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The 15 best finance websites you should bookmark right now.

If you’ve never previously followed finance websites, it’s a great idea to start. Here’s why.

Why are finance websites useful?

Not everyone has a background in finance and not everyone can afford a financial adviser.

Luckily for all of us, we live in the era of the Internet. For that reason, we have compiled a list with the best finance websites where you can learn all about the finance world: from the available finance careers and terminology to developing your personal investment strategies and getting the access to stock market data.

Whether you have just started to learn, or you are already an expert in the world of finance, business and investments, these resources will help you stay on top of the game:

The 15 best finance websites

15. the motley fool.

The Motley Fool is a great resource for investors to stay informed. It will provide you with the leading insight and analysis about the stock market.

If a Motley Fool Member held 25 or more stocks from our recommendations for at least 5 years, the likelihood that portfolio would have a positive return is 97%.

The website was created to help people around the world achieve their financial goals every day by offering free and premium investment guidance.

14. The Economist

This finance website offers authoritative insight on the international mix of news, such as politics, business, finance, science and technology.

The Economist is a global thought leader and its audience is guided by the objectivity and insight on issues as wide-ranging as cryptocurrencies to gay marriage.

13. MarketWatch

MarketWatch is a leading innovator in business news, personal finance information, real-time commentary and investment tools and data, with dedicated journalists generating hundreds of headlines, stories, videos and market briefs a day from 10 bureaus in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

MarketWatch is a great finance website you should start following to stay ahead of everything you need to know to make smart financial decisions.

12. Financial Times

Financial Times is one of the world’s leading finance news websites, globally recognized for its authority. The Financial Times features a wide variety of content including finance news, data and analysis, market research and more.

The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy.

Its audience includes influential people involved in politics and business, as well as a number of the wealthiest people in the world.

11. CNNMoney

CNN DIGITAL MISSION is to inform, engage and empower the World

CNNMoney is a great finance website, which will help you learn how the news affects your finances.

It prides itself on its excellence in our journalism and empowering the world.

CNBC is a recognized world leader in international business news coverage, offering its international audience business information and real-time financial market coverage.

🔥 TRENDING: How to start investing: an overview of the 26 best trading platforms

9. MoneyMorning

Money Morning is your daily map to financial freedom

MoneyMorning is a website that helps you get financial freedom in the new global economy, sharing invaluable information with you to enjoy financial independence.

It provides you with daily recommendations to increase your income and profits. With insider tips and stock recommendations, you will learn how to protect your financial future.

8. The Street

This finance website offers actionable ideas from the world of finance, investing, and business, helping all individuals and organizations to grow their wealth.

The Street is famous to be the most exhaustive yet intuitive guide out there.

The diverse materials we’ve compiled will help you tackle whatever tasks adulting throws your way, improving not only your financial health but also your mental and emotional well-being.

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7. This Is Money

This finance website will provide you with the latest financial trends, personal finance advice, and news.

Our mission is to empower readers to make the best decisions – helping them save money and make money.

This Is Money aims is to explain the essential financial, business, markets and economics news in an engaging, entertaining and easy to understand way.

6. Kiplinger

Kiplinger is one of the top investing insights providers. The website features a wide range of topics from the world of finance.

Since 1920, Kiplinger has led the way in personal finance and business forecasting.

This finance website is proud to be one of the most trustworthy sources of advice and guidance.

5. Investing

Investing offers free real-time quotes, streaming charts, financial news, portfolio, live stock market data and much more.

Investing.com offers unlimited access to cutting-edge financial market tools such as real-time quotes & alerts, customized portfolios, personal alerts, calendars, calculators, and financial insights, completely free of charge.

It is one of the top three financial markets platforms providing real-time data, quotes, charts, financial tools, breaking news and analysis.

4. Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal is one of the world’s most famous magazines, providing its wide audience with the latest business, financial and stock news.

The Wall Street Journal was founded in July 1889. Ever since, the Journal has led the way in chronicling the rise of industries in America and around the world.

Forbes is the home page of the world’s business leaders, featuring original articles on finance, personal finance, investing, stock market, leadership, and marketing topics.

Forbes is a leading business media brand aiming to do good with sustainability and equity in mind. Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology, communications, science, and law.

The media division of Thomson Reuters is the world’s largest international multimedia news agency, providing its audience with the top world investing, business, stock market, technology, small business and personal finance news.

The Reuters Trust Principles of independence, integrity and freedom from bias were adopted in 1941 – and they remain fundamental to all that we do to this day.

Reuters prides itself to be an honest source of information broadcasted by journalists online as well as across text, television and picture services.

1. Bloomberg Businessweek

Previously known as Businessweek, Bloomberg Businessweek is a globally recognized magazine that provides information and interpretation of what is happening in the world of business.

Bonus: Top financial news aggregator websites

If you just want follow the latest financial data and stock markets, here’s a great list of tools to start with:

• Google Finance
• Seeking Alpha
• Yahoo Finance
• MSN Money Central

💡 Pro tip: If you are new to the world of investments, we would recommend using Investopedia as a one-stop shop for everything there is in the finance world. Investopedia’s dictionary is great for finding easy-to-understand definitions of financial terms and concepts. It also provides tutorials on everything from calculating income taxes and reading cash flow statements to calculating the market Beta and designing investment strategies. The site even features study guides for nationally administered finance exams.

Which of these websites have you already been following? How do you find them? Let us know in the comment section below or leave us a Tweet  @AlphaGammaHQ .

For more  finance and business tips, subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on  X ,  Facebook,   Instagram , and LinkedIn .

72 COMMENTS

yahoo finance, and bloomberg is my favorites

Great choice, Alinda! 🙂 Thanks for dropping us a line at AlphaGamma!

MarketWatch definitely is my favourite. And as an extra tip, maybe it’s not for everyone but I like newsbuzzwords.com/finance.html a lot. Very useful to get up to speed quickly

Great tip, Peter, thanks for sharing! 🙂 My personal favourite is Yahoo Finance. I especially love its stock screeners after Yahoo introduced a recent update to the user interface.

I was searching for some financial websites, but I was confused about which website is reliable. From your article, I could found those websites easily. It was very helpful to me. Thanks for sharing this article.

The pleasure is ours, Louis, we are glad you found the article helpful! 🙂 Have a wonderful day!

Great post. Keep posting such kind of info on your page. Am really impressed by your blog.

Thanks for your kind words, Johny! 🙂 Have a lovely day and see you around!

Knowledgeable posts. keep it up.

Thanks for your kind words, Gyan! 🙂 Don’t forget to follow us on our social media and to join our weekly newsletter . Cheers!

Hello, First of all, Thank you so much for sharing this amazing information and it’s very impressive and so much helpful for me. Keep it up and once again Thanks.:)

Thanks for your kind words! 🙂 Don’t forget to follow us on our social media and to join our weekly newsletter . Cheers!

Great article!

Thanks for your feedback, Mike! 🙂 Don’t forget to follow us on our social media and to join our weekly newsletter . Cheers!

Good to read – thanks for the nice info

Hey Emmanuelle, thanks for dropping by! 🙂 Don’t forget to follow us on our social media and to join our weekly newsletter for even more exciting info. Cheers!

I was actually searching for some finance-related websites to follow. And the list you have mentioned in the article is very trustworthy. I have already followed some of these websites to manage my finances and to stay updated about new ways. CNNMoney is the site that I scroll on regular basis. Thank you

Hey Kate, thanks for the kind words and for the recommendation. Indeed, CNNMoney is great resource, I browse it regularly as well. 🙂

If you want to enjoy more content like this, then follow us on our social media and join our weekly newsletter . Cheers!

I was finding some finance websites to subscribe but i didn’t get reliable site but here In this article u have mention best and genuine financial sites to follow, I really loved it and appreciate. Thank you for sharing it

Hello Abhishek, thanks for your kind words and we’re happy you’re enjoying the content! 🙂

If you want to get more useful articles like this one, then follow us on our social media and to join our weekly newsletter . Cheers!

This post is just amazing. You described everything in a very simple and nice way. I would like to share and visit this page for the more interesting ideas. Thank you so much for sharing such an amazing content with us for free. Keep it up the good work!

Hey Meetmuzamilma, thanks for bookmarking our page, we glad that you found the article useful. 🙂

For more exciting info, follow us on our social media and to join our weekly newsletter . Have a lovely day!

No doubt, I have learned something new about finance and the best list here! I am going to share the post on my social media pages to see my friends and followers. Thanks and keep the good work!

Hello, Madelyn! 🙂 Thanks for sharing the page with your connections, we are happy that you enjoyed the article.

If you want to get even more exciting posts, follow us on our social media and to join our weekly newsletter . Cheers!

You forgot about ZeroHedge. It is commentary mostly, but quite insightful.

Hi Andrew! Thanks for dropping us a line and thanks for the recommendation.

Two other sites to check out: Investopedia.com TheBalance.com

Hi Aaron! 🙂 Thanks for dropping us a line and thanks for the recommendations.

Investopedia is mentioned underneath the article, while we have never heard of The Balance before, our team is going to look into it in the upcoming weeks.

What…no Investors Business Daily??

Hi Shawn! 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation! This is the first time we came accross this resource, we will have a look.

In the meantime, If you want to get even more exciting posts, follow us on our social media and to join our weekly newsletter . Cheers!

Are these websites where I could pitch an article and get paid for it if it’s accepted?

Hello James,

Thanks for dropping us a line! 🙂

We are aware that some of these publications invite contributors to submit their articles, but we don’t know about the financial terms of such collaborations.

At AlphaGamma, however, we do encourage and accept guest posts, you might want to check out our conditions here .

I wouldn’t mind making a guest post, but I’m looking for compensation from writing articles. Does Alpha Gamma do that?

All our authors at AlphaGamma contribute on a voluntary basis in return of getting access to our audience and growing their personal brand. Plus, our editorial and marketing teams do their work, too.

Great article and very informative!

Thanks for the kind words, Ai! 🙂 Our team is glad that you enjoyed our article. Cheers!

Yep, these words are creative, and got some help through this posting about the finance website list! I am going to bookmark the site for further assistance. I hope people will learn something new through this writing. Thank you!

Hello there! Thanks for stopping by, our team is delighted to know that you enjoyed the article!

There are many reasons why finance websites can be useful. First, they can be a reliable source of information when it comes to budgeting and spending. Sites can also offer detailed analysis of investment options, and they can provide guidance on how to achieve financial stability. Finally, finance websites can be a valuable resource for staying informed about current market trends.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts! 🙂

Cheers, Arthur

I like SeekingAlpha, CNBC and Fool a Great Resources. I also regularly read insights from CurrentMarketValuation, VisualCapitalist and Finasko

Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Will check out the other sources you mentioned.

You missed two great sites: Investopedia.com Typefinance.com

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 We have Investopedia featured at the very bottom of the article. We’ve neverr heard of Typefinance before, our team will have a look at it.

Have a wonderful week ahead!

Thanks Arthur for the list of financial news websites. IMO, Bloomberg and Yahoo Finance is the one I rely on the most on top of CNBC and WSJ. Finviz.com is also good a stock screener and financial news aggregator to consider to your list.

Hello Harvey,

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 We use the stock screeners of Yahoo Finance, they are pretty good for a freely available option.

Have an enjoyable day ahead!

Your blog emanates an aura of sagacity, wherein readers are seamlessly ensconced within the realm of your sagacious ruminations and exalted musings, forging an intellectual odyssey like no other.

Hello Ilan,

Thank you for the kind words and thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful day.

I enjoy the thought-provoking discussions that arise from your blog posts.

Hello there,

Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts. I appreciate it! 🙂

i say your content its asweme, its very helpfull for my collge project thank you man, ilove your content

Thanks for stopping by and leaving us your comment.

Our team appreciates it!

Your blog has a beautiful design that complements your content perfectly.

Hello Masaj,

Thanks for your kind words! I will share your feedback with my team, it made our day. 😀

What are some of the best finance websites on the internet where one can learn about finance careers, terminology, personal investment strategies, and access stock market data?

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

One resource is, of course, our weekly newsletter, where we feature career opportunities, including finance careers opportunities.

