Gitnux/Report 2026

Brokerage Industry Statistics

2023 showed 2.6 million finance and insurance jobs in the US and $10.2 trillion in household assets tied to mutual funds and brokerage accounts, but the risk profile is what really stands out with 16% of brokerage cyber incidents focused on credential theft and finance the top target for account takeovers at 28% of breaches. Regulation and resilience are keeping pace, with 65% of brokerages running third party risk assessments for cloud vendors and 87% of EU trading venues covered by MiFID II best execution reporting, giving a sharp reality check on how compliance translates into day to day operations.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Brokerage Industry Statistics
Daniel VargaWritten by Daniel Varga·Edited by Jonathan Hale·Fact-checked by Claire Beaumont
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The brokerage industry at a glance

U.S. securities brokerage generated approximately $183 billion in revenue in 2024, while consolidation continued as fewer firms controlled a larger asset base and digital platforms expanded access.

$183B[13]
Broker-dealer revenue, 2024
$6.4T[13]
Broker-dealer assets, 2024
634,508[50]
Registered representatives, 2024
36.1%[71]
North America online-platform share, 2025
Market size
The U.S. broker-dealer industry reported approximately $183 billion of revenue and $159 billion of expenses in 2024. Registered broker-dealers held approximately $6.4 trillion in total assets in 2024.[13]
Forecast & CAGR
The global online trading-platform market was valued at $10.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $19.9 billion by 2033, implying a 7.9% CAGR from 2026 to 2033.[71]
Market share & regions
North America held 36.1% of global online trading-platform revenue in 2025, the largest regional share; Asia Pacific was identified as the fastest-growing region through 2033. The United States held the largest country share in 2025.[71]
Segmentation
Broker-dealer revenue is diversified across account supervision, investment advisory and administrative services, which represented 19% of 2024 revenue; securities trading and investment accounts represented 12%, margin interest 7%, underwriting and selling groups 6%, and commissions 5%. Online trading platforms were segmented most prominently by platform component, with platforms accounting for 65.5% of the 2025 market.[13][71]
Key players & concentration
The U.S. market is structurally concentrated by workforce and branch network: large firms represented only 5% of FINRA-registered firms in 2024 but accounted for 82% of registered representatives and 87% of branches. Small firms represented 89% of firms but only 9% of representatives.[50]
Pricing
Commission revenue declined from approximately 18% of broker-dealer revenue in 2010 to 5% in 2024, reflecting the shift toward commission-free trading and alternative revenue sources. Account supervision, investment advisory and administrative fees were the largest itemized category at 19% in 2024.[13]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Growth is being supported by mobile and cloud-based platforms, self-directed investing and broader access to fractional or digitally enabled products; Grand View Research identified technology, economic and demographic factors as key drivers. Challenges include industry consolidation, dependence on trading activity and pressure on traditional commission revenue.[71][13]
Consumer behavior & competition
Retail participation remains important: individual investors accounted for $5.4 trillion of U.S. stock and ETF trading activity in 2025, according to Vanda data reported by the Associated Press. Competition increasingly centers on low-cost execution, digital interfaces, research, cash yields and ancillary services rather than headline stock commissions.[54][13]
M&A
The SEC reported that the average U.S. financial-sector M&A deal analyzed in its recent study was valued at $3.5 billion, with a $0.5 billion median; targets averaged $5 billion of assets versus $40 billion for acquirers. The broader broker-dealer industry has also experienced consolidation, with the number of registered firms declining by about 30% from 2010 to 2024.[13]
Regulation
U.S. broker-dealers register with the SEC under Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are generally subject to FINRA membership and oversight. FINRA counted 3,249 registered broker-dealer firms and 634,508 broker-dealer registered individuals at year-end 2024.[13][50]
Latest news
In June 2025, the SEC published updated broker-dealer activity and M&A analyses covering data through 2024, highlighting continued consolidation alongside growth in industry assets. FINRA’s 2025 Industry Snapshot likewise documented a 1.5% year-over-year decline in registered broker-dealer firms to 3,249 in 2024.[13][50]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Brokerage Industry

The leading companies in the brokerage industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Morgan Stanley leads Gitnux's 2026 brokerage ranking with an Overall score of 9.5, with global brokerage and investment advisory services for wealth management and institutions. Fidelity Investments is the runner-up at 9.4, driven by $18.0 trillion in assets under administration and 4.4 million daily average trades.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in wealth & institutional brokerage

    Morgan Stanley

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.5 · Wealth & institutional brokerage

    Why we picked it: Its segment covers wealth management plus institutional securities brokerage, including global advisory services.

