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J.P. Morgan Investing review 2024: Self-directed investing with the world's largest bank

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AP Buyline’s content is created independently of The Associated Press newsroom. Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content. Learn more about our policies and terms here.

Kevin Mercadante
Updated June 6, 2024

In a nutshell

A relatively new addition to the investment landscape, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing gives Chase Bank customers an opportunity to invest through the same company where they bank.

  • You can easily move funds between bank and investment accounts at the world's largest bank, and take advantage of thousands of branch locations around the country.
  • J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is also available for non-Chase Bank customers who may want to take advantage of both commission-free trading, and even the wealth management programs the company offers.
J.P. Morgan Wealth Management

J.P. Morgan Self Directed Investing

J.P. Morgan Self Directed Investing

Min. investment
$0
Investments offered
Stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds and options; fixed-income investments, including bonds, U.S. Treasury securities and brokered CDs
Fees

$0 stock & ETF trades.

$0.65/contract options trades.

$0 mutual funds trades.

Available accounts
Taxable investment accounts (individual and joint); traditional and Roth IRAs
Customer service
Phone, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (all times EST)

Pros:

  • Commission-free on most securities trades.
  • Invest where you bank.
  • New account bonus of up to $700.

Cons:

  • Limited investment options.
  • Low interest on cash balances.
  • Limited phone contact.

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing overview

Like most investment brokers, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers commission-free trading in stocks, options and ETFs, as well as a large selection of mutual funds.

The company has one major advantage over most of its competitors in that it is part of the Chase Bank organization, the largest banking company in America. That means you can invest in the same place where you bank, giving you access to thousands of branches across the country.

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is currently offering a bonus when you transfer funds from another broker. The bonus payout can be between $50 and $700.

To qualify for the bonus, you must open an account by April 12, 2024. You'll then have 45 days to fund the account, and the amount of your bonus will be determined on the 45th day. You'll be required to maintain those funds on account for at least 90 days after enrollment. The bonus will be added to your account within 15 days thereafter.

On the negative side, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing doesn't offer as many investing options as its major competitors, especially Fidelity and Charles Schwab. For example, you cannot engage in futures trading, nor is cryptocurrency trading offered. The company also does not offer margin accounts.

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing does not offer a high-interest cash account for your uninvested funds. They are currently paying just 0.01% APY on those funds.

Phone contact with J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is available on restricted hours, Monday through Saturday. This is unlike many competitors, which offer 24/7 live phone contact.

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing features and services

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is an online investing platform where you can invest in stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs and many fixed-income securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, brokered certificates of deposit (CDs) and bonds. Taxable brokerage accounts are available both individually and jointly.

IRAs

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers both traditional and Roth IRAs. However, they do not offer self-employed IRAs, such as SEP and SIMPLE IRAs that provide for larger contributions.

Investment tools and resources

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is a bit more limited in this category than Schwab and Fidelity, but they do offer some valuable features.

For example, you can set up watch lists to track the performance of stocks you may want to purchase. This feature also includes J.P. Morgan's price target, stock rating and both upside and downside price potential.

Investment screeners are offered for stocks, mutual funds and ETFs to help you better locate securities you may want to invest in. You can simply set the criteria for investments based on your personal preferences, and isolate the securities that will most closely fit your requirements.

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing also provides retirement calculators to help you learn if you're on track with your retirement planning. Retirement calculators include a 401(k)/403(b) calculator, an IRA calculator, a traditional to Roth IRA conversion calculator and an annuity calculator.

J.P. Morgan Personal Advisors and Private Client Advisor

If you are interested in wealth management, J.P. Morgan has you covered.

J.P. Morgan Personal Advisors gives you access to a team of fiduciary advisors. These advisors will create a personalized financial plan that will include expert-built portfolios. Along the way, you can receive ongoing advice, as well as annual check-ins to evaluate your progress. The entire process can take place online, eliminating the need for face-to-face contact.

Personal Advisors charges an annual management fee of 0.60% for portfolios under $250,000, 0.50% on portfolios up to $1 million and 0.40% on balances exceeding $1 million. The minimum to qualify for this service is $25,000.

J.P. Morgan Private Client Advisor enables you to work with a dedicated advisor in your community on a one-on-one basis. The advisor will work with you to create a personalized financial strategy and a custom-built portfolio. The advisor will also provide you with ongoing financial advice, including how to adapt your portfolio to a changing market. This service is also available on an online basis.

The fee schedule for J.P. Morgan Private Client Advisor is as follows:

Investment advisory programMaximum advisory feeMinimum initial investment
J. P. Morgan Core Advisory Portfolio
1.45%
$10,000
Mutual Fund Advisory Portfolio
1.45%
$50,000
Advisory Program
1.45%
$50,000*
Fixed Income Advisory Program
0.70%
$100,000*

*Minimum investment depends on selected strategy

Who is J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing best for?

