Every brokerage makes joining feel like a one-tap decision. The cost of leaving lives in a PDF three menus deep. This page drags it into daylight: what 19 brokers and robo-advisors charge to transfer your account out, pulled from each company’s own fee schedule and checked on October 28, 2026.
Brokerage transfer fees look small next to a portfolio, but they hit at the exact moment you’ve decided a company isn’t worth it. Knowing the exit cost before you join is one of the four checks behind every Witty Investor review.
Key takeaways
- Free to leave: Fidelity, Interactive Brokers and Wealthfront charge $0 for a full transfer out.
- The $100 club: Vanguard, M1 Finance, Public, Robinhood, SoFi Invest, Stash and moomoo all charge $100 for a full transfer.
- Most expensive IRA exit on the list: M1 Finance, at $200 ($100 transfer plus a $100 IRA closing fee). SoFi and tastytrade also list separate IRA closing fees that may be added on top.
- Fractional shares usually don’t make the trip. At Fidelity, Schwab, M1, Betterment, Stash, Robinhood, Public, moomoo and Firstrade, the slivers are sold or can’t move, which can create a taxable gain in a regular account.
- Your new broker may pay the toll. Ask before you move. Public, for example, reimburses up to $100 in transfer fees on transfers over $5,000.
The Brokerage Exit Fee Index
Sorted from cheapest to most expensive full transfer. “Full transfer out” is the ACAT fee for moving a whole taxable brokerage account. “IRA exit” is the total the fee schedule shows for moving or closing an IRA.
| Partial transfer | What else bites | Source | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity | $0 | $0 | $0 | Fractional shares must be sold before the transfer | Fidelity fee schedule |
| Interactive Brokers | $0 | $0 | Not listed | Fractional shares have restricted transferability | IBKR other fees |
| Wealthfront | $0 | $0 | $0 | Outgoing wires are free too | Wealthfront fees |
| Merrill Edge | $49.95 | Not listed | $49.95 (replaces the transfer fee) | Schedule dated 11/2025 | Merrill Edge fee schedule |
| Charles Schwab | $50 | $0 | $50 (no separate IRA fee listed) | Stock Slices: only whole shares move; the rest is sold | Schwab pricing guide |
| Ally Invest | $50 | $50 | $75 ($50 + $25 IRA closing fee) | DRS transfers cost $115 per position | Ally Invest fees |
| Betterment | $75 | Not listed | $75 (no separate IRA fee) | Fractional shares sold after a full transfer; promo bonuses can be clawed back | Betterment help center |
| E*TRADE | $75 | Not listed | Not listed | — | E*TRADE pricing |
| J.P. Morgan Self-Directed | $75 | $0 (fee applies only when everything moves) | $75 | — | J.P. Morgan fee schedule |
| Webull | $75 | Not listed | Not listed | Charged by its clearing firm, Apex | Webull pricing |
| Firstrade | $75 | $55 | $50 on Firstrade's IRA page (conflicts with the $75 general fee) | Partial transfers need $555+ including $55 cash; fractional shares can't move | Firstrade help center |
| tastytrade | $75 | Not listed | $60 IRA closing fee listed; may be added to the $75 | — | tastytrade commissions and fees |
| Vanguard | $100 | Not listed | $100 | Waived for $5M+ clients and advisory accounts | Vanguard fees |
| M1 Finance | $100 | $100 | $200 ($100 + $100 IRA closing fee) | Fractional shares sold to cash; account closes after a full transfer | M1 help center |
| Public.com | $100 | $100 | $100 per account (IRAs need their own request) | Fractional shares sold; crypto stays behind | Public fee schedule |
| Robinhood | $100 | $100 | Not listed | Fractional shares sold; crypto can't transfer and is sold after 5 months | Robinhood support |
| SoFi Invest | $100 | Not listed | $100 IRA closing fee listed; may be added to the $100 | — | SoFi fee schedule |
| Stash | $100 | Not listed | $100 (no separate IRA fee listed) | Fractional shares sold; transfer canceled if $100 cash isn't available | Stash help |
| moomoo | $100 | $100 | Not listed | Fractional shares can't transfer; an older help page still says $75 | moomoo support |
Click a column heading to sort. “Not listed” means the broker’s own fee schedule doesn’t show that fee, so ask before you move. Fees checked October 28, 2026.
