INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE
Some internet brokerages offer discounts, and some really do. J.P. Morgan Investing Review: Platforms That Are Automated and Self-Directed
One such platform is J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing, formerly known as You Invest by J.P. Morgan. This isn’t because it lacks the essential tools and features that DIY investors, including those who are new to the market, require to stay updated with the market, but rather because it is extremely affordable. All J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing customers may trade stocks and ETFs for free as many times as they choose, which makes self-directed investing very cheap.
You won’t have to spend much to trade stocks and ETFs here, even if you don’t already have an account with Chase. On the self-directed side, you won’t have to pay any commissions at all. J.P. Morgan also offers a low-cost managed investing alternative, but it’s simply a roboadvisor and isn’t a good substitute for high-asset customers who want personalised advice and management.
If you want a cheap way to trade or invest that gives you everything you need to develop a diverse portfolio and nothing you don’t, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is worth looking into.
J.P. Morgan Investing Platforms and Plans
J.P. Morgan has two distinct trading platforms: a low-cost DIY broking option and a reasonably priced, hands-off, automated managed investment option, both available on a desktop platform and mobile app.
However, account type options are notably limited compared to competitors. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing currently offers only individual taxable broking accounts and tax-advantaged retirement accounts (Roth and traditional IRA). Unlike the original version of this platform, joint accounts are no longer available through the self-directed platform, which is a significant limitation for couples and business partners. You also won’t find custodial accounts, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, or 529 college savings plans here.
Here’s the skinny on J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing and J.P. Morgan Automated Investing.
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is J.P. Morgan’s low-cost DIY broking platform. It offers unlimited commission-free trades (stock and ETF) with no account minimums and no balance requirements.
While options trades are commission-free, J.P. Morgan does charge a $0.65 fee per contract, plus small regulatory fees.
Account Opening Bonus
Open a new J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account by April 21, 2026, and fund your account with qualifying deposits within 45 days to earn a bonus worth up to $700.
Bonus tiers are as follows:
- Deposit $5,000 to $24,999: $50 bonus
- Deposit $25,000 to $99,999: $150 bonus
- Deposit $100,000 to $249,999: $325 bonus
- Deposit $250,000 or more: $1,000 bonus
Your bonus will be determined on Day 45. You must maintain your new funds for 90 days, after which J.P. Morgan Investing will deposit the bonus directly into your account within 15 days.
Available Self-Directed Investment Products
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers access to six investment products:
- Stocks. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing customers can execute commission-free online stock trades in U.S.-listed stocks. The platform offers access to over 6,000 stocks, though penny stocks and some over-the-counter stocks have restrictions.
- Fractional Shares. You can now buy fractional shares of stocks and ETFs for as little as $5, making it easier to build a diversified portfolio even with limited capital. However, you can only buy fractional shares of stocks in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 indexes, as well as select ETFs – not every stock on the platform is available for fractional purchase.
- ETFs. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers access to thousands of U.S.-listed ETFs, covering a range of sectors, asset classes, indexes, and investing objectives. A notable new addition is cryptocurrency ETFs, which allow investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets without directly holding cryptocurrencies. These instruments generally carry expenses and fees that J.P. Morgan can’t control.
- Mutual Funds. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers access to approximately 3,000 no-transaction-fee mutual funds, plus additional funds that may carry transaction fees. Like ETFs, mutual funds may carry expenses and fees that J.P. Morgan can’t control.
- Fixed Income. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing’s fixed-income products include government and corporate bonds, with enhanced tools for finding and comparing yields. U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and bonds trade commission-free on the primary market. Corporate, municipal, and agency bonds, as well as brokered CDs, cost $10 per trade plus $1 per bond over 10 bonds (with a $250 maximum). J.P. Morgan offers one of the widest bond selections of any online broker.
- Options. Subject to approval, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers options trading with significant recent enhancements. Options are now available in Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs (Levels 1 and 2), and the platform features an improved all-in-one trading ticket with Greeks data (delta, gamma, theta). Available strategies include covered calls, cash-secured puts, protective puts, long calls, and long puts.
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing doesn’t offer access to alternative investment products like direct cryptocurrency trading, futures, or forex.
Portfolio Builder for Self-Directed Clients
If you’re not sure where to begin your investing journey, use J.P. Morgan’s Portfolio Builder tool to get started. Included free with J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing, it’s a helpful automated assistant that can help you design your own asset allocation strategy and place trades on your behalf.
J.P. Morgan Automated Investing
J.P. Morgan Automated Investing is J.P. Morgan’s managed investing account option. For a flat advisory fee of 0.35% of assets under management, J.P. Morgan’s algorithm-driven robo-advisor software builds and manages diversified portfolios based on your objectives and risk tolerance.
J.P. Morgan Automated Investing starts by asking you a few basic questions about your time horizon, investing goals, and risk tolerance. It then creates the semi-customised asset allocation that best fits your answers, and it periodically rebalances the portfolio as market movements erode the initial allocation.
J.P. Morgan Automated Investing accounts only include stocks and ETFs. You can’t add mutual funds or fixed-income instruments here. However, some ETFs may be composed largely or entirely of fixed-income instruments or track fixed-income indexes.
J.P. Morgan Automated Investing requires a minimum opening account balance of $500.
The advantages of the J.P. Morgan Investing Review include both self-directed and automated platforms.