    See in ranking ↓Visit morganstanley.com ↗

  2. Leader in retail & advisor brokerage

    Charles Schwab

    US

    Ranked #3 · 9.4 · Retail & advisor brokerage

    Why we picked it: Its U.S. retail and advisor brokerage footprint shows large client assets and account counts at year-end 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit schwab.com ↗

  3. Leader in mobile retail brokerage

    Robinhood Markets

    US

    Ranked #4 · 9.3 · Mobile retail brokerage

    Why we picked it: Its mobile retail brokerage model is sized by funded customer count and platform assets at year-end 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit robinhood.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the brokerage industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Morgan Stanley

Wealth & institutional brokerage · US

9.5
2

Fidelity Investments

Wealth & institutional brokerage · US

9.4
3

Charles Schwab

Retail & advisor brokerage · US

9.4
4

Robinhood Markets

Mobile retail brokerage · US

9.3
5

Interactive Brokers Group

Electronic multi-asset brokerage · US

9.1
6

Futu Holdings

Online brokerage and wealth management, Asia · HK

8.6
7

XTB

Global online trading and investment brokerage · PL

8.1
8

Saxo Bank

Global multi-asset brokerage and trading technology · DK

8.0
9

Swissquote

Swiss digital bank and online brokerage · CH

7.9
10

CMC Markets

Online trading and investing brokerage · GB

7.3

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the brokerage industry. In Brokerage Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brokerage-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest brokerage companies

Morgan Stanley leads with $70.6B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Morgan Stanley$70.6B
Fidelity Investments$37.7B
Charles Schwab$23.9B
Robinhood Markets$4.5B
Swissquote$818M
Saxo Bank$717M
source-verifiedmorganstanley.com · about.fidelity.com · content.schwab.com · investors.robinhood.com · swissquote.com · campaigns.home.saxo2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI, cloud, and data-integration expectations dominate. A widely cited priority is integrating front-, middle- and back-office systems (84%) in 2026.

AI in the brokerage industry

  • 39% of Canadian insurance brokerage owners using AI reported customer-service enhancement as a use case in 2026.[1]
  • 80% of agents at leading U.S. real estate brokerages were using AI tools in 2024, according to brokerage executives.[2]
  • 34% of Canadian insurance producers rated their brokerage’s AI or machine-learning investments highly beneficial in 2026.[1]
  • 46% of U.S. REALTORS® used AI-generated content, such as listing descriptions, in 2025.[2]
  • 17% of U.S. REALTORS® reported a significantly positive business impact from AI in 2025.[2]
  • 20% of U.S. REALTORS® used AI daily in their business activities in 2025.[2]

Automation in the brokerage industry

  • 52% of U.S. REALTORS® using AI used it to draft emails and follow-up communications in the latest NAR technology report.[2]
  • 65% of Canadian insurance brokers said digitized documentation provided the biggest technology boost in 2024.[1]
  • 12% of Canadian insurance brokerages planned to use automated online chat for customer service in 2026.[1]
  • 35% of Canadian insurance brokerage owners said AI or machine-learning investments strengthened their businesses in 2026.[1]

Digital Transformation in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 43% of financial services firms said they will need an entirely new technology stack to succeed in the age of AI.[3]
  • 84% of financial services firms said integrating front-, middle- and back-office systems into one platform is important in 2026.[3]
  • 27% of financial services firms reported financial benefits from AI in 2026, up from 14% in 2025.[3]
  • 26% of financial services firms reported using agentic AI in 2026, according to a global digital-transformation study.[3]
  • 80% of financial services firms reported active AI use in 2026, up from 31% in 2025.[3]

Technology Adoption in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 54% of surveyed financial services companies had deployed AI initiatives by January 2025, up from 40% one year earlier.[4]
  • 59% of finance leaders reported using AI in their finance function in 2025, according to Gartner’s survey of 183 senior finance leaders.[5]
  • 61% of financial institutions recently adopted AI or improved their AI capabilities, based on a 2024 survey across 11 markets.[6]
  • 35% of financial institutions adopted or improved generative-AI capabilities during the 12 months covered by the 2024 survey.[6]
  • About one-third of financial services companies reported using generative AI by January 2025, compared with 21% a year earlier.[4]

Cloud Computing in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 33% of financial services firms were highly satisfied with cloud-related reductions in operational costs in Capgemini’s 2024 survey.[7]
  • 82% of financial services firms used a hybrid- or multi-cloud strategy in LSEG’s 2025 global survey.[8]
  • 91% of financial organizations had at least one cloud platform in 2023, up from 37% in 2020.[7]
  • 87% of financial services firms increased cloud investment during the two years preceding LSEG’s 2025 global survey.[8]
  • 43% of banking and financial services organizations were moving toward a cloud-first analytics approach in the WNS-Forrester survey.[9]

Big Data in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 41% of surveyed bank marketers said their bank was already using data analytics to make decisions and achieve goals in 2024.[10]
  • 11% of surveyed bank marketers were very confident in the accuracy of the data they regularly used in 2024.[10]
  • 37% of surveyed bank marketers said their bank was on the way to using data and analytics to support strategic goals in 2024.[10]
  • 18% of finance firms adopted big-data analytics in the OECD’s cross-country comparison; the European data refer to 2019.[11]
  • 43% of financial services firms had adopted customer-data platforms at least partially or were scaling them, based on Capgemini’s 2024 survey.[7]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Brokerage volumes and digital usage are tracked at high throughput. Schwab recorded 2.2 billion digital logins in 2025 in the United States.

