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E*TRADE vs Lightspeed : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
E*TRADE
Lightspeed
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
Both ECN and STP broker
STP broker
Years of Existence / Established Year
1982
2005
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
5.2 million client accounts
No information
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FRS, FINRA, SIPC, SEC, NFA, FDIC
FINRA, SEC
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
Investor App and #1 Web Trading Platform for 2024, Benzinga's 2023 Global Fintech Awards
No major awards listed
Security Measures
SIPC
SIPC
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
Yes
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Over 50,000 offerings, including US Treasury trades
Commodity futures
Currency Pairs
No
No
Commodities
No
No
Indices
No
No
Cryptocurrencies
No
No
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
Yes
Futures
Yes
Yes
Bonds
Yes
No
Mutual Funds
Yes
No
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
No
Precious Metals
No
No
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
No
Equities
No
Yes
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
No
Copy Trading
No
No
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Power Etrade web, Power Etrade app
Light speed trader, Web and mobile trading, Speciality trading platform, Future trading platform, Risk management Software
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes
Yes except Mac, iOS, Android
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Brokerage, Retirement, Core portfolio, Managed portfolio, Small business retirement , bank
Standard account- Individual, Joint, Retirement, Corporate, Trust, LLC, Institutional account- Prime brokerage, Separately Manged account, DVP, RVP,Cash and Margin account
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
Yes
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$0
$2,000
Leverage Available
No
4:1 to 2:1
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on assets class
Depends on asset class
Commission (per account type)
Accounts under $15,000: $25 monthly fee, Lightspeed Trader and Sterling Trader Pro: $0.50 minimum per order, Eze EMS (formerly RealTick): $3.00 minimum commission, Lightspeed Web & Mobile: $1 minimum commission
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Beginners to experienced traders
Active traders, professionals, and institutional traders
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Transfer money, Wire transfer, Transfer an account, Deposit a check ,Direct Deposit
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check
Withdrawal Methods
E-wallets, check, Wire transfer
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check
Other E-Wallets Supported
Electronic transfer
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Educational Resources, Tools, Market News and Insights, Tutorials and Webinars
Trading Platform Tutorials, Market Insights and Analysis, Webinars and Online Events, Trading Education Resources, Market News and Research
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
Stocks, options, mutual funds, ETFs- $0, Bonds- $1, FINRA trading activity fee- $0.000166
ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
NA
Per Lot Fees
NA
NA
Options Contract Fees
$0.65
$0.20
Futures Contract Fees
$1.50
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
No
4:1
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$0
$25 monthly minimum
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
NA
$130
Advisory Fees
0.30%
NA
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
NA
Yes
Statement or Document Fee
$2
$15 - $50 per month
Account Opening Fee
NA
$20
Account Maintenance Fee
$15/ month
Maintenance fees will be billed weekly, based on the previous month's commissions
Deposit Fee
$0
$0
Currency Conversion Fee
Direct trade-$0.005 per share, Broker assisted trader- $25
$10
Withdrawal Fee
Check return - $25, Electronic return -$25
$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
Sunday 5 p.m. CT to Friday 4 p.m. CT
4 AM to 8 PM EST on weekdays only.
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
8 AM - 8 PM ET on weekdays
24/7
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
Live chat, FAQ, Phone- 800-387-2331, 800-838-0908, Beneficiary Services: [email protected] General inquiries: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 1-888-577-3123 , 1-646-393-4800, Schedule a call
Support Languages
1
1
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Arlington, Virginia, United States Buyenlarge, Getty
Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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