SoFi Active Invest Review (2026)
SoFi Active Invest suits people who already bank with SoFi and want stocks, ETFs, options and an IRA in the same app, with fractional shares from $5. The one thing to know: trading is $0 commission and options carry no SoFi contract fee, but leaving costs $100 for an outgoing transfer, and an account with no login for 6 months is charged $25. Margin starts at 9.75% on balances up to $50,000.
By Wealthy Pot Editorial · Facts checked October 19, 2026
Facts checked October 19, 2026 against SoFi Active Invest's own fee schedules, rate pages, disclosures and regulator records (15 sources, listed below). We re-check prices about once a month. We do not earn a commission from SoFi.
SoFi Active Invest at a glance
| Stocks and ETFs | $0 commission on US-listed and OTC stocks and ETFs [1] |
|---|---|
| Options | $0 commission and $0 SoFi contract fee; regulatory fees pass through (ORF $0.02 and OCC $0.025 per contract) [1] |
| Mutual funds | 0.2% of the purchase amount, at most $20 per trade; interval and tender-offer funds up to 2% [1] |
| Minimum | $0 to open; $5 to begin investing in a self-directed account; $50 for the robo-advisor [1] |
| Fractional shares | More than 4,000 stocks and ETFs, from $5 [5] |
| Account types | Individual account (the primary one is a margin account) plus up to three extra cash accounts; Traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs. We could not confirm joint or custodial accounts on SoFi's current pages [6] |
| Cash | Brokerage cash sweep to program banks, including SoFi Bank; you must enroll, and SoFi publishes no rate. Cash not in the sweep earns nothing for you [4] |
| Margin | 9.75% up to $50,000, falling by tier to 6.00% from $1 million to $10 million and 5.00% above $10 million (fee schedule of October 1, 2026); $2,000 in the account needed to borrow [2] |
| Transfer out and IRA fees | $100 outgoing ACATS transfer (full or partial); $100 IRA closing fee, which may be charged when the balance drops below $100; $0 annual IRA fee [1] |
| Other fees | $25 per account for every 6 months without a login; $25 outgoing wire; $5 per paper statement; $50 on the first sale of IPO shares within 120 days of the IPO [1] |
| Extended hours | Pre-market 8:00 to 9:30 AM ET and after-market 4:00 to 8:00 PM ET, limit orders only [7] |
| IRA match | 1% of eligible IRA contributions and of 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) rollovers through Capitalize; kept only if the money stays 5 years [8] |
| Premium tier | SoFi Plus, $10 a month: unlimited 1% match on eligible taxable Invest deposits (5-year hold) and unlimited sessions with SoFi Wealth financial planners [10] |
| SIPC | SoFi Securities LLC is a member of SIPC; we found no excess-SIPC coverage stated on SoFi's pages [3] |
| Payment for order flow | Yes, indirectly: all orders go to Apex Clearing, and SoFi receives part of the routing revenue that market centers pay Apex [11] |
| Company | SoFi Securities LLC (CRD 151717), owned by Social Finance, LLC, part of SoFi Technologies, Inc.; clearing by Apex Clearing [12] |
What a year at SoFi Active Invest costs
| Situation | Cost or interest | How we got it |
|---|---|---|
| Open and close a 10-contract options trade, twice a month for a year | $0 | $0 a round trip x 24. |
| $10,000 left uninvested for a year | Rate not published | Brokerage cash sweep (enrollment required); SoFi Active Invest does not publish the rate on its public pages. |
| Borrow $10,000 on margin for a year | About $975 | 9.75% a year on a $10,000 balance; 8.5% at $100,000. Interest accrues daily, so the exact figure varies a little. |
| Move the whole account to another broker | $100 | Full outgoing transfer (ACATS). |
SoFi Plus: $10 a month. Adds an unlimited 1% match on eligible deposits to taxable SoFi Invest accounts (kept only if held 5 years) and unlimited sessions with SoFi Wealth financial planners.
Hypothetical examples, our arithmetic from SoFi Active Invest's published fees, cash rate (as of October 19, 2026) and margin rates (as of October 19, 2026), read on October 19, 2026. Broker commissions and the broker's own per-contract fees only: the small SEC, FINRA, OCC and exchange fees passed through on sales and option trades are left out. Cash and margin rates move with the Federal Reserve's rate.
What SoFi Active Invest costs
| Plan | Paying monthly, 1 year | Annual plan, 1 year | 3 years (cheapest way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $0 | - | $0 |
| SoFi Plusadds a 1% match on eligible taxable Invest deposits and planner sessions | $120 | - | $360 |
Our arithmetic from the listed prices, before sales tax, assuming today's prices hold; subscriptions can renew at a different rate.
How SoFi Active Invest works
SoFi Active Invest is the self-directed side of SoFi Invest, run by SoFi Securities LLC inside the same app as SoFi's bank accounts and loans. You can trade US stocks, ETFs, OTC securities and options at $0 commission, buy fractional shares of more than 4,000 stocks and ETFs from $5, put in for IPO shares through the IPO Center, and buy mutual funds for 0.2% of the purchase, capped at $20 a trade. Your primary account is a margin account, and you can open up to three more cash accounts beside it. SoFi's robo-advisor is a separate product that charges 0.25% a year with a $50 minimum; our robo-advisor comparison covers that kind of service.