Business intelligence in the brokerage industry

  • 30 million calls were answered by Schwab in 2025 in the United States.[12]
  • 5.9 million Schwab daily average trades were recorded during 2024 in the United States.[13]
  • 8.3 million Schwab daily average trades were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025 in the United States.[14]
  • 2.7 billion digital messages were delivered by Schwab to 27.5 million clients in 2025 in the United States.[12]
  • 2.2 billion Schwab digital logins were processed in 2025 in the United States.[12]
  • 5.6 million Schwab daily average trades were recorded during 2023 in the United States.[13]

Data analytics in the brokerage industry

  • 34.7 million calls to Fidelity financial professionals were recorded in 2023 in the United States.[15]
  • 36.5 million unique Fidelity customers engaged with Fidelity websites or mobile apps in 2023 in the United States.[15]
  • 34.0 million unique Fidelity customers engaged with Fidelity websites or mobile apps in 2022 in the United States.[15]
  • 31.9 million calls to Fidelity financial professionals were recorded in 2021 in the United States.[15]
  • 37.5 million calls to Fidelity financial professionals were recorded in 2024 in the United States.[15]
  • 31.6 million unique Fidelity customers engaged with Fidelity websites or mobile apps in 2021 in the United States.[15]

Data Quality in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. banking and capital markets, 86% of respondents named data access and usability as a top concern in 2024.[16]
  • Across global financial services, 34% of organizations rated their data excellent for accuracy and integrity in 2024.[17]
  • Across U.S. banking and capital markets, 94% of respondents named data accuracy and reliability as a priority in 2024.[16]
  • Across banks supervised by the European Central Bank, 28% reported that all data used by critical functions came from golden sources in 2023.[18]
  • Across significant European banking institutions, 32% did not apply data-quality-management principles to end-user computing in 2023.[18]
  • Across global financial services, 36% of organizations rated their data excellent for quantity and completeness in 2024.[17]

Data Governance in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across global financial services, 54% of companies rated data governance at one of the two highest maturity levels in 2024.[19]
  • Across financial-services organizations surveyed globally, 57.1% identified BI-content testing as the top future investment in analytics governance in 2025.[20]
  • Across financial-services organizations surveyed globally, 43.7% lacked a standardized certification process for analytics content in 2025.[20]
  • Across 35 surveyed banks, insurers, and financial-services firms in 38 countries, 54% had adopted a semantic layer for organization-wide data governance in 2025.[21]
  • Across financial-services organizations surveyed globally, 82.9% had implemented governance policies specifically applying to business intelligence and analytics in 2025.[20]

KPIs in the brokerage industry

  • 3.8 million new brokerage accounts were opened at Schwab in 2023 in the United States.[13]
  • 4.7 million new brokerage accounts were opened at Schwab in 2025 in the United States.[12]
  • 4.27 million daily average revenue trades were reported by Interactive Brokers in the third quarter of 2026 globally.[22]
  • 34.8 million active brokerage accounts were held at Schwab at year-end 2023 in the United States.[13]
  • 36.5 million active brokerage accounts were held at Schwab at year-end 2024 in the United States.[13]
  • 38.5 million active brokerage accounts were held at Schwab at December 31, 2025, in the United States.[13]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Customer and trade metrics anchor growth narratives in brokerage. Interactive Brokers executed approximately 4.273 million trades per day in January 2026.

Growth in the brokerage industry

  • $4.593648 billion was AllianceBernstein’s total revenue in 2025.[23]
  • $11.90 trillion was Charles Schwab’s total client assets at December 31, 2025, up 18% from the prior year.[13]
  • 86.6 million consumer customers were reported by JPMorgan Chase in 2025.[13]
  • 5.1% was Charles Schwab’s annualized organic growth rate in 2025.[13]
  • 6,049 client advisors were employed by AllianceBernstein in 2025.[23]
  • $1.2699 trillion was AllianceBernstein’s client investment assets in 2025.[23]

Differentiation in the brokerage industry

  • 0.1% of U.S. broker-dealer revenue in 2024 came from research services in the SEC sample.[13]
  • 12% of U.S. broker-dealer revenue in 2024 came from securities trading and investment-account gains or losses in the SEC sample.[13]
  • More than 170 electronic exchanges and market centers were supported by Interactive Brokers’ brokerage segment in 2025.[24]
  • 29 currencies were supported by Interactive Brokers’ brokerage segment in 2025.[24]
  • 40 countries were covered by Interactive Brokers’ brokerage-market infrastructure in 2025.[24]
  • Approximately 4.273 million trades per day were executed by Interactive Brokers Group in January 2026, reflecting its high-volume electronic brokerage model.[22]

Mergers and acquisitions in the brokerage industry

  • $120,000 was the consideration for Chaince Securities’ acquisition of a fully licensed broker-dealer in 2024.[13]
  • $17.0 billion was the agreed purchase price for Aon’s acquisition of USI in 2026.[13]
  • 14 acquisitions were completed by Marsh McLennan’s Risk and Insurance Services segment in 2025.[13]
  • $9.825 billion was the gross purchase price agreed by Brown & Brown for Accession Risk Management Group in 2025.[13]
  • Approximately 2,400 advisors and 150 banks and credit unions were supported by Atria Wealth Solutions before LPL Financial’s announced 2024 acquisition.[13]
  • $2.1 million was paid for 100% of National Insurance Brokerage by ABL Group in 2025.[13]