J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing can be a good choice for any investor, since you can begin investing with as little as $1, and most trades are commission-free. It's also a particularly good platform to invest through if you are already a Chase bank customer since you can access the investment platform from the banking app.

However, it's not a good choice for all investors. The app itself is relatively simple and has fewer resources than major competitors. It also doesn't offer some common investments, like futures or investing in cryptocurrencies that many brokers now offer.

J.P. Morgan Wealth Management

J.P. Morgan Self Directed Investing

J.P. Morgan Self Directed Investing

Min. investment
$0
Investments offered
Stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds and options; fixed-income investments, including bonds, U.S. Treasury securities and brokered CDs
Fees

$0 stock & ETF trades.

$0.65/contract options trades.

$0 mutual funds trades.

Available accounts
Taxable investment accounts (individual and joint); traditional and Roth IRAs
Customer service
Phone, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (all times EST)

How J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing compares

If J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is not the right investment platform for you, consider one of these alternatives.

Axos Self-Directed Trading

Axos

Axos Self Directed Trading

Axos Self Directed Trading

Fees
$0 for stocks, ETFs and mutual funds; $1 commission fee for option trades
Bonus
K.A.
Min. deposit
$0

Much like J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing, Axos Self-Directed Trading is also connected with a banking organization — in this case, Axos Bank. That gives you the ability to invest where you bank. Axos Self-Directed Trading also provides commission-free training of stocks, ETFs and options, though options come with a $1 per contract fee. Axos Self-Directed Trading gives investors access to more than 10,000 mutual funds, at $0 per trade. Both taxable accounts and IRAs are available, as is margin trading.

Fidelity

Fidelity

Fidelity Investitionen

Fidelity Investitionen

Fees

$0 stock & ETF trades.

$0.65/contract options trades.

$0 Fidelity mutual funds.

3,300+ NTF funds.

Bonus
Get $100 when you open a new account with $50 or more.
Min. deposit
$0

Fidelity is one of the largest investment brokerages in the world, offering nearly every type of investment available. Not only do they offer 24/7 customer service, but they also have brick-and-mortar branches located across the country. There are no commissions on trading of stocks, options (+ $0.65 per contract) or ETFs, and fixed-income investments can be traded for $1 per bond or CD. The company also offers several no-fee mutual funds. If you prefer a managed option, you can take advantage of their robo-advisor, Fidelity Go.

Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab

Fees

$0 stock & ETF trades.

$0.65/contract options trades.

$2.25/contract futures trades.

$0 OneSource mutual fund trades.

Bonus
K.A.
Min. deposit
$0

Like Fidelity, Charles Schwab is a large, full-service broker offering commission-free trading of stocks, options (+ $0.65 per contract) and ETFs, as well as thousands of mutual funds. However, you should be aware that they do charge a commission of $6.95 per trade on U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) equities.

They also offer 24/7 customer service, including hundreds of local branches around the country in case you prefer in-person service. If you prefer a managed option, they offer Charles Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, which requires a minimum investment of $5,000, but charges no management fee.

WiserAdvisor

Find the right financial advisor with WiserAdvisor

Find the right financial advisor with WiserAdvisor

Description
Matching service to connect you with the best financial advisor for your needs.
Vorteile
  1. Personalized match with up to 3 vetted advisors
  2. Calculators to help financial planning
  3. Free initial consultation
  4. Location-based directory lists of top advisors
Cost
Free

Methodology

This review is based on information provided on the J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing website, as well as third-party sources providing relevant information. Those third-party sources include FINRA, the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot and other sources.

We also compared J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing with its major competitors including Axos Self-Directed Trading, Fidelity and Charles Schwab.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Is J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing legit?

Yes. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is a registered broker with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and investments on the platform are covered through SIPC for up to $500,000 in cash and securities, including up to $250,000 in cash.

J.P. Morgan Chase (there is no rating for the investment firm itself) has a Better Business Bureau rating of A+, the highest rating offered by that agency. They also have 1.8 out of five stars ("poor") with Trustpilot. However, the mobile app has a rating of 4.7 out of five stars among 23 iOS users on The App Store, and 4.0 out of five stars among nearly 1,000 Android users on Google Play. All scores are as of January 2024.

Is J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing good for beginners?

Yes. You can open an account and begin trading with just $1. The app is easy to use, and you can focus on a relatively small number of securities (compared with many other brokers). It's also an excellent choice if you are a new investor, but already bank with Chase.

Does J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing charge a monthly fee?

There are no monthly fees to invest through the platform and no commissions on most trading activities.

INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE

AP Buyline’s content is created independently of The Associated Press newsroom. Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content. Learn more about our policies and terms here.