Options carry no SoFi commission and no per-contract fee, so the options line in the cost block on this page is $0. The small regulatory fees still pass through: per the October 2026 fee schedule, $0.02 per contract to FINRA (the ORF) and $0.025 to the OCC. SoFi lists options in IRAs, a Strategy Builder and same-day-expiry (0DTE) options among its features. Our options platform comparison sets these fees against the rest.
The IRA match is the feature with the most conditions. SoFi adds 1% of what you contribute to a SoFi IRA by ACH or SoFi Bank transfer, up to the IRS annual limit, and 1% of 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) rollovers done through Capitalize. SEP IRAs and incoming ACATS transfers do not count. The money has to stay 5 years. Take it out early and SoFi charges a proportional early-withdrawal fee; move the whole account to another broker by ACATS and SoFi takes back the full match. You do not need SoFi Plus for it. The current terms run "from August 26, 2026 onwards" and SoFi can end the offer at any time; no end date was published as of October 19, 2026.
A hypothetical: you contribute $6,000 to a SoFi Roth IRA by ACH and SoFi adds 1%, or $6,000 x 0.01 = $60. Two years later you move the IRA to another broker. SoFi takes back the full $60 match, charges the $100 outgoing transfer fee, and may charge the $100 IRA closing fee because the balance falls below $100. The $60 you received becomes as much as $60 + $100 + $100 = $260 in charges. If you expect to stay 5 years, the match is extra money; if you might leave, the exit fees outweigh it. See bank IRA vs brokerage IRA for where an IRA can sit.
Pros
- $0 options commissions and $0 per-contract fee
- Fractional shares of 4,000+ stocks and ETFs from $5
- 1% IRA contribution match without a paid plan (5-year hold)
- Investing, banking and loans in one app
- Extended hours from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET
Cons
- $100 outgoing transfer, full or partial, plus a possible $100 IRA closing fee
- $25 fee for every 6 months without a login
- No published interest rate on swept cash, and you must enroll
- Margin from 9.75% under $50,000
- Mutual funds cost 0.2% per purchase, up to $20
Who SoFi Active Invest fits, and who should skip it
A good fit if
- You already use SoFi checking, savings or loans and want investing in the same app.
- You trade options and want no commission and no broker contract fee.
- You will contribute to an IRA by bank transfer and keep it at SoFi for at least 5 years, so the 1% match stays yours.
- You want to start with small amounts: $5 in fractional shares.
Look elsewhere if
- You may move your account later: SoFi charges $100 to transfer out; Fidelity charges $0 to transfer out or close an IRA.
- You borrow on margin: SoFi starts at 9.75%; M1 lists a flat 5.90%.
- You want interest on idle cash at a published rate: Public shows the APY on its High-Yield Cash Account.
- You log in rarely: an account left without a login for 6 months is charged $25.
Limitations to know
- The cash sweep pays interest only if you enroll, and SoFi's support page says you "may" earn interest without naming a rate. Its Form CRS says SoFi earns interest on uninvested cash that is not passed on to you. [4]
- SoFi charges $25 per account for every 6 months with no login. [1]
- Margin needs at least $2,000 in the account, and the lowest-balance tier is 9.75% (up to $50,000). [2]
- We could not confirm from SoFi's current pages whether it charges for option exercise or assignment, which index options it offers, or whether it offers joint and custodial accounts.
- Selling IPO shares within 120 days of the IPO costs $50 on the first sale. [3]
- The 1% match on IRA transfers (ACATS) in from other brokers ended on March 31, 2026; the current match covers contributions and Capitalize rollovers only. [9]
SoFi Active Invest compared with alternatives
| Broker | Options per contract | Default cash rate | Transfer out | Fractional shares |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoFi Active Invest | $0 | Not published | $100 | Yes |
| Fidelity | $0.65/contract | 3.48% 7-day yield if you pick SPAXX (no default named) | $0 | Yes |
| Public | $0 stock/ETF options (rebate program); index options $0.35 | Not published | $100 | Yes |
| M1 Finance | n/a (no options) | 0% | $100 | Yes |
| Ally Invest | $0.50/contract | 0% | $50 | No |
- Pick Fidelity if you want $0 to transfer out or close an IRA.
- Pick Public if you want $0 stock and ETF options with margin from 5.15%.
- Pick M1 Finance if you want a flat 5.90% margin rate and automatic pie portfolios.
- Pick Ally Invest if you want a $50 transfer-out fee and bank accounts at the same company.
