Best online trade sites

Note: We receive a commission for purchases made through the links on this site. Our sponsors, however, do not influence our editorial content in any way. Online investing is one of the most strategic things you can do with your money if you want to increase your savings. While there is no single choice for the best online investment site, there are a variety of financial tools available to help you in your decision making. Here is a breakdown of some of the best online investing resources. Stash is one of the new app-only options for investing, along with its competitor Acorns.

Best Online Stock Trading Brokers for 2020

Want to trade stocks? On these measures, the brokerage firms below earned their place on our list of the best online brokers for stock trading. We evaluated brokerage firms and investment companies on the services that matter most to different types of investors. For example, for active traders, we've noted online brokers with low or no commissions and robust mobile trading platforms.

For people venturing into investing for the first time, we've included the best online brokers for educational resources including webinars, video tutorials and in-person seminars and on-call chat or phone support. Read on to see our picks for the best brokers, alongside links to our investing experts' in-depth reviews on each. Show Less. Interactive Brokers' IBKR Lite is a strong option for frequent traders: The broker offers international trade capabilities, no stock-trading commission and a quality trading platform.

Zacks is a great choice for experienced and active investors who would appreciate a little extra support from a representative, but trades cost more than at competitors. Trades of up to 10, shares are commission-free. Not much. Note that many of the brokers above have no account minimums for both taxable brokerage accounts and IRAs. Once you open an account, all it takes to get started is enough money to cover the cost of a single share of a stock and the trading commission, if charged.

Trading costs definitely matter to active and high-volume traders, but many brokers now offer commission-free trades of stocks, ETFs and options. Other factors — access to a range of investments or training tools — may be more valuable than saving a few bucks when you purchase shares. One easy way is to invest in exchange-traded funds. ETFs are essentially bite-sized mutual funds that are bought and sold just like individual stocks on a stock market exchange. Like mutual funds, each ETF contains a basket of stocks sometimes hundreds that adhere to particular criteria e.

Unlike mutual funds, which can have high investment minimums, investors can purchase as little as one share of an ETF at a time. Your money is indeed insured, but only against the unlikely event a brokerage firm or investment company goes under.

Your account choices boil down to a taxable brokerage account versus tax-favored retirement account, such as an IRA. And by that we mean taking a thoughtful and disciplined approach to investing your money for the long-term. Some key criteria to consider when evaluating any investment company are how much money you have, what type of assets you intend to buy, your trading style and technical needs, how frequently you plan to transact and how much service you need.

Promotion None. View details. Why we like it Interactive Brokers' IBKR Lite is a strong option for frequent traders: The broker offers international trade capabilities, no stock-trading commission and a quality trading platform. Pros Large investment selection. Strong research and tools. Over 4, no-transaction-fee mutual funds. Cons Website is difficult to navigate. Zacks Trade. Why we like it Zacks is a great choice for experienced and active investors who would appreciate a little extra support from a representative, but trades cost more than at competitors.

Pros Ample research offerings. Robust trading platform. Access to international exchanges. Cons Trails competitors on commissions.

High account minimum. Pros High-quality trading platforms. Comprehensive research. Commission-free stock, ETF and options trades. Advanced tools. Active trader community.

Cons Free trading on advanced platform requires TS Select. No transaction-fee-free mutual funds. Plans and pricing can be confusing. Want to compare more options? Last updated on May 1, Methodology NerdWallet's ratings for brokers and robo-advisors are weighted averages of several categories, including investment selection, customer support, account fees, account minimum, trading costs and more. Our survey of brokers and robo-advisors includes the largest U.

Factors we consider, depending on the category, include advisory fees, branch access, user-facing technology, customer service and mobile features. The stars represent ratings from poor one star to excellent five stars. Ratings are rounded to the nearest half-star. To recap our selections Frequently asked questions How much money do I need to start?

Should I just choose the cheapest broker? How can I diversify with little money? Is my money insured? What type of brokerage account should I choose? How quickly can I start trading? How do I decide whether a brokerage firm is right for me? We want to hear from you and encourage a lively discussion among our users. Please help us keep our site clean and safe by following our posting guidelines , and avoid disclosing personal or sensitive information such as bank account or phone numbers.

