The Largest Brokerage Firms in 2022 | The Motley Fool (2024)

The largest brokerage firms are household names: Vanguard, Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Bank of America (specifically Merrill Lynch), and J.P. Morgan each manages trillions of assets and millions of accounts.

Vanguard alone has $8.1 trillion assets under management (AUM) as of March 2022, and is the only major brokerage firm to have had growth in AUM from 2021 to 2022.

Despite a rocky year for the stock market in 2022, every major brokerage except for Robinhood added accounts.

Key findings

  • The largest brokerage firm: Vanguard is the largest brokerage firm by assets under management and active investment accounts accounts, with $8.1 trillion in AUM as of March 2022 and over 30 million investors.
  • Charles Schwab by the numbers: As of the third quarter of 2022, Charles Schwab is the second-largest brokerage, with $6.6 trillion assets under management and 35.6 million active brokerage accounts.
  • Brokerage accounts grew: The largest brokerage firms all experienced an increase in account numbers between the third quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2022, except for Robinhood, which saw a 32% decrease in active accounts.
  • Assets under management shrank: The largest brokerages experienced declines in assets under management by at least 13%.

The largest brokerage firms by assets under management

Data sources: Investor relations documents, SEC filings, and press releases. Note: Data is from Q3 2021 and Q3 2022 for all companies except Vanguard. Vanguard data is as of March 31, 2022.

Vanguard is the largest brokerage firm by AUM, managing $8.1 trillion in assets as of March 31, 2022, up one trillion from 2021.

Vanguard not only manages the most assets of any major brokerage, the company is the only major stock brokerage firm to grow its AUM from 2021 to 2022.

Charles Schwab, with an AUM of $6.6 trillion, managed roughly a trillion dollars more in 2021.

Fidelity saw its AUM drop from $4.23 trillion in 2021 to $3.6 trillion in 2022.

The largest brokerage firms by active brokerage accounts

Data sources: Investor relations documents and SEC filings Note: This table does not include Vanguard due to data availability.

Fidelity boasts the most active brokerage accounts, with 35.6 million, among major firms for which data is available. Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Merrill Lynch, and Ally Invest were able to increase the number of active brokerage accounts on their platforms despite a down year for the market.

Robinhood, on the other hand, saw its active brokerage account numbers drop to 12.2 million from 18 million in 2021.

Charles Schwab

  • Assets under management: $6.6 trillion
  • Total active brokerage accounts: 34 million

Founded in 1971, Charles Schwab introduced the concept of the discount brokerage and has risen to be the largest stock brokerage firm around. It offers a variety of financial products and services, including stock trading, individual retirement accounts, and banking.

Charles Schwab is most famous as a full-service brokerage. It has a high-quality web platform and app with quite a few investment options. This broker grew considerably last year, in large part because it finalized the acquisition of TD Ameritrade, a popular online broker. In addition to investment services, Charles Schwab offers a very popular checking account product with unlimited ATM fee rebates worldwide and no foreign transaction fees.

Learn more: Charles Schwab Review

Edward Jones

  • Assets under management: $1.8 trillion (as of the end of 2021)
  • Total clients: Over 8 million (as of the end of 2021)

Edward Jones is a full-service financial services company that offers commission-based brokerage accounts in addition to other types of accounts.

Founded in 1922, Edward Jones emphasizes building relationships between clients and financial advisors. The company has nearly 15,000 offices in the United States staffed by close to 19,000 financial advisors.

Bank of America/Merrill Lynch

  • Assets under management: $3.2 trillion
  • Total active brokerage accounts: 3.4 million

Bank of America is a financial services company offering banking, credit cards, loans, and investment products. In 2009, Bank of America acquired investment company Merrill Lynch.

Merrill Lynch serves as the main brokerage option through Bank of America. Clients have the option of Merrill Edge for self-directed investing and Merrill Guided Investing for professional guidance. For clients with substantial funds ($10 million or more), Bank of America also offers Bank of America Private Bank.

Learn more: Merrill Edge Review

J.P. Morgan

  • Assets under management: $2.6 trillion

J.P. Morgan is the full-service brokerage offered by Chase. Clients can open a self-directed brokerage account to trade on their own, work with a dedicated advisor, or invest using a robo-advisor. The broker offers zero-commission trading and a $0 minimum on self-directed accounts (automated accounts have a $500 minimum).

Those who qualify for Chase Private Client can receive a J.P. Morgan Private Client Advisor to build an investment portfolio that fits their individual needs. Chase Private Client members also gain access to investment accounts for retirement and education expenses as well as J.P. Morgan industry research and insights.

