Ally Invest review 2026

Ally Invest at a glance

Ally may have made a name for itself as a neo-bank, but it's also become a top brokerage as well. 

Ally Invest is the company’s brokerage platform, and it's merely one arm of parent company Ally Financial’s suite of banking and financial services. That includes checking and savings accounts, CDs, credit cards and loans, and more.

Ally is a digitally native company, too, which means it doesn’t have physical branches. As such, it’s a company aimed at younger customers. The company has around 11 million customers, nearly $190 billion in assets under management, and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.

Interestingly, Ally Financial started more than 100 years ago as a part of General Motors - it was previously called the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC), and in May 2009, was rebranded as Ally.

What does Ally Invest do?

Ally Invest, as noted, is Ally Financial’s main brokerage and trading platform for retail investors. That is, your average mom-and-pop or individual investor can use it to buy, sell, or trade stocks, funds, and other securities. 

As such, it provides self-directed trading options with no commissions for most trades. There are no account minimums, and investors can utilize a range of tools to research different securities, including charts, screeners, and access to some analyst reports. 

Additionally, Ally Invest has an automated investing feature, which allows users to tap into robo-adviser services. Robo-investing services do have a $100 minimum to get started, and may incur additional fees, too. 

Ally Invest also offers access to a dedicated financial advisor for deeper planning. This requires a sizable minimum balance, however, and can incur advisory fees as well. 

On top of it all, Ally offers various retirement account options (including IRAs) and provides additional research tools, such as webinars and market insight reports.

What are the pros and cons of Ally Invest?

As with any investment platform, Ally Invest has its pros and cons. Here’s a rundown.

Pros of Ally Invest

The advantages of Ally Invest are that it’s a fairly simple platform to use and is relatively low-cost, with few fees and commissions. It also works within the larger suite of offerings from Ally (such as Ally Bank), meaning that investors can utilize their banking and investing platforms easily under a single umbrella.

Here are the pros at a glance:

• Simple, user-friendly platform: Ally Invest is easy to navigate, making it accessible for beginners and casual investors.

• Low-cost investing: The platform offers competitive pricing with minimal fees and commissions.

• Integrated with Ally Bank: Users can manage both banking and investing under one roof, streamlining financial management.

Cons of Ally Invest

Perhaps the biggest drawback to Ally Invest is also its greatest strength: It’s a simple platform, and perhaps not robust enough for some investors. Similarly, there are some limits as to what can be traded — there are no futures contracts or cryptocurrency trading, for example, and no fractional share trading, either. 

Here are the cons at a glance:

• Limited advanced features: Its simplicity may not meet the needs of more experienced or active investors.

• Restricted trading options: No access to futures contracts, cryptocurrency, or fractional share trading.

Those looking for broader or more feature‑rich trading and advisory services might also consider firms such as ETRADE, Fidelity Investments or Charles Schwab for their wide range of tools, research and comprehensive platforms, while those prioritising low‑cost, simplified automated investing could explore digital alternatives like Vanguard Digital Advisor, Betterment or Wealthfront.

What is Ally Invest’s minimum account size?

There is no minimum account requirement for Ally Invest’s basic self-directed brokerage service. 

You can open an account and access the platform without making an initial deposit. 

Its robo-investing services do have a $100 minimum account balance.

If you want to access its personal advice and advisory service, you’ll need at least $100,000 in assets under management with Ally.

Who should choose Ally Invest?

Ally Invest is perhaps most suitable for new or intermediate investors. 

As discussed, the platform is simple and intuitive, and while it may lack some of the bells and whistles of more advanced platforms, that can be a positive for some users — a lot of the extras can be overwhelming. Accordingly, Ally Invest’s platform can be straightforward for those learning the ropes. 

The ability to open an account and make trades without paying fees or commissions (in most cases) is also a plus, and Ally is known for having good customer service, especially since it doesn’t have physical branches. 

With that in mind, if you want a more in-depth or advanced platform, or if you’re looking to trade securities outside of the standard stocks, bonds, and ETFs, you may want to look at other options.

Is Ally Invest secure?

Ally Invest is a secure platform and has several built-in safety features. 

Users’ brokerage accounts are insured through the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) for up to $500,000 — similar to FDIC insurance on bank accounts. 

Ally’s clearing firm, Apex Clearing, also has additional insurance policies.

The platform uses encrypted Secure Socket Layer (SSL) tech, along with other safety features, to maintain digital security and ensure that it isn’t compromised. There’s also two-factor authentication available, and biometric login for the mobile app.

Ally Invest: Customer service

While you can’t waltz into a physical Ally branch, there are several ways to reach out to customer service. If you’re experiencing issues with Ally Invest, you can reach out in the following ways:

• Phone: 1-855-880-2559 (M-F, 7 am – 10 pm ET,  Saturday 8 am – 8 pm ET)

• Live chat (login required)

• Email (login required)

• Snail mail: Ally Invest, P.O. Box 30248, Charlotte, NC 28230

As noted, users tend to give Ally high marks for its customer service, noting that the company is quick to respond.

Ally Invest: Mobile app

While many users will likely utilize Ally Invest’s mobile app for much of their activity, it’s worth noting that there are some differences between the app and Ally Invest’s primary website. For instance, some research tools and eligible securities are not available or accessible through the mobile app, but they are accessible on the main web app.

That’s something to be aware of, though Ally Invest’s mobile app otherwise is noted for its intuitiveness and functionality. 

So, again, this may be a good choice for newer investors, but for those who want to access Ally Invest’s broader range of tools on the go, it may not be a good fit. 

Ally Invest reviews: What customers are saying

Users generally have positive things to say about Ally Invest, though there are some gripes.

G.E. Miller, the founder of the blog 20somethingfinance.com, writes that they are “very pleased” with the platform. 

“Ally Invest is one of the few discount brokers I continue to use at the moment, so obviously, I like them. Great service, account security, low trading fees, and no hidden ‘gotcha’ fees to screw you over,” Miller writes. “I’d recommend using them for both a regular post-tax investment account and a retirement account for everything but broker-branded (e.g., Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab) ETFs and mutual funds.”

Another user, in a review submitted on Bankrate, writes that “when it comes to the best digital experience in this modern era, Ally Invest is one of the best, their app is top-notch, and they have a fast network. When it comes to customer support, they are reliable, respond and resolve issues quickly.”

Finally, Alana Benson, writing for Nerdwallet, reports that “signing up with Ally didn’t take too long, even though it was a little buggy along the way. I already had the app downloaded, and from there it still took me 22 minutes to open an investment account, fund it and buy a stock.”

Benson also noted that there was a lack of educational resources and advanced features that investors should be aware of.

The bottom line

Ally Invest is a solid platform for beginners. It’s simple and intuitive, and may serve as a good way to get your feet wet in the markets. That said, if you’re looking for a platform that offers a bit more than the basics, you may need to look elsewhere — and keep in mind that Ally Invest’s mobile app has a few differences from its main website, too.

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