E*TRADE is part of Morgan Stanley. New brokerage customers apply at us.etrade.com, choose an account type, and complete an identity and investment profile similar to other large U.S. brokers.
Customer service for an existing brokerage or bank account is listed at 800-387-2331. If your shares came from an employer plan, you may need the stock-plan line instead.
Stock-plan accounts through Morgan Stanley at Work use a different phone number from a regular E*TRADE brokerage account.
What to have ready
- Government name, date of birth, Social Security number, and residential address.
- Employment, income, and investing-experience answers on E*TRADE’s form.
- A decision between an individual taxable account and an IRA.
- Bank details, entered only inside E*TRADE, when you fund the account.
- Your employer’s stock-plan instructions if the shares are from work, not from a new retail account.
Create the account
- 01
Apply at us.etrade.com
Choose the brokerage or retirement account you want. Complete the personal profile on E*TRADE’s site. Northline never receives a copy of that application.
- 02
Review agreements
Read the account agreement and fee schedule before you e-sign. Pricing for stocks, options, and margin can differ, and it changes. The schedule on E*TRADE’s site controls.
- 03
Fund after approval
Link a bank, send a wire using instructions from inside the account, or transfer another brokerage account in. Keep the confirmation from the bank until the cash appears.
- 04
Separate workplace stock
If you are trying to reach vested employer shares, look for Morgan Stanley at Work rather than opening a second retail account and hoping the shares appear.
How to invest once the account is funded
- 01
Open the trade ticket
From the E*TRADE site or app, start a stock or ETF order in the correct account. Preview the order type. Market orders fill at the prevailing price. Limit orders wait for your price.
- 02
Confirm the fill
Check order status before you place a second order. A slow quote can make it look like the first order did not work.
- 03
Options and margin are separate approvals
Those features require extra applications and carry the risk of losing more than a simple stock purchase. Leave them off until you have read the risk disclosure E*TRADE provides.
How to reach E*TRADE and open a ticket
The steps below create a case with E*TRADE. They are not the same as a Northline support ticket. Use E*TRADE when the money or the login is theirs. Use Northline when you want the path explained first.
- 01
Call 800-387-2331 for brokerage service
Use the number printed on us.etrade.com/contact-us. Be ready to verify your identity with E*TRADE. We cannot pass that verification for you.
- 02
Send a secure message while logged in
For a document, a transfer question, or a billing question that can wait, use the message center inside the account so the note stays on their record.
- 03
Stock-plan cases
Call 800-838-0908 only for a Morgan Stanley at Work stock-plan account. Say that it is a stock-plan question so you are not walked through the retail brokerage menu.
- 04
Write down the reference
Ask the representative for a case or interaction number and the time you called. That is what you cite if you have to follow up.
Questions about this firm
Is E*TRADE the same company as Morgan Stanley?
E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley is the brand on the public contact page. Your statements show the legal entity that holds the account.
Can Northline reset an E*TRADE password?
No. Use the forgot-password link on us.etrade.com or call the number above yourself.
Where do I mail paper forms?
E*TRADE publishes a Jersey City mailing address on its contact page. Use the address on that page, because mail stops change.