About the Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards
The Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best products and services in the personal finance arena. We asked you, our Kiplinger community, to help us name the products and services you think have delivered excellent value in the past year.
The survey results, which we’re sharing here in our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards, offer valuable insight into which providers shine when it comes to your everyday interactions and experiences with them. Our Awards recognize excellence in everything from credit cards, banks and brokers to insurers, tax software and financial apps. For each category, we’ve listed an overall winner that earned the highest score. We’ve also highlighted other products and services that earned above-average scores for various criteria we asked readers to assess.
By voting, our community has helped us form our guide to the very best financial products. These are the products and companies that you think stand out from the crowd.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards: Full-Service Brokers
We asked readers to assess brokerage firms that offer a breadth of services, whether online, by phone, through in-person assistance at branches, or some combination. Readers rated the strength of their broker’s customer service, how likely they would be to recommend the firm to others and their overall satisfaction with the broker.
OVERALL WINNER: Fidelity Investments
Outstanding for:
- Customer service
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
Fidelity is the favorite broker among readers, who had plenty of positive words about the firm. “I’ve been associated with Fidelity for close to 40 years and have never had a single complaint about them. They are truly the best!” says one longtime customer. Another reader remarks, “They flawlessly process my stock purchases and provide excellent tax-reporting info. I just can’t say enough about how much I like and appreciate Fidelity.”
A mainstream broker, Fidelity offers a wide range of services, from self-directed brokerage accounts to full-fledged investment and wealth management. Readers who take advantage of self-directed investing services and research resources are especially satisfied with their experience, and many are happy with Fidelity’s customer service, too: “Can’t beat their excellent customer service. They go out of their way to make it right.”
Readers also appreciate the relative affordability with Fidelity. “Fidelity has some of the lowest fees and also tends to be more flexible than others as far as minimums for accounts or transactions,” says one reader.
Raymond James
Outstanding for:
- Customer service
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
Raymond James is also a popular broker among our readers. With a global presence that includes more than 8,700 financial advisers, the company’s businesses include brokerage services, professional asset management, insurance solutions, trust services and investment banking, as well as private and commercial banking.
Readers laud Raymond James’s treatment of customers, touting positive client-adviser relationships. “They take pride in providing great customer services and support,” says one reader. “I call, they answer. No 1-800-hold-for-20-minutes. I love it,” says another.
UBS
Outstanding for:
- Customer service
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
UBS, which acquired Credit Suisse in 2023, is one of the largest brokers internationally and maintains a strong presence in the U.S. (even though it’s a Swiss bank, more than 50% of its assets under management are in the U.S.). While its main focus is providing investment advice, UBS Wealth Management does offer brokerage services through which customers can trade on their own.
