Ally Invest separates three services that share one brand: self-directed brokerage through Ally Invest Securities, automated Robo Portfolios through Ally Invest Advisors, and Personal Advice with a dedicated adviser. Their account minimums, cash treatment and annual fees are materially different.[1][2][6][8]
The self-directed route has no cash-account opening minimum and zero commissions for eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs. Margin needs US$2,000, low-priced shares use a separate formula, and the advisory services charge either through a cash allocation or an explicit annual percentage.[1][2][4]
Accounts & headline costs
Sections ↑Ally Invest at a glance
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Broker-dealer | Ally Invest Securities LLC | FINRA CRD 136131; securities accounts clear through Apex.Source 8Source 1 |
| Self-directed cash minimum | US$0 | Margin accounts require US$2,000.Source 1 |
| Robo minimum | US$100 | Cash-enhanced and market-focused portfolios use different economics.Source 1Source 2 |
| Personal Advice minimum | US$100,000 under care | Dedicated-adviser route with a blended annual fee.Source 1Source 2 |
| Demo account | Not offered | An unfunded self-directed account can be opened to inspect tools without placing trades.Source 1 |
Three service routes
| Service | Who makes the investment decisions | Main charge |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Directed Trading | Customer | Transaction, product, margin and service feesSource 1Source 2 |
| Cash-Enhanced Robo | Ally Invest Advisors | 0% advisory fee with about 30% kept as an interest-earning cash bufferSource 2Source 6 |
| Market-Focused Robo | Ally Invest Advisors | 0.30% annual advisory fee with roughly 2% cashSource 2 |
| Personal Advice | Adviser-managed relationship | Blended 0.75%–0.85% annual feeSource 1Source 2 |
Products & platforms
Sections ↑The self-directed account supports shares, ETFs, equity and index options, mutual funds and fixed income, including corporate, agency, Treasury and municipal securities, CDs and new issues. Direct cryptocurrency trading is not available; a crypto-related fund or company share remains a security with its own exposure. Options and margin are permissions within brokerage, not features supplied automatically with every retirement or cash account.[9][1]
Fees & holding costs
Sections ↑Self-directed trading charges
| Product | Online charge | Additional condition |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs | US$0 commission | Regulatory and product-level charges can still applySource 2 |
| Equities below US$2 | US$4.95 + US$0.01 per share | US$100 minimum opening purchase; commission generally capped at 5% of trade valueSource 2 |
| Options | US$0 base + US$0.50 per contract | Certain index products add US$0.35 per contractSource 2 |
| Bonds and Treasuries | US$1 per bond | US$10 minimum and US$250 maximum per transactionSource 2 |
| Certificates of deposit | US$24.95 per transaction | Separate from bond pricingSource 2 |
Published margin rates
| Debit balance | Annual rate | Margin requirement note |
|---|---|---|
| US$0.01–US$9,999 | 11.25% | Rates are tiered and subject to changeSource 4 |
| US$10,000–US$24,999 | 11.25% | Same published rate as the lowest bandSource 4 |
| US$25,000–US$49,999 | 11.00% | Higher balances receive a lower rateSource 4 |
| US$50,000–US$99,999 | 10.25% | Maintenance depends on security and concentrationSource 4 |
| US$100,000–US$249,999 | 9.00% | Standard long-stock initial requirement is commonly 50% in the cited scheduleSource 4 |
| US$250,000–US$499,999 | 8.00% | Rate does not determine maintenance eligibilitySource 4 |
| US$500,000–US$999,999 | 7.50% | Tier applies to debit balanceSource 4 |
| US$1 million or more | 6.75% | Lowest published tier on the cited pageSource 4 |
Selected account-service charges
| Event | Self-Directed / Robo | Personal Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Outgoing ACATS | US$50 | WaivedSource 2 |
| DRS transfer | US$115 per position | WaivedSource 2 |
| Outgoing domestic wire | US$30 | WaivedSource 2Source 5 |
| Check withdrawal | US$5 | WaivedSource 2Source 5 |
| Overnight check | US$50 total | WaivedSource 2Source 5 |
| IRA annual fee | US$0 | US$0Source 2 |
| IRA closure | US$25 | US$25Source 2 |
Additional charges and idle cash
| Subject | Published terms | Practical scope |
|---|---|---|
| Uninvested self-directed cash | Currently earns no interest | The cash-enhanced Robo buffer is a different service.Source 2 |
| No-load mutual funds | US$0 purchase and sale commission | Fund expenses and any fund-imposed charges remain.Source 2 |
| Telephone-assisted dealing | US$20 plus ordinary commission | Applies to the assisted transaction.Source 2 |
| Margin or option-expiry sellout | US$40 plus ordinary commission | A forced exit has a separate administration cost.Source 2 |
Execution & trading rules
Sections ↑Trading cash and withdrawable cash are different balances. Ally permits some purchases using unsettled sale proceeds, but selling the new security before the original proceeds settle can create a good-faith violation. Unsettled money cannot be withdrawn. The account’s settlement and funds-availability records therefore determine when a completed sale becomes transferable cash.[10]
Deposits, withdrawals & transfers
Sections ↑Funding routes
| Route | Company-published timing | Material condition |
|---|---|---|
