Recommended: Investment / Brokerage Accounts

Here is a list of some of the most popular brokerage accounts, split by level of investing experience / investment horizon. Note that the ratings in here are Nerdwallet ratings (not mine). Some commentary from me:

• If you are just starting out in the world of investing, and/or don’t have a ton of money that you can consistently invest, my recommendation is to start with Acorns. It is a great, easy to use, and safe platform which connects to your credit cards / bank accounts to allow you to auto-invest every time you make a purchase. For example, if you buy something for $2.78, Acorns will round you out to $3.00 and automatically invest the remaining $0.22 in a fund/ETF of your choosing. This is a simple way to get started in the world of investing and witness first-hand how powerful it can be.

• If you have more money to invest than rounding up to the nearest dollar, but you’re still relatively new, I would look at Betterment or SoFi. They both offer great platforms and have tax-efficient investment options. They both also have a mix of robo-investing (where you don’t have to do anything) and self-directed investing (where you can make more decisions on a daily/monthly/yearly basis). I like SoFi because it’s a full-service platform which offers credit cards, loans, checking accounts, investing accounts, retirement accounts, etc., etc.

• If you have been investing for some time, or you have a longer-term horizon for your investments, I would consider either Charles Schwab or Vanguard. They both offer extensive investment options and also have some of the lowest fees / expense ratios out there.

• If you are an experienced trader, or would like to become an experienced trader, I would consider Webull or Interactive Brokers. They are both cutting-edge when it comes to their programs and technology, and also have cost-efficient investment options (e.g., commission-free trades).