J.P. Morgan investing review (2024)

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Overall rating

Is J.P. Morgan right for you?

If you're searching for low-cost investment options, don't overlook J.P. Morgan online investing. The brokerage functions as the investment division of J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC, and it offers several inexpensive investment choices for both active traders and passive investors.

It includes two investment options: J.P. Morgan Self Directed Investing and J.P. Morgan Automated Investing. J.P. Morgan Self Directed Investing functions as an online brokerage, and J.P. Morgan Automated Investing provides managed portfolios.

J.P. Morgan online investing is also convenient for existing Chase Bank customers interested in trying their luck in the stock market. That's not to say you've got to have a Chase bank account to sign up; the brokerage just makes it easier to connect all of your Chase accounts in one place.However, a drawback of the platform is that it doesn't offer joint accounts, education savings accounts, or trust accounts.

As for its sign-up bonus, those who fund a J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account (general investment, traditional IRA, and Roth IRAs are eligible) with qualifying new money receive the following rewards:

• $700 when you fund with $250,000 or more
• $325 when you fund with $100,000 - $249,999
• $150 when you fund with $25,000 - 99,999
• $50 when you fund with $10,000 - $24,999

The bonus is limited to one per user, and it only applies to those with self-directed accounts.

J.P. Morgan vs. E*TRADE

J.P. Morgan online investing and E*TRADE both offer self-directed investing, automated investing, and various investment choices. However, the platforms diverge when it comes to fees.

On the automated investing end, J.P. Morgan charges more in advisory fees, but it provides a wider range of investment types.

J.P. Morgan vs. SoFi

J.P. Morgan offers commission-free stocks, ETFs, and options, but SoFi only offers commission-free stocks and ETFs. SoFi makes up for this, though, with fee-free automated investing and its selection of cryptocurrencies.

Although you'll have to pay for automated investing with J.P. Morgan, it offers more investment types.

Ways to invest with J.P. Morgan

Self-directed brokerage accounts

J.P. Morgan Self Directed Investing lets you place trades without paying commissions for stocks, ETFs, options, and mutual funds. You can get started without having to meet a minimum initial investment requirement, and you'll be able to trade with general investment accounts, traditional IRAs, and Roth IRAs.

You'll only run into fees for options contracts and secondary corporate bonds, municipal bonds, and brokered CDs. J.P. Morgan charges $0.65 per options contracts, while bonds and CDs cost $10 per trade plus an extra $1 for every bond over 10 bonds. Its options contract fee is normal, but some brokerages — like Robinhood Robinhood, Webull, and Firstrade — let you skip out on options fees completely.

Chase's mobile app also makes it possible to carry your investments with you wherever you go. Plus, existing Chase customers can access both their investing and bank accounts under one umbrella.

Automated investment management

You can also sign up for J.P. Morgan Automated Investing if you'd like your portfolio managed by professionals. This account is great for those who like robo-advice, but it also offers a unique feature: a team of investment specialists.

J.P. Morgan uses both automated investment technology and human specialists to keep your portfolio on track. So you won't have to worry about making any trades or rebalancing your portfolio on your own like you would with a self-directed account.

Just be prepared to pay a bit more for J.P. Morgan Automated Investing. You'll need a minimum of $500 to get started, and you'll have to pay an annual advisory fee of 0.35%. Its automated account also includes a Portfolio Builder feature that helps you find investments that work best with your risk tolerance and short- or long-term savings goals. You'll need at least $2,500 for this feature, though.

The platform mainly uses four portfolios: conservative, moderate, growth, and aggressive. Each portfolio utilizes a different mix of J.P. Morgan ETFs.

If you're looking for more personalized financial advice from a human professional, you can sign up for J.P. Morgan Advisors.

Retirement accounts

Both J.P. Morgan Self Directed Investing and J.P. Morgan Automated Investing offer investment options for traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. With the self-directed investing option, you can open either retirement account with no minimum requirement. But you'll need at least $500 to get set up an automated traditional or Roth IRA with J.P. Morgan Automated Investing.

Additionally, it's worth pointing out that J.P. Morgan online investing doesn't offer IRA rollovers, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs. If you're looking for any of these accounts or other retirement plans, you should consider other brokerages.

J.P. Morgan: Is it trustworthy?

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. currently has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. Since the BBB rates companies using an A+ to F range, this suggests that J.P. Morgan online investing displays trustworthy business practices and interacts well with its customers.

Though ratings aren't the same for every company, the BBB says it assesses all companies by reviewing licensing information, advertising, government actions, and more. J.P. Morgan Chase has closed more than 1,600 complaints in the last 12 months, according to BBB data.

J.P. Morgan online investing hasn't racked up any major lawsuits. But in 2020, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission forced its parent company, J.P. Morgan Chase, to pay a $920 million fine to settle market manipulation claims.

J.P. Morgan — Frequently asked questions (FAQ)