Where to find your Fidelity fees

Your Fidelity fees appear in three places: your account statements, the Fidelity website under Account Settings, and individual fund or investment prospectuses. The easiest route is logging into your account online, clicking "Account," then "Statements & Documents," and looking for your most recent statement. The statement lists what you paid in the last period and breaks down the type of charge.

If you hold mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), the fund itself charges an annual expense ratio — a percentage of your holdings that comes out automatically. This is separate from any account fees Fidelity charges you directly. You can see both on your statement, but the expense ratio is also listed on the fund's detail page on Fidelity's website.

Key Takeaways

  • Fidelity charges different fees depending on the type of account you hold and the investments inside it, so your statement will show what you actually paid.
  • Mutual funds and ETFs charge an expense ratio (a yearly percentage) that is deducted automatically and listed separately from account fees.
  • Trading commissions on stocks and most ETFs are zero at Fidelity, but some bonds, options, and mutual funds may carry transaction costs.
  • Advisory fees apply only if you use Fidelity's managed account services or robo-advisor, not if you manage your own account.
  • Your account statement is the definitive record of what you paid in any given period.

Account fees versus investment fees

Fidelity separates account-level fees from the fees built into the investments themselves. An account fee is something Fidelity charges you for holding the account — for example, an inactivity fee or a fee for certain account types. Most Fidelity brokerage accounts have no account fee at all.

Investment fees are what the fund company or issuer charges. When you buy a mutual fund, you pay the fund's expense ratio. When you buy a bond, you may pay a markup or markdown on the price. When you trade options, Fidelity charges a per-contract fee. These costs are built into the price you see or deducted from your holdings over time, not billed separately by Fidelity as an account charge.

Expense ratios in mutual funds and ETFs

The expense ratio is an annual percentage fee that the fund company charges to cover management, administration, and other costs. It comes out of the fund's assets automatically, so you do not see a bill — it just reduces your return. A fund with a 0.05% expense ratio costs you $5 per year on a $10,000 investment. A fund with a 1.0% expense ratio costs you $100 on the same amount.

Fidelity offers many funds with low expense ratios, including its own Fidelity mutual funds and index funds. You can compare expense ratios on the fund detail page before you buy. The prospectus also lists the ratio, and it appears on your statement under "Fees and Expenses" or a similar heading.

Trading commissions and transaction costs

Fidelity charges zero commission on stocks, most ETFs, and options (though options carry a per-contract fee, typically $0.65 per contract). Bonds may carry a markup or markdown — a small percentage added to or subtracted from the price you see. Mutual funds bought directly from Fidelity have no transaction fee, but some mutual funds from other companies may carry a transaction fee when you buy or sell through Fidelity.

When you place a trade, Fidelity shows you the estimated cost before you confirm. For stocks and ETFs, this is usually just the bid-ask spread (the difference between what buyers will pay and what sellers are asking). For bonds, the markup or markdown is included in the price quote. Check the order confirmation after the trade closes to see exactly what you paid.

Advisory and managed account fees

If you use Fidelity's robo-advisor service (Fidelity Go) or a managed account where an advisor makes trades for you, you pay an advisory fee on top of any expense ratios in the underlying funds. Fidelity Go charges a flat annual fee based on your account balance — typically ranging from 0% for very small accounts to 0.35% for larger ones. A human advisor managing your account may charge a different rate.

These fees are deducted from your account quarterly or monthly, depending on the service. You will see them itemized on your statement. If you manage your own account and do not use advisory services, you do not pay these fees.

How to reduce the fees you pay

Choose low-cost index funds or ETFs instead of actively managed funds. Fidelity's own index funds often have expense ratios below 0.10%. Avoid frequent trading if you are paying per-contract fees on options. Use limit orders instead of market orders for stocks and ETFs to reduce the bid-ask spread you pay. If you hold a large balance, ask Fidelity whether you may have access to for lower advisory fees or account perks.

Review your holdings once a year and look at the expense ratios of the funds you own. If you find a fund with a lower ratio that tracks the same index or strategy, switching may save you money over time. Your statement shows you exactly what you paid in the last period, so you can calculate whether a change is worth it.

Reading your Fidelity statement for fees

Your statement lists fees in a dedicated section, usually near the top or bottom. It shows the date, the type of fee (expense ratio, advisory fee, transaction fee, etc.), and the dollar amount. If you hold multiple funds, each fund's expense ratio is often listed separately. Some statements also show a year-to-date total so you can see what you have paid across all periods.

If you do not recognize a fee, click on it or search Fidelity's help center for the fee name. Fidelity also offers a fee analyzer tool on its website that shows you the total cost of your investments, including expense ratios and advisory fees, so you can compare different portfolios side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my expense ratio seem high compared to what I expected?

Actively managed funds charge higher expense ratios than index funds because a manager is picking stocks or bonds. If you own a mix of funds, the average ratio across your portfolio may be higher than any single fund. Check each fund's prospectus to confirm the ratio, and compare it to similar funds on Fidelity's website to see if switching would lower your costs.

Do I pay fees if I do not trade?

No trading fees if you do not trade. However, you still pay expense ratios on any mutual funds or ETFs you hold, because those are charged by the fund company, not by Fidelity. If you hold individual stocks or bonds and do not buy or sell, you pay no transaction costs to Fidelity.

Can I see what I paid in fees over the past year?

Yes. Log into your account, go to Statements & Documents, and download your statements from the past 12 months. Each statement shows fees for that period. Add them up, or use Fidelity's fee analyzer tool, which calculates your total fees across a date range and shows them as a percentage of your account balance.

What is the bid-ask spread, and do I pay it?

The bid-ask spread is the difference between what buyers will pay for a stock or ETF and what sellers are asking. You pay it indirectly — if you buy at the ask price, you pay slightly more than the last trade price. Fidelity does not charge this as a separate fee; it is built into the market price. Using limit orders can help you avoid paying the full spread.