Best Brokerages for Beginners

Best all-around for beginners: Fidelity

Fidelity is a frequent top pick for new investors: it’s long been known for very low-cost (including some zero-expense-ratio) index funds, no account minimums, fractional shares, and strong educational resources and customer service. It’s a one-stop home for a brokerage account and a Roth IRA under the same roof.

Best for: most first-time investors who want simplicity and low costs. [Add affiliate link & current promo here.]

Best for pure index investing: Vanguard

Vanguard popularized low-cost index investing and remains a favorite of long-term, buy-and-hold investors. Its lineup of broad index funds and ETFs is excellent and cheap. The trade-off: the platform and app feel more utilitarian than flashier competitors, which is a fine price for many index investors to pay.

Best for: set-it-and-forget-it index investors. [Add affiliate link here.]

Best all-rounder with branches: Charles Schwab

Schwab pairs low-cost funds and $0 trades with a polished platform, broad account options, and physical branches for those who value in-person help. It’s a strong, well-rounded choice that grows with you from beginner to more advanced needs.

Best for: beginners who want a full-featured platform and branch access. [Add affiliate link here.]

The bottom line

You can’t go far wrong with any of these three for long-term investing — the biggest mistake is waiting. Open the account, set up automatic contributions, and put the money into a broad, low-cost fund. New to that part? Start with our Ultimate Guide to Index Funds, then read how to choose a brokerage.