#None #Corporate Insight #Charles Schwab #Fidelity

Corporate Insight's 2025 Brokerage Experience Benchmark Reports

On July 8, 2025, Corporate Insight (CI), a prominent provider of competitive intelligence and customer experience research in the financial services sector, released its comprehensive 2025 Brokerage Experience Benchmark reports. These reports meticulously assess and rank the web and mobile platforms of 21 leading brokerage firms, analyzing nearly 400 individual attributes that contribute to user experience and functionality.

The research indicates that the brokerage industry is making considerable digital investments aimed at enhancing their platforms. According to Ian Bonhotal, the brokerage research manager at CI, firms have been strategically improving their services in areas such as performance reporting, research tools, and overall usability. The report showcases a clear trend wherein investors seek more intuitive platforms and clearer insights into their portfolios.

Key Findings

The 2025 Benchmarks established Fidelity as the top performer in terms of website experience, achieving a score of 88 out of 100. This marks Fidelity's second consecutive year at the top, with a three-point lead over its nearest competitors, Charles Schwab and *ETRADE, both scoring 85. Notably, Fidelity also shared the top spot in mobile experience alongside Charles Schwab, both scoring 70*, while ETRADE and J.P. Morgan SDI closely trailed with a score of 68.

In assessing desktop performance, James McGovern, CI's senior VP of research, noted that Fidelity leads in five of the benchmark’s eight categories. One key highlight is its stellar performance in the Account Information category—considered crucial by investors—which has seen significant enhancements in reporting and analysis of positions.

For mobile experiences, Charles Schwab's continuous improvement is notable. It has maintained its top position for the third year in a row, benefitting from superior trading interfaces for stocks, ETFs, and options. Fidelity's enhancements across several mobile categories also keep it competitive.

Insights into Usability and Functionality

The report further identifies that usability scores consistently outpace functionality scores across both mobile and desktop platforms. For instance, the average usability score stands at 77 on desktop, while functionality lags behind at 64. The gap is even wider for mobile, with usability averaging 71 contrasted against a functionality score of just 49.

Meanwhile, significant design improvements were reported, with 18% of notable website changes since the 2024 benchmarks focusing on Design & Navigation. Vanguard has shown remarkable progress in this category, introducing new quick-links on their homepage and an embedded search field for easier navigation.

In a remarkable achievement, Merrill Lynch has become the first full-service firm to enter the Leading tier in the website benchmark, receiving a score of 80 due to its advanced digital capabilities shared with Merrill Edge. This milestone indicates a shifting dynamic where traditionally advisory-focused firms can excel digitally without compromising their core services.

Categories Evaluated

The benchmark reports assess brokerage firms across eight distinct categories, including:

• - Account Information
• - Design & Navigation
• - Profile & Settings
• - Trading
• - Account Servicing
• - Research Tools
• - Support
• - Prospect Experience

Detailed profiles and rankings include firms such as Ally Invest, Ameriprise, Charles Schwab, and others, providing insights that are indispensable for both investors and industry professionals alike.

The Future of Digital Brokerage

As the brokerage landscape continuously evolves, Corporate Insight’s research suggests a keen interest in how firms will enhance their offerings in the year ahead, especially with the growing integration of artificial intelligence into brokerage platforms.

Corporate Insight, established over 30 years ago, remains the leader in customer experience research, leveraging its extensive knowledge to enable financial institutions to advance their competitive edge in a rapidly changing market. For inquiries or interviews with analysts, interested parties can contact Patrick Flood at 646-876-7535.

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