Independent, clearly explained guides to US personal finance
The Investing Desk
Investing and retirement accounts, explained without the jargon.
Compare platforms
Self-directed brokerage accounts and automated investing services, compared on cost, minimums and features. Last reviewed October 23, 2026.
Advertiser disclosure. Some listings may include affiliate links. If you apply through one, TheMoneyCraze may be compensated at no extra cost to you. This never changes our editorial coverage. Terms change — always confirm current details with the provider. How we make money
10 platforms
Online broker
Best for: Best all-around broker
$0 online US stock and ETF trades, no account minimum, fractional shares from $1 and its own ZERO index funds with no expense ratio. Strong research and 24/7 support.
Some ETFs carry a transaction fee and sell orders have a small regulatory fee.
Management fee
None (self-directed)
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Online broker
Best for: Research and full-service investing
$0 online stock and ETF trades, fractional shares, the thinkorswim platform for active traders and hundreds of branches for in-person help.
Management fee
None (self-directed)
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Online broker
Best for: Long-term index fund investors
The pioneer of low-cost index funds, with $0 online stock and ETF trades and thousands of no-transaction-fee mutual funds. Built for buy-and-hold investors rather than active traders.
Management fee
None (self-directed)
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Online broker (Morgan Stanley)
Best for: Hands-on traders and options
$0 online stock and ETF trades with no minimum to start, plus the Power E*TRADE platform with advanced charting for active and options traders.
Management fee
None (self-directed)
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Online broker
Best for: Beginners who bank with SoFi
Commission-free stock, ETF and options trading in the same app as SoFi banking and loans, with fractional shares and an IRA contribution match.
Management fee
None (self-directed)
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Robo-advisor
Best for: Free robo-investing on small balances
Fidelity's automated portfolio service charges nothing on balances under $25,000 and uses Fidelity Flex funds with no expense ratio.
Management fee
0% up to $25k, then 0.35%
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Robo-advisor
Best for: No management fee
A robo-advisor with no advisory fee at all, backed by Schwab's customer service. Requires $5,000 to start.
Management fee
0%
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Robo-advisor
Best for: Low-cost Vanguard index portfolios
Automated portfolios built from Vanguard's own low-cost index funds, for an all-in annual cost of around 0.15%.
Management fee
About 0.15%
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Robo-advisor
Best for: Automated tax-loss harvesting
A full-featured robo-advisor with daily tax-loss harvesting, low-cost ETF portfolios and a high degree of customization.
Management fee
0.25%
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Robo-advisor
Best for: Goal-based investing for beginners
A beginner-friendly robo-advisor with goal-based planning, tax-loss harvesting and socially responsible portfolio options. A Premium plan adds access to financial planners.
0.25% a year on balances over $24,000 or with $200+ monthly recurring deposits; otherwise $5 a month. Premium: 0.65%, $100,000 minimum.
Management fee
0.25% (or $5/mo)
Official site · not a sponsored link
Reviewed Oct 23, 2026
Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Fees and features are as published by each provider on the review date and can change. Other fees (fund expense ratios, transfer and specialty fees) may apply.
Our top picks
5 picks
The best online brokerage accounts for beginners and experienced investors — compared on fees, minimums and features.
5 picks
The best automated investing services, compared on fees, minimums and features like tax-loss harvesting.
How we compare platforms
We review each provider's published terms and compare them on what matters most. Rankings are editorial: partners can't pay for a better position, and any sponsored link is labelled. Terms change, so every entry shows the date it was last reviewed.
Commissions, management fees and the funds' own expense ratios.
Account minimums, fractional shares and ease of getting started.
Taxable, IRA and other account types available.
Research, automation, tax features and access to human help.
The essentials
Investing means putting money into something with the expectation it grows over time — generally over years, not weeks. Diversification, risk tolerance, and account type (like a 401(k) versus an IRA) are the core ideas that cover most of what a beginner actually needs.
This section covers the fundamentals of risk and diversification, and how the most common retirement accounts differ from each other.
Investing guides
In-depth explainers from our editors, newest first.
You don't need a lot of money or market expertise to start investing. Here's the order of operations, the accounts to use, and why simple usually wins.
TheMoneyCraze Editors
Quick answers
The questions readers ask us most about investing.
It generally depends on your time horizon. A longer horizon usually allows for more short-term volatility, since there's more time to recover from a downturn. A shorter horizon — money you'll need soon — usually calls for a more conservative mix.
A 401(k) is offered through an employer, often with a partial contribution match. An IRA is opened independently through a brokerage or bank. Both come in traditional and Roth versions, differing mainly in when you pay taxes on contributions and withdrawals.
No — many people start with a broad, diversified fund that holds many companies at once, which spreads risk automatically. Picking individual stocks concentrates risk in a smaller number of companies and generally requires more research to do well.
Related desks
A closer look at a few connected topics.