As for the terminology and personal investment strategies, you might want to look them up on Investopedia and The Motley Fool. Yahoo Finance is my personal favourite for stock market data access.

I hope this answer helps!

Hi Arthur. Thanks for sharing this valuable information !!

Could you help me out for – I am new and recently moved to US from India. Now how invest in US, I don’t know. We used to invest in Mutual fund, Stocks and other Government Schemes in India, but don’t know anything about US finance. Could you tell which is the best website, which can help me as naïve investor.

I would be grateful. Thanks

Thanks for your positive feedback! 🙂

As for your question: it depends on what you want to achieve. This inevitably raises the following questions: 1) What kind of a return do you expect? 2) How much are you willing to invest? 3) How long are you willing to keep your investments in a portfolio for? 4) How risk-averse are you? In other words, how much are ready to lose before you move to another investment? 5) What kind of asset classes are you interested in? You mentioned mutual funds, stocks, and government schemes – similar schemes are available on the US financial markets as well.

Feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or via email with the answers to my questions. Then we can schedule a meeting and take it from there. 🙂

Hope this info helps!

Finance plays a crucial role in shaping our economic landscape, influencing everything from personal budgeting to global markets. It’s the backbone of businesses, governments, and individuals, driving decisions that impact our financial well-being. Understanding the intricacies of finance empowers us to navigate the complex world of money and investments, ultimately paving the way for a more secure and prosperous future.

Hi Jehangir,

Thanks for your kind words! 🙂

On behalf of the AlphaGamma team, Arthur

very crisp content. These sites are really helpful for keeping in touch with the business world whether you are an investor or student. Thanks for this brief yet complete content

Hello John,

Thanks for stopping by!

Our team is happy to hear that you are enjoying our content. 🙂

Many of your listed websites had a great content about finance & banking, we thank you for sharing.

Hello Singh,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Our team is happy to hear that you’ve enjoyed our article.

Amazing!,the very first international business news magazine that I started my financial following with way back early 2000’s is the number one on your list-BusinessWeek now Bloomberg.I really got well started with it.

Hi Micheal,

Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! 🙂 Yes, Bloomberg is indeed an amazing source of financial news and data. Are you still investing/trading in the financial markets?

Hi Geoffrey,

Thanks for your kind words! 🙂 I will share the feedback with the rest of the AlphaGamma team.

I derived great pleasure from perusing your perceptive weblog composition. The viewpoints and notions you conveyed were extraordinarily beneficial.

Thanks for stopping by, and our team is happy to hear you enjoyed the article. 🙂

I noticed that Yahoo is not one of the websites. I’ve been using Yahoo finance for a long time, but it’s been going downhill. The latest update is a lot worse than before! Wonder if they replaced their good people with very bad ones, both in design and coding. It’s now very unusable! What a shame!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback with us. 🙂

Yahoo Finance has an honorable mention at the bottom of the article. I like it as well as I use it sparingly with some other financial data from Google Finance.

What tools or sources do you personally prefer to use?

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Best Online Financial Advisors 2024

• Best Online Advisor for Low Fees 
• Best Online Advisor for Diversified Investing
• Best Online Advisor for 529 Plans
• Best Online Advisor for Financial Planning and Personal Development
• Best Online Advisor for Retirement Saving
• Why You Should Trust Us

Best Online Financial Advisors in May 2024: Ultimate Guide

Paid non-client promotion: Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate investing products to write unbiased product reviews.

Online financial advisors are more accessible and often cheaper than human advisors who actively manage investment portfolios. Online financial advisors may refer to automated investment platforms such as robo-advisors.

Online financial advisors are a good option for beginner and hands-off investors at any wealth level.

• SoFi Invest : Best for low fees
• Betterment Investing: Best for diversified investing
• Wealthfront Investing : Best for 529 plans
• Ellevest: Best for financial planning and personal development
• Ameriprise Financial Investments: Best for retirement savings

Compare the Top Online Financial Advisors

For this list, we didn't consider online advisors that match clients and advisors for comprehensive financial  planning services, such as Zoe Financial or Facet Wealth . Instead, we focused on tech-driven firms where you can access an automated and personalized portfolio and consult a professional for advice when needed.

Here are our top picks for the best online financial advisors as picked by Business Insider editors in 2024.

SoFi Automated: Best Online Advisor for Low Fees 

SoFi Automated Investing supports individual investment accounts, joint accounts, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and 401(k) rollovers.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No account minimum or management fees to invest
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Goal planning and automatic portfolio rebalancing
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Range of other account options across SoFi website
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. SoFi offers complimentary CFP access across all accounts
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No tax-loss harvesting
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No socially responsible portfolio options

SoFi Invest is one of the best investment apps and the best investment apps for beginners. It's a great platform for US investors who are looking for an intuitive online trading experience, an open active or automated investing account, and assets like cryptocurrencies.

• Promotion: None at this time.
• Consider it if: You're new to investing and want to leave the trading decisions to professionals.

Investment account types: SoFi Automated Investing offers individual and joint taxable brokerage accounts , traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and SEP IRA.

What stands out: 

• Zero advisory fees
• Free one-on-one consultations with CFPs , a service that isn't offered by some robo-advisors who charge an annual fee
• Portfolios invest in both SoFi ETFs and non-SoFi ETFs
• Account includes portfolio rebalancing and goal planning
• Investors get to choose between five portfolios: moderate, moderately conservative, conservative, moderately aggressive, and aggressive
• Additional SoFi membership perks include loan discounts and career counseling

What to look out for:  

• No tax-loss harvesting
• Portfolios, while broadly diversified, are limited 

SoFi Invest review

Betterment: Best Online Advisor for Diversified Investing

Betterment offers individual or joint accounts, IRAs, trust accounts, and cash reserve or checking accounts.

$0 to open, $10 to start investing ($100,000 for premium plan)

$4 per month (or 0.25%/year) for digital plan; 0.40%/ year for premium plan; 1%/year for crypto portfolios

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. No minimum for standard investing account
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Goal-based planning, tax-loss harvesting, charitable giving, and socially responsible investing available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Access to certified financial planners
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Mobile app with external account syncing options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. You'll have to pay to consult a human advisor, unless you have the premium plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. $4 monthly fee (or 0.25% annual fee)

Betterment is best for hands-off investors who want to take advantage of professionally built, personalized ETF and cryptocurrency portfolios. The platform offers CFP access, so it could suit those in search of additional guidance from human advisors.

• App store rating: 4.7 iOS/4.5 Android
• Consider it if: You want access to robo-advice with multiple service levels.

Investment account types: Betterment Investing offers individual and joint taxable brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, inherited IRA, and trust.

• Premium plans come with unlimited access via phone and email to Betterment CFPs
• Open an FDIC-insured cash account*
• Invest in socially responsible portfolios ( ESG investing); cryptocurrency portfolios available
• Get free checking and cash reserve accounts (nice feature for recurring deposits into investments)
• Use goal-setting, advice, and retirement-planning tools
• Link various accounts to clear and easy-to-use financial dashboard
• Buy one-off financial advice packages at standard industry rates
• Automatic rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting

*Cash Reserve is only available to clients of Betterment LLC, which is not a bank, and cash transfers to program banks are conducted through the clients' brokerage accounts at Betterment Securities. Learn more .

• Accounts with a $100,000 balance can upgrade to get advisor access, but the annual fee increases from 0.25% (an industry low) to 0.40%

Betterment review

Wealthfront: Best Online Advisor for 529 Plans

Fund your first taxable investment account with at least $500 in the first 30 days of account opening and earn a $50 bonus.

$1 ($500 for automated investing)

$0 for stock trades. 0.25% for automated investing (0.06% to 0.13% for fund fees)

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Low annual fee for investment accounts; crypto trust investments available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Tax-loss harvesting, portfolio lines of credit, 529 college savings plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cash account
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Mobile app and investing and retirement tools
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. You need at least $100,000 to utilize additional investment strategies
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No human advisor access

Wealthfront is one of the best robo-advisor options if you're in search of low-cost automated portfolio management, and one of the best socially responsible investing apps for features like tax-loss harvesting, US direct indexing, and crypto trusts.

• Consider it if: You're balancing several goals and want to streamline your finances.
• Promotion: Fund your first taxable investment account with at least $500 in the first 30 days of account opening and earn a $50 bonus.

Investment account types: Wealthfront Investing offers individual and joint taxable brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, trust, and 529 college savings plan.

What stands out:  

• Only top online advisor to offer 529 plans
• Invest in cryptocurrency trusts
• Borrow up to 30% of your investment balance at a low-interest rate with a portfolio line of credit
• Open an FDIC-insured bank account
• Invest in socially responsible portfolios
• Get personalized recommendations with smart financial planning software 
• On-staff financial advisors don't offer personalized advice

Wealthfront review

Ellevest: Best Online Advisor for Financial Planning and Personal Development

Ellevest offers two investing portfolios to fit your needs.

$1 - $240 (varies by portfolio)

$54 - $97 annually; $5 or $9/month

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Personalized, automated investment advice with a $0 minimum requirement
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Monthly plans include discounted access to certified financial planners
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Automated IRA accounts and 401(k)/403(b) rollovers available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Private wealth management for individuals, families, and institutions who have at least $1 million to invest
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No active trading opportunities available; money is mainly invested in stock ETFs and bond ETFs
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. You can only open individual investment accounts and retirement accounts; joint accounts or custodial accounts not available

Ellevest is one of the best robo-advisors for goal-focused investing. It could be a good fit if you want automated investing and retirement accounts.

• Consider it if: You're looking for a one-stop shop for financial planning.

Investment account types: Ellevest offers individual taxable brokerage, traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and SEP IRA (all held at Folio Investments).

• Get an investment strategy built around women's unique needs and challenges
• Access an extensive library of content and advisor-led workshops
• Get monthly progress reports

What to look out for: 

• Financial coaching costs extra (but members get 30%-50% off)
• Upgrade required for access to retirement account management

Ellevest review

Ameriprise Financial Investments: Best Online Advisor for Retirement Saving

Ameriprise Financial Services has been operating for 125 years Ameriprise Financial Services is licensed in all 50 states but only has 7 physical locations throughout the US; it's currently headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Varies by account

$500 annual advisory fee, 2% AUM

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Access to personal finance research and investment tools
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Fiduciary financial advisor access
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Various account and investment options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. High account minimums
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Difficult to navigate website
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Complex fee structure

Ameriprise Financial Services is a brokerage and financial advisory firm best for experienced, passive investors interested in using the site's financial planning services, wealth management tools, and fiduciary advisor access.

Investment account types:  Ameriprise Financial Investments offers three managed account options that can be opened as an individual brokerage account, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Simple IRAs, SEP IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 529 plans, and Coverdell education savings accounts (CESA). 

What stands out:

• Best for experienced investors looking for advanced charting and investing features
• Access to fiduciary financial advisors to consult or manage your account
• Trade through online brokerage, over the phone, or with a registered service representative from Ameriprise's client service center
• Offers stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, UITs, structured notes, options, and multiple alternative investments
• One of the largest registered investment advisors (RIAs) in the US
• High account minimums (vary by managed account option)
• Hard to navigate website
• Complex fee structure 

Ameriprise Financial Services review

Other Online Financial Advisors We Considered

• Vanguard Digital Advisor : You can think of Vanguard Digital Advisor as Vanguard's second robo-advisor offering. The difference between Vanguard Digital Advisor and Vanguard Personal Advisor Services comes down to fees and human advisor access. Though you'll pay less for Vanguard Digital Advisor ($3,000 minimum deposit and a 0.20% annual fee), you won't be able to utilize personalized support from a professional financial planner.
• Empower Personal Dashboard : Empower offers competitive robo-advisor services. The investment app also gives you access to human financial advisors, and it offers account features like tax-loss harvesting, single stock diversification, Retirement Planner, and more. The biggest drawback is cost. You'll need a minimum balance of $100,000 to get started, and you'll pay between 0.49% and 0.89% in management fees.
• Charles Schwab Intelligent Portfolios : This advisor offers several attractive features, least of which is a $0 advisory fee. But you'll need at least $5,000 to get started, and you won't have access to Financial Planners (though you will have access to professionals who can answer customer service and investing/portfolio questions) unless you upgrade to the premium service, which requires a balance of $25,000, a one-time planning fee of $300, and a monthly fee of $30.
• Fidelity Go : Created as Fidelity Investments' robo-advisor offering, Fidelity Go provides low-cost automated investment management and expense ratio-free funds but doesn't offer tax-loss harvesting. There's a tiered pricing structure that charges 0.35% for balances above $25,000. And you won't be able to consult human advisors unless you upgrade to Fidelity Personalized Planning & Advice, which requires a $25,000 minimum and 0.50% annual fee.
• E-Trade Core Portfolios : E-Trade's robo-advisor charges a reasonable annual fee of 0.30% on all balances (with a $500 minimum), but doesn't offer tax-loss harvesting. While E-Trade Core Portfolios' customer service is strong, investors have no access to human financial advisors. 

