Fidelity
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About Fidelity
Fidelity Investments is one of the largest privately held financial services companies in the world, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Fidelity manages over $11.5 trillion in customer assets across mutual funds, brokerage accounts, retirement accounts (401k, IRA), and managed portfolios. With 43+ million individual investors and 23,000+ employees, Fidelity is a dominant force in retirement savings — it administers 401(k) plans for 24,000+ companies serving 23 million participants. Fidelity offers commission-free stock and ETF trading (since 2019), no-minimum brokerage accounts, and industry-leading index funds including four zero-expense-ratio funds (FZROX, FZILX, FZESX, FZIPX). The Fidelity Bloom app and Youth Account (for teenagers) expand its reach to younger investors. Fidelity's research tools, customer service, and fund selection are consistently top-rated by Barron's, NerdWallet, and Bankrate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fidelity a good broker for beginners?
Fidelity is an excellent choice for beginners. It has no account minimums, commission-free trades, a user-friendly mobile app, and strong educational resources. The zero-expense-ratio index funds (like FZROX for US stocks) let beginners invest with essentially no cost. Fidelity's customer service is highly rated, with phone support available 24/7 and 200+ investor centers for in-person help.
Fidelity vs Vanguard: which is better?
For passive index investors, both are excellent. Fidelity has lower expense ratios (zero funds vs Vanguard's 0.03-0.04%), better website/app experience, no account minimums, and stronger active trading tools. Vanguard has a unique client-owned structure (no outside shareholders), pioneered index investing, and is the largest mutual fund company. For most investors: Fidelity wins on technology and costs; Vanguard wins on structural alignment with investor interests.