Outline of E*Trade and Public
E*Trade advertises heavily, but does that make it better than Public? Keep reading to find out.
Public and E*Trade Cost
| Broker Fees |
Stock/ETF
Commission |
Mutual Fund
Commission |
Options
Commission |
Maintenance
Fee |
Annual IRA
Fee |
|
Public
|
$0
|
na
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
Etrade
|
$0
|
$0
|
$0 + $0.65 per contract
|
$0
|
$0
|
Public and E*Trade Services
| Broker Review |
Cost |
Investment Products |
Trading Tools |
Customer Service |
Research |
Overall Rating |
|
Public
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Etrade
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Open Account
Public:
$20 of an asset of your choice with $1,000 deposit at Public.
E*Trade:
At E*TRADE, get $0 trades + 65₵ per options contract.
Who Has the Larger Selection of Tradable Assets?
At E*Trade, investors can trade fixed-income securities, mutual funds, stocks, options, ETFs, closed-end funds, and futures contracts (including bitcoin contracts). The platform also offers an IPO section and trading in OTC and penny stocks.
Public offers trading in stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, options, and closed-end funds on major exchanges. That’s all for now.
E*Trade wins this round.
Who Has Better Stock Research Tools?
E*Trade offers a stock screener that allows you to search for investments using various criteria, such as 13-day EMA, TipRanks Blogger Sentiment, and annual EPS growth. Stock profiles provide extensive details, including option chains, insider trading activity, and price analysis. You can also download reports in pdf format at no cost.
Public lacks a stock screener and stock reports. However, profiles do include trade recommendations and EPS histories.
E*Trade wins this category.
Which Broker Has the Better Learning Hub?
E*Trade provides a wide range of resources, including articles on tax planning, options and futures trading, margin use, daily insights, and more. The broker also has a YouTube channel with many videos.
Public also offers articles, with topics like:
- What is a stock portfolio?
- What are the advantages of ETFs?
- How do bear markets recover?
However, Public does not offer any videos.
E*Trade wins again.
Who Has Better Fund Resources?
E*Trade clients can use ETF and mutual fund screeners to find investments. The platform offers All-Star Funds, which are pre-screened by the firm’s advisors for expected performance.
E*Trade also provides detailed profiles with data like Morningstar ratings and portfolio composition.
Public does not have a fund screener, pre-screened funds, or analyst ratings.
E*Trade wins easily.
Which Firm Has Better Software?
If you want to place a trade, E*Trade has the tools for that. The website offers decent charting and a good order form. E*Trade also has a browser platform with more advanced order types, and E*Trade Pro, its desktop platform, offers even more features.
Public doesn’t offer any of these tools, not even a website login.
E*Trade wins by a wide margin.
And What About Mobile Apps?
Public clients place orders through the mobile app, which offers three order types: market, limit, and stop. The app only has one chart format (line), and lacks advanced features like mobile check deposit and streaming video news.
E*Trade offers two mobile apps: a default app and a trading app. Together, they provide a range of tools, including:
- Streaming business news
- Mobile check deposit
- Level II quotes
- Options, futures, and mutual fund trading
- Advanced charting
- Multiple order types, including trailing orders
E*Trade wins again.
Other Services
Fractional-share trading: Public offers fractional-share trading, allowing you to buy and sell stocks and ETFs with whole-dollar amounts. E*Trade does not offer this service.
Individual Retirement Accounts: Public doesn’t offer IRAs, but E*Trade does.
DRIP service: Both firms offer dividend reinvestment plans.
This category ends in a draw.
Open Account
Public:
$20 of an asset of your choice with $1,000 deposit at Public.
E*Trade:
At E*TRADE, get $0 trades + 65₵ per options contract.
Recommendations
ETF and Stock Trading: With E*Trade’s excellent software and research tools, it’s an easy choice.
Beginners: E*Trade’s superior learning materials and customer service make it a better option than Public.
Long-Term Investors and Retirement Savers: E*Trade offers IRAs, individual 401(k)s, target-date mutual funds, and portfolio management.
Small Accounts: Either broker will suffice.
Public vs E*Trade Summary
E*Trade outperforms Public in nearly every category, though Public’s fractional-share service is a strong feature.
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Updated on 8/23/2024.
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