Spreading the word on exchange traded funds, money managers have been partnering with online brokerages to offer commission-free ETF trades to attract a wider following among retail investors.
Currently, 25% of ETFs, holding over half of the industry’s overall assets, can be traded commission-free on either Fidelity, Vanguard, E*Trade, TD Ameritrade or Charles Schwab platforms, reports Ari I. Weinberg for the Wall Street Journal.
In February, Charles Schwab expanded its line of commission-free ETF trades to 105 funds provided by multiple providers from its original 15 broad-based index ETFs. [Schwab Unveils Game-Changing Commission-Free ETF Platform]
A few weeks later, Fidelity Investments renewed its partnership with BlackRock to offer 65 iShares ETFs commission-free from its prior 30. [Fidelity, iShares Expand ETF Partnership: What Does it Mean?]
Previously, investors found large commission-free ETF selections from TD Ameritrade’s 101 funds selected by researcher Morningstar, 65 Vanguard ETFs on the company’s own platform and a menu of 89 narrowly targeted funds on E*Trade Financial.