Learn more: J.P. Morgan Review

Fidelity

  • Assets under management: $3.6 trillion
  • Total active brokerage accounts: 35.6 million

Fidelity is a full-service broker that has a wide selection of mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs). Other notable features of this broker are access to international markets and fractional share investing. Since its founding in 1946, Fidelity has grown to become the largest provider of 401(k) retirement savings plans in the United States.

Learn more: Fidelity Review

Robinhood

  • Assets under management: $60 billion
  • Total active brokerage accounts: 12.2 million

Although it hasn't been around long, Robinhood has had a huge impact on the investment industry. It was founded in 2013 and made waves for offering zero-commission trading. That may have seemed like a gimmick at the time, but at this point, it has become the industry norm. Robinhood also made waves in January 2018 when it started listing cryptocurrency.

Robinhood isn't a full-service broker, as it only offers individual accounts. Despite lacking some features compared to the major brokers, Robinhood is an extremely popular trading platform, especially among younger investors.

Learn more: Robinhood Review

Vanguard

  • Assets under management: $8.1 trillion
  • Total investors: Over 30 million

Vanguard is one of the most popular full-service stock brokerages for investing in mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs). It wasn't included in the earlier data sets because the asset and client information it provides aren't as detailed as what other brokers offer.

The numbers above were reported by Vanguard as of March 31, 2022. Although investors primarily use it for index fund investing and not for everyday stock trading, it manages more assets and has more clients than most of its competitors.

Learn more: Vanguard Review

Ally Invest

  • Assets under management: $10 billion
  • Total active brokerage accounts: 520,000

Ally Invest is the trading platform offered by Ally Financial. It originally became popular as a discount brokerage option, and it now offers commission-free trading to match its major competitors. This broker provides self-directed accounts, IRAs, and robo portfolio services.

Learn more: Ally Invest Review

The Largest Brokerage Firms in 2022 | The Motley Fool (2024)

FAQs

The Largest Brokerage Firms in 2022 | The Motley Fool? ›

The four biggest stock brokerage firms in the United States are Vanguard, Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch.

Who is the largest brokerage firm in the world? ›

Largest Online Brokers by AUM in 2023
Brokerage firmAUMDate Reported
Interactive Brokers$337.6BJan-2023
Hargreaves Lansdown£123.8B (~$149B)2022
Saxo BankDKK 591B (~$79B)Jun-2022
Interactive Investor£52B (~$63B)Jun-2022
12 more rows
May 14, 2023

What brokerage do most millionaires use? ›

What brokerage firms do billionaires use? Many very wealthy individuals use the top brokerage firms, such as Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, and TD Ameritrade, among others. They invest in private equity and hedge funds.

What are the big four brokerage firms? ›

They are often referred to as the "big four brokerages." Each of these firms—Charles Schwab, Fidelity Investments, E*TRADE, and TD Ameritrade—comprise the top in terms of customers and assets.

Is Motley Fool a brokerage firm? ›

Once you've chosen one of our top-rated brokers, you need to make sure you're buying the right stocks. We think there's no better place to start than with Stock Advisor, the flagship stock-picking service of our company, The Motley Fool.

Who is bigger Fidelity or Schwab? ›

As of the end of February 2023, Schwab has over 34 million active brokerage accounts and $7.38 trillion in customer assets. 2 Fidelity is larger still, with about 40.9 million individual investors and $10.3 trillion in total customer assets as of December 31st, 2022.

What are the 4 largest stock brokerage firms in America? ›

The top four stock brokerage firms in the United States include Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity Investments, and E*Trade but with Schwab's purchase of TD Ameritrade, this number will soon change to three.

What broker does Warren Buffett use? ›

To summarize, Warren Buffett mostly doesn't use regular brokers like the majority of retail traders around the world. Instead, he prefers to make trades through a private stockbroker like John Freund in order to ensure that his movement is discreet and won't cause huge price swings in the market.

Where is the best place to invest $1,000,000? ›

But since costs and risks can run high, real estate investment trusts (REITs) may be the best choice for your $1 million investment. These real estate funds issue shares that trade just like stocks, and they pay out dividends to holders.

Who is the largest brokerage firm in the US? ›

Vanguard is the largest brokerage firm in the United States, with $8.1 trillion assets under management.

