Fidelity is VaultRubric's pick: it scores 85.3% vs Charles Schwab's 78.4% (a 6.9-point lead).
Data as of · Last updated · By VaultRubric Research · How we score · Not investment advice.
Fidelity and Charles Schwab are two of the most common places to open a Roth IRA. Both list a Roth IRA on their official pages; here they are scored with IRA options and costs weighted highest, using only our sourced data. Fund selection and expense ratios inside the IRA are not scored.
Rates change often — verify on the bank's or broker's site before opening an account. Every value shows its as-of date; ⚑ marks figures from third-party sites. Not financial advice.
VaultRubric pick: Fidelity
Weights: Trading costs 17%, Account minimum 14%, IRA options 23%, Transfer-out fee 11%, Protection (SIPC) 17%, Regulatory record 17%
| # | Broker | Score | Options/contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fidelity | 85.3% cov 100% | $0.65 src · 2026-10-11 | |
| 2 | Charles Schwab | 78.4% cov 100% | $0.65 src · 2026-10-11 | Regulatory: FINRA: $175K fine + censure: failed to report/timely report ~2.8M fractional-share trades (2018–2025); Regulatory: SEC: $10M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping failures; Regulatory: SE |
| Fact | Fidelity | Schwab |
|---|---|---|
| Stock/ETF commission | $0 src · 2026-10-11 | $0 src · 2026-10-11 |
| Options (per contract) | $0.65 src · 2026-10-11 | $0.65 src · 2026-10-11 |
| Account minimum | $0 src · 2026-10-10 | $0 src · 2026-10-10 |
| Fractional shares | Yes src · 2026-10-10 | Yes src · 2026-10-10 |
| IRA types | Traditional, Roth, SIMPLE (fee schedule), Rollover src · 2026-10-10 | Traditional, Roth, Rollover, SEP, SIMPLE src · 2026-10-10 |
| IRA match | none found | None ⚑ third-party source src · 2026-10-10 |
| Transfer-out fee | $0 src · 2026-10-11 | $50 src · 2026-10-11 |
| SIPC member | Yes src · 2026-10-10 | Yes src · 2026-10-10 |
| FINRA CRD | CRD 7784 src · 2026-10-10 | CRD 5393 src · 2026-10-10 |
| Regulatory actions (5 yrs) | none found in last 5 yrs src · 2026-10-10 | 2026-09-02 FINRA: $175K fine + censure: failed to report/timely report ~2.8M fractional-share trades (2018–2025) src 2025-01-13 SEC: $10M civil penalty for off-channel communications recordkeeping failures src 2022-06-13 SEC: ~$187M for misleading robo-adviser (Intelligent Portfolios) clients about hidden cash fees src |
Opens the tool with these platforms filled in, so you can change the weights.
On this rubric, Fidelity scores highest. Your answer depends on your priorities; adjust the weights in the tool.
Only from our curated dataset (official pages, regulators, and flagged third-party sites), with fixed formulas shown in “Show math”. No AI or live scraping, so the same comparison always gives the same result. Not financial advice.