Stockpile / Gift Cards, Investing for Beginners & Custodial Accounts
- Stockpile is an online brokerage enabling investors to buy and sell stocks or fractional shares of stocks, ETFs, ADRs, and every stock in the S&P 500.
- Open an individual brokerage or custodial account (under 18 years old).
Stash Invest / Banking and Investing for Beginners
- Stash Invest is a robust financial app to start and grow your investments in stocks, ETFs, and fractional shares for as little as $1.
- Get investment and banking features to help you achieve your investing goals.
Stash Promotion: Get $20 for signing up and adding cash.
TD Ameritrade Online Brokerage / Commission Free Trades
- TD Ameritrade is an online brokerage for stock trading and investing in common stock, preferred stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and options.
- Accounts offer tax-loss harvesting and four trading platforms for beginners and veteran investors.
- Access to advanced mobile trading applications through phone, tablet, or Apple Watch.
- No minimum deposit to open an account and $0 commission-fee trades.
Public.com / Invest in Stocks and Engage in Community
- Public.com enables you to invest in stocks and funds, commission-free through an easy-to-use mobile interface.
- Community features allow you to follow friends and expert investors, share insights, and interact.
- No account minimums. Buy and sell fractional shares.
Promotion: Get a $10 share of stock for new signups.
Ally Invest Self-Directed Online Trading
- Ally Invest is an online brokerage account to perform trades in stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, and options.
- Get Live news and streaming quotes available across multiple devices with market stats, metrics, and insights into individual companies.
- $0 commission-free trades with no minimums.
SoFi Active Investing / Invest Starting with $5 – Stocks, ETFs
- SoFi Active Investing allows you to buy and sell stocks, fractional shares, and ETFs.
- No commission trades no account minimums.
SoFi Invest promo: Fund your account with $100 and get $25 in stock.
Robinhood / Commission-Free Stock Trading and Investing
- Robinhood Invest offers 100% commission-free trades of stock, ETF, fractional shares, options, and cryptocurrency.
- $0 account minimum with no monthly account fees.
Promo: Get 1 FREE Stock with account opening. No deposit is required.
Webull Stock Trading / $0 Commission and No Minimum
- Webull is a zero-commission online brokerage to trade stocks, fractional shares, ETFs, and options trading.
- Full-extended hours trading, free real-time quotes, and community forum.
- $0 minimum balance. Invest with as little as $5.
Promotion: Receive 3 FREE stocks. Open an account and make an initial deposit of any amount.
M1 Finance / Invest Using Unique Pie-based Portfolios
- M1 Finance is a free finance app allowing you to invest, borrow, and spend in one platform.
- $0 account minimum. 100% commission-free trades and no hidden fees.
Promotion: Get up to $500 when you signup and deposit $1000 or more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Online Brokerage Account Should I Choose?
The best type of online brokerage accounts for you depends on your financial goals. For example, if your goal is retirement, focus on tax-advantage accounts like IRAs. You’ll then need to open an account with an online broker that offers them. Learn more about the differences between stock trading and Robo-advisor platforms.
How Much Money Do I Need to Open an Online Brokerage Account?
Depending on the online broker, you’ll have a range of account minimums that range from $0 to several thousand dollars.
Can I open accounts with more than one online brokerage firm?
In short, yes, you can open a brokerage account with as many online brokers as you’d like. However, It’s not necessary to do so. Focus on simplicity and investing strategy as opposed to managing multiple brokerage accounts.
What You Need to Know about Online Brokerage Accounts
Whether you’re planning to actively trade stocks or passively invest in low-cost index funds or get the help of Robo-advisors, you’ll need a brokerage account.
As you decide which online broker to use, consider your investment strategy, as it’ll help inform which platform is best. Look for a platform that offers everything you need in one place. For example, it provides taxable accounts and retirement accounts. And access to different investment types like stocks, ETFs, bonds, commodities, options, or more.
Finally, understand your risk tolerance, investment goal, and time horizon. If this sounds overwhelming, then consider a Robo-advisor.