| Ally Bank transfer | Usually immediately available for trading | Applies to linked eligible Ally accountsSource 1 |
| Initial ACH from another bank | Three-business-day clearing period | Application processing can add timeSource 1 |
| Incoming wire | A few hours to one business day | Third-party wires are not acceptedSource 1 |
| Incoming ACATS | Generally five to seven business days | Ally advertises a US$75 credit for qualifying transfers of US$2,500 or moreSource 1 |
| Personal check | Three business days to clear | Registration and remitter requirements applySource 1 |
Requesting a withdrawal
| Subject | Published terms | Practical scope |
|---|---|---|
| Standard cash withdrawal | Use Transfers after signing in | Deposit method and collection holds affect availability.Source 5 |
| Personal Advice withdrawal above 20% of account value | Telephone request required | A large portfolio withdrawal is handled differently from an ordinary online transfer.Source 5 |
| Wire or cheque | US$30 wire; US$5 cheque; US$50 total overnight cheque | Personal Advice waives these fees for that account; other-account waivers depend on the adviser relationship.Source 5 |
Protection & regulation
Sections ↑Ally Invest Securities is the broker-dealer, while Ally Bank is a separate bank. The securities account’s SIPC ceiling is US$500,000, including up to US$250,000 for cash claims, subject to the scheme’s eligibility and custody-shortfall rules. This does not insure changes in investment value or turn securities into FDIC-insured bank deposits. Apex’s clearing role and the advisory company’s portfolio-management role remain separate from the bank relationship.[12][1]
Opening an account & support
Sections ↑Ally publishes investment-specialist and service-team access by telephone, chat and email Monday–Friday 07:00–22:00 ET and Saturday 08:00–20:00 ET. Those investment support hours should not be inferred from the bank’s service schedule. For a withdrawal above the Personal Advice threshold, the broker specifically requires a call; an ordinary chat enquiry is not a submitted portfolio withdrawal.[11][5]
Additional services
Sections ↑Robo and Personal Advice economics
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Cash-Enhanced Robo | 0% advisory fee | About 30% of the portfolio remains in an interest-earning cash buffer.Source 2Source 6 |
| Market-Focused Robo | 0.30% annually | About 98% invested and roughly 2% held as cash.Source 2 |
| Personal Advice — first US$250,000 | 0.85% annually | The fee is calculated daily and billed monthly.Source 2 |
| Next US$750,000 | 0.80% marginal rate | Applies to the portion up to US$1 million.Source 2 |
| Additional assets above US$1 million | 0.75% marginal rate | Produces a blended fee across bands.Source 2 |
Company background & evidence
Sections ↑Legal and operating roles
| Layer | Company | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage | Ally Invest Securities LLC | Self-directed securities account and broker-dealer relationshipSource 8Source 1 |
| Advice | Ally Invest Advisors Inc. | Robo and Personal Advice portfolio managementSource 6Source 2 |
| Clearing | Apex Clearing Corporation | Clearing and settlement for the securities accountsSource 1Source 6 |
| Banking connection | Ally Bank | Separate banking company; linked transfers can be fasterSource 1 |
- Headquarters
- Charlotte, North Carolina, United States — brokerage and advisory subsidiaries of Ally Financial
Legal entities & licences
These are source-dated records, not a blanket assessment of the broker. Read each issuer, identifier, status and scope together.
Ally Invest Securities LLC
| Issuer & identifier | Recorded status | Date & scope |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Industry Regulatory Authority136131 | Registered | Checked 10 Oct 2026Current FINRA BrokerCheck firm record.Source 8 |
Ally Invest Advisors Inc.
No separate licence entry is recorded in this panel.
Sources & further reading
- Ally Invest account types, minimums and funding Ally · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Ally Invest commissions, advisory and service fees Ally · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Ally Invest Self-Directed Trading Ally · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Ally Invest margin rates and requirements Ally · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Ally Invest withdrawal methods and charges Ally · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Ally Invest Robo Portfolio structure Ally · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Ally contact and support routes Ally · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Ally Invest Securities LLC — firm summary 136131 FINRA BrokerCheck · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Self-directed product availability Ally Invest · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Settled and unsettled trading funds Ally Invest · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Investment service support Ally Invest · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Self-directed trading and SIPC disclosure Ally Invest · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
This profile reports dated public information, including broker-published services and terms. It does not independently test or guarantee execution, pricing or withdrawals. Inclusion is not an endorsement. Permissions and protections apply only to the named legal entity, service and client category; check the current official records and your contract.