Strategic partnerships in the brokerage industry

  • Approximately 2,900 independent financial advisors were supported by Commonwealth Financial Network in LPL Financial’s 2025 transaction summary.[13]
  • $5.0 billion was borrowed by Arthur J. Gallagher through a December 2024 senior-notes issuance to help finance the AssuredPartners transaction.[13]
  • Approximately $285 billion in brokerage and advisory assets were managed by Commonwealth Financial Network in LPL Financial’s 2025 transaction summary.[13]
  • 75% of Commonwealth Financial Network’s asset mix was advisory assets and 25% was brokerage assets in the 2025 transaction summary.[13]
  • $6 billion was the approximate client cash-sweep balance associated with Commonwealth Financial Network in LPL Financial’s 2025 transaction summary.[13]
  • $8.5 billion was raised by Arthur J. Gallagher through a December 2024 follow-on common-stock offering to help finance the AssuredPartners transaction.[13]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce trends connect operational capacity to technology adoption. Telework reached 52.5% in U.S. financial activities workers in June 2026.

Hiring in the brokerage industry

  • 8.5% of Canada’s property-and-casualty insurance workforce was expected to retire by 2026, creating recruitment pressure for brokerages.[1]
  • 17% of Canadian insurance brokerages were considering offering some form of employee ownership in 2025 as a talent strategy.[25]

Employee retention in the brokerage industry

  • 51% of Canadian insurance brokers said improved employee retention was a key economic benefit of DEI in 2025.[26]
  • 46% of Canadian brokers said DEI programs helped employee retention in 2026.[27]
  • 75% of U.S. real estate brokerage members reported being very certain they would remain in the real estate business for at least two more years in 2025.[2]

Remote Work in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 52.5% of workers in U.S. financial activities teleworked in June 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[28]
  • 87% of U.S. financial services employees said remote work helped them balance home and work responsibilities in 2025.[19]
  • Across U.S. financial services, 82% of companies offered some form of work-location flexibility in 2025.[29]
  • 68% of U.S. financial services workers said they would consider seeking new employment if remote and hybrid flexibility were reduced in 2023.[30]

Hybrid Work in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 39% of financial services companies offered corporate employees full flexibility over work location in 2024.[31]
  • 82% of U.S. financial services firms offered some form of work-location flexibility in July 2025.[29]
  • 54% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs worked in a hybrid arrangement in 2025.[32]
  • 28.7% of U.S. finance and insurance workers were in hybrid work arrangements as of September 24, 2024.[33]
  • 52% of financial services companies used a structured hybrid model in early 2024, up from 41% in March 2023.[31]

Upskilling in the brokerage industry

  • 58% of Canadian insurance brokerage owners said sales training and education strengthened their businesses in 2026.[1]
  • 61% of Canadian insurance brokers said customer-service training and education benefited them in 2024.[1]
  • 60% of Canadian insurance brokerage owners said customer-service training and education strengthened their businesses in 2026.[1]
  • 75% of Canadian insurance brokers said product training and education benefited them in 2024.[1]
  • 62% of Canadian insurance brokers said sales training and education benefited them in 2024.[1]

Employee Engagement in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 12% of employees in Europe were engaged at work in 2025.[32]
  • 20% of employees worldwide were engaged at work in 2025, according to Gallup’s World Poll.[32]
  • 31% of employees in the United States and Canada were engaged at work in 2025.[32]
  • 16% of employees worldwide were actively disengaged at work in 2025.[32]

DEI in the brokerage industry

  • 97% of Canadian insurance brokers at firms with leading senior-leadership diversity said their workplace would take appropriate action against discrimination in 2022.[34]
  • 71% of Canadian insurance brokers said DEI drove performance within their workplaces in 2025.[26]
  • 84% of Canadian insurance broker respondents agreed that their organizations needed to address diversity to be successful businesses in 2022.[34]
  • 63% of Canadian insurance brokers still saw benefits from DEI programs in 2026.[27]

Change Management in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 53% of banks identified a significant change portfolio requiring prioritization and coordination over the next two years in 2025.[35]
  • 64% of financial services leaders acknowledged the need for complete organizational transformation in 2024.[36]
  • 43% of banks reported that senior leaders lacked a clear understanding of transformation in 2025.[35]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Service experience and switching behavior are quantified with customer-contact measures. Schwab’s advisor and digital interactions sit alongside NPS figures like 74.8 for Canada’s retail-bank channel in 2025.