What is the safest brokerage firm? ›

Safest Brokerage Firms
ReviewStocksPromotions
Firstrade$0Earn up to $4,000 cash bonus & get transfer fee reimbursem*nt.
Robinhood$0Get up to $200 in free stock with a new Robinhood account.
TD Ameritrade$0$0 stock/ETF trades and a transfer fee refund.

What are the top performing brokerage firms? ›

The following 10 real estate brokerages topped the list when ranked by closed sales volume in 2021:
  • Compass. 2021 sales volume: $251,019,336,511.
  • Realogy. 2021 sales volume: $246,052,872,000.
  • HomeServices of America Inc. ...
  • eXp Realty. ...
  • Redfin. ...
  • Douglas Elliman Realty. ...
  • Hanna Holdings Inc. ...
  • HomeSmart.
Mar 30, 2022

What is the oldest brokerage firm? ›

Inman.com names Chicago's Baird & Warner Real Estate as “the oldest US Real Estate Brokerage” citing their 160 years of business and the granting of a $5,000 mortgage loan in 1855 as the basis for the title.

What is Motley Fool's options? ›

Motley Fool Options is the Motley Fool's option-picking service and is designed to help options investors make the most of the opportunities on the market. The Motley Fool Options team searches for the best options trades to recommend to their subscribers.

Who is Schwab's biggest competitor? ›

Charles Schwab (SCHW) is a financial services company that operates through various subsidiaries to provide asset management, discount brokerage, banking, and advisory services. Its closest competitors in the discount brokerage sector include Fidelity and Interactive Brokers.

Why choose Vanguard over Schwab? ›

Bottom line: Vanguard and Charles Schwab both offer multiple low-cost IRAs, but Vanguard is the better option for investors in search of the best retirement funds. Schwab, however, is more ideal for those who want access to more IRA account types and lower automated investing fees.

Should I go with Fidelity or Charles Schwab? ›

If you're bugged by paying fees and looking for a wider variety of no-load, no-fee mutual funds, Charles Schwab might be a better option than Fidelity. Charles Schwab ranks No. 1 in the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Full-Service Investor Satisfaction Study.

What is the fastest growing brokerage in North America? ›

Lamacchia Realty is Number One Fastest-Growing Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Affiliate in America Over the Last Five Years - Lamacchia Realty.

Who is the most successful stock broker? ›

Warren Buffett is often cited as the most successful investor of all time through his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway.

Who is the top stock broker? ›

NerdWallet's Best Online Brokers for Stock Trading of June 2023
  • Fidelity.
  • Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite.
  • Webull.
  • Merrill Edge® Self-Directed.
  • J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing.
  • Robinhood.
  • Ally Invest.
  • Firstrade.
Jun 1, 2023

What 4 stocks is Warren Buffett buying? ›

Buffett's Biggest Holdings
Company (Ticker)Sector% of Portfolio
American Express (AXP)Finance7.5%
Kraft Heinz (KHC)Consumer Staples4.4%
Occidental Petroleum (OXY)Energy4.1%
Moody's (MCO)Finance2.3%
6 more rows
May 22, 2023

What stock does Warren Buffett own the most of? ›

Bank of America (BAC), 1.03 billion. Apple (AAPL), 915.6 million. Coca-Cola (KO), 400 million. Kraft Heinz (KHC), 325.6 million.

What are the 5 Warren Buffett stocks? ›

  • The Best Warren Buffett Stocks.
  • Apple Inc. ( AAPL)
  • Bank of America Corp. ( BAC)
  • American Express Co. ( AXP)
  • Coca-Cola Co. ( KO)
  • Chevron Corp. ( CVX)
  • Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY)
  • Kraft Heinz Co. ( KHC)
Jun 1, 2023

Can I live off the interest of 1 million dollars? ›

Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.

What is the safest investment for a large sum of money? ›

High-quality bonds and fixed-indexed annuities are often considered the safest investments with the highest returns. However, there are many different types of bond funds and annuities, each with risks and rewards. For example, government bonds are generally more stable than corporate bonds based on past performance.

What is the safest way to invest 5 million dollars? ›

How to Invest $5 Million for Income
  • Dividend Stocks. Companies that offer dividend-paying stocks pay a portion of profits to stockholders. ...
  • Certificates of Deposit and Money Market Accounts. ...
  • Annuities. ...
  • Real Estate. ...
  • Master Limited Partnerships. ...
  • Bottom Line. ...
  • Investing Tips.
Jul 12, 2022

Is it safe to keep more than $500000 in a brokerage account? ›

Is it safe to keep more than $500,000 in a brokerage account? It is safe in the sense that there are measures in place to help investors recoup their investments before the SIPC steps in. And, indeed, the SIPC will not get involved until the liquidation process starts.

