Truist Trade Review
Key takeaways:
• Truist Financial offers investment accounts to complement its bank accounts.
• Truist offers self-directed brokerage accounts through a program called Truist Trade.
• Commission-free trades are available in a Truist Trade account.
Overview of Truist Trade
If you’ve been using Truist for banking services, you really should take a look at the company’s self-directed investing program. Here are the details:
Investing and Trading
Truist Trade is a self-directed brokerage platform offered to Truist clients to help them invest at
the lowest possible cost. Truist Trade customers can buy and sell stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds,
and bonds. There are no other asset classes available right now, at least not within Truist Trade.
Truist does offer full-service brokerage accounts through other subsidiaries with larger lists of potential investments.
Truist Trade does not provide any type of financial planning or investment advice. The broker’s parent
company, Truist Financial Corporation, does offer these services through other divisions.
Truist Trade Fees
A Truist Trade account can be opened with $1,000 or more. There is no ongoing account minimum.
The brokerage house charges no commissions on trades of equities of 1,000 shares or less. On orders larger than this amount, the commission is $0.03 per share. Using a live broker over the phone to complete a trade tacks on additional $25.
Options are not commission-free. They use the following commission schedule:
| Trade Amount | Fee |
|---|
| $0 - $2,999.99 | $38.00 + 0.90% of principal |
| $3,000 - $9,999.99 | $41.00 + 0.80% of principal |
| $10,000 and above | $51.00 + 0.70% of principal |
Internet Investing receives an additional 10% discount off the options commission schedule above, although the standard minimums still apply. Bond trades have markups and markdowns in their prices. Mutual funds can have transaction fees up to $50 per trade.
Although Truist Trade generally is a budget brokerage account, it does come with an annual account fee
of $60. This subscription charge can be avoided with $250,000 in brokerage assets. Truist will also
waive the fee for accounts that log into the Wealthscape Investor or Investment Portfolio platform in
the previous calendar year.
Margin Trading
A brokerage account with Truist Trade can be opened as a margin or cash account. Interest rates on
loans are not published, and customer service doesn’t know what they are, either.
Software
Truist Trade customers can manage their accounts (including deposit accounts with Truist Bank and other
securities accounts with Truist Investment Services) through the company’s mobile app and website. The
app is compatible with both tablets and phones running iOS and Android and offers mobile check deposit
and several other useful tools.
Additional Features
Extended Hours: Not available through Truist Trade.
Fractional-share Trading: Only whole shares can be bought and sold at Truist Trade.
Initial Public Offerings: Missing in action.
IRA Service: Roth and Traditional IRAs can be opened through Truist Trade.
Dividend Reinvestment Plan: DRIP service is available for stocks and funds in a Truist Trade account.
Fully-Paid Stock Lending Program: Available in full-service securities accounts at Truist.
Recommendations
Retirement Planning & Long-Term Investing: Without annuities or financial planners, Truist Trade
does not strike us as a very good option. A full-service account with Truist Investment Services may work, though.
Active Stock Trading: Truist Trade has simple software, which causes us to think
Charles Schwab would be a better choice.
Small Accounts: Due to Truist Trade’s $60 maintenance fee, it is not a good option for small
investors. Webull is, though.
Beginners: An advisory account through Truist Invest (robo service) or Truist Investment Services
(full-service option) would be much better than a self-directed account.
Mutual Funds: A self-directed or full-service investment account at Truist would be a good way to
tap into mutual funds.
Truist Trade Review Judgment
Truist Trade has a decent self-directed service, although fees in some cases are not in line with industry norms today. Because this brokerage department is supposed to be a discount firm, the value is really missing.
Updated on 3/26/2026.
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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