How Much Do Online Financial Advisors Cost?

Financial advisors providing financial advice often charge by the hour, typically between $100 to $300. Advisors creating a comprehensive financial plan tend to charge a flat rate between $1,000 and $3,000. 

If you hire an advisor to manage your investment portfolio, you'll be charged a percentage of your account balance, typically between 1% and 3% annually. In comparison, that's much higher than the fees that the best robo-advisors charge; you get the added benefit of building a relationship with a trusted source who can adjust your strategy as needed, provide personal recommendations, and answer questions when they arise.

What's the difference between a financial advisor and a financial planner?

A financial advisor is a catch-all term that includes financial planners and investment advisors. Most online advisors offer investment management — whether it's carried out by a human or a sophisticated computer algorithm — and financial planning services or tools.

Certified financial planners, or CFPs, are trained extensively in several areas of financial planning, including retirement, taxes, insurance, and estate planning. They also abide by the fiduciary rule, which means they're legally obligated to put their client's interests ahead of their own and their firm's. All CFPs must be fiduciaries, but not all fiduciaries have to be CFPs.

Fiduciaries are financial planners or financial advisors who are ethically and legally bound to put the best interest of their clients first. Fiduciaries follow what is called fiduciary duty, which includes the duty of care and loyalty. 

How to Find an In-person Financial Advisor

You can also meet with an expert in person for financial guidance. So if you prefer to meet face-to-face, here are some tools to find some in your area:

• This is a database of all CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals who are authorized to use their CFP® marks by the CFP® Board and are accepting new clients.
• Using the advanced search function, you can choose from over 40 focus areas you're looking to get help with and include your current amount of investable assets.
• Click here to visit the CFP Board website .
• This database helps connect young professionals — those in generations X and Y (millennials) — with individual advisors.
• Every advisor holds the CFP® certification, is a fiduciary , does not require a minimum net worth to take on new clients, and does not earn commissions.
• Click here to visit XY Planning Network .
• This platform maintains a database of fee-only financial advisors, not specifically CFP® certificates, who commit to a fiduciary oath once a year. 
• You can filter by location to see a list of advisory firms in your area.
• Click here to visit the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors website .

Not everyone needs a financial advisor — human or otherwise. However, you should consider paying a financial advisor if you need specific advice on your finances or investment strategy or if you're too overwhelmed or confused by your money to plan for retirement or invest in the stock market. 

The best financial advisors follow the fiduciary rule, meaning they operate in their client's best interest and are fee-only. This means client fees are their only compensation, and they don't earn a commission when they invest in certain funds or buy financial products.

The best financial advisor depends on what you're looking for. Someone seeking comprehensive and personalized advice and a low-effort investment approach should consider SoFi Automated Investing, which creates a custom portfolio aligned with your goals and offers no-cost sessions with certified financial planners. For investors with balances over $100,000, a good option is Betterment, which offers goals-based portfolios and complimentary, ongoing financial advice.

Why You Should Trust Us: Our Methodology

We Reviewed the best online financial advisors using Personal Finance Insider's methodology for rating investment platforms . We compared a long list of Registered Investment advisors (RIAs), considering fees, investment selection, access, ethics, and customer service. The best online advisors have top marks in all five categories. Investment platforms are given a rating between 0 and 5.

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Best Online Brokers and Trading Platforms for May 2024

Our editors independently research and recommend the best products and services. You can learn more about our independent review process and partners in our advertiser disclosure . We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

The best brokerage platforms provide strong customer support, robust research and analytical tools, a wide range of investable assets, an abundance of investment account types, and more, all with a transparent fee structure and limited gamification tactics.

After hundreds of hours of comprehensive research, data analysis, and live broker platform demos, Fidelity Investments is our best overall online brokerage platform for investors due to its low fees, expansive product offering, wide-ranging full-service features, and so much more. Fidelity is just one of 26 online brokers that we evaluated based on 89 criteria, including available assets, account services, user experience, and additional features.

Best Online Brokerage Accounts and Trading Platforms of 2024

• Best Overall : Fidelity
• Best for Low Costs : Fidelity
• Best for Beginners : Charles Schwab
• Best for Advanced Traders : Interactive Brokers
• Best for ETFs : Fidelity
• Best for Options Trading : tastytrade
• Best for International Trading : Interactive Brokers
• Best for Mobile Investing & Trading : E*TRADE  
• Best for Cryptocurrency Trading : eToro  
• Best for Risk Management : Interactive Brokers
• Best for Cash Management : Fidelity
• Best for Generating Stock Trading Ideas : Interactive Brokers
• Best for Algorithmic Trading : Interactive Brokers
• Best for Alternative Investments : Public

Fidelity Investments: Best Overall, Best for ETFs, Best for Low Costs, Best for Cash Management

• Account Minimum : $0
• Fees : $0 for stock/ETF trades, $0 plus $0.65/contract for options trades

Why We Chose It

Best overall.

When it comes to bringing critical full-service brokerage features, sophisticated tools, and low fees to a wide range of traders and investors, all across continually enhanced platforms, Fidelity reigns supreme for the third consecutive year. 

Best for ETFs

Fidelity is our best broker for ETFs because of its rich ETF-focused educational content and research tools, expansive ETF offering, and fractional ETF trading. Fidelity is a repeat winner in this category, after earning the top from Charles Schwab spot in 2023.

Best for Low Costs

Fidelity has long been an industry leader when it comes to lower fees, and its transparent and compelling fee schedule is the reason why, for the third year running, it wins for low costs.

Best for Cash Management

Finding the best brokerage account for cash management is not just about earning the highest interest rate possible. It’s also about seamless integration with critical, no-fee banking features and industry-leading insurance. In these areas, Fidelity’s cash management offering is unmatched, and it comes with solid passive earnings power on uninvested cash, along with reimbursable access to a global network of ATMs.

Pros & Cons

No payment for order flow (PFOF) makes for excellent order execution

Strong portfolio analysis and account features

Superior trading platforms for all types of investors

Top-tier educational content, screening tools, and research capabilities

FDIC insurance up to $5 million

Only two digital coins available for trading

Minimum balance required for some index trading

Multiple platforms may be required to access all tools

In an industry full of innovative companies competing for the attention of an incredibly diverse universe of traders and investors, Fidelity delivers the most well-rounded product offering to suit the needs of nearly every investor. Headquartered in Boston, Fidelity’s storied history began with its founding in 1946. With $4.9 trillion in discretionary assets as of December 2023, the company ranks among the top brokerage firms in terms of assets under management .

Investopedia began evaluating online brokerages in 2019, and Fidelity has shown a commitment to improving its financial products and services ever since. Improvements in financial advisor support, bond liquidity analysis, and the new Fidelity Youth app were the highlights of our 2024 product demonstration with the company. In fact, of the 38.7 million brokerage accounts that Fidelity services, 43% of those accounts have been opened by investors 18 to 35 years of age. But the improvements didn't stop there. Fidelity now also has a comprehensive cash management product that is jam-packed with banking features. 

Fidelity has long been an industry leader when it comes to lowering fees, and it has a stellar reputation as a broker with a huge customer service network, including 200 customer centers, supporting its low-cost, high-value offering. Investors looking for an online broker that keeps costs low, all while delivering some of the most powerful tools in the industry and resisting the common industry practice of collecting PFOF , will be hard-pressed to find a better broker than Fidelity.

ACTUAL USER EXPERIENCE

"I moved all of our family’s investment accounts to Fidelity in 2021 for one simple, but valuable, reason: It’s the only brokerage firm that offers every single account type we have, allowing me to house all of our investments under the same roof. We have a lot of different account types—from various retirement and taxable accounts, to an inherited IRA, to 529s and custodial accounts, and even an investable HSA. Before consolidating to Fidelity, I had to log into multiple places to check on our various investments. Now, except for a new workplace 401(k), I have one login that shows me everything on a single screen. And when I need customer support, Fidelity advisors can also view things as a whole. Moving to Fidelity has added a lot of ease and efficiency to my financial life." - Sabrina Karl, Staff Writer for Investopedia

Editor's Note

In addition to our review of Fidelity's online brokerage platform, we've also reviewed the company's robo-advisor service, Fidelity Go .

Charles Schwab: Best for Beginners

• Fees : $0 for stock/ETF trades, $0.65 per contract for options

Best for Beginners

Even before TD Ameritrade’s educational content was incorporated into its ecosystem, Charles Schwab—which acquired TD Ameritrade in 2020—was known as one of the best platforms for new traders and investors. With the integration nearing completion in May of 2024, Schwab has taken over top ranks in this category, a position previously held by TD Ameritrade for the past two years. Schwab now houses the most comprehensive library of evergreen learning materials, along with seemingly endless coaching programs and regularly scheduled live training events, making it the best for beginner investors.

Research Insights

“If you’re a beginner trader, a user-friendly broker platform will be key. It should be easy to navigate and understand, like using a familiar app. Don’t forget about learning! Look for a broker that offers educational resources to help you understand the market and make informed decisions. Many brokers now offer commission-free trades on stocks and ETFs, so be sure to factor that in as you compare costs.  Consider fractional shares too! They allow you to invest in smaller portions of expensive stocks or funds, a great way to get started without a huge initial investment.” -Amrut Deshmukh, Investopedia Research Analyst

Industry-leading educational content

Multiple user-friendly platforms 

Superb ETF research and scanners

Over 400 branches in 45 states 

Access to the highly regarded thinkorswim® platform

Relatively high margin rates

Low interest earned on uninvested cash

Lacks fractional ETF trading

No direct investments in cryptocurrencies

After Chuck Schwab and his partners formed First Commander Corporation in April 1971, they later changed the company’s name to Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. in 1973. Charles Schwab has experienced continuous growth over the years and, in October 2020, completed its acquisition of TD Ameritrade, with full client integration expected to wrap up in May 2024. Not only does Schwab provide the right mix of usability, tools, education, and research to cater to its diverse customer base, but it does so across multiple top-tier platforms. 

With Schwab’s integration of TD Ameritrade nearly complete, the powerful combination of Schwab’s exceptional lineup of products and services and TD Ameritrade’s powerful capabilities for traders has boosted the company even closer to the top of our comprehensive rating model. One of the most anticipated additions to Schwab's lineup occurred on April 11, 2024, with the company announcing that futures and forex trading, along with a new Portfolio Margin feature, have been made available on its thinkorswim platform. Prospective customers should note, however, that crypto spot trading still isn’t available.

In addition to our review of Charles Schwab’s online brokerage platform, we also reviewed the company's robo-advisor service, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios .

Interactive Brokers: Best for Advanced Traders, Best for International Trading, Best for Algorithmic Trading, Best for Risk Management, Best for Generating Stock Trading Ideas

• Account Minimum: $0.00
• Fees:  $0.00 commissions for equities/ETFs available on IBKR’s TWS Lite, or low costs scaled by volume for active traders that want access to advanced functionality such as order routing. $0.65 per contract for options on TWS Lite; that is also the base rate for TWS Pro users, with scaled rates based on volume. $0.85 per contract for futures.

Best for Advanced Traders

Interactive Brokers’ lineup of advanced analytical tools, trading technology, and breadth of assets is, quite frankly, awe-inspiring. Ongoing enhancements to legacy platforms like the masterfully constructed Trader Workstation (TWS) and the February 2024 addition of the next-generation IBKR desktop offer just a small glimpse into how Interactive Brokers equips advanced traders to capitalize on fundamental dislocations and pricing inefficiencies better than any other platform we reviewed. This is the third straight year Interactive Brokers has earned this award.