What an ACAT transfer fee actually is
ACAT stands for Automated Customer Account Transfer. It’s the system brokers use to move your stocks and funds to another broker without selling them first. The receiving broker starts the transfer, and the broker you’re leaving usually charges a flat fee for each account that goes.
That last part matters. The fee is per account, so a taxable account and a Roth IRA at the same broker are two transfers. At M1 Finance, that pair costs $100 plus $200.
How to leave without paying the toll
- Ask the new broker to cover it. Some brokers reimburse transfer-out fees to win your account, often above a minimum balance. Ask for it in writing before you start, and keep the fee confirmation from the old broker.
- Check for a transfer bonus first. Several brokers pay a bonus for new money, and some count transferred assets. The current offers are on the Deals page.
- Handle fractional shares on purpose. If your old broker will sell them anyway, decide the timing yourself. In an IRA, selling has no immediate tax. In a taxable account, a sale can mean a gain to report.
- Compare full and partial transfers. Schwab charges $0 for a partial transfer and J.P. Morgan charges its fee only when everything moves. Just make sure the account you leave behind doesn’t start charging its own monthly fee.
- Check what can’t move. Crypto at Robinhood and Public stays behind, and some funds can only be held at the company that runs them. Sell or plan for those before the transfer, not after.
Why the exit fee isn’t the whole cost
A $100 fee is easy to see. The quieter cost is what gets sold on the way out. Brokers built on fractional shares, like M1 and Betterment, usually sell the leftover slivers when you transfer, and in a taxable account that sale can produce a gain you didn’t plan for. It’s not a scandal, just a cost that’s easier to know on the way in than on the way out.
The other quiet cost is staying too long because leaving feels expensive. A 0.25% yearly fee on $50,000 is $125 a year, every year. Run your own numbers in the fee drag calculator before a one-time $100 talks you into a decade of the wrong account.
Exit costs in our reviews
Every Witty Investor review checks the exit cost as one of its four checks. The M1 Finance review walks through its $100 transfer fee, the extra $100 for IRAs and what happens to fractional shares. The method behind every review is on How I Review.
Brokerage transfer fees FAQ
What is a brokerage transfer fee?
It’s what the broker you’re leaving charges to move your account to another broker, usually a flat fee per account. In this index it ranges from $0 to $100 for a full taxable account.
Which brokers don’t charge to transfer out?
Fidelity, Interactive Brokers and Wealthfront list $0 for a full outgoing transfer as of October 28, 2026.
Do IRAs cost more to transfer?
Sometimes. M1 Finance and Ally Invest add an IRA closing fee on top of the transfer fee, for $200 and $75 in total. SoFi and tastytrade list IRA closing fees too, but their schedules don’t say whether both fees apply to the same move.
Will my new broker pay my transfer fee?
Often, if you ask. Public, for example, reimburses up to $100 on transfers over $5,000. Rules and minimums vary, so get the terms from the receiving broker before you start.
What happens to my fractional shares when I transfer?
At most brokers in this index, they’re sold and the cash is sent over, or they simply can’t move by ACAT. In a taxable account, that sale can create a capital gain.
How this index was built
Each fee comes from the broker’s own fee schedule, pricing page or help center, linked in the Source column. Nothing came from comparison sites. Acorns and Vanguard Digital Advisor are left out because their official pages didn’t confirm the exit fees when this was checked. Fees change, so the broker’s own schedule always wins if it disagrees with this page. Spot a change? Tell me and I’ll update the index.