Whose brokerage is lowest? ›

Introduction
Stock Brokers In IndiaBrokerage charges for delivery trades.Maximum Brokerage charges for commodity (per trade)
ZerodhaZero20/-
UpstoxZero20/-
5paisa15/-15/-
Samco20/-20/-
Mar 15, 2023

What is the fastest-growing brokerage in the world? ›

10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- eXp Realty®, the fastest-growing real estate brokerage on the planet and the core subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI), today announced it has exceeded 85,000 agents globally, representing an increase of 30% when compared to 65,286 agents at the start of October 2021.

What are the top 5 broker house? ›

Best Stock Brokers in India
  • Zerodha.
  • Groww.
  • Angel One.
  • Upstox.
  • ICICI Direct.
Apr 21, 2023

How do I find a good brokerage firm? ›

  1. Look at commissions on the investments you'll use most.
  2. Look for brokers with a track record of reliability.
  3. Pay attention to account minimums.
  4. Watch out for account fees.
  5. Look at the pricing and execution fine print.
  6. Consider tools, education and features.
  7. Take advantage of promotions.
Mar 31, 2023

Who is the youngest richest stock broker? ›

Meet Ashu Sehrawat one of Indias youngest millionaires at 22. Ashu Sehrawat rose fast to prominence in India as a renowned stock trader and self-made millionaire. At just 22, he is a successful day trader and swing trader who is continually growing and refining his strategy.

Is Fidelity bigger than Edward Jones? ›

Edward Jones's brand is ranked #200 in the list of Global Top 1000 Brands, as rated by customers of Edward Jones. Fidelity Investments's brand is ranked #162 in the list of Global Top 1000 Brands, as rated by customers of Fidelity Investments.

Who was the youngest stock broker? ›

Lauren Simmons got a crash course on the financial world when she became the youngest full-time female trader at the New York Stock Exchange in 2017, at 22 years old. Simmons, now 27, left Wall Street after two years to become an entrepreneur.

Who was the world's richest stock broker? ›

Here are the top 5 richest investors in the world and their stories:
  • Warren Buffett. Net worth: $103 Billion. Founder & CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. ...
  • Jim Simons. Net worth: $28.6 Billion. ...
  • Ken Griffin. Net worth: $27 Billion. ...
  • Ray Dalio. Net worth: $22 Billion. ...
  • Carl Icahn. Net worth: $17.5 Billion.
Apr 17, 2023

What is the largest business brokerage in the US? ›

Link Business is the largest business brokerage in the world with offices in the United States, New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines. Our brokers specialize in business sales transactions and have collectively sold over $2…

What is the fastest growing brokerage in the world? ›

10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- eXp Realty®, the fastest-growing real estate brokerage on the planet and the core subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPI), today announced it has exceeded 85,000 agents globally, representing an increase of 30% when compared to 65,286 agents at the start of October 2021.

Who is bigger Fidelity or Vanguard? ›

Fidelity and Vanguard are two of the largest investment companies in the world. Fidelity boasts 40 million individual investors and $9.9 trillion in assets under management (AUM). Meanwhile, Vanguard has more than 30 million investors and $8.5 trillion in assets under management.

Who is the largest investment broker in the US? ›

Vanguard is the largest brokerage firm in the United States, with $8.1 trillion assets under management. What are the four largest stock brokerage firms in the United States?

Is Vanguard or Charles Schwab better? ›

Charles Schwab offers all the investments you'd expect from a large broker, including equities, bonds, futures, Forex, options, and access to cryptocurrency (through Bitcoin futures and funds only). Vanguard's offerings are comparatively limited, but they should be adequate for most buy-and-hold investors.

Who does Warren Buffett use as a broker? ›

To summarize, Warren Buffett mostly doesn't use regular brokers like the majority of retail traders around the world. Instead, he prefers to make trades through a private stockbroker like John Freund in order to ensure that his movement is discreet and won't cause huge price swings in the market.

What is Warren Buffett currently investing in? ›

Top stock holdings in Buffett's portfolio

Apple (AAPL) – $151.0 billion. Bank of America (BAC) – $29.5 billion. American Express (AXP) – $25.0 billion. Coca-Cola – $24.8 billion.

What is the most a stock broker can make? ›

Stock Broker Salary. $65,000 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $225,000 is the 75th percentile.

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