7 Best Stock Trading Platforms for Beginners of 2025

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The less you pay in fees, the more money you have working for you in the market. Investments come with various fees, and trading commissions, expense ratios, and redemption fees can all eat into your returns. Look at what similar investments would cost you, while factoring in possible performance. If you’re considering using an advisor, whether human or robo, compare the investments’ fees and any ongoing annual account management fees. Bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, stocks, and even cryptocurrency could all play a role in helping you reach your financial goals. For instance, stocks may offer higher growth potential but greater volatility, while bonds generally offer more stability with lower returns.

Whether you have an employer-sponsored 401(k) or your own IRA, retirement accounts are actually brokerage accounts. Vanguard is one the leading brokerage firms out there thanks to its famous founder, Jack Bogle. Fans of Vanguard — known as Bogleheads — follow Jack’s simple investing philosophy of letting compound interest grow over time, making Vanguard one of the best platforms for passive investors. Orders can be placed quickly, with shortcuts to buy amounts between $1-$100, and prices are displayed prominently for each asset. Advanced traders can access more order types, with access to limit, stop, stop-limit, and trailing stop orders for buying or selling an asset. Robinhood is one of the most popular options in recent years because it’s a simplified trading experience that’s good for beginners.

What to do after you buy your first investment

  • By taking the time to seek out the best online stock brokers for beginners to jumpstart your portfolio, you’re already well on your way to making a splash in the markets.
  • Map out your investment goals and risk tolerance, then decide what type of account you want to open and consider how you’d like to invest.
  • Alongside Fidelity, Charles Schwab is a trusted name in investing as one of the leading brokerage firms in the U.S.
  • Before investing, make sure you understand how the fund’s factor investing strategy may differ from that of a more traditional index product.
  • A retirement account, for example, is going to be different than an account where you buy and sell stocks frequently.

If you don’t already have one, making a budget could help you see how much money you have coming in and going out. You can also try Fidelity’s cashflow analysis tool,Log In Required  which has a budget feature. We work hard to share thorough research and our honest experience with products and brands.

In that event the SIPC will either transfer your portfolio to another firm, or they will work outright to rebuild it, buying new assets to make up for any that are lost. These different types of accounts each come with their own costs and benefits. You’ll need to first identify your overall investing goal before figuring out which type of account will work best for you. Morgan Self-Directed Investing lends tremendous convenience to existing Chase customers and invites beginners into the fold with a crisp, intuitive platform and robust customer support.

Fidelity: Best for variety of accounts

In addition to serving as one of the best online stock brokers, Schwab also runs more than 300 in-person investment centers nationwide. When you need a hand with your account, you’ll have 24/7 access to licensed professionals through live chat or over the phone. Webull is an online trading platform that gives investors up to 12 free fractional shares just for opening an account and making a deposit. You invest money that has already been taxed and you pay taxes on your investments when you sell.

We appreciated the impressive range and depth of TD Ameritrade’s educational resources, in particular the TD Ameritrade Network, webcasts and immersive courses. Additionally, Charles Schwab recently acquired TD Ameritrade, which gives its users access to the thinkorswim platform. Fidelity’s flagship Active Trader Pro platform is both feature-rich and easy to use.

GOBankingRates works with many financial advertisers to showcase their products and services to our audiences. These brands compensate us to advertise their products in ads across our site. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site. We are not a comparison-tool and these offers do not represent all available deposit, investment, loan or credit products. You can’t control the whims of the market, but you can control what fees you pay. Be wary of brokers that put you into an account with an ongoing management fee or active advisors who charge a percentage of your portfolio.

More From the Vault: Guide To Investing in Stocks

TradeUp is another commission-free platform that focuses on simplicity and affordability. It offers a user-friendly app with essential trading tools and real-time data. For beginners who want to start with a minimal budget, TradeUp provides an easy way to access the stock market with no hidden fees or complex features. Our research team meticulously collected data on every feature of importance to a wide range of customer profiles, including beginners, casual investors, passive investors, and active traders.

  • This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site.
  • Blain created the original scoring rubrics for StockBrokers.com and oversees all testing and rating methodologies.
  • Robinhood is a mobile-first broker that has gained popularity for its commission-free trades and user-friendly platform.
  • The best stock brokers for beginners provide the right balance of simplicity, educational resources and low costs to help you get your foot in the door.
  • Schwab also offers options trading for only $0.65 per contract, and futures trading for $2.25 per contract.

Fidelity offers a full-featured, no-fee brokerage account that comes with commission-free stock, exchange-traded fund (ETF), and options trading. They also offer other investment options like mutual funds, bonds, and even precious metals. Ally Invest is an online broker that offers a wide range of investment options and a user-friendly platform. They offer competitive pricing and a variety of tools and resources to help traders make informed decisions.

Best Investing Tools

They offer a variety of tools and resources to help traders make informed decisions, including real-time market data, advanced charting tools, and a vast library of educational content. Most online stock brokers offer educational resources to help you learn about investing, though the content can vary. Interactive Brokers online courses will probably feel most familiar to younger investors.

News stories from Barron’s, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal are available within the app. The online courses at TD Ameritrade are divided into lessons that make them easy to follow when your schedule allows. Users can also follow best online stock brokers for beginners goal-based learning paths that combine courses with relevant webcasts and events. The Schwab client portal is easy to navigate, and it was refreshing to see customer support options displayed prominently on every page. Motley Fool Money is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters. Even the best-diversified portfolios can take a hit in a market downturn.

Users can easily track their progress, adjust financial plans, and access personalized guidance tailored to their needs. Integration with existing Vanguard accounts adds convenience, creating a seamless experience for both new and seasoned investors. That said, the user interface is less intuitive than some competitors, especially for beginners or those seeking advanced tools. If your strategy is primarily buy-and-hold investing, the platform should meet your needs.

Do I need a lot of money to use a broker?

Jessica Inskip is Director of Investor Research at StockBrokers.com, bringing 15 years of experience in brokerage and trading strategy. A former FINRA-licensed rep, she held Series 7, 63, 66, and 4 licenses. Jessica focuses on investor education and brokerage industry research, appears regularly on CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg, and hosts the Market MakeHer podcast. The Fidelity Investments Learning Center offers four-week virtual courses for beginners to improve their trading skills. Courses cover topics such as technical analysis, options trading, trading basics and how to use the Active Trader Pro platform. If you enroll additional accounts at a later date, you can still take advantage of any remaining fee-waiver period.

Your guide to your first investment

Plus500 is a global multi-asset fintech group that operates trading platforms globally, offering a range of trading products, including CFDs, Share dealing and Futures trading (US). If you want someone to manage your money for you, you will want to hire a financial advisor. We prefer registered investment advisors who are paid a predictable fee over registered representatives who charge commissions. Get started finding a registered investment advisor over on our sister site, AdvisorSearch.org.

Best Online Brokerage Accounts for 2025

The SIPC insures $500,000 per account including up to $250,000 in cash against theft or the firm going belly-up. It’s important to remember, however, that insurance does not protect any investor against losses due to market fluctuations. Use the broker comparison tool to compare over 150 different account features and fees. He started as a floor clerk at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) in the currency futures pits. Then progressed to working as a proprietary trader off the floor trading the bund overnight.