Accounts & headline costs
Sections ↑Firstrade is a U.S. self-directed discount broker whose current pricing removes the online commission and contract charge from stocks, ETFs, options and mutual funds. That does not remove fixed-income markups, short-term fund redemption charges, regulatory fees, margin interest or account-transfer costs.[1][10]
The broker also supports eligible international applicants, overnight equity trading, retirement accounts and long-form mutual-fund access. The main analytical work is therefore to connect each headline “free” claim to the service or market where another cost still appears.[4][7][5][3]
Firstrade at a glance
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Contracting broker | Firstrade Securities Inc. | FINRA CRD 16843; member FINRA and SIPC.Source 10Source 9 |
| Opening minimum | US$0 | The general brokerage page states no minimum deposit.Source 4 |
| Online stocks, ETFs and options | US$0 commission | Options also show US$0 contract, exercise and assignment fees.Source 1 |
| Mutual-fund universe | More than 11,000 funds | Online purchases and redemptions use the current published schedule.Source 4Source 1 |
| Core access | Web and mobile | Extended and overnight sessions have separate order rules.Source 4Source 6Source 5 |
International-account route
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Residents of supported countries | Firstrade publishes a country list and reviews applications.Source 7 |
| Application review | Typically one to two business days | Additional documents or checks can extend the process.Source 7 |
| Wire funding | Generally one to two business days | Intermediary and sending-bank timing remain outside Firstrade.Source 7 |
| U.S. ACH | Available with a linked U.S. bank account | Not every international customer will have this route.Source 7 |
Fees & holding costs
Sections ↑Published online and assisted charges
| Product or route | Online charge | Assisted or additional charge |
|---|---|---|
| Stocks and ETFs | US$0 | Broker-assisted order: US$19.95Source 1 |
| Options | US$0 base and US$0 per contract | Broker-assisted: US$19.95 + US$0.50 per contractSource 1 |
| Mutual funds | US$0 online | US$19.95 short-term redemption when held under 90 days; other stated exceptions applySource 1 |
| Treasuries and agency bonds | Net-yield basis | Firstrade acts as principal and the price can include a markup or markdownSource 1 |
| Primary-market CDs | US$30 | Secondary-market CDs use net-yield pricingSource 1 |
Current regulatory pass-throughs
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| SEC fee | US$20.60 per US$1 million principal | Eligible sell transactions; rate stated effective 6 April 2026.Source 1 |
| Options Regulatory Fee | US$0.02 per contract | Applies on venue-assessed buys and sells from 1 July 2026 under the cited schedule.Source 1 |
| Short-borrow charge | Variable | Can be assessed from short-sale settlement through buy-to-cover settlement.Source 1 |
Published margin rates
| Debit balance | Effective annual rate | Position in the schedule |
|---|---|---|
| US$0–US$24,999 | 12.00% | Base rate +1.00 percentage pointSource 2 |
| US$25,000–US$49,999 | 11.75% | Base rate +0.75 percentage pointSource 2 |
| US$50,000–US$99,999 | 11.25% | Base rate +0.25 percentage pointSource 2 |
| US$100,000–US$249,999 | 10.75% | Base rate −0.25 percentage pointSource 2 |
| US$250,000–US$499,999 | 10.50% | Base rate −0.50 percentage pointSource 2 |
| US$500,000–US$999,999 | 8.60% | Base rate −2.40 percentage pointsSource 2 |
| US$1 million or more | 8.00% | Base rate −3.00 percentage pointsSource 2 |
Selected service and transfer fees
| Service | Published charge | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| ACH transfer | US$0 | Electronic bank transferSource 3 |
| Outgoing domestic or foreign wire | US$25 | Per wireSource 3 |
| DTC delivery | US$50 per security | Security-level transferSource 3 |
| Full outgoing ACATS | US$75 | Partial outgoing ACATS is US$55Source 3 |
| IRA annual, setup, maintenance or termination | US$0 | Other transaction and delivery charges can still applySource 3 |
| Incoming ACATS | Generally five to seven business days | Delivering firm and asset eligibility affect timingSource 8 |
Execution & trading rules
Sections ↑Trading sessions
| Session | Published hours in Eastern Time | Order boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-market | 7:00–9:30 a.m. | Extended-hours risks and eligible order types applySource 6 |
| Regular market | 9:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. | Standard market sessionSource 6 |
| After-hours | 4:00–8:00 p.m. | Lower liquidity and wider spreads can occurSource 6 |
