAT fee for full or partial outgoing transfers from SoFi Invest. Promotion-related early withdrawal fees can apply separately when matched assets leave before the holding period is satisfied.
Cash sweep / settlement option: Brokerage cash sweep: eligible uninvested brokerage cash may be swept by Apex to program banks and may earn variable interest. The brokerage-sweep APY can change daily without notice; no fixed current APY is published here. Swept deposits may be eligible for FDIC insurance at program banks; before sweep, applicable brokerage cash follows SIPC rules.
Published cash yield / APY if applicable: No robo-portfolio cash APY is published. Separate SoFi banking or brokerage cash products should not be presented as the managed portfolio's yield.
Legal entity / investor-protection note: Self-directed brokerage is offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, with securities clearing/custody through Apex Clearing. Robo advisory services are offered through SoFi Wealth LLC. SoFi Crypto is offered by SoFi Bank, N.A.; crypto/digital assets are not deposits and are not FDIC- or SIPC-insured.
Promotional IRA match if applicable: SoFi currently offers a 1% match on eligible IRA cash contributions made by ACH or eligible SoFi Bank transfer into self-directed or Robo IRAs, excluding SEP IRAs. Eligible matched deposits generally must remain in the account for five years to avoid an early withdrawal fee. A separate 1% match applies to qualifying 401(k) rollovers completed through Capitalize into eligible Traditional or Roth IRAs.
Last fact checked: 2026-09-10

Vanguard

IRA account types: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, SEP IRA
Annual IRA / account fee: Vanguard Brokerage may charge a $25 annual account service fee; the fee is waived for clients who elect eligible e-delivery and in certain other qualifying circumstances.
Account-opening minimum: $0 to open a Vanguard Brokerage IRA.
Minimum to begin investing: Vanguard ETFs can be purchased fractionally from $1. Mutual-fund minimums vary by fund; some Vanguard funds begin at $1,000 and most other Vanguard mutual funds at $3,000. Other investments use their applicable market price or product minimum.
Stocks / ETFs: Yes
Mutual funds: Yes
Fractional shares: Yes — fractional investing is available for Vanguard ETFs, with purchases from $1. Not every stock, ETF, or mutual fund is fractionally eligible.
Recurring investing: Yes — Vanguard supports recurring investments into eligible brokerage/fund accounts, including retirement-account funding workflows; investment eligibility depends on the product selected.
Options in IRA: Vanguard Brokerage offers options trading subject to prior approval for each account. IRA availability is subject to account and strategy restrictions; not every options strategy is permitted in every IRA.
Managed / robo IRA option: Yes — Digital Advisor supports eligible taxable and retirement accounts including Traditional and Roth IRA structures.
Human-advisor / retirement support: No human financial advisor is included with standard Digital Advisor. Vanguard Personal Advisor is a separate higher-minimum service with human-advisor access.
Rollover assistance: Yes — Vanguard supports Rollover IRAs and provides account-transfer/rollover workflows for eligible retirement assets.
Roth conversion support: Supported — Vanguard provides a documented Traditional IRA-to-Roth IRA conversion workflow.
Transfer-out / closure fee: $100 for an account closure and full transfer to another firm; specified high-asset and Vanguard-affiliated advisory-service clients can qualify for waivers.
Cash sweep / settlement option: Uninvested cash in a Vanguard Brokerage IRA is held in the account's settlement fund until it is invested; the applicable settlement option and yield can change with the account and product.
Published cash yield / APY if applicable: No universal Digital Advisor cash APY is published. Any settlement-fund yield depends on the applicable underlying fund and current market rates.
Legal entity / investor-protection note: IRA investments held in a Vanguard brokerage account are covered by SIPC subject to its limits. SIPC protects against certain brokerage-custody failures, not market losses.
Promotional IRA match if applicable: Not applicable — no current percentage IRA contribution or transfer match is documented in the official Vanguard IRA and fee materials reviewed September 10, 2026.
Last fact checked: 2026-09-10

Which platform fits which situation

Investors who want no account-level IRA fee with a broad investment menu

Fidelity

Wants a self-directed IRA with no published account or closeout fee, and access to stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options and fractional investing in the same account.

Fidelity publishes a $0 account fee for its Rollover IRA, $0 for SIMPLE IRA annual fees and IRA closeout requests, a $0 opening minimum, and self-directed IRA investing that can begin with as little as $1. Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, fractional shares, recurring investments and options are all documented inside Traditional, Rollover and Roth IRAs, and Fidelity Go is available for retirement accounts at $0 advisory below $25,000 and 0.35% annually at $25,000 and above.

Not a fit if: You want a personally assigned advisor included at the base tier; Fidelity Go coaching at $25,000 and above is team-based rather than a dedicated advisor relationship.