Not Robinhood, Not Fidelity: JD Power Says This Brokerage Leads In DIY Investor Customer Satisfaction

The DIY investors landscape has changed substantially over the last few decades. Most notably, investors could not realistically interact with the market in a commission-free and truly self-managed way until Robinhood was first launched in 2013. Prior to this app-forward brokerage experience, traders generally paid fees to their platform every time they wanted to make a trade — which made the cost to interact with the market prohibitive for most low-volume DIY investors. However, stock ownership has risen noticeably in the 13 years since Robinhood changed the game. Per Gallup, 52% of Americans were invested in stocks (through any means) in 2013, whereas in 2025 that figure was 62%. 

That said, even though Robinhood continues to innovate, it doesn't crack the top five in JD Power's 2026 customer satisfaction report for DIY investors. At the top of the list was fintech company and national bank, SoFi, followed by Citi, Ally, Fidelity, and Vanguard. SoFi's brand trustworthiness and robo-advisor options tipped the scale for many customers.

SoFi offers automated robo investing options that can help guide research and strategy, something that can be particularly useful for novices trying to find their footing. The platform charges no fees on trades, and even offers a 1% deposit match for bank account holders that are part of the SoFi Plus membership. NerdWallet also gives the financial institution a 5-star rating, naming it the best overall bank in 2026 — something that likely adds to customer perception of the brand's trustworthiness.

Another valuable tool for DIY investors, and something SoFi excels at, is fractional share support — with the institution allowing for fractional shares with a $5 minimum buy-in. While investing in a quality index fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) can provide access to the broader market, some of the industry's most prominent names are prohibitively expensive, even going for as much as $700 to $750. With this in mind, fractional shares can mean getting access to these, and other investments, without having to wait until you've saved up the full amount. This can be a particularly important tool for those with $100 or less in available investment funding.