Lisa Gerstner
About the Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards 2025
The Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best products and services in the personal finance arena. We asked you, our Kiplinger community, to help us name the products and services you think have delivered excellent value in the past year.
The survey results, which we’re sharing here in our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards, offer valuable insight into which providers shine when it comes to your everyday interactions and experiences with them. Our Awards recognize excellence in everything from credit cards, banks and brokers to insurers, tax software and financial apps. For each category, we’ve listed an overall winner that earned the highest score. We’ve also highlighted other products and services that earned above-average scores for various criteria we asked readers to assess.
By voting, our community has helped us form our guide to the very best financial products. These are the products and companies that you think stand out from the crowd.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards: Full-Service Brokers
We asked readers to assess brokerage firms that offer a breadth of services, whether online, by phone, through in-person assistance at branches, or some combination.
Readers rated the strength of their broker’s customer service, how likely they would be to recommend the firm to others and their overall satisfaction with the broker.
OVERALL WINNER: Fidelity Investments
Outstanding for:
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
- Customer service
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
Readers favor Fidelity Investments above other brokers and had plenty of positive words about the firm. Many consider Fidelity a great broker for beginners and do-it-yourself investors and appreciate how easily accessible its 24/7 customer service is. “They continually have sharp people who actually answer the phone and help you whenever you need it,” says one reader.
Readers also praised Fidelity for having low fees and a breadth of services available in one place. A mainstream broker, Fidelity’s offerings range from self-directed brokerage accounts to full-fledged investment and wealth management services.
Fidelity also provides educational seminars throughout the year, a weekly newsletter and research tools, for which many readers expressed appreciation. One reader called the newsletter “always relevant, easy to read and very informative.”
Edward Jones
Outstanding for:
- Customer service
- Most recommended
With a client base of more than eight million, a network of more than 19,000 financial advisers and 16,000 branch locations throughout North America, Edward Jones is known for fostering long-term relationships with its clientele.
Readers like that they can meet in person with advisers locally, and find the advisers easy to work with. One reader, for example, says that their broker holds regular chats over coffee to discuss important updates. Says another, “The adviser I deal with doesn’t push products but seeks to provide what would be best for the customer.”
Raymond James
Outstanding for:
- Customer service
- Most recommended
With more than 8,700 financial advisers, Raymond James’s businesses include brokerage services, professional asset management, insurance solutions, trust services and investment banking, as well as private and commercial banking.
Readers commented on great personal service from Ramond James professionals, who they found to be knowledgeable and thorough.
E*Trade
Outstanding for:
- Overall satisfaction
Acquired by Morgan Stanley in 2020, E*Trade was one of the first online brokerages, and it offers a wide range of financial products, including brokerage accounts, IRAs, custodial accounts and managed portfolios.
Readers find E*Trade’s research tools especially useful. “For solo investors who seek research information, the website is tops,” says one survey respondent.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards: Other Categories
- Readers' Choice Wealth Management
- Readers' Choice Cash-Back Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Travel Rewards Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Airline Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice Hotel Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice National Banks
- Readers' Choice Internet Banks
- Readers' Choice Auto Insurance Companies
- Readers' Choice Homeowners Insurance Companies
- Readers' Choice Annuity Providers
- Readers' Choice Tax Software
- Readers' Choice Peer-to-Peer Payment Services
-
Avoid Capital Gains Tax? Trump's New Bill Offers Massive Incentive for DonorsTax Policy As U.S. Senate Republicans mark up their version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, one provision could give some donors a major tax break.
-
2025 SALT Cap Could Hurt Top 'Hidden Home Cost'Tax Deductions The latest GOP tax bill might make hidden homeowner costs worse for you. Here’s how.
-
This Savings Account Earns You More Than $4,000. Here's HowSee how a jumbo CD can help you reach your savings goals quicker.
-
These Are the Key Tariff Issues to Watch in Coming MonthsWhile they're not dominating headlines right now, tariffs are not over. Some key dates are coming up fast that could upend markets all over again.
-
What to Know About Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)Understanding what Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) are and how to use them in a portfolio.
-
T-Mobile Offers Senior Phone Plans: Are The Perks Worth the Price?T-Mobile has three senior phone plans. See which perks you receive with each.
-
Should You Switch to a Budget Wireless Carrier? What to Know About Trump Mobile and Other Low-Cost OptionsWith new names like Trump Mobile entering the market, many consumers are curious about affordable wireless plans. Here's how to tell if switching to a budget carrier could actually save you money — and what trade-offs to expect.
-
Bill Bought a Fridge, and Then His Nightmare BeganA Lowe's customer reached out to me after he encountered the retailer's 48-hour return window for major appliances when his brand-new fridge turned out to be defective.
-
Savvy Marketing Tips for Financial Pros From a Financial ProThese strategies for marketing, client acquisition and retention can help financial professionals elevate their business and production.
-
Taste the Nation: Five James Beard Award–Winning Restaurants Worth Traveling ForFrom coastal kitchens to mountain towns, these celebrated restaurants don't just serve meals — they anchor destination-worthy trips for food lovers.