Customer experience in the brokerage industry

  • 85 points was the 2025 financial-advisor score for ease of opening an account in the United States.[37]
  • 83 points was the 2025 U.S. financial-advisor score for overall trust and confidence.[37]
  • 84 points was the 2025 U.S. financial-advisor score for mobile-app quality.[37]
  • 82 points was the 2025 U.S. financial-advisor score for call-center satisfaction.[37]
  • 78 points was the 2025 U.S. financial-advisor score for personal-contact frequency by phone or in person.[37]

Customer retention in the brokerage industry

  • 18% of global consumers reported switching wealth-management providers during 2023.[38]
  • 13% of advised respondents in the 2025 U.S. longitudinal study said they were considering changing advisors.[39]
  • 12% of global consumers reported switching wealth-management providers during 2024.[38]
  • 46% of global financial-services consumers said excellent customer experience would keep them with a provider despite higher fees.[38]
  • 31 clients was the typical number lost by a U.S. RIA in 2023, according to the Pulse of the Industry study.[40]

Customer acquisition in the brokerage industry

  • 27% of current U.S. do-it-yourself investors said they were likely to use a financial advisor within 12 months in 2025.[41]
  • 85% of top-performing U.S. RIAs tracked the source of prospect inquiries in 2025.[42]
  • 42% of investors younger than 40 were customers of fintech firms, compared with 20% at retirement or discount brokerages in 2025.[41]
  • More than 70% of top-performing U.S. RIAs tracked general prospect inquiries in 2025.[42]
  • 68% more new-client assets were gained in 2024 by U.S. RIA firms with a written marketing plan, ideal-client persona and value proposition than by other firms.[42]

Customer loyalty in the brokerage industry

  • 65.1 was the 2024 Net Promoter Score for Canada’s brokerage channel, on a scale from −100 to 100.[43]
  • 40 was the Net Promoter Score among U.S. clients working with a CFP professional in 2025.[39]
  • 74.8 was the 2025 Net Promoter Score for Canada’s brokerage channel, indicating advisor loyalty on a scale from −100 to 100.[43]
  • 46% of U.S. advised respondents were promoters who rated their financial professional 9 or 10 in 2025.[39]
  • 76.7 was the 2025 Net Promoter Score for Canada’s retail-bank channel, compared with 74.8 for brokerage firms.[43]

Lead generation in the brokerage industry

  • 52% of U.S. REALTORS® identified social media as a top quality-lead technology in 2024.[2]
  • 17% of U.S. REALTORS® identified their local MLS as the top source of quality leads in 2025.[44]
  • 32% of U.S. REALTORS® identified CRM systems as a top quality-lead technology in 2024.[2]
  • 23% of U.S. REALTORS® identified customer-relationship-management systems as the top source of quality leads in 2025.[44]
  • 11% of U.S. REALTORS® identified email-marketing tools as the top source of quality leads in 2025.[44]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Client acquisition and advisor brand measures emphasize digital channels. In 2024, 45% of U.S. investors selected financial advisors through digital marketing.

Marketing in the brokerage industry

  • 8 hours per week was the average time U.S. real-estate agents spent marketing their personal brands in 2023.[45]
  • 45% of U.S. investors selected their financial advisors through digital marketing in 2024.[46]
  • 30% of real-estate brokers with at least 15 years of experience ranked LinkedIn among their top three listing-marketing channels in 2023.[45]
  • 29% of U.S. financial-advisory firms prioritized digital marketing as a client-acquisition strategy in 2024.[46]
  • 95% of U.S. RIA firms with $250 million or more in assets under management focused on enhancing client experience in 2025.[42]

Digital marketing in the brokerage industry

  • 11% of U.S. REALTORS® said email-marketing tools produced their highest number of quality leads in 2025.[2]
  • 18% of U.S. REALTORS® identified their business website as a top quality-lead technology in 2024.[2]
  • 13% of U.S. REALTORS® said their brokerage website produced their highest number of quality leads in 2025.[2]
  • 19% of U.S. REALTORS® identified email-marketing tools as a top quality-lead technology in 2024.[2]
  • 20% of U.S. REALTORS® identified their brokerage website as a top quality-lead technology in 2024.[2]

Branding in the brokerage industry

  • 83 points was the 2025 U.S. financial-advisor score for overall trust and confidence, a core brand-perception measure.[37]
  • 95% of U.S. RIA firms with at least $250 million in assets under management focused on enhancing client experience in 2025.[42]
  • 81 points was the 2025 U.S. financial-advisor score for providing prospectuses and similar investment information.[37]
  • 71% of other U.S. RIAs tracked inquiry sources in 2025, compared with 85% of top-performing firms.[42]
  • 68% more new-client assets were gained in 2024 by U.S. RIAs with documented marketing, ideal-client and value-proposition plans than by other firms.[42]

Social media in the brokerage industry

  • 57% of U.S. REALTORS® used Instagram professionally in 2025.[2]
  • 76% of U.S. REALTORS® used Facebook professionally in 2025 to stay connected with clients and prospects.[2]
  • 55% of U.S. REALTORS® used LinkedIn professionally in 2025.[2]
  • 31% of U.S. REALTORS® used YouTube professionally in 2025.[2]
  • 16% of U.S. REALTORS® used TikTok professionally in 2025.[2]

Influencer Marketing in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 60% of financial-services marketers reported dedicated and growing budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026.[47]
  • 37% of banking executives in a survey of 102 finance respondents recognized influencer marketing as a potent tool for authentic consumer connections in 2023.[48]
  • 23% of financial-services marketers reported dedicated but flat budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026.[47]
  • 7% of financial-services marketers reported folding creator or influencer marketing into other channels rather than maintaining a dedicated budget in 2026.[47]
  • 5% of financial-services marketers reported dedicated but shrinking budgets for creator or influencer marketing in 2026.[47]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Execution and cost-per-account metrics frame operational performance. Schwab’s GAAP cost per active client account was $332 in 2025.

