Smart investing decisions start here
Our Nerds investigated investment selection, fees, and more to bring you the top investing platforms, retirement accounts, and brokers of 2023. While some winners may be partners, this didn't influence our decisions.
Check out the winners
Best Online Broker for Beginning Investors
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Why our Nerds love it
Fidelity is a perennial winner here. It offers $0 trading commissions, over 3,000 no-transaction-fee mutual funds, and extensive investor education.
Read our methodologyBest Online Broker for Stock Trading Platform and Research
$0
per trade
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
- Free research.
- High-quality trading platforms.
- No account minimum.
- Good customer support.
- Large investment selection.
Cons
- No fractional shares.
Pros
- Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
- Free research.
- High-quality trading platforms.
- No account minimum.
- Good customer support.
- Large investment selection.
Cons
- No fractional shares.
$0
per trade
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
- Free research.
- High-quality trading platforms.
- No account minimum.
- Good customer support.
- Large investment selection.
Cons
- No fractional shares.
Pros
- Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
- Free research.
- High-quality trading platforms.
- No account minimum.
- Good customer support.
- Large investment selection.
Cons
- No fractional shares.
$0
per trade
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
- Free research.
- High-quality trading platforms.
- No account minimum.
- Good customer support.
- Large investment selection.
Cons
- No fractional shares.
Pros
- Commission-free stock and ETF trades.
- Free research.
- High-quality trading platforms.
- No account minimum.
- Good customer support.
- Large investment selection.
Cons
- No fractional shares.
Why our Nerds love it
TD Ameritrade wins again for its professional-level trading platform and free access to research from more than a dozen high-quality sources.
Read our methodologyBest App for Investing
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Why our Nerds love it
Fidelity wins again for its all-star lineup of trading tools and research. Fidelity’s mobile apps have the highest average user rating of companies we reviewed.
Read our methodologyBest Online Broker for IRA Investing
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
$0
per trade for online U.S. stocks and ETFs
$0
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Pros
- Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
- Large selection of research providers.
- Strong customer service.
- Expense-ratio-free index funds.
- Highly rated mobile app.
- High interest rate on uninvested cash.
Cons
- Relatively high broker-assisted trade fee.
Why our Nerds love it
Fidelity’s low fees, retirement tools and expense-ratio-free index funds make it a clear winner for retirement investors.
Read our methodologyBEST ROBO-ADVISOR FOR LOW-COST INVESTING
PAID NON-CLIENT PROMOTION
PAID NON-CLIENT PROMOTION
- Access to Vanguard’s investing expertise and ETFs.
- Low management fee relative to competitors.
- Low investment expense ratios and no additional account fees.
- Access to Vanguard’s investing expertise and ETFs.
- Low management fee relative to competitors.
- Low investment expense ratios and no additional account fees.
- Access to Vanguard’s investing expertise and ETFs.
- Low management fee relative to competitors.
- Low investment expense ratios and no additional account fees.
- Access to Vanguard’s investing expertise and ETFs.
- Low management fee relative to competitors.
- Low investment expense ratios and no additional account fees.
- Access to Vanguard’s investing expertise and ETFs.
- Low management fee relative to competitors.
- Low investment expense ratios and no additional account fees.
- Access to Vanguard’s investing expertise and ETFs.
- Low management fee relative to competitors.
- Low investment expense ratios and no additional account fees.
Why our Nerds love it
Vanguard Digital Advisor wins again for its low management fees, low investment expense ratios and no additional account fees.
Read our methodologyBEST ROBO-ADVISOR FOR PORTFOLIO OPTIONS
PAID NON-CLIENT PROMOTION
PAID NON-CLIENT PROMOTION
- Low ETF expense ratios.
- Daily tax-loss harvesting.
- Automatic rebalancing.
- Low ETF expense ratios.
- Daily tax-loss harvesting.
- Automatic rebalancing.
- Low ETF expense ratios.
- Daily tax-loss harvesting.
- Automatic rebalancing.
- Low ETF expense ratios.
- Daily tax-loss harvesting.
- Automatic rebalancing.
- Low ETF expense ratios.
- Daily tax-loss harvesting.
- Automatic rebalancing.
- Low ETF expense ratios.
- Daily tax-loss harvesting.
- Automatic rebalancing.
Why our Nerds love it
Wealthfront offers ETFs from 12 asset classes, a socially responsible portfolio, and access to cryptocurrency trusts. Clients can customize their portfolios.
Read our methodologyBEST ONLINE FINANCIAL ADVISOR
PAID NON-CLIENT PROMOTION
PAID NON-CLIENT PROMOTION
- Makes it easy to find a financial advisor.
- Network of financial advisors offer a wide range of planning services.
- No fee for using Zoe Financial to find an advisor.
- Makes it easy to find a financial advisor.
- Network of financial advisors offer a wide range of planning services.
- No fee for using Zoe Financial to find an advisor.
- Makes it easy to find a financial advisor.
- Network of financial advisors offer a wide range of planning services.
- No fee for using Zoe Financial to find an advisor.
- Makes it easy to find a financial advisor.
- Network of financial advisors offer a wide range of planning services.
- No fee for using Zoe Financial to find an advisor.
- Makes it easy to find a financial advisor.
- Network of financial advisors offer a wide range of planning services.
- No fee for using Zoe Financial to find an advisor.
- Makes it easy to find a financial advisor.
- Network of financial advisors offer a wide range of planning services.
- No fee for using Zoe Financial to find an advisor.
Why our Nerds love it
Zoe Financial will help you find a carefully vetted advisor who can assist you with retirement planning, investing, tax strategy and more.
Read our methodologyBEST ROBO-ADVISOR FOR IRA INVESTING
UNPAID NON-CLIENT PROMOTION
UNPAID NON-CLIENT PROMOTION
- No management fee.
- Wide ETF selection.
- Customizable portfolio.
- No management fee.
- Wide ETF selection.
- Customizable portfolio.
- No management fee.
- Wide ETF selection.
- Customizable portfolio.
- No management fee.
- Wide ETF selection.
- Customizable portfolio.
- No management fee.
- Wide ETF selection.
- Customizable portfolio.
- No management fee.
- Wide ETF selection.
- Customizable portfolio.
Why our Nerds love it
Schwab's $0 account management fee, strong customer support and variety of portfolio options make it a clear choice for retirement planning.
Read our methodologyFrequently asked questions
- be longer than our Best-Of Awards list
- offer additional consumer choices
- get updated as products change or are discontinued and as new products emerge
This year's Best-Of-Awards list winners were chosen in mid-October 2022.
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