N° 03 — Broker review
Filed
Atlas Securities
A forty-seven-year-old discount brokerage that still treats price like a feature, not a marketing line.
Score global
9.2 / 10
— Excellent
By the numbers
- Founded
- 1978
- Headquarters
- New York, NY
- Min. deposit
- $0
- Instruments
- 12
- Regulators
- 15
- Markets
- 12
fter Atlas Securities crossed its first billion in customer assets in 1987, the discount brokerage did the unfashionable thing — it kept its fees down. Four decades later, that posture has aged into a competitive moat that newer entrants have struggled to imitate, much less surpass. This review covers the full range of Atlas Securities's retail offer: where the firm earns its 9.2 ⁄ 10 rating, where it falls short, and what it means for the kind of investor for whom this account actually makes sense.
N° 01
Regulation & trust
Atlas Securities is regulated in 15 jurisdictions, with anchor licences from SEC, FINRA, FCA and 12 other tier-one regulators. Customer cash is held in segregated accounts at tier-one banks. In the United States, SIPC coverage applies up to $500,000 per account, with $250,000 of that figure available for cash claims. The firm publishes a quarterly capital adequacy report — a transparency commitment that few of its competitors match.
N° 02
Fees & commissions
On U.S. equities, Atlas Securities charges $0.005 per share (US equities) — among the lowest in the industry for an institutional-grade execution venue. The published spread on majors averages 0.6 pip on EUR/USD, and there is no commission on internal transfers. Withdrawal fees ($10 per wire transfer) apply only to wire transfers; ACH and SEPA exits are free of charge. The firm publishes its order routing statistics quarterly.
| Fee type | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | $0.005 per share (US equities) | Min. $1 per order on U.S. equities |
| Spread | 0.6 pip on EUR/USD | Average on EUR/USD during London hours |
| Frais de retrait | $10 per wire transfer | SEPA / ACH transfers remain free |
N° 03
Instruments covered
Atlas Securities covers the standard discount-broker asset universe, with notable depth in fixed income and a measured (but not exhaustive) crypto offer routed through a licensed custodian.
N° 04
The verdict
Atlas Securities is not the easiest broker to use. The legacy desktop platform demands a learning curve that newer arrivals like Robinhood and Trade Republic have made obsolete. But for the investor who values execution quality, capital safety, and a fee schedule that does not disguise its costs in spreads, Atlas Securities remains the benchmark against which every other discount broker is measured.
“After a decade of competing on price, Atlas Securities is the rare broker that competes on price and doesn't compromise on execution.”
Points forts
- Lowest commissions in the industry for an institutional-grade venue
- Regulated across 15 tier-one jurisdictions
- Publishes quarterly order-routing statistics
- SIPC coverage up to $500,000 in the U.S.
- Free ACH and SEPA withdrawals
Points faibles
- Steep learning curve on the legacy desktop platform
- Customer support hours are limited outside U.S. trading hours
- Mobile app lags behind newer entrants on UX
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