Fennel.com Review: Key Takeaways
• Fennel Financials LLC is a new brokerage firm offering securities trading through a mobile app.
• Fennel does not provide investment advice, portfolio management, cash accounts, or financial planning.
• Fennel is regulated by various authorities in the securities industry.
If you’ve found Fennel online and are considering opening an account with this new company, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve conducted thorough research and here are our findings:
History of Fennel Investing
Fennel Financials was established in 2022 with a mission to “drive positive change and create a more sustainable future” within the brokerage industry. The company takes a socially-driven approach, offering its customers ESG data and shareholder voting information alongside its trading platform.
B Corp Status
Fennel holds B Corp certification, indicating it has met various standards for social, environmental, and governance practices. These standards include:
- Commitment to stakeholders, not just shareholders
- Evaluation of Fennel’s impact on workers, the environment, customers, and the community
- Alignment with B Lab’s Theory of Change
While the B Corp certification confirms Fennel’s legitimacy as a company, it doesn’t provide specific insight into the firm's performance as a broker-dealer. Fennel has been B Corp certified since 2023.
Is Fennel Brokerage Safe?
Fennel is regulated by both the SEC and FINRA, two of the key U.S. securities watchdogs. It has been registered as a broker-dealer with the SEC since 2022 under the registration number 8-70779. Its FINRA registration number is 316281.
On Fennel’s BrokerCheck profile, there are no disclosures, which is an impressive sign given the company’s relatively short history.
Fennel is registered to operate in all 50 U.S. states, as well as Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While registration alone doesn’t guarantee quality or reliability, it does mean the company is subject to oversight by regulators, offering clients a degree of protection.
Fennel is not registered as an investment advisor, as it does not provide managed accounts or financial planning services.
Clearing Firm
Fennel has partnered with Apex Clearing Corporation for its back-office operations, including the custody of client assets. Apex is a well-established clearing firm, having been in business since 1979. It is also registered with the SEC and FINRA, with registration numbers 8-23522 and 13071, respectively.
Is Fennel.com Insured?
Fennel accounts are covered by SIPC (Securities Investor Protection Corporation) insurance up to $500,000 (excluding market losses). For accounts exceeding this amount, Fennel provides additional insurance through Apex’s excess SIPC policy.
Fennel Brokerage Reviews
Currently, Fennel does not have profiles on Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau. We will keep you updated as more reviews become available.
Is Fennel.com Safe Judgment
Fennel is a legitimate business operating as a broker-dealer. It has various safeguards in place for its clients, though it’s important to remember that investing in securities always carries some risk. Let’s now take a look at how Fennel performs in the trading arena.
Fennel Review Highlights
• Fennel offers securities trading via a mobile app (only).
• Fennel does not charge commissions, but there is a monthly fee.
• Fennel does not accept payment for order flow (PFOF).
Overview of Fennel Trading
Fennel is a new brokerage firm that offers a basic mobile app for trading stocks and ETFs. However, many other services are not available. Here’s a full breakdown:
Investment Choices
Fennel allows trading in stocks and ETFs through self-directed brokerage accounts. There is no investment-advisory service or financial planning, and other asset classes, like bonds and mutual funds, are not offered.
Cash Management
Fennel does not provide any notable banking services. However, you can link an external checking or savings account for ACH transfers.
Opening an Account
Currently, Fennel offers just one account type: the individual taxable account. There are no joint accounts or tax-deferred accounts, and adding a beneficiary is not possible.
To open an individual account, download the Fennel mobile app, log in with an email, and you can try out the app for 7 days. After this period, if you want to start live trading, tap the button to open an account and provide the requested details. Currently, only U.S. citizens and non-professional traders can open accounts.
Fennel Trading Software
Trading and research at Fennel take place on its mobile app. The website is just for advertising and does not support a login. There are no other software platforms.
After testing Fennel’s mobile app, we found it easy to use and intuitive. The main menu, located at the bottom, contains five icons:
Portfolio:
This section displays information about your account, such as positions, ESG averages, market-cap breakdowns, and more.
Watchlist:
You can create multiple lists of stocks to track.
Explore:
This tab shows various investment categories to explore. Examples include:
- Cybersecurity
- Outer Space
- Infrastructure
- Consumer Staples
By tapping on a category, you can view the details of each security. Basic information is provided, including market cap and industry, along with news articles and analyst ratings. Each stock has an ESG score. Charts are available but lack tools and horizontal rotation.
Voting:
This section displays information on shareholder decisions at various companies.
Profile:
This section allows you to adjust your app settings.
Pricing Schedule
For its basic investing services, Fennel charges a $4.99 monthly fee. If a payment fails, Fennel charges a $4 fee. There are no account minimums, and trades are commission-free. The cost for transferring an account is $75.
Margin Service
Fennel does not offer margin accounts. All trades are executed on a cash basis.
Security Research
Fennel places significant emphasis on security research, especially in the ESG (environmental, social, and governance) area. The mobile app offers tools to explore various details about companies.
The Voting tab shows shareholder votes on company matters like executive compensation and worker social responsibility.
Stock profiles contain three important sub-tabs: News, Analytics, and Impact. The News tab provides articles from different sources, while Analytics displays financial metrics like EPS and revenue growth. The Impact tab shows the company’s ESG score.
Miscellaneous Services
DRIP Service: Unavailable at the time of publication.
Individual Retirement Accounts: No IRAs are offered by Fennel.
Initial Public Offerings: Unavailable at the time of publication.
Fractional Shares: Fennel only offers whole-share trading.
Fully-Paid Securities Lending Program: Not available at Fennel.
Extended Hours Trading: Unavailable at the time of publication.
Our Recommendations
Mutual Funds: Fennel doesn’t support mutual fund trading. Consider Charles Schwab instead.
Long-Term Investors and Retirement Savers: Fennel is not a suitable option for retirement savers due to the lack of tax-advantaged accounts. Consider Charles Schwab, which offers these and much more.
Beginning Investors: Fennel lacks paper trading, robo accounts, and financial assistance. Charles Schwab would be a better choice for beginners.
Active Stock Trading: Fennel is suitable for frequent stock trading, though desktop traders may find it lacking. Many advanced features are missing, such as Level II quotes and technical analysis tools.
Small Accounts: Due to the monthly fee, Fennel is not ideal for small investors. Robinhood might be a better fit.
Fennel Investments Review Judgement
Although Fennel is legitimate, it still has work to do to compete with the top brokerage firms in the industry.
Updated on 1/20/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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