“For intraday and advanced traders, speed is everything. Look for a broker with fast execution speeds to ensure your trades go through quickly. In-depth market research is also crucial, so tools and data analysis are important features to consider. Advanced features like algorithmic trading and order routing control can be helpful for active traders looking to automate strategies or optimize order fulfillment. But remember, even the most advanced tools won’t guarantee success—reliability and low costs remain essential for all traders.” -Amrut Deshmukh, Investopedia Research Analyst

Best for International Trading

Simply put, not one of the 26 online brokerage companies we reviewed comes close to offering the scope of global research capabilities, international trading and support access, and currency-based funding variety that Interactive Brokers offers. That's why, for the third straight year, the company is our top broker for international traders.

Best for Algorithmic Trading

As trading technology continues to advance, so too does the interest in algorithmic trading. Advanced traders will find a powerful lineup of algorithmic trading features in Interactive Brokers’ pre-built algos, a laundry list of API languages, available algorithmic paper trading accounts, and so much more.

Best for Risk Management

With its powerful rebalancing features, robust portfolio and risk analysis tools, nearly boundless opportunities for asset diversification, and available access to licensed brokers, investors will be hard-pressed to find a better platform for managing portfolio risk than Interactive Brokers.

Best for Generating Stock Trading Ideas

For professional and retail traders looking for investing and trading ideas across the vast universe of equities, over short-, intermediate-, and long-term time horizons, Interactive Brokers brings together leading industry research vendors, proprietary search tools, and the industry’s largest universe of investable stocks to provide a nearly endless source of ideas that suit every investing and trading strategy.  

Increasing availability of beginner-friendly platforms 

Superior order execution

Industry-best selection of contingent orders

Unparalleled range of investable foreign and domestic assets

Powerful and highly customizable professional-level functionality

IBKR's SmartRouting not available to IBKR Lite clients

TWS can be difficult to learn

No in-platform backtesting

Often confusing tiered pricing

Founded under the name T.P. & Co. in 1978 by its current chairman, Thomas Peterffy, the company pioneered the use of computers in trading. Eventually, Interactive Brokers Inc. was incorporated as a U.S. broker-dealer in 1993, and the company has since developed into one of the industry’s most complete online brokerage platforms. Interactive Brokers (IBKR) offers astonishing access to 150 markets in 34 countries and support for its services in 200 countries, all with funding and trading capabilities in up to 27 currencies. Simply put, this is the broadest global coverage in the industry.

One of the first adopters of technology to the financial markets, both algorithmic and active traders have long regarded the company highly for its advanced trading features, highly customizable tools, low margin rates, and alpha -generating capabilities. Investopedia's team of industry experts is constantly delighted by IBKR’s innovative enhancements that just make so much sense from a purist’s perspective. IBKR’s latest product innovation is IBKR Desktop, a next-generation platform that combines a simple user interface with many of the company’s powerful trading solutions. It features innovations like Option Lattice, a graphical options chain display highlighting potential outliers in key metrics, and MultiSort, which enables users to sort data using multiple factors simultaneously.

This idea of simplicity is really where things have been getting interesting for Interactive Brokers, as the company has committed to making its platforms more accessible to beginners. With notable touches like the expansion of educational content across several platforms, including its entry-level IBKR Lite platform; available fractional investing; and the innovative and helpful Options Wizard tool offered on its user-friendly Global Trader mobile app (as well as other platforms), Interactive Brokers is quickly gaining ground on the industry’s top all-around brokerage platforms.  

Editor's Note:

In addition to our review of Interactive Brokers' online brokerage platform, we've also reviewed the company's robo-advisor service, Interactive Advisors .

tastytrade: Best Broker for Options

• Fees & Commissions : $0 stock trades, $1 to open options trades (capped at $10 per leg), $0 to close

Best for Options Trading

For the third year in a row, we chose tastytrade as the best options trading platform because of its options pricing structure, which includes options pricing caps that make it the lowest-cost brokerage for high-volume, high-frequency option traders. In addition, tastytrade optimizes tools and content to suit the needs of its options-focused client base.

Capped commission structure for options

Highly regarded tools for analyzing and monitoring options trades

Fantastic options-specific content and educational material

Fully customizable trading experience

Follow Feed feature allows users to follow trades of tastytrade's TV celebrities

No on-platform paper trading support

Few investing and retirement resources

Lacks some key investment choices like mutual funds

Ask any options trader and they are likely to tell you that this form of derivative trading is complex and difficult to master. But with the right guidance, the many options strategies that are available to use can become powerful weapons that allow both traders and investors to benefit from key factors like time decay and leverage. Created by the same people who developed TD Ameritrade’s highly regarded thinkorswim platform, tastytrade maintains its stance as the best broker for options because of its intuitive delivery of an industry-best mix of comprehensive options-focused tools and content. 

Launched as tastyworks in 2017 and headquartered in Chicago, tastytrade delivers very competitive fees for options trading , including standout features like commission caps for large lot sizes, as well as the absence of any trade commissions when closing positions. Fortunately for tastytrade users, these low commissions come with a platform that continues to undergo enhancements which complement its already powerful delivery of options analytics, platform workflow, trade execution, and valuable digital content. 

E*TRADE: Best for Mobile Investing & Trading

• Fees : No commission for stock, ETF, and mutual fund trades. Options are $0.50-$0.65 per contract, depending on trading volume.

Best for Mobile Investing & Trading

A pioneer in both mobile and online trading, E*TRADE has mastered the art of developing a mobile experience with the right mix of intuitive navigation, robust portfolio and risk management capabilities, deep research, easy-to-digest education, and complex trading tools to cater to investors and traders of all levels. Ongoing enhancements to E*TRADE's mobile capabilities over the past couple of years have caused it to solidify its position as our best mobile trading and investing platform for the first time ever.

Excellent range of tools and resources

Pre-built and automated portfolio options

Educational content library 

Top mobile apps for traders and investors of all levels

Lacks international exchange trading

No direct crypto investing

Fractional shares only available through a robo-advisor portfolio or dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP)

Since its founding in 1982, E*TRADE has been at the forefront of embracing innovation that makes for one of the best customer experiences in the industry. Following Morgan Stanley’s acquisition of E*TRADE in 2020, the company has only continued to advance its capabilities by integrating many of Morgan Stanley’s highly regarded research materials, thought leadership insights, and large pool of financial advisors.  

As one of the largest online brokers in the country, E*TRADE brings an expansive list of investment choices and trading tools to its customer base of 8.2 million households via its website, desktop, and two mobile platforms. E*TRADE’s already vast educational catalog has only grown with the Morgan Stanley integration, complementing the intuitive site design in a way that lets new investors enter the market with confidence. For more experienced investors, the ability to do deep analysis has never been greater now that proprietary Morgan Stanley research joins highly regarded third-party research and consensus ratings. While E*TRADE only offers these more advanced traders exposure to cryptocurrencies via ETFs and related stocks, traders have access to a wide array of analysis tools, charting functionality, and trading technology to make the most informed decisions in this and many other asset classes. 

Editors note

In addition to our review of E*TRADE’s online brokerage platform, we also reviewed the company's robo-advisor service, E*TRADE Core Portfolios .

eToro: Best for Cryptocurrency Trading

• Account Minimum: $100 for stocks and ETFs, $200 for CopyTrader
• Fees: 1% crypto trading fee; no-fee stock, ETF, and options trading

Best for Cryptocurrency Trading

eToro offers access to the largest crypto coin selection of any company we cover in the online broker space, and it does this with one of the most user-friendly experiences in the industry. One login to eToro’s online brokerage platform gives users access to stock, ETF, and futures trading, as well as 21 physical crypto coins, all on the company’s intuitive and socially focused web-based and mobile platforms.

Established platform available in over 100 countries

Relatively large selection of tradable crypto assets

Innovative and easy-to-use social trading experience

Only available in 47 states

Very limited account types

General lack of advanced trading tools, features, and research

No margin trading in the U.S.

Options trading only offered to U.S. and U.K. residents via a separate app

Originally developed with a focus on forex trading in 2007, eToro eventually transformed and in 2010 created one of the first social trading experiences, called OpenBook. Since then, the company has enhanced this means of enabling users to learn from and copy other seasoned traders across popular asset classes like stocks, ETFs, futures, and crypto. Currently, eToro is only available in 47 U.S. states, but its 25 million-plus users can also find support in more than 140 countries around the world.

eToro recently upgraded its charting capability with the addition of Tradingview’s Pro charts, but the platform still lacks many of the tools, calculators, and detailed order types beyond basic market and limit orders that most sophisticated investors would find necessary to carry out advanced trading techniques. eToro provides real-time pricing information for 21 cryptocurrencies, over 3,000 stocks, and more than 270 ETFs, covering the most important assets and securities. eToro’s crypto wallet is a separate omnibus wallet with its address. Users can’t bring in their existing crypto, but they can buy and store it with eToro’s wallet. Additionally, there is no staking available in eToro wallet.

While eToro recently added options trading to its asset mix, this functionality is currently offered to U.S. customers via a separate app. However, during our live demonstration with eToro we learned that options trading is currently being piloted in the U.K. and will soon be made available on the main app.

eToro's selection of 21 available crypto coins is the largest of the 26 online brokerage and trading platforms we reviewed. However, this is far less than what's offered by many traditional cryptocurrency exchanges. Learn more about the best cryptocurrency exchanges .

Public: Best for Alternative Investments

• Fees : $0 stocks and ETFs, Alternative assets: 2.5% per transaction; Public Premium: $10/month

Best for Alternative Investments

Public offers an easy-to-use platform with social networking features, fractional investment capabilities, and a creative selection of alternative investment options. In addition to stock, option, ETF, and cryptocurrency trading, Public provides a platform for purchasing Treasury bills and alternative investments, like rare sneakers, trading cards, royalties, and more.

While Public is our best brokerage for alternative investments and offers a novel mix of alternative investments, it’s important to know that many of these investments are highly illiquid and speculative. That means it may be difficult to buy and sell assets with ease.

Available fractional share investing

A social media element that connects investors

Easy-to-use mobile app

No payment for order flow on stocks and ETFs

High interest earned on uninvested cash

Illiquid and expensive alternative investments

Basic educational material

Limited features

One-leg options strategies only 

Established in 2019 by Jannick Malling and Leif Abraham, Public offers mobile and web browser-based trading best suited for investors interested in a unique set of alternative assets. The New York-headquartered company is a regulated broker-dealer, with SIPC protection in each account up to $500,000.

Public was developed to help lower the barrier to entry for those who shy away from investing due to a lack of financial literacy, as well as those who lack the means to acquire positions in many expensive financial products. The company has certainly succeeded on this front with its clean and simple user experience; commission trading of stocks, ETFs, and options; $0 account minimum; fractional investing; and social networking element. 

However, the platform is not without its faults. To begin with, many of the alternative investments offered on the platform are highly illiquid and speculative, and come with high transaction costs. Next, Public does not engage in payment for order flow (PFOF), but it charges an assortment of fees for things like inactivity and instant withdrawals. Investors may also be turned off by the fact that Public requires users to manually opt out of tipping on each transaction, which the company calls “a more transparent, more aligned way to make money” than PFOF. Lastly, Public currently only offers access to individual brokerage accounts.

The Bottom Line

Through our exhaustive research, we found that Fidelity not only outshines the competition when it comes to ETF investing, low costs, and cash management features, but it is also the best online brokerage platform overall. While International Brokers’ ongoing evolution into a more beginner-friendly platform is driving it closer to parity with the industry’s top all-around brokerage platforms, it remains a top choice for advanced trading techniques and risk management, as well as international trading.

For traders planning to make options the main strategy they use to reach their investment goals, tastytrade’s platform and market content are hard to beat. Charles Schwab’s integration of TD Ameritrade's educational programs and trading personalities has produced an unparalleled body of actionable learning materials and live training content for beginners.

E*TRADE’s long history of enhancing the user experience continues to shine through with its fantastic mobile apps, while eToro and Public bring social trading and networking to the next level as part of their top-rated crypto and alternative offerings.

Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors. Certain complex options strategies carry additional risk. Before trading options, please read  Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options . Supporting documentation for any claims, if applicable, will be furnished upon request.

There is an Options Regulatory Fee that applies to both option buy and sell transactions. The fee is subject to change. See  Fidelity.com/commissions  for details.

Compare the Best Online Brokers

Why you should trust us.

Investopedia collected 89 criteria that are critical to investors, from 26 online brokerage companies. We used this data to review each brokerage platform for fees, usability, research amenities, and other key features to provide unbiased, comprehensive reviews to ensure our readers make the right decision for their investing needs. Investopedia launched in 1999, and has been helping readers find the best online brokerage accounts since 2019.

How to Choose a Brokerage Account

When choosing an online broker , you have to think about your immediate needs as an investor or trader. If you are a beginner , you may need a broker that has great educational material about the stock market and other financial markets. Several brokers also allow for paper trading before funding an account, allowing you to learn the platform, sample the available assets, and test out the trading experience without risking real capital.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an online brokerage account and how does it work.

A brokerage account is a type of account similar in function to the accounts you have with a bank. With a brokerage account, you deposit funds with an investment firm (the brokerage). This is usually done by a transfer from your existing bank account. Once funds are added to your brokerage account, you can put the money to work using the brokerage's trading platform to invest those funds in the market. The assets you buy with your cash can be anything offered by that brokerage, including stocks, bonds, ETFs, and even cryptocurrency.

Your online brokerage account will display your holdings (the assets you've purchased) as well as your cash balance (your buying power). If you invest in something that gains in value, you can sell it and the profits will be deposited in your online brokerage account. From there, you can place another trade or even transfer the funds out to your regular bank account to use elsewhere. Some brokerage accounts even allow you to earn interest on your uninvested cash.

How Much Money Do you Need to Open a Brokerage Account?

There is no longer a real minimum to start investing in the financial markets. With many brokers offering margin accounts with access to fractional shares and no required minimums, you can open and fund an account with any amount of money. If you don't have a lot of money to invest, however, it will influence how you approach the market. Although you could invest $1 in fractional shares of a specific stock, the better approach with limited capital is to use ETFs. Index tracking ETFs , for example, offer greater diversification for your dollar than a single company stock because every share (and fractional share) of the ETF replicates an index made up of many companies in many different industries. You could also consider using options to leverage your dollars with a directional bet on the market or a specific stock, but this is a strategy best reserved for risk capital —not the whole of your limited investment capital.

When investing with small sums, consistency is the key to building wealth. If you can regularly put a set amount of money into the market—even $10 a week—you will be surprised at how quickly it begins to grow. This consistency also helps to smooth market effects, as you will be buying dips and peaks as the market goes up and down.

Can You Invest With a Small Amount of Money?

Many online brokers allow for small minimum deposits which can be a great alternative for those with limited funds. Account minimums (if any) are displayed at the top of our reviews, as well as in our selection of the best platforms for different types of investors. If you are looking for more general guidance on investing with limited capital, check out our article on smart investing on a small budget .

Do Brokers Offer Mobile Platforms?

Some online brokers have powerful mobile apps delivering nearly all the features that their desktop counterparts do. For example, E*TRADE's app, which we picked as our best app for mobile investing and trading, offers two mobile platforms that are streamlined versions of the company's powerful desktop platform.

Can You Lose Money in a Brokerage Account?

Yes, you can. It is a reality of the market that no reward comes without risk . You can lose money buying a bad investment, but you can also lose by buying a good investment at the wrong time. Investment decisions should be guided by extensive research and careful consideration of your risk tolerance. When it comes to the financial markets, there are endless possibilities for making and losing money. Unless all the funds in your brokerage account are sitting in uninvested cash (brokerage cash accounts are afforded up to $250,000 of protection by Securities Investor Protection Corporation insurance), there is a risk you will lose money.

Another way of looking at that, however, is that a brokerage account sitting full of uninvested cash isn't at risk of making any money either. You can use strategies like asset allocation and diversification to reduce the risk of you losing money, but you will never fully eliminate it without also eliminating your chances of making a decent return.

Can I Buy Stocks Without a Broker?

Yes, you can actually buy and sell stocks without a broker, but it is not a common approach these days. Some companies still offer direct stock purchase plans that allow you to buy shares directly from the company. Companies administer these plans according to internal rules, and some are only open to company employees. You need to contact companies to find out whether they offer a direct stock purchase plan and what the terms and conditions are. These plans initially helped investors avoid brokerage fees, but the rise of online discount brokers with zero fees has removed this barrier, making the direct stock purchase plan somewhat of a relic.

What Is the Difference Between Investing and Trading?

An important thing to consider is the distinction between investing and trading . When people talk about investing they generally mean buying assets to hold long-term. The goal of investing is to gradually build wealth and reach your retirement goals. Conversely, trading involves short-term strategies that maximize returns on a short-term basis, such as daily or monthly. Trading is generally considered riskier than investing.

All these factors are worth considering before choosing an online broker. Do you want to trade or invest? Do you want a great mobile app to check your portfolio wherever you are? What types of assets are you looking to invest in? Answering these questions is not always easy. For more support on how to choose a broker, you can check out our guide to choosing a stock broker . Once you've made a decision on a broker, you can refer to our guide to opening a brokerage account .

Companies We Reviewed

We researched and reviewed 26 online brokers and trading platforms to find the best companies you see in the list above. Below is the full list of companies we researched along with links to individual company reviews to help you learn more before making a decision:

Ally Invest , Charles Schwab , ChoiceTrade , E*TRADE , eOption , eToro , Fidelity , Interactive Brokers , J.P. Morgan SDI , Lightspeed , Lime Financial , Merrill Edge , Public , Robinhood , SoFi Invest , SogoTrade , T. Rowe Price , tastytrade , TradeStation , TradeZero , Vanguard , Webull , Wellstrade

How to Pick a Broker That's Right for You

How we picked the best online brokers and trading platforms.

Providing readers with unbiased, comprehensive reviews of online brokers and trading platforms is a top priority for Investopedia. We combined our industry research, subject matter expertise, and investor survey data to guide the research and weightings for our 2024 online broker awards. To collect the data, we sent a digital survey with 110 questions to each of the 26 companies we included in our rubric. Additionally, our team of researchers verified the survey responses and collected any missing data points through online research and conversations with each company directly. The data collection process spanned from Feb. 19 to March 19, 2024.

We then developed a proprietary model that scored each company to rate its performance across 11 major categories and 89 criteria to find the best online brokers and trading platforms. The score for each company’s overall star rating is a weighted average of the criteria in the following categories:

Additionally, during our 2024 research, many of the companies we reviewed gave us live demonstrations of their platforms and services via video conferencing methods and also granted our team of expert writers and editors access to live accounts so they could perform hands-on testing.

Through this all-encompassing data collection and review process, Investopedia has provided you with an unbiased and thorough review of the top online brokers and trading platforms.

Learn more about how we review online brokers .

Guide to Online Brokers and Trading Platforms

Learn more about online brokers and trading platforms:

• How to Invest in Stocks: A Beginner's Guide
• How to Choose a Broker
• How to Buy Stocks: Tips for Getting Started
• How to Open an Online Brokerage Account
• How to Open a Swing Trade Account
• Broker vs. Market Maker: What's the Difference?
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If you’re starting to invest or looking for a new brokerage account, checking out the best online brokers is a great place to begin. The best online brokers offer low commissions, strong trading platforms, plenty of research and education as well as helpful customer support – all the features to help you succeed as an investor.

Best online brokers in 2024

We’ve examined the best brokers based on characteristics that matter to individual investors, including trading fees, account minimums, free research and many other features. We’ve evaluated each broker on their pros and cons , and here’s how they stack up on the most important aspects

Methodology

• Cost: To find a low-cost broker, we factored in trading commissions and other costs such as transfer fees and other account fees.
• Available securities: We looked at the range of tradable securities at each broker.  
• Account types: We examined the range of account types offered at each brokerage (individual, joint, retirement accounts and more).
• Trading platform: Some brokers are set up for buy-and-hold investors, while others have a well-developed trading platform for active traders.
• Education: Many brokers offer a ton of educational materials if you’re looking to understand how to invest or use the broker to its best advantage.
• Research: Many brokers offer third-party research but some even offer their own proprietary research and reports to customers.
• Customer support: We analyzed the accessibility of customer support and the ways you can get in contact with the broker.

Interactive Brokers: Best overall

With its stripped-down trading interface, Interactive Brokers only looks like a no-frills broker. But this “broker to the pros” has put all its resources into creating a great experience for active traders. So it’s no surprise that it’s a top choice among advanced traders and those who value the finer points, such as swift trade execution. Volume-based discounts and a pro-level trading platform are enticing to many of these active traders.

Interactive Brokers is an ideal choice for investors focused on keeping costs to a minimum. Active traders using the Pro platform will pay $1 minimum commission (or a half-cent per share above 200 shares), while users in the Lite tier won’t pay commission on stocks or ETFs. You’ll also have access to about 19,000 no-fee mutual funds, tops in the industry, and you won’t have to worry about annoying account or transfer fees.

• Best for: Active trading, tradable securities, margin trading
• Commission: $0 (Lite service) or $1 minimum per trade (Pro service), with volume discounts available; $0.65 per options contract
• Minimum : $0

Charles Schwab

Schwab has been well-known for decades for its customer-first approach. Charles Schwab does it all well, from low fees to solid research to no account minimum – all at a reasonable trading commission. Beginners will like the zero commissions and thousands of no-transaction-fee funds, while more advanced traders will appreciate the highly customizable StreetSmart Edge trading platform and the thinkorswim platform brought over from the TD Ameritrade acquisition.

On top of all of this, the broker offers great customer support, educating you on how to invest and giving you a fast response. Buy-and-hold investors may be especially interested in Schwab for its low trading costs, low-fee funds and a wide offering of retirement accounts.

• Best for: Overall experience, research, customer support
• Commission: $0 per stock or ETF trade; $0.65 per options contract
• Minimum: $0

Ally Invest

Ally Invest is an excellent add-on for customers of Ally Bank who need a fully functioning broker that can execute all kinds of trades – stocks, ETFs, bonds, mutual funds and even forex , if you’re into that. You’ll get the industry standard commission on stock and ETF trades, and you can get an industry-beating commission on options contracts, at just $0.50.

The broker also charges no fees on more than 17,000 mutual funds, though other fund expenses may apply, depending on the fund.

• Best for: Low trading commissions, Ally Bank customers
• Commission: $0 per stock or ETF trade; $0.50 per options contract

If you want access to all types of investing, then E-Trade can give you that, with the ability to trade stocks, bonds, options, ETFs, mutual funds and futures. You’ll also be able to buy more than 6,000 mutual funds with no transaction fee.

You’ll get extensive customer support (think 24/7 access across email, phone and online chat), a high-quality mobile app in Power E-Trade and plenty of research and market commentary, if you’re looking for it.

• Best for: Active trading, robust trading platforms, no-transaction-fee mutual funds
• Commission: $0 per stock or ETF trade; $0.65 per options contract, with a discount to $0.50 for 30 or more trades per quarter

Fidelity Investments

With a reputation for being investor-friendly, Fidelity is a great overall pick for your next broker. Fidelity provides a wealth of research and is highly regarded for its snappy customer support, too. The broker offers commission-free trading on stocks and ETFs and throws in thousands of mutual funds without a transaction fee, too.

The Boston-based broker is great about getting rid of unnecessary account fees even as it provides a top-quality experience. Fidelity’s deep research and educational resources make it a great choice for beginner investors, and you’ll find every retirement account you could want, making it an ideal place to invest for your golden years.

• Best for: Overall experience, beginning investors, customer support

Firstrade offers investors commission-free trading in stocks, ETFs and options, the latter of which is still a rarity among brokers. You’ll also have several different account-type options, including a variety of IRAs and education savings accounts as well as a solid research offering. Firstrade’s mobile app is highly rated and offers advanced features.

In addition to those strong positives, Firstrade offers a wide range of no-transaction-fee mutual funds, more than 11,000, but the funds themselves may still charge sales commissions. The broker added the ability to purchase fractional shares of stock in December 2023, so that feature may appeal to newer investors.

