Ally Invest Review

Ally Invest is the brokerage arm of Ally Financial — one of America's largest digital banks — and it offers a compelling combination of commission-free investing tightly integrated with one of the highest-rated online banking experiences available. Launched in 2005 and acquired by Ally Financial in 2016, Ally Invest provides access to stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, mutual funds, and forex trading, along with a robo-advisor service (Ally Invest Robo Portfolios) and a hybrid managed account option. What distinguishes Ally Invest is the seamless connection to Ally Bank — customers can instantly transfer funds between their high-yield savings account (typically 4%+ APY), checking account, and brokerage account with no delays or wire fees. For the significant population of investors who already use Ally Bank, this removes a major friction point that exists at standalone brokers. Ally Invest also offers competitive options pricing at $0.50/contract (below the industry standard of $0.65) and a managed portfolio with no advisory fee for a cash-enhanced allocation or 0.30% for a market-focused portfolio. While the trading platform lacks the depth of thinkorswim or TWS, it offers solid charting, streaming quotes, options chains, and research tools sufficient for most self-directed investors. With over 500,000 accounts and Ally Financial's backing, Ally Invest is a credible, well-capitalized broker that makes the most sense for investors already embedded in the Ally ecosystem.