Process optimization in the brokerage industry

  • 6% was the year-over-year increase in Charles Schwab’s active brokerage accounts in 2025, reaching 38.506 million accounts.[13]
  • 2.6 billion listed futures and options contracts were processed and settled by FIA Tech’s brokerage platform in 2025 globally.[49]
  • 22% of U.S. broker-dealers reported revenue from account supervision and advisory fees in 2024.[13]
  • 203 annualized daily average revenue trades per account were recorded by Interactive Brokers in 2025.[24]
  • 13% was the year-over-year increase in Charles Schwab’s new brokerage accounts in 2025, reaching 4.692 million accounts.[13]

Operational efficiency in the brokerage industry

  • $897 million was Robinhood’s technology and development expense in 2025, compared with $818 million in 2024.[13]
  • 6% was the year-over-year decline in Interactive Brokers’ execution, clearing and distribution fees in 2025.[13]
  • $420 million was Interactive Brokers’ execution, clearing and distribution expense in 2025.[13]
  • $332 was Charles Schwab’s GAAP cost per active client account in 2025, compared with $442 in 2020.[14]
  • $130 million was Robinhood’s operations expense in 2025, up from $112 million in 2024.[13]

Quality management in the brokerage industry

  • 30% was the approximate decline in the number of U.S. broker-dealers from 2010 to 2024.[13]
  • 3,249 FINRA-registered broker-dealer firms operated in the United States in 2024.[50]
  • $650,000 was the 2025 FINRA penalty imposed on Interactive Brokers for failures in its options-account approval process.[50]
  • 2,840 U.S. broker-dealer-only firms were registered with FINRA in 2024.[50]
  • 409 dual broker-dealer and investment-adviser firms were registered with FINRA in 2024.[50]

Supply chain in the brokerage industry

  • $20 million was Interactive Brokers’ year-over-year increase in clearing fees in 2025, driven by higher customer trading volumes.[13]
  • $27 million was the year-over-year reduction in Interactive Brokers’ execution, clearing and distribution fees in 2025.[13]
  • More than $1 billion in commissions were settled through FIA Tech’s Atlantis brokerage platform in 2025.[49]
  • 2.6 billion futures and options contracts were handled by FIA Tech’s brokerage settlement platform in 2025 worldwide.[49]
  • $8 million was Robinhood’s increase in market-data expenses in 2025, primarily due to higher trading volumes.[13]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the financial services sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among significant European banks, 67% of outsourcing contracts were sub-outsourced to external service providers in the 2024 analysis.[18]
  • Among significant European banks, 27% of critical ICT contracts were outsourced to external providers located outside the European Union in the 2024 analysis.[18]
  • Across surveyed finance organizations, 64% were implementing or evaluating offshoring or nearshoring for finance operations in 2026, while 36% planned to remain fully U.S.-based.[51]
  • Among significant European banks, outsourcing services accounted for 7.2% of administrative expenses at year-end 2023, up from 6.8%.[18]
  • Among U.S. banks surveyed, 57% had considered outsourcing information technology departments in 2024, the highest share among listed departments.[52]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing pressures show up through fees, margin rates, and fee-line changes. Fidelity’s advertised lowest margin rate was 7.75% in 2026.

Pricing strategy in the brokerage industry

  • $49.95 was Fidelity’s transaction fee for purchases of non-Fidelity funds in 2026.[53]
  • 10.825% was Fidelity’s base margin rate effective September 18, 2026.[53]
  • $2.149 billion was Interactive Brokers’ commission revenue in 2025, up 27% from 2024.[13]
  • 7.75% was Fidelity’s advertised lowest margin rate in 2026.[53]
  • $537 million was Interactive Brokers’ commission revenue in the third quarter of 2025, up 23% year over year.[13]

Cost reduction in the brokerage industry

  • $41 million was Interactive Brokers’ decrease in exchange fees in 2025 due partly to greater capture of liquidity rebates.[13]
  • $27 million was Interactive Brokers’ decrease in execution, clearing and distribution fees in 2025.[13]
  • 21% was Charles Schwab’s reduction in adjusted cost per active client account between 2020 and 2025.[14]
  • $9 million was Interactive Brokers’ net decrease in regulatory fees in 2025.[13]
  • $400 million to $500 million was Charles Schwab’s expected expense for employee compensation, benefits and facility-exit costs associated with those actions.[54]

Profitability in the brokerage industry

  • $3.563 billion was Interactive Brokers’ net interest income in 2025, up 13% from 2024.[13]
  • $4.65 was Charles Schwab’s diluted earnings per share in 2025, up 56% from 2024.[13]
  • $4.473 billion was Robinhood’s total net revenue in 2025.[13]
  • $2.108 billion was Robinhood’s income before income taxes in 2025.[13]
  • $23.9 billion was Charles Schwab’s net revenue in 2025, up 22% year over year.[13]

Financial planning in the brokerage industry

  • $498.6 billion was Charles Schwab’s net new client assets in 2025.[13]
  • 5.7 million workplace-plan participant accounts were held at Charles Schwab at December 31, 2025.[13]
  • 2.2 million banking accounts were held at Charles Schwab at December 31, 2025.[13]
  • $519.4 billion was Charles Schwab’s core net new client assets in 2025.[13]
  • $11.903 trillion was Charles Schwab’s client-asset balance at year-end 2025, up 18% from 2024.[13]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Asset mix and account-related activity quantify platform scope. Schwab reported $3.03 trillion in mutual funds held in 2025 in the United States.