• Best for: Options traders, research, mobile app
• Commission: $0 per stock or ETF trade; $0 per options contract

Merrill Edge

Merrill Edge’s strongest suit is the research it offers clients, which comes from the broker’s extensive in-house team of analysts. The package includes detailed analyst reports for companies that it covers, and Merrill also offers good educational material for beginning investors.

One of the best features is the broker’s integration with Bank of America, so you can move money quickly from bank to broker, and it all comes at a great price: free!

• Best for: Research, Bank of America customers, customer support

Webull is less well known than its rival Robinhood, but the trading app also allows customers to trade everything from stocks and ETFs to options and cryptocurrencies commission-free. While you’ll be able to reach customer service through the phone 24/7, the educational resources are severely lacking for an app that targets new investors.

Webull offers attractive charting, if that’s important to you, but it’s only part of the mobile experience. Each stock has a comprehensive page with links to news and other third-party content, and you can see what other traders are saying about it, too. You’ll get instant funding of your account as well as the ability to purchase fractional shares.

• Best for: Commission-free trading, cryptocurrency trading, mobile trading

Honorable mention

The brokers below also scored highly under Bankrate’s methodology and excel in a number of features that may appeal to certain investors.

Tastytrade may have an unconventional name for a brokerage, but it’s not less firmly committed to providing an attractive environment for traders, especially options traders. It charges a commission on only the buy side of an options trade and also caps the total commission to $10 on any options leg, making for attractive pricing if you’re making higher-volume trades. You’ll also be able to trade cryptocurrency as well as stocks, ETFs and futures, but not mutual funds.

Robinhood brings an attractive and smooth mobile app to the trading game, allowing you to buy stocks, ETFs, options and cryptocurrency with no out-of-pocket commission. You’ll also get to buy fractional shares and can earn an attractive interest rate on your cash balances here. Plus, Robinhood now lets you open an IRA and provides you a match on your contributions.

TradeStation

You won’t struggle to find securities to trade at TradeStation , which allows users to buy and sell traditional assets like stocks and ETFs, as well as less common ones like futures. Plus, you can do it all through the broker’s sophisticated mobile app or desktop trading platforms.

Known for its cost leadership in the fund industry, Vanguard also offers commission-free trading in stocks and ETFs. You’ll also find more than 3,000 no-transaction-fee mutual funds available. But its mobile app is basic and doesn’t match the performance of industry leaders. You’re also only able to reach customer service Monday through Friday over the phone.

SoFi Active Investing

SoFi Active Investing does a lot right for newer investors, including no commissions on stocks, ETFs and options, though it does not offer mutual funds at all. SoFi’s fractional share plan allows clients to purchase partial shares of stock and reinvest any dividends in them, too, helping get all your money working for you. The brokerage account is a solid add-on option if you’re already working with the company another way, perhaps with a loan or bank account.

What is an online brokerage account?

An online brokerage account is a specialized financial account that allows you to invest in a number of different assets, including stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, bonds, options and more. And because it’s online, this kind of account allows you to access the market on your computer or mobile device without the help of a human advisor from a full-service brokerage.

What to consider when choosing an online broker

If you’re just getting started, the world of investing can seem daunting. It’s good to start slowly and work your way into it. The good news for investors is that it’s never been easier or cheaper to trade with an online broker. As you’re looking for a broker, you’ll first want to consider your needs:

• Are you looking to trade short-term or invest long-term?
• Do you need a fully featured broker that gives you access to retirement accounts such as a Roth IRA or business accounts such as a SEP IRA ?
• Are you looking to invest regularly but not really follow the market closely?
• Do you want to invest in individual stocks or do you prefer funds?
• How much customer support do you need?

Some brokers will fall straight out of contention, if you need a Roth IRA , for example, and the broker doesn’t offer it.

What kind of brokerage account is right for you?

After you’ve established your needs, you can begin to consider how each broker may meet those needs. Some brokers such as Interactive Brokers really cater to advanced traders, while others such as Charles Schwab and Fidelity Investments make it easy for beginners and long-term investors to start.

And if you’re just looking to trade with a mobile app and don’t want some of the frills, then you might also consider turning to Robinhood or Webull.

Finding the right broker starts with you identifying what your needs are and then matching up with a broker that closely meets them.

Are online brokers safe?

The Securities Investor Protection Corporation, or SIPC, protects the clients of brokers who are covered by the plan, including those listed above. Think of it as a kind of FDIC for brokers. That means it protects a customer’s assets, up to $500,000 in total with a $250,000 limit on cash, in the event that the broker fails. Some brokers such as Interactive Brokers take out even more insurance to reassure their customers that their assets are safe with the broker.

But this insurance does not protect you from making a bad investment and losing money. You can buy a stock and it can decline in value, and its price may not rise again to what you paid. While FDIC-backed bank products are fully insured, market-based products can lose money. That said, a long-term investment in a broadly diversified group of stocks can perform very well.

What is the best online stock broker for beginners?

Beginning investors should focus on brokers that are investor-friendly, offer a lot of education and research and have strong customer service. These factors are key to new investors learning the basics of long-term investing and how to navigate the market and the brokerage.

In the 2024 Bankrate Awards , Fidelity came out on top as our best broker for beginners, with Schwab, Interactive Brokers, E-Trade and Merrill Edge also performing well. Fidelity’s low costs, research and educational materials, as well as its strong customer service offering, makes it tough to beat for new investors.

Brokers with strong customer support allow you to contact them and ask questions, sometimes at any hour of the day via phone or chat. They’ll also have educational sections on their site that walk you through how to trade on their platform, what to look for in an investment and more.

Strong research is also helpful if you’re just getting started. If you’re looking to buy stock funds, such as ETFs or mutual funds , it’s helpful to have a broker who can screen for the best picks. If you’re looking to buy individual stocks (which can be riskier for new investors), you’ll want to look for a broker that provides research on the company and its future prospects. But even with those resources, you’ll still want to come to your own decision on how and why to invest.

Bankrate has reviewed the best brokers for beginners and offers its top picks.

Bottom line

Selecting a broker requires you to think about your needs, because the deciding factor is not always about price. If you’re a buy-and-hold ETF investor , you’ll probably need something different than if you’re an active trader.

While new investors might find choosing a broker to be daunting, you aren’t likely to go wrong with any of the names mentioned above. The bigger step is just getting started , so don’t delay. Once you’ve found a broker, you can begin plotting your way to a more secure financial future.

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The 10 Best Finance Sites to Help You Stay on Top of the Market

Looking for the best finance websites to keep you on top of the market? Here are the best sites for news, investing, and more.

With so many companies, terms, and trends to keep track of, the financial world can seem daunting. To stay on top of the market, you're going to need all the help you can get. Thankfully, you don't need a degree in finance to make sense of the money market these days.

The internet is full of financial news sites with a wealth of information about the marketplace. Let's take a look at 10 websites any financial enthusiast should bookmark.

1. CNN Markets

CNN is one of the biggest news networks in the world, and its finance-focused Markets page is one of the easiest places to browse market topics. The page contains headlines about current financial events along with trending stocks, a sector performance graph, changes in commodities, and more.

You can click any of these entries to get more information on their dedicated pages. For quick news and updates on a variety of financial topics, CNN Markets is a great pit stop.

2. Kiplinger

While CNN's articles focus on news headlines, Kiplinger is a great overall resource for personal finance advice and trends. You'll find actionable content like how to avoid paying annoying fees, the best ways to spend an extra $1,000, and financial advice for newlyweds.

If you're new to the field, Kiplinger's section on personal finance basics  helps you get acquainted. For a bit of fun, you can also try out some quizzes that test your knowledge of credit scores, Social Security, and similar topics.

Anyone who wants a practical focus on how current events affect their financial situation should definitely consult this site.

3. This Is Money

This UK-focused financial website packs an enormous amount of information on its front page. You'll find dozens of articles (and videos) on the news, money trends, deals, and advice. The categories at the top of the site, like Bills , Cars , and Holidays bring practical financial advice about everyday topics.

Those outside the UK might not find the news on this site too useful, but there's plenty of other content you can dig into. Take a minute to glance over the homepage; chances are you'll find something that catches your eye!

4. TheStreet

TheStreet focuses on news, especially what's applicable to investing. You'll find commentary on current events, investing recommendations, opinion pieces, and the basics of getting into the market. One prolific contributor is Jim Cramer, a co-founder of the site. But it, of course, features a host of other authors.

If you find yourself wanting more, TheStreet offers paid services for investors. These include in-depth analysis of current markets, stock recommendations, and advanced tactics. Learning from experts is always smart, so these plans are a great step if you want to go beyond the basics.

5. MarketWatch

MarketWatch is a Wall Street Journal publication that caters to those who are deep in the daily markets. At the top of the page, you'll find a ticker that lets you monitor key exchanges, check stock prices , and browse the latest news.

If you sign up for a free account, you can customize the homepage by adding stocks to your watchlist. Even without an account, the site still offers plenty of investing news. Those who are brand-new to the field might find some of the content hard to digest, though.

6. Seeking Alpha

Instead of building its own content, Seeking Alpha aggregates information from other financial sites. On its homepage, you'll find trending articles from all over the web, along with recent news and the best-performing stocks from the last month.

There's certainly value in a site that does all the discovering work for you. So visit Seeking Alpha when you only want to see the most important news and hottest topics.

7. Bloomberg Markets

Another powerful financial news resource, Bloomberg offers a lot of information in an attractive format. On the homepage, you'll find current market trends, along with top headlines and stories.

Bloomberg also offers video content if you prefer to watch or listen. Overall, Bloomberg is a well-balanced site with a great mix of content that anyone can enjoy and capitalize on.

8. Forbes Money

Forbes is a household name in the business and finance world, and for good reason. No matter if you're interested in investing, small business, or leadership, you'll find something to read on Forbes Money.

This is one of the few sites on the list that doesn't only focus on finance. You might also enjoy Forbes' coverage of other topics, such as industry, innovation, and leadership.

9. DealBook

DealBook is part of The New York Times. It's rich in insight about current events and contains articles from many well-respected financial gurus.

If you aren't satisfied with just the facts and want an expert interpretation of news and current events, DealBook should be on your radar. You might also want to dig into the NYT's other finance-focused Business subsections, such as  Your Money .

10. MyMoney

MyMoney is a U.S. government site built to help beginners learn about the basics of finance . The five principles of money the site teaches are Earn , Borrow , Save & Invest , Spend , and Protect .

You'll also find guides to life events and how they affect your finances on this page, along with some tools and checklists to help you make important calculations. Those who understand the world of finance will probably find this site rudimentary, but it's great for teaching children the basics or getting yourself up to speed if you're a novice.

The Best Finance Websites for All

These are 10 great sites that anyone can use to keep up with financial markets, but there are certainly more. Adding just a few of these to your daily reading should help you understand what's going on with the world's markets and much more.

Once you're proficient, why not put your new knowledge to work with the best smartphone investing apps for beginners ? And if you find that you need a bit of help managing your money, take a look at these ways to avoid overspending and these personal finance YouTube channels for help.

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5 of the Best Investment Websites for Beginners

Beginning investors can gain knowledge and confidence with these sites.

Best Investment Websites for Beginners

Getty Images | iStockphoto

It's never too early to find the investment website that's right for you.

One of the biggest hurdles for beginning investors to overcome is option overload. With countless investment websites, firms and investments to choose from, getting started with investing can feel like trying to pick the prettiest blade of grass in your lawn.

The way to conquer this challenge is by taking it one decision at a time, starting with deciding where to invest . While there is no one-size-fits-all solution when beginning your investment journey, it's important to analyze your options from various angles. Commissions , account minimums and educational materials are just a few things to consider when searching for an online brokerage that fits your financial goals. Here are five of the best investment websites for beginners:

Charles Schwab

Fidelity investments, e-trade by morgan stanley, ally invest, sofi invest.

Charles Schwab (ticker: SCHW ) is known for retirement investing , but beginning investors of all ages and goals can find things to appreciate about this investing site.

