JPMorgan Adds Bond Trading to Mobile App, Eyes $1 Trillion Investing Platform

JPMorgan Chase is ramping up its digital investing capabilities with the introduction of bond and brokered CD trading tools directly on its mobile app, a move aimed at attracting self-directed investors and propelling its assets toward the $1 trillion mark.

The announcement, first reported by CNBC, marks a significant leap for JPMorgan’s self-directed platform, which now enables users to research and compare fixed-income investments, including bonds and certificates of deposit, on the same app they use for everyday banking.

Targeting Self-Directed Investors

“Our goal was to make it extremely simple for clients to buy fixed income,” said Paul Vienick, head of online investing at JPMorgan’s wealth management arm. “We’ve taken the simplicity of stock and ETF investing and applied it to the bond space.”

Vienick, a veteran of TD Ameritrade and Morgan Stanley, joined JPMorgan in 2021 to overhaul its digital investment platform. The revamp follows a slow start to the firm’s digital trading ambitions, which initially launched under the “You Invest” brand in 2018 before being rebranded to Self-Directed Investing.

Catching Up in a Crowded Market

Despite JPMorgan’s dominance in banking, its online investing business only recently crossed $100 billion in assets, far behind rivals like Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and E-Trade. These platforms have decades of experience and have acquired large user bases over time.

To narrow the gap, JPMorgan has been incentivizing transfers, offering up to $700 to customers who move funds into its self-directed platform. It is also expanding its offering with after-hours stock trading expected in the near future.

An Ambitious Road to $1 Trillion

JPMorgan banks half of the U.S.’s 19 million affluent households, but currently holds just 10% of their investing dollars. The bank’s plan to integrate investment tools within its core app aims to consolidate customer finances in one digital ecosystem, enabling faster fund transfers and more comprehensive money management.

“We believe this can be a $1 trillion business, outside of core wealth management,” Vienick said. “But it will take hard work and listening to what our clients actually want.”

With its vast branch network, strong brand under CEO Jamie Dimon, and growing tech capabilities, JPMorgan is betting big on a future where digital and human advisory services coexist, and where convenience can drive asset growth.