Product development in the brokerage industry

  • $112.3 billion was Schwab’s margin-loan balance at the end of 2025 in the United States, up 34% year over year.[14]
  • 48% was the year-over-year increase in JPMorgan Chase self-directed-investing client investment assets in 2025 in the United States.[55]
  • $3.03 trillion of Schwab client assets were held in mutual funds in 2025 in the United States.[56]
  • $3.02 trillion of Schwab client assets were held in exchange-traded funds in 2025 in the United States.[56]
  • 18% of JPMorgan Chase wealth-management client investment assets increased year over year to nearly $1.3 trillion in 2025 globally.[55]

Product lifecycle in the brokerage industry

  • $10.10 trillion was Schwab’s total client assets at year-end 2024 in the United States.[13]
  • $2.37 trillion was LPL Financial’s advisory and brokerage assets serviced or custodied at year-end 2025 in the United States.[13]
  • $8.52 trillion was Schwab’s total client assets at year-end 2023 in the United States.[13]
  • $1.35 trillion was LPL Financial’s advisory and brokerage assets serviced or custodied at year-end 2023 in the United States.[13]
  • $1.74 trillion was LPL Financial’s advisory and brokerage assets serviced or custodied at year-end 2024 in the United States.[13]

After-sales in the brokerage industry

  • 7.1 million appointments and walk-ins at Fidelity Investor and Regional Centers were recorded in 2025 in the United States.[57]
  • 3.6 million Fidelity social-media service interactions were recorded in 2025 in the United States.[57]
  • 82.74% was the answering rate for 159,272 brokerage customer-service calls in 2024 in China.[58]
  • 39.5 million calls to Fidelity financial professionals were recorded in 2025 in the United States.[57]
  • 10.1 million Fidelity customer planning interactions were recorded in 2025 in the United States.[57]

Value proposition in the brokerage industry

  • $7.1 trillion was Fidelity’s managed assets in 2025 globally.[57]
  • $657.3 billion was Fidelity’s net asset flow in 2025 globally.[57]
  • $58.0 billion was Schwab’s bank-loan balance at December 2025 in the United States.[14]
  • $18.0 trillion was Fidelity’s assets under administration in 2025 globally.[57]
  • $23.9 billion was Charles Schwab’s net revenue in 2025 in the United States, up 22% from 2024.[12]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Operational footprint and governance controls are measured alongside community investment. Stifel facilitated more than $5.5 billion in investment in low- and moderate-income communities in 2025.

Sustainability in the brokerage industry

  • More than $5.5 billion in investment was facilitated in low- and moderate-income communities by Stifel in 2025.[59]
  • More than $13 million in corporate charitable contributions were made by Stifel in 2025.[59]
  • 37.4 million kWh of energy were estimated to be used across Stifel’s offices in 2024, producing approximately 8,240 tons of carbon emissions.[59]
  • 61.4 tons of e-waste were diverted from landfills by Stifel’s electronic reuse and recycling program in 2024 in the United States.[59]
  • 30,560 volunteer hours were recorded by Stifel associates in 2025 across the company’s global operations.[59]

ESG in the brokerage industry

  • At least quarterly, Raymond James’ ESG Committee met to discuss program strategy and progress during 2023.[60]
  • More than 9.4 million meals were packed through Stifel-supported volunteering activities in 2025.[59]
  • More than 27,000 volunteers across 24 cities participated in Stifel-supported meal-packing activities in 2025.[59]
  • At least quarterly, Raymond James’ Corporate Governance and ESG Committee received updates on the firm’s ESG program in 2023.[60]
  • Four main areas formed Interactive Brokers’ sustainability strategy in 2024: leadership, environment, people and clients, and resilience and governance.[61]

Ethics in the brokerage industry

  • 354 individuals received FINRA suspension sanctions in 2024.[50]
  • 182 brokers received FINRA bar sanctions in 2024 for misconduct-related matters in the U.S. brokerage industry.[50]
  • Four firms were expelled from FINRA membership in 2024.[50]
  • 1,369 market-abuse referrals were sent by FINRA to the SEC, other regulators and law-enforcement agencies in 2024.[50]
  • 182 brokers were barred from the securities industry by FINRA in 2024.[50]