Here’s why J.P. Morgan Investing might be right for you:
- No Need to Have an Existing Chase Bank Account
Anyone can open a J.P. Morgan account. You don’t need to be an existing Chase Bank or credit card customer or have any existing Chase accounts to get started. - No Commissions for Self-Directed Stock or ETF Trades
All J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing clients qualify for unlimited free stock and ETF trades, resulting in extremely low costs for self-directed investing. Options are commission-free as well, though a $0.65 fee per contract does apply. - A J.P. Morgan account has no minimums. Self-Directed Investing Account
There’s no minimum deposit required for a new J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing account. There’s also no minimum balance requirement moving forward. Both are excellent news for first-time investors without much starting capital. - Fractional Shares from $5
The ability to invest in fractional shares of S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 stocks and ETFs means you can start building a diversified portfolio with as little as $5 per investment, making high-priced stocks accessible to all investors. - Cryptocurrency Exposure Through ETFs
While direct cryptocurrency trading isn’t available, the newly added cryptocurrency ETFs provide a regulated way to gain exposure to digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. - Enhanced Options Trading
The improved options platform now includes Greeks data directly in the trade ticket, and, importantly, options trading is now available in Traditional and Roth IRAs (Levels 1 and 2), providing more flexibility for retirement investors. - Outstanding Fixed Income Selection
J.P. Morgan offers one of the widest bond selections among online brokers, with commission-free Treasury trading and competitive pricing on corporate, municipal, and agency bonds. Enhanced tools make it easier to find and compare yields. - Reasonable Management Fees for J.P. Morgan Automated Investing
J.P. Morgan Automated Investing charges a flat annual management fee: 0.35% of assets under management, regardless of portfolio size or allocation. That’s in line with other highly ranked automated investing platforms and significantly lower than the cost of a full-service human investment manager. - IRAs Available
J.P. Morgan offers traditional and Roth IRAs, making it a wonderful place to kickstart your retirement investing plans. - Seamless Banking Integration
For existing Chase customers, the integration of banking and investing in a single app with instant transfers between accounts is a major convenience that shouldn’t be underestimated.
Disadvantages
Consider these disadvantages before opening a J.P. Morgan Investing account:
- Limited Account Types
This is the platform’s most significant limitation. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing no longer offers joint accounts, and it doesn’t offer custodial accounts, SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, 529 plans, or trust accounts (except under special circumstances). This makes it unsuitable for many investors with more complex needs. Competitors like Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and Merrill Edge offer far more account type options. - Rock-Bottom Interest on Uninvested Cash
Your uninvested cash earns just 0.01% APY, which is essentially nothing. Many competing brokers offer automatic options for sweeping into money market funds with yields of 4% or more. While J.P. Morgan does offer a deposit sweep option to earn higher rates, it’s not automatic and requires contacting customer service to set up. This is a significant disadvantage if you typically keep cash in your account. - Restricted Fractional Share Investing
Fractional shares are only available for S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 stocks and select ETFs. This is more limited than competitors who offer fractional shares on thousands of stocks. - There are no tier discounts available for higher-asset portfolio accounts.
Unlike some automated investment management platforms and most full-service human advisors, J.P. Morgan Automated Investing doesn’t offer tier discounts for higher-asset accounts. Since this vertical’s standard fee isn’t outrageous, that isn’t a dealbreaker, but it would be beneficial for clients with the means to bring substantial investable assets to the table to get a break for doing so. J.P. Morgan does offer asset management solutions for higher-net-worth clients, but many younger investors don’t meet the hefty asset minimums. - Limited Guidance From Human Investment Professionals
Neither J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing nor J.P. Morgan Automated Investing provide a fully managed investment option that places human financial advisors and wealth managers at the customers’ disposal. For self-directed investors, that’s probably not an issue, but more hands-off investors might well prefer the security that comes with a human backstop. - No Advanced Trading Tools
The platform lacks sophisticated charting tools, technical indicators, and real-time streaming data that active traders depend on. There’s no downloadable trading platform – only web and mobile interfaces designed for long-term investors.
How J.P. Morgan Investing Stacks Up
J.P. Morgan Investing is just one of several online brokerages that pair a self-directed trading platform with a managed investments option. It compares favourably on costs – with $0 stock and ETF commissions and a competitive 0.35% fee for automated investing – but falls short on account type availability. Competitors like Ally Invest offer similar commission-free trading with more account type flexibility, while Fidelity and Charles Schwab provide superior cash management options with automatic money market sweeps that earn 4% or more on uninvested cash.
For Chase customers who value seamless banking integration but don’t need specialised account types, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing delivers excellent value. For investors requiring joint accounts, custodial accounts, or better cash management, alternatives may be more suitable.
Final Word
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing (formerly You Invest by J.P. Morgan) is a versatile, low-frills platform for self-directed investors, hands-off types, and those seeking a blend of professional guidance and DIY flexibility. With unusually low commissions, reasonable management fees, fractional shares, cryptocurrency ETFs, enhanced options trading (including in IRAs), and an outstanding fixed income selection, it’s a strong choice for price-sensitive investors.
The platform shines brightest for existing Chase customers who appreciate having all their financial accounts integrated in one place with instant transfers and consolidated reporting. The recent additions of cryptocurrency ETFs and options trading in retirement accounts make it more competitive with leading brokers.
However, the extremely limited account types – particularly the absence of joint accounts – and the rock-bottom 0.01% APR on uninvested cash are significant drawbacks that will make this platform unsuitable for many investors. The groups that aren’t so well served by J.P. Morgan are sophisticated investors and high-frequency day traders who simply won’t find the execution-oriented tools they need to practice their craft effectively, as well as couples and business partners who need joint accounts or parents who need custodial accounts.
If you’re a Chase customer seeking straightforward, low-cost investing with good research and strong fixed-income options, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is worth serious consideration. If you need more account flexibility or better cash management, look at Fidelity, Charles Schwab, or Interactive Brokers instead.
INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE
