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Built for you

Money picks for New investors

Getting started with investing the simple, evidence-based way, through low-cost diversified funds or a robo-advisor, without overcomplicating it or trying to beat the market.

What you're really asking: How do I start investing without overcomplicating it or making expensive mistakes?

Our picks (10)

01
Fidelity✓ Verified
$0 commissions on US stocks, ETFs, and options, with no account minimum.
EssentialFidelity Investments
97/100
02
Charles Schwab✓ Verified
$0 online stock and ETF trades, $0.65 per options contract, with no account minimum.
EssentialCharles Schwab
96/100
03
Betterment✓ Verified
A 0.25% annual management fee with no account minimum — automated investing for hands-off savers.
EssentialBetterment
94/100
04
Fidelity Go®◆ Partner data
A 0%–0.35% management fee with no account minimum, sourced from our NerdWallet data partnership.
EssentialFidelity
99/100
05
Vanguard Digital Advisor◆ Partner data
A about 0.15% management fee with a $100 account minimum, sourced from our NerdWallet data partnership.
EssentialThe Vanguard Group
97/100
06
Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite◆ Partner data
$0 stock and ETF commissions with no account minimum, sourced from our NerdWallet data partnership.
EssentialInteractive Brokers
96/100
07
E*TRADE◆ Partner data
$0 stock and ETF commissions with no account minimum, sourced from our NerdWallet data partnership.
EssentialMorgan Stanley
94/100
08
Robinhood◆ Partner data
$0 stock and ETF commissions with no account minimum, sourced from our NerdWallet data partnership.
EssentialRobinhood
94/100
09
Wealthfront✓ Verified
A flat 0.25% advisory fee and a $500 minimum, with strong automated tax-loss harvesting.
StrongWealthfront
85/100
10
Webull◆ Partner data
$0 stock and ETF commissions with no account minimum, sourced from our NerdWallet data partnership.
StrongWebull
85/100

Related

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Should I pick stocks or buy funds?

For almost everyone starting out, buy low-cost, broadly diversified index funds rather than individual stocks. Picking stocks is hard, time-consuming, and most professionals don't beat the market doing it. Diversified funds give you the market's return at low cost.

Brokerage or robo-advisor?

A robo-advisor like Autopilot is great if you want investing fully automated for a small fee. A brokerage like Baseline or Vista is better if you're happy to buy a couple of index funds yourself and skip the management fee. Both are fine; choose based on how hands-on you want to be.

How much do I need to start?

Less than you think. Many platforms let you start with a small amount and add automatically each month. The habit of contributing regularly matters far more than the size of your first deposit.