CSR in the brokerage industry

  • Nearly 1,400 people benefited from Stifel-sponsored or employee-led financial-literacy events in 2025.[59]
  • More than 30,500 volunteer hours were logged by Stifel associates in 2025.[59]
  • More than 600 companies participated in the National Day of Service meal-packing event supported by Stifel in 2025.[59]
  • More than $5.5 billion of investment was facilitated by Stifel in low- and moderate-income communities in 2025.[59]
  • More than 400 Stifel and KBW associates joined the company’s 2025 meal-packing activities.[59]

Circular economy in the brokerage industry

  • More than 44 million sheets of paper were eliminated from Stifel’s operations after implementing DocuSign services from 2023 onward.[59]
  • More than 4,800 trees were conserved through Stifel’s DocuSign-related paper reduction from 2023 onward.[59]
  • 24.6 tons of mixed recyclables were recycled at Stifel’s St. Louis headquarters in 2024.[59]
  • 130 tons of waste were prevented through Stifel’s DocuSign implementation from 2023 onward.[59]
  • Almost 400 tons of paper were recycled from Stifel operations in 2024.[59]

Carbon footprint in the brokerage industry

  • Approximately 11,031 metric tons of Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions were estimated for Stifel’s global office footprint in 2025.[59]
  • 37.4 million kWh of energy use was estimated across Stifel offices in 2024.[59]
  • 47.9 million kWh of energy was estimated across Stifel’s global office footprint in 2025.[59]
  • Approximately 8,240 tons of carbon emissions were estimated across Stifel offices in 2024.[59]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Geographic scale is tracked via international revenue, mobile customers, and global trading infrastructure. Interactive Brokers supported 29 currencies and more than 170 electronic exchanges in 40 countries in 2025.

Globalization in the brokerage industry

  • $1.065 billion was AllianceBernstein’s 2025 net revenue from Luxembourg operations.[23]
  • $579.892 million was Citigroup Global Markets Limited revenue from Japan in 2024.[68]
  • Approximately 4.273 million trades per day were executed by Interactive Brokers Group in January 2026 across global products and markets.[22]
  • More than 170 electronic exchanges and market centers in 40 countries and 29 currencies were served by Interactive Brokers’ brokerage segment in 2025.[24]
  • $1.895 billion was AllianceBernstein’s international net revenue in 2025, generated outside the United States.[23]

Distribution channels in the brokerage industry

  • 7.7 million daily average trades were recorded by Charles Schwab for full-year 2025.[13]
  • 61.736 million active mobile customers were reported by JPMorgan Chase in 2025.[13]
  • 55% of surveyed investors viewed brokerage-firm communications on a laptop or desktop computer in the cited SEC investor survey.[13]
  • 4.7 million new brokerage accounts were opened at Charles Schwab in 2025.[13]
  • 74.646 million active digital customers were reported by JPMorgan Chase in 2025.[13]

16 Statistics

Regional markets

Regional brokerage ecosystems are quantified with broker registration and investor counts. India’s National Stock Exchange reached 13 crore unique investors by April 27, 2026.

The brokerage industry in India

  • 544 brokers were registered with India’s Multi Commodity Exchange in fiscal 2024–25, down from 546 in fiscal 2023–24.[69]
  • 13 crore unique investors were registered with the National Stock Exchange of India by April 27, 2026, reflecting the customer base served by Indian brokers.[70]
  • 1,213 brokers were registered in India’s NSE cash segment in fiscal 2024–25, compared with 1,212 in fiscal 2023–24.[69]
  • 25.7 crore total client codes were registered with the National Stock Exchange as of April 25, 2026, including accounts held through multiple trading members.[70]
  • 1,148 brokers were registered in India’s NSE equity-derivatives segment in fiscal 2024–25, up from 1,138 in fiscal 2023–24.[69]

Key questions about the Brokerage Industry

How big is the U.S. broker-dealer industry?
The U.S. broker-dealer industry reported approximately $183 billion of revenue in 2024. Broker-dealer assets were approximately $6.4T in 2024, with 634,508 registered individuals.
What growth is expected for online trading platforms?
The global online trading-platform market was valued at $10.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $19.9 billion by 2033. That implies a 7.9% CAGR from 2026 to 2033.
Which companies lead the brokerage industry?
Morgan Stanley leads Gitnux's 2026 brokerage ranking with an Overall score of 9.5, with global brokerage and investment advisory services for wealth management and institutions. Fidelity Investments is the runner-up at 9.4, driven by $18.0 trillion in assets under administration and 4.4 million daily average trades.
How are technology shifts showing up in brokerage operations?
Online platform adoption keeps expanding, with North America at 36.1% of global online-platform share in 2025. Integration across front-, middle- and back-office systems is also highlighted as important in 2026.
What does market structure look like in the U.S. broker-dealer workforce and branches?
Large firms represented only 5% of FINRA-registered firms in 2024, but accounted for 82% of registered representatives and 87% of branches. Small firms were 89% of firms but only 9% of representatives.
Where does revenue compression appear beyond commissions?
Commission revenue declined from approximately 18% of broker-dealer revenue in 2010 to 5% in 2024. Account supervision, investment advisory and administrative fees were the largest itemized category at 19% of 2024 revenue.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Brokerage Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brokerage-industry-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Brokerage Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/brokerage-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Brokerage Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/brokerage-industry-statistics.

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