Fidelity Investments

Pros: If things are working, you should be OK.
Cons: If things are not working, you are screwed. You have no recourse.

My problems began when Fidelity's proprietary interface for streaming quotes that sits on the PC failed to work one morning without notice on a crucial market day. No notice, no explanation - it simply did not receive data nor allow me to sell a stock ...

Pros: Great Service, intuitive web site, free bill payment
Cons: No advice, no private wealth management program

I have been with Fidelity since 1989 (I guess I am fidel!), as a brokerage customer. I have also used them for all my banking activity.

The Fidelity USA is like a the Merrill Lynch CMA, except you pay no fees here. The free Gold Americal...

Pros: online trading policy
Cons: only for small share investment

Is it really only 14.95? Yes,if your only trading 1,000 shares or less.
Let me start off by saying I do not hold an account with Fidelity.I have an account with Ameritrade and Oppenheimer.My husband and I did not check to see how much the exact...

Pros: read article
Cons: read article

fidelity might possibly be the biggest and the greatest of all online brokrage firms
it is easy to use
basic but cna be advanced
has incredible featurs such as:
power street pro a screen that lets you do everything from trading to...

Pros: All persons spoken to are polite
Cons: Totally unreliable in the purchase of securities outside of their own holdings.

I opened an account with Fidelity Investments, transferred a sizable amount of money into the account, and then attempted to buy municipal bonds once the funds were available.
During the next 3 days, I purchased bonds in the morning, was told that it was done, only to hear at the close of the market that for some reason, the bonds were not purchased. The reason given was the seller changed his/her mind, and only put the bonds out to see what activity they attracted. This is baloney!
I've been buying and selling bonds for years, and this is not the way the market works. I was even given confirmation number to record the purchase, which apparently at Fidelity means nothing.
I also was told that I would be called at a certain hour to discuss matters. Unfortunately, I was foolish enough to believe them. If the call was made, it came 1 hour late if at all.
I've closed the account, but naturally it takes 7 days to get your money out.
If you wish reliable service in the market, these are not the people to go to.

Pros: Best in Class, very user-friendly online experience, most fees are very reasonable.
Cons: Some high fees Fees charged for some Mutual Funds is too high ($75!)

The Internet Brokerage industry has changed so much in the last five years that I believe most of the reviews about Fidelity are obsolete as far as being reflective of current services and benefits go.

The rates for buying and selling shares are very reasonable compared to full service brokers, the research available to members is excellent, with valuable stock and mutual fund screens to help the client in his investing strategies. One on one help is available to me via telephone or in person if I wish, though the costs for these services increase as well.

I really like how the account is very intuitive and customer friendly, giving me access to evrything I can reasonably ask for. The closest competition to Fidelity may be Charles Schwab, but both are constantly trying to improve and thus gain market share; competition is a good thing for the consumer!

The only real criticism I have is that Fidelity charges $75.00 for a client to buy some Mutual Funds when competitors charge from $20-$35; they could be more reasonable.

Pros: Cheap if you have many trades. Easy to use.
Cons: Expensive if occasional trader. Occasional quirks in navigation.

Fidelity provides a good mix of research and trading info. Their site is well laid out and easy to use. I like the ability to trade stocks and options at same time.

Pros: Great customer service, fair pricing, many mutual fund choices and user friendly online trading.
Cons: .015 additional commission per share on trades over 1000 shares.

I have been with Fidelity since 1993 and have to say the customer service is second to none. Their online portal is easy to operate and their streaming ticker is better than most. The only thing I have an issue with is the .015 additional commission per share over 1000 shares; but in reality the customer service is what I find important . . . hey, it's my money!

Bottom line, Fidelity is a great place to be for the average investor or retiree,

Pros: They're in the lovely city of Boston.
Cons: Their interest is NOT with the investor. They are slow, unresponsive, and uncooperative.

God help you if your retirement account is with these people. They make every conceivable action in your account as complex and obscure as possible. User-Friendly is an alien concept to them. And if there's a glitch in your account-- whether it's your fault or theirs--
you will be put through the wringer to straighten it out, and made to feel like a complete moron every step of the way. They act like it's THEIR money. They will invariably try to steer you toward their proprietary funds, and will have less time for you if you insist on out-of-house investments.
If I could pull my 401k out of this establishment and put it somewhere else, I'd do it in a minute.

Pros: Good online services, good customer service, all around good.
Cons: Walk-in offices are not as available as regular banks.

Moving to Fidelity was one of the best financial moves I've ever made. The online services are extremely easy to navigate. Making trades is a breeze. In transfering our money to Fidelity, the bank that currently held our funds (Chase) did not want to cooperate. Over three months of calls were invested trying to get the funds transfered. Fidelity's customer service representatives are wonderfully patient and have a deep knowledge of what they're doing. Once we handed the transfer process over to them, it was escalated to a specialized team and the transfer was completed within a week. I would gladly leave every penny I have ever made or will ever make in the able hands of Fidelity.

Pros: Fidelity reps are courteous and knowledgeable.
Cons: I can't think of any cons.

I recently opened an account with Fidelity because my type of account with Merrill Lynch was being phased out. During this process, Fidelity provided outstanding customer service. I opened an online account and the rep patiently stayed on the phone with me through the whole process, answering any questions I had.

When Merrill Lynch gave me all sorts of trouble about transferring, Fidelity provided me with a specialist who helped me wrangle with them. She did a conference call with ML and went to bat for me, asking all the right questions. Fidelity even assigned a rep to my case and I can call her anytime. Once I get things straightened out with ML, I can transfer to Fidelity and they will pay ML's $94 transfer fee. How's that for service?? I can't wait to be rid of Merrill Lynch!

Pros: Great 24 hour customer service; Superb web site
Cons: Their $19.95 trade fee could be lower

I've been using Fidelity now for about six months and I am extremely please with them. I keep a close eye on my investments with them, mainly various mutual funds. And every time I have spoke with them, whether over the phone, in person, they have been professional and helpful. When I was having trouble getting from my IRA transferred from Ariel to them. They were very helpful and went above the call of duty to assist me in doing so. If they would lower their stock trading fee for the little guy, I'd say they would be as perfect as can be. But still you get what you pay for. And if I'm making a $6,000 trade, I'd rather pay a extra $5 to $10 more and get it done right.

Pros: Research tools are fantastic
Cons: Registration process could be better
Trading commissions (especially accounts valued under $50k)
Charts are terrible

Fidelity has really great research tools. Beyond that, they offer nothing impressive that stacks up well against the recommended online brokers. Commissions and fees can also be excessive for those that do not qualify for discounts.

Registration - C
Trading - D
Charts - D
Research Tools - A
Commissions and Fees(Pass/Fail) - Pass

Read my full review of Fidelity and other major online brokers at http://onlinebrokerreview.blogspot.com/