| Overnight | 8:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m., Sunday night through Friday morning | Limit orders only; more than 1,200 stocks and ETFs are described as eligibleSource 5 |
Deposits, withdrawals & transfers
Sections ↑A Firstrade ACH withdrawal is requested in Accounts → Deposit/Transfer → Electronic Funds (ACH). The account must have withdrawable funds, not merely trading buying power. Firstrade’s current help also restricts withdrawals during the first 60 days after a deposit to the bank from which that deposit originated.[11][12]
Funding, settlement and withdrawal controls
| Area | Published position | Practical detail |
|---|---|---|
| ACH instruction before 1pm ET | Submitted to Apex for same-day processing | Submission is not the same as arrival at the receiving bank.Source 11 |
| Sale proceeds | T+1 settlement in the published availability guide | Settlement and any remaining deposit hold both affect the withdrawal field.Source 12 |
| First 60 days after deposit | Return to the originating bank | A different receiving bank can require waiting or account-service review.Source 11 |
| New or amended ACH link | Electronic Funds Transfer agreement and bank evidence | The funding page provides a secure Form Center upload route; amendments can require holder identification.Source 13 |
A transfer request should be traced with its ACH, wire or ACATS reference. This avoids confusing an instruction accepted by Firstrade, processing by Apex and final receipt at another institution; each stage can have a different timestamp.[11][8]
Protection & regulation
Sections ↑Account protection and operating model
| Layer | Arrangement | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Broker-dealer | Firstrade Securities Inc. | Carries the customer relationship and supplies the self-directed serviceSource 9Source 10 |
| Clearing | Apex Clearing Corporation | Clearing relationship reflected in regulatory and transfer documentationSource 1Source 3 |
| SIPC | Member framework | Protects missing customer property if a member broker fails, not market lossesSource 9 |
| Advice model | Self-directed | Firstrade states it does not provide investment, legal or tax recommendationsSource 1 |
- Headquarters
- Flushing, New York, United States
- Founded
- 1985
Legal entities & licences
These are source-dated records, not a blanket assessment of the broker. Read each issuer, identifier, status and scope together.
Firstrade Securities Inc.
| Issuer & identifier | Recorded status | Date & scope |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Industry Regulatory Authority16843 | Registered | Checked 10 Oct 2026Current FINRA BrokerCheck firm record.Source 10 |
Opening an account & support
Sections ↑Firstrade publishes customer telephone support at 1-800-869-8800 in the US and +1-718-961-6600 internationally, with 24/7 availability on the current contact page. Suspected account fraud can be reported through [email protected] or the official phone route. These published hours describe access, not independently measured response speed.[14][15]
Sources & further reading
- Firstrade pricing for securities, options, mutual funds and fixed income Firstrade · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Firstrade margin and credit-interest rates Firstrade · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Firstrade special-service and transfer charges Firstrade · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Firstrade brokerage account features Firstrade · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Firstrade overnight trading Firstrade · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Firstrade extended-hours trading Firstrade · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Firstrade international account route Firstrade · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Incoming ACATS transfers Firstrade · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- About Firstrade and account protection Firstrade · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Firstrade Securities Inc. — firm summary 16843 FINRA BrokerCheck · Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Firstrade withdrawals, origin-bank restriction and cut-off Firstrade · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Deposit and sale-proceeds availability Firstrade · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- ACH bank-link documents and secure upload Firstrade · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Current Firstrade customer-service contacts and hours Firstrade · Accessed 15 Oct 2026
- Firstrade account-security reporting Firstrade · 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.