E*TRADE now sits inside Morgan Stanley and is completing a platform transition rather than simply maintaining one static trading suite. Its standard brokerage account covers stocks, ETFs, options, funds, bonds, futures and IPO access; Power E*TRADE Pro is the new desktop route for active traders; legacy E*TRADE Pro is being retired; and crypto spot trading uses a linked account supplied by a third party.[1][3][4][5]
These routes use different companies and protection frameworks. Securities accounts are carried through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, futures involve E*TRADE Futures LLC and the new crypto service uses Zero Hash infrastructure outside Morgan Stanley’s SIPC and FDIC protections.[6][1][5]
Accounts & headline costs
Sections ↑E*TRADE essentials
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage opening minimum | US$0 | No minimum deposit to open the standard brokerage account.Source 1 |
| Stocks, ETFs and mutual funds | US$0 online commission | Other fees and fund expenses can apply.Source 1 |
| Options standard rate | US$0 base + US$0.65 per contract | Lower contract rate after the published quarterly activity threshold.Source 1Source 2 |
| Futures | US$1.50 per contract per side + fees | Exchange and regulatory charges are additional.Source 1 |
| New active desktop | Power E*TRADE Pro | Successor route launched during the legacy Pro retirement.Source 4Source 3 |
Account and product routes
| Route | Published access | Main distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Individual brokerage | Stocks, ETFs, options, funds, bonds, futures and IPOs | Taxable account; product approval appliesSource 1 |
| Traditional / Roth / Rollover IRA | Retirement investing | Tax and distribution conditions differ from a taxable brokerage accountSource 1 |
| Options-enabled account | Listed options after approval | Contract fee and options risk rules applySource 2 |
| Futures-enabled account | Exchange-traded futures | E*TRADE Futures relationship and per-side contract pricingSource 1 |
| Linked crypto account | Bitcoin, ether and solana spot trading | Third-party Zero Hash account rather than a Morgan Stanley securities positionSource 5 |
Products & platforms
Sections ↑E*TRADE platform routes
| Platform | Published capability | Migration implication |
|---|---|---|
| E*TRADE web and mobile | General account access, research and trading | Core route for standard brokerage activitySource 1 |
| Power E*TRADE | Web/mobile active-trader platform | Options, futures and chart-led workflowSource 1Source 3 |
| Power E*TRADE Pro | New desktop platform | Up to six workspaces and 20 tools per workspaceSource 4 |
| Legacy E*TRADE Pro | Retiring desktop platform | Users must select a replacement and migrate settings manually where requiredSource 3 |
| Morgan Stanley research | Research layer inside the E*TRADE relationship | Information source, not a separate execution venueSource 1 |
Power E*TRADE Pro detail
| Feature | Published capability | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Workspace capacity | Up to six workspaces | Separates strategies or market viewsSource 4 |
| Tools per workspace | Up to 20 | Multi-panel active-trader layoutSource 4 |
| Charts | Up to 120 charts | Large monitoring surface; not a recommendation to display all at onceSource 4 |
| Studies and drawings | 120+ studies and 30+ drawing tools | Technical-analysis toolkitSource 4 |
| Markets | Stocks, options and futures | Product approval and account permissions remain requiredSource 4 |
A migration has operational cost even when the replacement is more capable. E*TRADE says directed orders are not offered on the other current platforms and that watchlists or settings may need to be exported or recreated. An active trader should therefore inventory the specific order types, routes and workspace state used before the retirement date.[3]
Fees & holding costs
Sections ↑Selected trading costs
| Item | Published price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Online U.S. stocks and ETFs | US$0 commission | Standard online securities orderSource 1 |
| Options — standard | US$0 base + US$0.65 per contract | Applies below the active-trader thresholdSource 1Source 2 |
| Options — active rate | US$0 base + US$0.50 per contract | After 30 or more stock, ETF and options trades per quarterSource 1Source 2 |
| Bonds | US$1 per bond; US$10 min / US$250 max | Online secondary-market pricing in the cited summarySource 1 |
| Futures | US$1.50 per contract per side | Exchange and regulatory charges additionalSource 1 |
| Crypto spot | 0.50% transaction fee | Linked Zero Hash route; product availability and transfer support are separateSource 5 |
The most consequential pricing difference is not US$0 versus US$0.50. It is whether the customer is using a security, futures contract or linked crypto asset. Each has its own carrying company, charging unit and market-risk disclosures.[1][5]
Deposits, withdrawals & transfers
Sections ↑Operational boundaries
| Operation | Published position | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage funding | Transfer Money, wire, external-asset transfer, cheque or direct deposit | Method-specific availability and withdrawal controls are detailed below.Source 7 |
| Options activity discount | 30+ eligible trades per quarter | A quarterly threshold, not a permanent account tierSource 2 |
| Crypto custody | Linked Zero Hash account | Crypto holdings sit outside Morgan Stanley’s SIPC/FDIC account protectionsSource 5 |
