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FP MarketsTD Ameritrade Review
Written by Steven Hatzakis
Edited by John Bringans
Fact-checked by Blain Reinkensmeyer
TD Ameritrade's thinkorswim platform offers over 70 tradeable currency pairs alongside a plethora of impressive tools, research, and education. For traders in the U.S., TD Ameritrade provides the ultimate trading technology experience.
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Minimum Deposit:
$0 -
Trust Score:
99 -
Tradeable Symbols (Total):
0
Can I open an account with this broker?
No, based on your detected country of US, you can't open an account with this broker. Please use our country selector tool to try another country.
Important news
August 2023: After its purchase by Schwab, TD Ameritrade accounts are transferring to Charles Schwab in batches. Schwab clients will get the thinkorswim platform.
TD Ameritrade pros & cons
Pros
- TD Ameritrade is publicly traded (NYSE: SCHW) and regulated in four tier-1 jurisdictions.
- TD Ameritrade is trusted by over 11 million clients, with over $1 trillion in assets.
- Part of Charles Schwab Corporation since October 2020, with a combined 28 million clients and $6 trillion in assets.
- The availability of currency ETFs, exchange-traded forex futures, and options on forex futures elevate TD Ameritrade's already-impressive forex offering.
- The thinkorswim platform left us so impressed that it won our award for Best Desktop Platform for 2023.
- In-house research from TD Ameritrade's Ticker Tape hub and TD Ameritrade Network.
- Third-party market news integration from sources like CNBC, Dow Jones, Thomson Reuters, Morningstar, and FXWirePro.
- Learning Center boasts over 400 pieces of content — both written and audio-visual — many of which are forex-related.
- Robust multimedia offering, including a well-maintained YouTube channel, and a catalogue of archived webinars with quality content such as its Trader Talks Webcasts
Cons
- As a U.S.-only forex broker, TD Ameritrade does not offer copy trading or MetaTrader (MT4).
- Live video broadcasting is more focused on equities markets and futures than forex.
- With average spreads close to 1.2 pips on the EUR/USD, pricing is slightly above the industry average.
- Only available for U.S. clients (see our complete review of TD Ameritrade for U.S. traders on our sister site, StockBrokers.com).
Overall Summary
| Feature |
TD Ameritrade
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| Overall Rating |
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| Trust Score | 99 |
| Offering of Investments |
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| Commissions & Fees |
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| Platform & Tools |
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| Research |
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| Mobile Trading |
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| Education |
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ForexBrokers.com has been reviewing online forex brokers for over six years, and our reviews are the most cited in the industry. Each year, we collect thousands of data points and publish tens of thousands of words of research. Here's how we test.
Is TD Ameritrade safe?
TD Ameritrade is considered Highly Trusted, with an overall Trust Score of 99 out of 99. TD Ameritrade is publicly traded, does operate a bank, and is authorised by five Tier-1 regulators (Highly Trusted), zero Tier-2 regulators (Trusted), zero Tier-3 regulators (Average Risk), and zero Tier-4 regulators (High Risk). TD Ameritrade is authorised by the following Tier-1 regulators: Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), Securities Futures Commission (SFC), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Learn more about Trust Score.
| Feature |
TD Ameritrade
|
| Year Founded | 1955 |
| Publicly Traded (Listed) | Yes |
| Bank | Yes |
| Tier-1 Licenses | 5 |
| Tier-2 Licenses | 0 |
| Tier-3 Licenses | 0 |
| Tier-4 Licenses | 0 |
2023 Review Methodology
At ForexBrokers.com, our reviews of online forex brokers and their products and services are based on our collected data as well as the observations and qualified opinions of our expert researchers. Each year we publish tens of thousands of words of research and detailed forex guides, and we monitor dozens of international regulator agencies (read more about how we calculate Trust Score here).
Our research team conducts thorough testing on a wide range of features, products, services, and tools (collecting and validating thousands of data points in the process). We test all available trading platforms for each broker – whether they are proprietary or come from third-party providers – and evaluate them based on a host of data-driven variables.
We also take an in-depth look at each broker’s commissions and fees, such as bid/ask spreads – including the average spread data for some of the most popular forex currency pairs. We research other trading costs, such as inactivity or custody fees, minimum deposit requirements, VIP rebates and/or discounts, and a range of other important fee-based data points.
Some of the other important research categories that are factored into our testing include mobile trading accessibility and capability, availability of market research and educational content, and each broker’s overall Trust Score.
All content on ForexBrokers.com is handwritten by a writer, fact-checked by a member of our research team, and edited and published by an editor. Generative AI tools are not a part of our content creation or product testing processes. Our ratings, rankings, and opinions are entirely our own, and the result of our extensive research and decades of collective experience covering the forex industry. Read our Generative AI policy to learn more.
Read our full explanation and accounting of our research and testing process to learn more about how we test.
ForexBrokers.com 2023 Annual Awards
For the ForexBrokers.com 2023 Annual Awards, brokers were evaluated against ForexBrokers.com’s 8 Primary Categories: Commissions & Fees, Offering of Investments, Platforms & Tools, Mobile Trading Apps, Research, Education, Trust Score, and Overall.
Best in Class honors were awarded to the Top 7 forex brokers in each of the following areas: Beginners, Social Copy Trading, Ease of Use, MetaTrader, Algo Trading, Crypto Trading, and Professional Trading.
ForexBrokers.com also recognized brokers that demonstrated excellence and innovation with our exclusive Industry Awards.
Primary categories
 TD Ameritrade
|
Overall Rating | Offering of Investments | Commissions & Fees | Platforms & Tools | Research | Education | Mobile Trading Apps | Trust Score |
| Rating |
|
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|
|
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99 |
| Rank #1 | ||||||||
| Streak #1 | ||||||||
| Best in Class | ||||||||
| Best in Class Streak | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 |
Secondary categories
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TD Ameritrade
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Social Copy Trading | MetaTrader | Crypto Trading | Ease of Use | Professional Trading | Beginners | Algo Trading |
| Rank #1 | |||||||
| Streak #1 | |||||||
| Best in Class | |||||||
| Best in Class Streak | 2 |
Industry awards
| Feature |
TD Ameritrade
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| #1 YouTube Channel | |
| #1 Charting Technology |
Forex Risk Disclaimer
There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading securities. With respect to margin-based foreign exchange trading, off-exchange derivatives, and cryptocurrencies, there is considerable exposure to risk, including but not limited to, leverage, creditworthiness, limited regulatory protection and market volatility that may substantially affect the price, or liquidity of a currency or related instrument. It should not be assumed that the methods, techniques, or indicators presented in these products will be profitable, or that they will not result in losses. Read more on forex trading risks.
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Show allAbout the Editorial Team
Steven Hatzakis is the Global Director of Research for ForexBrokers.com. Steven previously served as an Editor for Finance Magnates, where he authored over 1,000 published articles about the online finance industry. A forex industry expert and an active fintech and crypto researcher, Steven advises blockchain companies at the board level and holds a Series III license in the U.S. as a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA).
John Bringans is the Senior Editor of ForexBrokers.com. An experienced media professional, John has close to a decade of editorial experience with a background that includes key leadership roles at global newsroom outlets. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University, and conducts research on forex and the financial services industry while assisting in the production of content.
Blain Reinkensmeyer has 20 years of trading experience with over 2,500 trades placed during that time. He heads research for all U.S.-based brokerages on StockBrokers.com and is respected by executives as the leading expert covering the online broker industry. Blain’s insights have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Chicago Tribune, among other media outlets.