Schwab offers some of the most affordable robo-advisor platforms among major brokers. Its digital investing platforms come in two flavors: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, which have no advisory fee and a $5,000 minimum; or the premium version with a $25,000 account minimum, one-on-one guidance and more tools for a $300 one-time planning fee and $30 per month advisory fee.

Outside of robo-advice, Schwab offers $0 online commissions on more than 2,000 U.S. exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, and thousands of no-transaction-fee mutual funds.

While the educational materials available at Schwab may have been lacking in the past, the finance giant grew even larger when it acquired TD Ameritrade , along with its robust catalog of educational content. Since the full integration of the two institutions, Schwab investors have access to TD Ameritrade's webinars, videos and trade strategy testing as well as immersive courses on various financial topics with Schwab Coaching.

Fidelity Investments has a solid educational platform, but where it really shines is in its research offering. Its suite of industry-leading research and free tools and calculators make it easy for beginning investors to find the best investing strategy and investments for them. If you're not sure where to begin, you can also visit one of Fidelity's more than 200 investor centers for in-person help.

Fidelity also ranks among the lowest-cost brokers with no account minimums and $0 commissions on U.S. stock, ETF and options trades. Investors will also get competitive margin rates that can be as low as 9.25%. When it comes to mutual funds, Fidelity offers zero-expense-ratio mutual funds, with no minimum investment and no opening account minimums.

To make your investor journey even easier, the brokerage offers both a robo-advisor and hybrid robo advisor solution with a $10 initial investment. Fidelity's robo advisor fees are waived if your balance is less than $25,000. Then fees are 0.35% per year.

E-Trade became a part of the Morgan Stanley powerhouse in 2020, and the popularity of this site is showing no signs of slowing down. The broker can attribute its growing popularity in recent years to its comprehensive product offerings and low-cost investment options .

E-Trade encourages investors to focus on their future, not fees, by matching its competitors' $0 online commissions on U.S. stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and options. Investors can opt for a more hands-off option by selecting one of E-Trade's prebuilt portfolios based on their risk tolerance. These portfolios are customizable and have a low-cost account minimum of $500 for mutual funds and $2,500 for ETFs. This could be a good option for those looking for a simple, low-cost way to invest in large companies such as Apple Inc. ( AAPL ), Mastercard Inc. ( MA ) and Microsoft Inc. ( MSFT ).

For investors who want to learn more about investing concepts , E-Trade offers an extensive library of articles to help you understand everything from ETFs and retirement to cryptocurrency.

Ally Invest, owned by Ally Financial Inc. ( ALLY ), has climbed the ranks of best investment websites for beginners thanks to its low cost and no account minimum.

Though Ally Invest offers robo portfolios for a 0.3% annual fee, the platform is best suited for do-it-yourself investors. With commission-free trades on stocks, ETFs, options and mutual funds in line with its competitors, Ally Invest offers an array of products to build your own diverse portfolio. The built-in analysis and research tools on the platform allow newbie investors to access expert market analysis, stock "Smart Scores" and custom watchlists.

Ally Invest is an entirely digital institution, which means there's no option for in-person guidance. Luckily, the broker is known for its high-quality mobile app and offers 24/7 general support via phone, chat or email. As an added bonus, portfolio specialists are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

SoFi, short for Social Finance, believes investors shouldn't have to pay to invest their own money, making them a favorite among beginners by offering $0 commission on every trade of stocks and ETFs. No account minimums make it easy for individuals to get started investing with any amount they are comfortable with.

SoFi stands out from the crowd by offering cryptocurrency trading within the app as well as initial public offering investing and fractional shares . One major perk of choosing SoFi as an investment broker is the variety of resources available within the community. SoFi members have access to exclusive events and experiences, curated content and real-time investing news to guide them through their investment decisions.

While SoFi Invest does not offer financial services at brick-and-mortar branches, the broker offers 24/7 support with a virtual assistant as well as live agent support during business hours.

7 Best Funds to Hold in a Roth IRA

Tony Dong Nov. 13, 2023

Tags: investing , money , brokers , stock market , retirement , wealth , financial literacy

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NerdWallet, Inc. is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. Its articles, interactive tools and other content are provided to you for free, as self-help tools and for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide investment advice. NerdWallet does not and cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information in regard to your individual circumstances. Examples are hypothetical, and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific investment issues. Our estimates are based on past market performance, and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward — and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners .

Best Wealth Management Firms: 6 Online Wealth Advisors

Wealth advisors offer full-service financial advice and management, covering everything from estate planning to tax minimization.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

Wealth advisors are a type of financial advisor who work with high-net-worth clients and offer holistic financial planning. This often includes services such as estate planning, tax minimization and legal guidance, in addition to investment management.

Because of the comprehensive guidance they provide, wealth advisors often require a minimum investment of several hundred thousand dollars or more. However, unlike in previous generations, many of the advisors below operate primarily online — in most cases, you'll meet with the advisor virtually, though some connect you to local options — and offer lower minimums.

And just a note: the title “wealth advisor,” like many other types of financial advisors, is just a label; an advisor who calls themself a wealth advisor requires no education or certification, so be sure to verify a financial advisor's credentials before signing on to work with them.

• Zoe Financial

Reviewed in: Oct. 2023

Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2023

on Zoe Financial's website

Paid non-client promotion

NerdWallet doesn’t invest its money with this provider, but they are our referral partner – so we get paid only if you click through and take a qualifying action (such as open an account with or provide your contact information to the provider). Most importantly, our reviews and ratings are objective and are never impacted by our partnerships. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here’s how we make money .

Varies by Advisor (free initial consultation)

3-Month Satisfaction Guarantee

Makes it easy to find a financial advisor.

Network of financial advisors offer a wide range of planning services.

No fee for using Zoe Financial to find an advisor.

Difficult to know financial advisor fees upfront.

Why We Like It

Zoe Financial isn't actually a financial advisory firm — the company connects clients to financial advisors. Zoe advisors are all independent fiduciaries who work on a commission-free model, meaning your advisor won’t try to sell you products to make a profit.

• Vanguard Personal Advisor

on Vanguard's website

management fee

no promotion available at this time

Low advisor fee and lower account minimum for an online planning service.

Comprehensive advice with goals-based planning.

Unlimited access to financial advisors.

Solid investment selection with Vanguard’s suite of funds.

Must move outside assets over to Vanguard.

Vanguard Personal Advisor is an excellent choice for investors who can meet the $50,000 account minimum and want to use the computer algorithms of a robo-advisor while maintaining access to a human touch.

on Facet's website

$2,000 and up

per year (free initial consultation)

Get $300 reward

into Facet brokerage account for new members who transfer at least $5,000 within the first 90 days of their Facet membership.*

Free initial consultation.

Comprehensive, full-service financial planning.

Meetings are held virtually, via phone or video call.

No additional fee for investment management.

Fee-only advice from a designated fiduciary CFP.

Wide fee range makes it difficult for potential customers to estimate costs.

No in-person meeting option.

Facet's financial planning services start at $2,000 per year and include customized financial guidance and investment management from a dedicated CFP.

• Harness Wealth

on Harness Wealth's website

one year of financial or tax planning

Reduces uncertainty when selecting a financial advisor.

Access to a range of services, including investment management and financial, tax and estate planning.

Easy to get started.

Advisors offer complimentary consultations.

No fee for using Harness Wealth to find an advisor.

The firms Harness works with may have higher fees.

Firms require $250,000 asset minimum for investment management. (No minimum for a one-time financial plan.)

Harness Wealth isn't itself a financial advisory firm — the company serves to connect clients to carefully vetted firms. Advisors on the platform typically charge a 1% management fee, but flat-fee financial planning services and tax help are also available.

• Betterment Premium

on Betterment's website

Unlimited access to a team of certified financial planners.

Low management fee.

Innovative savings and retirement planning tools.

Clients don't receive a dedicated advisor.

Advisors available by phone and email only.

High account minimum.

Betterment Premium offers clients with at least $100,000 to invest unlimited access to financial advisors. The service charges a reasonable 0.40% of assets under management, and the advisors are all certified financial planners, a credential that requires meeting a high bar for education and experience.

Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:

• Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™

Last updated on May 1, 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks companies that provide financial planning services online or connect users to a financial advisor. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.

We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 20 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).

For more details about the categories considered when rating financial advisors and our process, read our full methodology .

To recap our selections...

NerdWallet's Best Wealth Management Firms: 6 Online Wealth Advisors

Best budgeting apps

What is a budgeting app, what you need in a budgeting app , how do budgeting apps work, is a budgeting app worth it, is it better to pay for a budgeting app or use a free app, what are the alternatives to budgeting apps, the bottom line, how we tested budgeting apps, best budgeting apps for may 2024.

Take the headache out of managing your money with these easy money apps.

Liliana Hall

Associate Writer

Liliana Hall is a writer for CNET Money covering banking, credit cards and mortgages. Previously, she wrote about personal credit for Bankrate and CreditCards.com. She is passionate about providing accessible content to enhance financial literacy. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and has worked in the newsrooms of KUT and the Austin Chronicle. When not working, she is probably paddle boarding, hopping on a flight or reading for her book club.

Kelly Ernst

Kelly is an editor for CNET Money focusing on banking. She has over 10 years of experience in personal finance and previously wrote for CBS MoneyWatch covering banking, investing, insurance and home equity products. She is passionate about arming consumers with the tools they need to take control of their financial lives. In her free time, she enjoys binging podcasts, scouring thrift stores for unique home décor and spoiling the heck out of her dogs.

Courtney Johnston

Senior Editor

Courtney Johnston is a senior editor leading the CNET Money team. Passionate about financial literacy and inclusion, she has a decade of experience as a freelance journalist covering policy, financial news, real estate and investing. A New Jersey native, she graduated with an M.A. in English Literature and Professional Writing from the University of Indianapolis, where she also worked as a graduate writing instructor.

CNET staff -- not advertisers, partners or business interests -- determine how we review the products and services we cover. If you buy through our links, we may get paid.

• Best overall Rocket Money See at Rocket Money
• Best for diving into the details YNAB (You Need a Budget) See at YNAB
• Best for debt pay-off planning PocketGuard See at PocketGuard
• Best for zero-based budgeting EveryDollar See at EveryDollar
• Best for envelope budgeting Goodbudget See at Goodbudget
• Best for an overall snapshot of your finances Quicken Simplifi See at Simplifi

Rocket Money

If you want to get smart with your money, creating -- and sticking to -- a monthly budget is essential. Without one, it’s easy to lose sight of your long-term goals and neglect the steps necessary to reach them.

“Contrary to popular belief, budgeting is about gaining freedom, not restricting your life,” said Bernadette Joy, personal finance coach and CNET expert review board member . “By doing a proper budget at the beginning of the month, you can have a clear picture of what your priorities are and what you are not focused on in a given month. Budgeting is singularly the most important financial skill I learned to become debt-free and a millionaire because it taught me how to prioritize what matters most to me.”

And budgeting doesn’t have to be tedious. There are plenty of apps out there to make it easier to monitor your income and spending, set goals and stay on track. Even better, many budgeting apps offer basic features for free or a trial period to test out premium features. To help you narrow down your options, we’ve compiled a list of the best budgeting apps and what they can do for you.

Rocket Money is great for budgeters who want a simple budgeting experience. It has all the features you need to do basic budgeting, plus some advanced ones to help you manage your overall financial situation.

Rocket’s app and desktop platform are both intuitive and easy to navigate, and it offers a plethora of notifications and reports to help you stay on top of your budget, including bill increase alerts and monthly spending reports. You can also set up automated transfers to your savings account to make saving a breeze.

The free version is pretty barebones, but you can get the premium version by paying anywhere from $4 to $12 monthly -- your choice. You get the same features regardless of how much you pay. Rocket also offers bill negotiation, which costs 30% to 60% of your first year’s savings (you choose the amount).

As a former Mint user, I tested several popular budgeting apps and found the paid version of Rocket Money to be the best replacement for Mint’s in terms of features, user experience and accessibility to the average budgeter.