| Crypto transfers | Rollout planned after initial trading access | Spot trading availability does not automatically establish external wallet transferSource 5 |
| Platform settings | Some manual recreation required | Legacy E*TRADE Pro custom state does not automatically move feature-for-featureSource 3 |
Funding and availability by method
| Subject | Published terms | Practical scope |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer Money from an external bank | No service charge; normally third business day after a request before 16:00 ET | Some buying power can be available earlier against cleared account equity.Source 7 |
| Internal eligible E*TRADE / Morgan Stanley Private Bank transfer | Normally immediate | An internal transfer is distinct from an external bank withdrawal.Source 7 |
| Incoming wire | Same business day under the published funding guide | Use the instructions for the actual brokerage or bank account.Source 7 |
| External account transfer / cheque | Published guide: up to five business days | Unsupported assets, documentation or collection checks can affect completion.Source 7 |
Transfer Money’s disclosure sets a US$100,000 aggregate limit for each selected account for external ACH deposits and withdrawals originated by the firm. A submitted request reduces the available limit while it is in progress. This is a service transfer limit, not the balance permitted in the brokerage account; wire and securities-transfer routes have their own instructions.[8]
Protection & regulation
Sections ↑Protection by asset location
| Subject | Published terms | Practical scope |
|---|---|---|
| Securities brokerage at MSSB | SIPC up to US$500,000, including US$250,000 cash | Eligible custody claims; does not cover falling investment values.Source 11 |
| Morgan Stanley supplemental policy | US$1bn aggregate firmwide cap; US$1.9m per-client uninvested-cash limit | Excess-of-SIPC terms apply, rather than US$1bn for each customer.Source 11 |
| Bank Deposit Program | Published conditional maximum US$500,000 individual / US$1m joint | Coverage depends on banks used, ownership category and other deposits at those banks.Source 11 |
| Fully paid securities | Kept separately from Morgan Stanley’s own assets | The customer’s ownership is separate from the limited compensation claim.Source 11 |
Opening an account & support
Sections ↑Support and account continuity
| Subject | Published terms | Practical scope |
|---|---|---|
| Brokerage or linked bank service | 800-387-2331 | Specify which account and transaction need assistance.Source 9Source 10 |
| Outside the US or Canada | +1-678-624-6210 | International customer-service number in the account FAQ.Source 9Source 10 |
| Dormant-account contact | Keep contact details current and periodically sign in or call | State unclaimed-property rules can apply after inactivity; returned mail can also trigger a dormancy assessment.Source 9Source 10 |
Company background & evidence
Sections ↑Companies and responsibilities
| Company / service | Published role | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC | Broker-dealer carrying E*TRADE securities accounts | FINRA firm 149777Source 6Source 1 |
| E*TRADE Futures LLC | Futures commission merchant | Separate futures relationship; no FINRA licence row in this profileSource 1 |
| Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. | Banking and cash-management affiliate | Bank relationship is separate from market investmentsSource 1 |
| Zero Hash entities | Crypto infrastructure and custody relationship | Crypto assets are not securities positions at Morgan StanleySource 5 |
- Headquarters
- United States — E*TRADE brand within Morgan Stanley; account services use separate companies
- Founded
- 1982 (E*TRADE predecessor); acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2020
Legal entities & licences
These are source-dated records, not a blanket assessment of the broker. Read each issuer, identifier, status and scope together.
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC
| Issuer & identifier | Recorded status | Date & scope |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Industry Regulatory Authority149777 | Registered | Checked 9 Oct 2026FINRA BrokerCheck record for the broker-dealer carrying securities accounts.Source 6 |
E*TRADE Futures LLC
United StatesSource 1
No separate licence entry is recorded in this panel.
Morgan Stanley Private Bank, National Association
United StatesSource 1
No separate licence entry is recorded in this panel.
Additional Information
Sections ↑Sources & further reading
- E*TRADE brokerage account and pricing E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Options trading and pricing E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- E*TRADE Pro transition guide E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Power E*TRADE Pro launch Morgan Stanley · 24 Jun 2026 · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- E*TRADE crypto spot-trading rollout Morgan Stanley · 29 Sep 2026 · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC — firm summary 149777 FINRA BrokerCheck · Accessed 9 Oct 2026
- Funding methods and funds availability E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Transfer Money disclosure E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Account support and postal contacts E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Account information and dormant-account process E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Asset protection at E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley · 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.