Any comments posted under NerdWallet's official account are not reviewed or endorsed by representatives of financial institutions affiliated with the reviewed products, unless explicitly stated otherwise. None No promotion available at this time. Open Account on Interactive Brokers's website.

None no promotion at this time. Open Account on Zacks Trade's website. Open Account on TradeStation's website. Read review. None no promotion available at this time. Open Account on Robinhood's website. None No promotion at this time.

Charles Schwab. E-Trade – Best for ongoing education. What to consider when choosing a broker. The best online stock trading websites offer consumer-friendly.

Want to trade stocks? On these measures, the brokerage firms below earned their place on our list of the best online brokers for stock trading. We evaluated brokerage firms and investment companies on the services that matter most to different types of investors. For example, for active traders, we've noted online brokers with low or no commissions and robust mobile trading platforms.

Disclosure: TheSimpleDollar. However, the rankings and listings of our reviews, tools and all other content are based on objective analysis.

We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Our goal is to help you make smarter financial decisions by providing you with interactive tools and financial calculators, publishing original and objective content, by enabling you to conduct research and compare information for free - so that you can make financial decisions with confidence.

Best Online Investment Sites & Brokers

Disclosure: We are committed to recommending the best products for our readers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to products, but this never affects our reviews or recommendations. If you want to manage your investments, the best way to do so today is with an online stock broker. There are a handful of excellent stock brokers to choose from, so knowing which is the best for your needs may be a challenge. To help you quickly hone in on the best option for your unique needs, we reviewed some of the best online stock brokers on the market today.

How to Buy a Stock

There are lots of brokerage firms out there. Each of them will likely tell you that they can offer more for your investing dollar than any of their competitors can. But when you get right down to it and you're ready to start investing, what should you look for in a broker and what do you need to do to get set up? One of the first questions you'll want to ask yourself when you start your search for a broker is, "Which brokers will let me open an account? These restrictions usually boil down to age and money. If you're young and interested in investing, keep in mind that in order to open your own brokerage account, you'll need to be a legal adult usually 18 years old. If you're not considered a legal adult yet, you can still invest, but your parents will need to set up a custodial account with your broker. A custodial account is essentially an account set up for a minor where the parents bear the legal responsibilities on behalf of the minor. With a custodial account, you'll still be able to trade stocks just as you would with your own account, except that Mom's and Dad's names will be on the account as well.

You can set up an account by depositing cash or stocks in a brokerage account.

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Online Trading

We've put together some helpful resources to make it quick and easy to self-service on our website and mobile apps. If you need to reach us by phone, please understand your wait may be longer than normal due to increased market volatility related to COVID Our knowledgeable professionals and industry leading tools are united to do one thing: make you a smarter, more confident investor. Trade without trade-offs. Our desktop, web, and mobile platforms are designed for performance and built for all levels of investors. Read more. Supporting your investing needs — no matter what We've put together some helpful resources to make it quick and easy to self-service on our website and mobile apps. The online brokerage that makes you a smarter investor Our knowledgeable professionals and industry leading tools are united to do one thing: make you a smarter, more confident investor. Open new account Learn more. When the market swings, learn how to swing back Get expert insights to help navigate the ups and downs of the market with confidence. Why would you trade anywhere else? Stay on top of the market with our award-winning trader experience. Learn more. Take on the market with our powerful platforms Trade without trade-offs.

Best online brokers for stocks in May 2020

With so many different types of online stock brokers available to investors, it can be tough to choose one that works best for you. When we started our online broker reviews in the fall of , no one knew how the world would change. We recognize that we all are living through a particularly volatile time as we deal with this global crisis, and financial markets have also seen unprecedented change, impacting all investors. Our analysis of the online brokerage industry is, " Commission Cuts, Consolidation, and a Coronavirus Crash. Our mission has always been to help people make the most informed decisions about how, when and where to invest. Given recent market volatility, and the changes in the online brokerage industry, we are more committed than ever to providing our readers with unbiased and expert reviews of the top investing platforms for investors of all levels, for every kind of market. Fidelity earned our top spot for the second year running by offering clients a well-rounded package of investing tools and excellent order executions.