Axos Invest Self Directed Trading review
- Stock trade fee
- $0
- Minimum deposit
- $0
Our verdict
Trade stocks and ETFs commission-free with Axos Invest, but its best features cost $10 per month.
Consider Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading if you want commission-free stock and ETF trades and access to a robo-advisor. Look elsewhere if you want a more modern trading platform or access to cryptocurrency.
Best for: Axos Bank customers looking to keep their banking and investing under one roof.
Pros
-
Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
-
Self-directed and automated investment accounts.
-
Variety of account types.
Cons
-
Best features sit behind a $10 monthly paywall.
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Website and mobile app trading platforms feel outdated.
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No advanced charts.
-
No no-transaction-fee mutual funds.
How we rated Axos Invest’s features
| Fees | ★★★★★ | Commission-free stock and ETF trades, but options contract fees and mutual fund trade fees are higher than most. |
| Available securities | ★★★★★ | Stocks, ETFs, options and mutual funds. |
| Customer support | ★★★★★ | Three ways to reach customer support, but expect a delayed response. |
| Mobile app | ★★★★★ | Its mobile app receives high marks from both Google and Apple users. |
| Research and tools | ★★★★★ | Screeners, real-time market data and TipRanks-powered research, but charting capabilities are severely limited. |
| Reliability | ★★★★★ | No major outages have been reported. |
To learn how our star ratings are calculated, read our methodology at the bottom of the page.
Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading is best for existing Axos customers
Axos Invest doesn’t have many highlights, nor does it offer any features that makes it stand out from the crowd. This limits its appeal to traders and investors looking for a new go-to platform. As a result, Axos Invest is best for existing Axos customers particularly interested in banking and investing from a single platform.
What you can trade on Axos Invest Self Directed Trading
- Stocks.
- ETFs.
- Options.
- Mutual funds.
Account types available with Axos Invest Self Directed Trading
- Individual
- Joint
- Retirement
Where Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading shines
Axos Invest Self Directed Trading offers both individual and retirement accounts, allowing it to cater to different types of investors. Customers also have access to a separate robo-advisor, Axos Managed Portfolios, for 0.24% in annual management fees.
Where Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading falls short
The Axos Invest web and mobile trading platforms both feel very outdated, without much focus on trading or user experience. In fact, you can’t even trade from within the mobile app. When you want to trade securities, you must follow a link that brings you to a separate webpage. You then have to log in again, and we kept getting an error when trying to do this.
What’s more, there are no advanced charts and all the best trading and investing features sit behind a paywall — $10 per month to access Axos Elite. Only then can you get your hands on real-time market data, TipRanks-powered research and extended trading hours. These are features that come standard with most brokers. For those interested in Axos Invest Managed Portfolios, it requires a steep $500 minimum deposit, significantly higher than much of the competition.
Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading’s fees
| Minimum deposit | $0 for standard Self-Directed Trading account; $50 to open an IRA; $500 to open an Axos Invest Managed Portfolios |
| Annual fee | $0 for Self-Directed Trading; 0.24% annual advisory fee for Axos Invest Managed Portfolios |
| Stock and ETF fees | $0 |
| Options contract fees | $1 per contract; $0.80 per contract with Axos Elite |
| Mutual fund trade fees | $9.95 per trade |
| Inactivity fee | $0 |
| Wire transfer (domestic and international) | $30 (domestic); $75 (international) |
| Returned check and ACH | $40 per returned check; $25 per returned ACH |
| Outgoing account transfer fee | $75 |
Is Axos Invest legit?
Yes, Axos Invest is a legitimate broker. It’s a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects securities for customers up to $500,000 or $250,000 for claims for cash. It’s also registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading’s platform is clunky and underpowered
Here are some of the tools you can use to trade with on Axos Invest Self Directed Trading:
- Real-time market data (only available with Axos Elite)
- TipRanks-powered expert insights and research (only available with Axos Elite)
- Screeners
Axos Invest’s app
Axos doesn’t offer a standalone mobile trading app for its brokerage services. Instead, you can access your investment account through the general Axos app, which houses all your different Axos accounts. To trade securities, you need to navigate from the app to a separate mobile site.
Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading’s app store reviews
| App store | Rating | Total reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play | 4.25 | 6,575 |
| Apple Store | 4.70 | 13,506 |
Axos Invest’s customer support
Connect with Axos Invest support in three ways:
- Phone
- Secure message
How to open an account with Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading
- Click the Sign up now button below and click Open an Account. Then, choose Open an Account again under Self-Directed Trading.
- Enter your name, date of birth, Social Security number, email and phone number and select Accept & Continue.
- Enter a username and password and select Create Account.
- Complete your profile by selecting your account type and account features and providing the required personal information, including your country of citizenship, employment information, home address and financial information.
- Complete your investment profile.
- Review and submit your application.
Eligibility and required information
- At least 18 years old
- Valid phone number and residential and email address
- Existing bank to fund your account
- Valid Social Security number
How safe is Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading?
The Axos Invest Self Directed Trading app is generally considered to be safe and secure. According to Axos, customer information is “fully encrypted, securely stored, and protected by our state-of-the-art technology.” It employs cyber intrusion detection and prevention technologies, firewalls and Secure Socket Layer encryption to secure your connection when you log in.
Compare Axos Invest to other platforms
Axos Invest Self Directed Trading
★★★★★
Finder rating 3.6 / 5
Available asset types
Stocks, Options, Mutual funds, ETFs
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
N/A
Tastytrade
★★★★★
Finder rating 4.4 / 5
Available asset types
Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency, Futures, Treasury Bills
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Get $50-$5,000
Robinhood
★★★★★
Finder rating 4.6 / 5
Available asset types
Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency
Stock trade fee
$0
Minimum deposit
$0
Signup bonus
Get a free stock
Frequently asked questions about Axos Invest Self-Directed Trading
How we rate trading platforms
★★★★★ 5/5 — Excellent
★★★★★ 4/5 — Good
★★★★★ 3/5 — Average
★★★★★ 2/5 — Subpar
★★★★★ 1/5 — Poor
We analyze top online trading platforms and rate them one to five stars based on factors that are most important to you. These factors include fees, securities available for trade, customer support, customer feedback, platform resources and overall reliability.
For a complete breakdown of how we score each category, read the full methodology of how we rate trading platforms.
Frequently asked questions
Your reviews
Matt Finder
Editor, Investments
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