Security and privacy
- SoFi Securities LLC is a member of FINRA and SIPC; SIPC protects up to $500,000 per customer, including $250,000 in cash, if a member firm fails. SoFi's pages we checked state no excess-SIPC coverage. [3]
- Swept cash goes to program banks, including SoFi Bank, with FDIC insurance up to $250,000 per program bank, per SoFi's support article. [4]
- In May 2024 FINRA fined SoFi Securities $1.1 million and censured it over anti-money-laundering and customer identification failures: about 800 fraudulent cash management accounts were used to move about $8.6 million stolen from other institutions. SoFi accepted the findings without admitting or denying them. [13]
- In December 2023 FINRA fined SoFi Securities $500,000 for not reasonably supervising its fully paid securities lending program, into which more than 2 million customers were automatically enrolled from 2019 to 2023. [13]
- In 2021 the SEC fined SoFi Wealth LLC, the robo-advisor affiliate and not the broker-dealer, $300,000 over undisclosed conflicts when it moved about 20,000 robo accounts into SoFi's own ETFs. [15]
- We did not confirm SoFi's two-factor login options or its privacy policy terms for this review.
Recent changes
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| Aug 26, 2026 | Current 1% IRA contribution and rollover match terms start, with no end date published. [8] |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Promotion through August 31: 1% match on taxable Invest deposits for all members and 2% for SoFi Plus members, with a 5-year hold. [10] |
| Jun 2026 | SoFi reports that in the second quarter of 2026 it relaunched SoFi Plus with new benefits as a paid-only subscription ($10 a month). [14] |
| Mar 31, 2026 | The 1% match on IRA transfers in from other brokers ended. [9] |
SoFi Active Invest FAQ
Is SoFi Invest safe?
SoFi Securities LLC is a FINRA member and a SIPC member, so securities and cash are protected up to $500,000 (including $250,000 cash) if the firm fails; SIPC does not cover market losses. Accounts clear through Apex Clearing. FINRA fined SoFi Securities $1.1 million in 2024 over anti-money-laundering failures and $500,000 in 2023 over its securities lending program.
Does SoFi charge for options?
No SoFi commission and no SoFi contract fee. Regulatory fees pass through: $0.02 per contract (ORF) and $0.025 (OCC), per the fee schedule updated October 1, 2026.
What does SoFi pay on cash in an Invest account?
SoFi publishes no rate. Interest is possible only if you enroll in the brokerage cash sweep, and SoFi says you "may" earn interest there. Cash outside the sweep earns nothing for you. If you want a published rate, compare <a href="/high-yield-savings/">high-yield savings accounts</a> or <a href="/money-market-funds/">money market funds</a>.
Is SoFi good for beginners?
It has $0 to open, a $5 minimum to start investing, fractional shares of 4,000+ stocks and ETFs and $0 commissions. Watch two fees beginners can trip over: $25 for every 6 months without a login and $100 to transfer out. Our guide to <a href="/micro-investing-on-small-budget/">investing with little money</a> covers the first steps.
SoFi vs Robinhood?
Both charge $0 stock commissions and $0 options contract fees on stock and ETF options, and both charge $100 for an outgoing ACATS transfer. Both add a 1% IRA contribution match without a paid plan (Robinhood raises it to 3% with Gold). The bigger gaps are margin, which starts at 9.75% at SoFi against 5.25% at Robinhood, and cash: Robinhood pays interest on brokerage cash only to members of its $5-a-month Gold plan, while SoFi publishes no sweep rate. See <a href="/brokers/robinhood/">our Robinhood review</a>.
How much does it cost to transfer out of SoFi?
$100 for a full or partial ACATS transfer. Closing an IRA can add a $100 IRA closing fee when the balance drops below $100, and moving an IRA out by ACATS within 5 years of an IRA match means SoFi takes the match back.
How we researched this review
We did not get paid or receive a free account for this page. We read SoFi Active Invest's own pricing page, help center, security and privacy pages and app-store listing on October 19, 2026, quoted each fact from those pages, and link every one below. We did not run a long-term hands-on test, so we do not score the app; where a point rests on what the company says rather than something we can check, we attribute it to SoFi Active Invest. Cost figures are our own arithmetic. We re-check prices and plans about once a month and log changes in the table above.
Sources
- SoFi Invest, Fee Schedule (version 38, last updated October 1, 2026), checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi, Margin trading and margin loans (rate table), checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi Securities LLC, Form CRS (customer relationship summary), checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi Support, How does the brokerage cash sweep program work?, checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi, Fractional shares, checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi, Active Invest, checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi, After-hours trading, checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi, IRA match terms and conditions, checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi, IRA transfer match page, checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi, SoFi Plus, checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi, Rule 606 order routing report, checked October 19, 2026.
- FINRA BrokerCheck, SoFi Securities LLC (CRD 151717), checked October 19, 2026.
- FINRA BrokerCheck, SoFi Securities LLC detailed report (disclosures), checked October 19, 2026.
- SoFi Technologies, Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (SEC EDGAR), checked October 19, 2026.
- SEC, In the Matter of SoFi Wealth LLC, Investment Advisers Act Release No. 5826 (2021), checked October 19, 2026.
Head-to-head comparisons
This review is for general information, not investment advice. Investing involves risk, including loss of principal; margin and options can lose more than you put in. Fees and rates change; check the broker's own pages before you open or move an account.