• Links to external accounts
• Automated savings*
• Account sharing with a partner (in beta testing)*
• Credit score viewing
• Credit report tracking*
• Net worth tracking*
• Bill negotiation

*Premium subscription only

Basic: free; Premium: $4-$12 per month (7-day free trial)

iOS , Android

YNAB (You Need a Budget)

You Need A Budget is meant for people who like to sweat the details. Its zero-based budgeting strategy encourages you to give every dollar a job, assigning all income to categories you set -- such as specific bill payments and savings goals -- to avoid overspending. For example, if you want to save for a future vacation , you’ll need to set that as a goal and assign money to it every month.

At $14.99 a month, YNAB is pricey. There may also be a learning curve as the app offers more complexity in terms of organizing and analyzing your budget. The 34-day trial should help you decide if the monthly fee is worth another line item in your budget.

• External account linking
• Budget sharing with up to five people
• Automatic updates between mobile devices and computer 
• Savings goals
• Loan payoff planner
• Spending and net worth reports
• Transaction splitting
• Free live workshops

YNAB offers a free year for college students and a 34-day free trial for all users. After that, it costs $14.99 per month or $99 per year.

PocketGuard

PocketGuard is another option that allows you to track your spending based on categories. It’s designed to help you control your spending and focus on savings goals. Linking the app to your accounts automates the tracking process. The app tracks subscription services and flags potential money wasters to help you save.

It has useful features that suggest lower-cost services based on your profile settings, thereby maximizing the money in your pocket. It also offers bill negotiation through Billshark, which costs 40% of the amount it saves you for two years if it’s successful.

The free version offers a variety of features, including budgeting tools, spending reports and expense tracking. For $12.99 per month or $74.99 yearly, you can create multiple budgets and custom budget categories, unlimited savings goals and a debt pay-off plan.

• Account sharing with a partner
• Bill payment tracker*
• Debt pay-off planning*
• Billshark bill negotiation

Basic: free; Premium: $12.99 per month or $74.99 per year

EveryDollar

Popular personal finance speaker and author Dave Ramsey launched the EveryDollar app to help fans of his money philosophy follow his “Baby Steps” out of debt and toward financial freedom. Using the zero-based budgeting approach, you categorize your expenses before the month begins, assigning all of your take-home dollars until there’s nothing remaining.

EveryDollar’s free version allows you to create and customize your budget, manually track expenses and sync data across multiple devices. The Premium plan allows the app to connect to bank accounts and dynamically track spending, plus gives you access to group coaching calls with financial experts. It also offers a financial roadmap to track your net worth, progress toward retirement goals and Baby Steps milestones.

However, you’ll still need to manually categorize your transactions; the app won’t do it for you. That’s because it aims t o make you “feel that money leaving [y]our account.” And at $17.99 per month of $79.99 per year, it’s the priciest app on our list.

Note: A recent upgrade has prompted some users to complain about the app’s responsiveness. The Ramsey Solution organization has been working on bug fixes, but users continue to experience problems. 

• Links to external accounts*
• Savings goals*
• Financial roadmap*
• Group coaching*

Basic: free; Premium: $17.99/month or $79.99/year (14-day free trial)

Building a budget for the first time can feel overwhelming. Goodbudget breaks it down using the envelope method of budgeting, a decades-old financial strategy that encourages you to split your income into separate envelopes or categories. For example, you might have envelopes for rent, bills, groceries, gas, nonessential purchases and savings.

Goodbudget lets you employ this method digitally. You choose envelopes from a list of predesignated goals and deposit money into them every month. With the free version, you can choose from 10 preset envelopes -- you can’t design your own. The Plus version allows you to create an unlimited number of envelopes for $8 per month, as well as enjoy expanded features such as unlimited accounts and a longer transaction history. There’s no free trial, but you can get a full refund if you cancel within 30 days.

If you’re looking for a great strategy to stick to a spending plan, Goodbudget’s easy user interface, preselected goals and visually pleasing envelope method can help you create good budgeting habits. The biggest downside is that it doesn’t link to external accounts -- you must manually input each transaction. This can help you get a better idea of just how much you’re spending each day, but some users will find it tedious.

• Envelope-based budgeting system
• Account sharing with multiple people
• Debt pay-off tracking

Basic: free; Plus: $8 per month or $70 per year

Quicken Simplifi

Quicken Simplifi is the other budgeting app on our list that doesn’t offer a free version -- and unlike YNAB, it doesn’t offer a free trial to test it out. Quicken is known for personal finance software and has distilled its decades’ worth of experience in the personal finance arena down to a handy budgeting app. Simplifi targets users who have complex financial lives with tools that create custom plans based on income and expenses.

Like most budgeting apps, Quicken allows you to create and monitor your budget, track spending and link multiple accounts across one main dashboard. The app offers a helpful snapshot of your bank accounts, top spending categories, spending watchlists and historical patterns. The projected balances tool uses recurring transactions to estimate your balance over the coming 30 days.

Some users may find Simplifi’s wealth of information and customizable reports overwhelming, and there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to navigating it all. But if you want to dive into multiple aspects of your financial life from your investments to your net worth, it offers lots of ways to do so in one platform.

• Combined account dashboard
• Lots of custom reports
• Budget sharing with a partner
• Customizable spending plan
• Investment, net worth and refund trackers
• Export reports for use in other software
• Spending watchlists
• Projected cash flow

Basic: $3.99 per month ($2.99/month if purchased by March 10, 2024)

What’s happening with Mint?

The Mint budgeting app, which used to make our best list, is shutting down on March 23, 2024. Mint encourages users to migrate their data to Credit Karma, but as this writing, Credit Karma doesn’t offer competitive budgeting features like the other picks on our list.

A budgeting app is a software program that helps you track your expenses, income and spending and draft a budget from the convenience of your mobile device, tablet or computer. Most budgeting apps sync to your bank accounts so you can automatically monitor your activity in one place. The best budgeting apps also provide snapshots of your financial history, help you make savings projections and assist with other goals, such as paying off debt . 

With so many budgeting apps available online, you need one that’s easy to use, provides a variety of financial tools and connects with external accounts, all at a reasonable cost. From there, it largely depends on your needs and preferences.

“I don’t believe in apps being perfect, so primarily, use one that works for your personal needs,” said Shang Saavedra, founder and CEO of Save My Cents and CNET Financial Review Board member . “I do like having some manual adjustment aspect to the app as I don’t think full automation makes sense because we all see our money differently.”

Budgeting apps provide a way to keep track of your income and spending in one place. Most budgeting apps connect to your bank and track your spending, bills, due dates and other key information to help you stay on top of your finances. The best budgeting apps also have features that help you establish savings goals and monitor other aspects of your financial life, such as your credit score or net worth. 

Budgeting is one of the best ways to get a handle on your finances, and a budgeting app can help make it easier. But it’s ultimately up to you to make the appropriate changes to improve your finances. A budgeting app can’t hold you accountable at the end of the day, but it can help you stay organized and make a long-term plan. 

If you can find the features you need in a free app, start there, especially if you’re trying to save money. There’s no need to add an additional expense if a free app provides the services you need. If you need more than a free app can provide, start with a trial plan to a paid app so you can get a feel for the app before committing.

Google Docs provides free monthly budget templates that are handy if you’re interested in a no-frills, basic system that’s easy to set up.

Some banks also provide budgeting software along with their digital banking platform. Capital One’s mobile app allows you to categorize expenses and create separate savings accounts to track different goals. H&R Block’s banking app, Spruce , has a check register view that allows you to easily monitor categorized expenses, work toward established savings goals and automate savings transfers.

You can also take advantage of financial coaching or investment planning services. Some banks or credit unions, such as Alliant Credit Union , offer financial services if you open an account.

Making and sticking to a budget each month is essential if you want to gain control of your spending habits and reach your financial goals. A budgeting app is a useful tool to help you with this. There’s a plethora of great options available, both free and with a subscription. Determining your needs and budgeting style will help you narrow down the best fit for you.

The 50/30/20 rule is a common way to organize your budget based on percentages. With this approach, you divide your take-home income into three spending categories: 50% for living expenses and essentials (needs), 30% for discretionary spending (wants) and 20% for savings and debt elimination.

But keep in mind this budgeting method is unrealistic if you have substantial credit card, student loan or medical debt. To establish a budget that works for you, you need to understand your financial needs and goals.

Zero-based budgeting is a technique that requires you to create a new budget each month and identify how each dollar will be spent until you reach $0. With this strategy, you look at all potential expenditures in the upcoming month instead of making adjustments to a previous month’s budget.

Most budgeting apps employ multiple levels of security to protect your financial information. That said, you should always use precautions to keep your personal information safe, such as creating strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication when available.

Our banking editors test and rate budgeting apps based on first-hand experience and product features. We consider the user experience, interface, support options and overall value compared to the price of each budgeting app. We also evaluate key features, including the ability to set savings goals and connect to external accounts securely.

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Loud budgeting has gone quiet on tiktok. but experts still love it, the psychology of saving: tricks to change how you think about money, this money coach paid off $23k in student loan debt in 4 months. but her strategy was risky, 5 ways i’m thinking differently about saving money, 6 mint alternatives now that the popular budgeting app is gone, i’m a money coach: here’s how to stop overspending and build healthy money habits.

CNET editors independently choose every product and service we cover. Though we can’t review every available financial company or offer, we strive to make comprehensive, rigorous comparisons in order to highlight the best of them. For many of these products and services, we earn a commission. The compensation we receive may impact how products and links appear on our site.

Writers and editors and produce editorial content with the objective to provide accurate and unbiased information. A separate team is responsible for placing paid links and advertisements, creating a firewall between our affiliate partners and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers.

CNET Money is an advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We’re compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or when you click on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact where and in what order affiliate links appear within advertising units. While we strive to provide a wide range of products and services, CNET Money does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.

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Best Fixed Deposits: These 5 AAA-rated corporate FDs offering high interest rates

Fixed deposit schemes offered by non-banking finance companies and housing finance companies are also called corporate fds or company fds. here are top 5 corporate fixed deposits with highest safety ratings of aaa..

Best AAA-rated corporate fixed deposits with high interest rates: Fixed deposits (FDs) remain a popular investment choice for investors who want to safeguard their savings against volatility and look for steady return. Financial institutions like banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and post office offer a variety of fixed deposit schemes for regular and senior citizens.

One of the criteria for choosing a fixed deposit is rating of schemes. The rating indicates safety of timely repayment of interest payment and principal amount. The higher the ratings the safer is FDs. CRISIL , ICRA and other rating agencies provide ratings to various fixed deposit schemes based on the safety and stability with the repayment of your deposits lying with these financial institutions.

Also read: Senior Citizen Fixed Deposits offering up to 9.1% return – Check full list

Fixed deposit schemes offered by non-banking finance companies and housing finance companies are also called corporate FDs or company FDs. Here are the top 5 corporate fixed deposits with highest safety ratings of AAA or AA+. The list is based on data compiled by paisabazaar.com.

Bajaj Finance

Ratings: CRISIL-AAA/Stable ICRA-AAA/Stable

The NBFC is offering interest rates ranging 7.4% to 8.1% interest rates on tenures from 12 months to 60 months. For senior citizens, the non-bank lender is offering 0.25% extra.

Mahindra Finance

CRISIL-AAA/Stable IND AAA/Stable by India Ratings

The NBFC is offering investors interests in the range of 7.6% to 8.05% on tenures of 12 months to 60 months. Senior citizens are offered 0.25% per annum extra.

Sundaram Home Finance

Sundaram Home Finance is offering an interest rate of up to 7.9% on tenures ranging 1 year to 5 years to regular customers and up to 30 bps extra to its senior citizen customers.

LIC Housing Finance

CRISIL-AAA/Stable

LIC Housing Finance is offering rates in the range of 7.25% to 7.75% on up to 5 years tenure. Senior citizens get 25 bps extra.

ICICI Home Finance

CRISIL-AAA/Stable ICRA-AAA/Stable CARE-AAA/Stable

ICICI Home Finance regular customers are offered interest rates of 7.25% to 7.6% on tenures up to 60 months. Senior citizens are offered 0.25% additional rate of interest.

FinancialExpress.com does not endorse any specific investment instruments. Readers are encouraged to make their own informed decisions, as any losses incurred will be their sole responsibility.

Get live Share Market updates, Stock Market Quotes , and the latest India News and business news on Financial Express. Download the Financial Express App for the latest finance news.

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