Top rated stock brokers for new investors. The best online brokerage firms for beginners.

Top Brokers for New Investors

Let's look at the best online investing companies for beginner investors in 2026:

-  Robinhood (read review) offers a simple app and provides useful cash management services. Robinhood charges $0 for stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrency trades.

Promotion link: Up to $200 free stock + 3% IRA match + transfer fee refund at Robinhood.

Open Robinhood Account

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-  Charles Schwab (read review) has $0 commissions on stocks and ETFs, and $49.99 for mutual funds. There’s no minimum deposit to open an account. Charles Schwab is one of the largest and most trusted brokerage firms in the U.S., and it has some of the highest customer loyalty ratings. The website has a large selection of educational resources.

Promotion link: Satisfaction guarantee, ACAT reimbursement, and $0-fee trades at Charles Schwab.

Open Schwab Account

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Recommendations

If you are new to investing and want the best overall experience, go with Charles Schwab. Open an account if you want to invest with one of the biggest financial companies in the U.S. or need the best trading and research tools.

Robinhood is a good pick for new investors who want an IRA account, high cash interest, and cryptocurrencies.

Moomoo is the best choice for beginners who want the lowest costs.

How to Choose Your First Ideal Brokerage Company

For someone who has never invested, the stock market can look complicated and confusing. New investors often feel lost because of hard-to-use trading platforms, constant changes in stock prices, and unknown risks. But, just like any other skill, you can learn and get comfortable after some practice.

The most important first step is to pick a brokerage company that is friendly to beginners and easy to use. There are many companies to choose from. Some firms only manage clients’ money, while others focus on experienced traders who like advanced platforms.

Some “starter brokerage companies” are very beginner-friendly. They offer learning tools like online courses, webinars, and practice trading platforms so you can learn without risk. Some companies have online communities where investors share ideas and advice. A few firms even let you make a trade with help from a live broker without any extra charge.

Overview of Stock Market Brokerage Companies

Stock brokers offer many products and services to both beginners and experienced investors. When you open an account, you get a financial partner who should help you succeed. Some brokers do this better than others, but sometimes their services cost more. No matter which broker you choose, be sure to understand what services are available to you.

Financial Advice

Some brokers give investment advice for an extra charge, some offer basic advice for free, and others give no advice at all. If you want extra help making trades, look for a broker that offers investment advice.

Betterment, for example, gives one phone call per year with a licensed advisor for customers on its Plus plan, which costs 0.40% per year and requires a $100,000 minimum. If you pay 0.50% per year, you get unlimited calls with advisors.

Many firms now offer portfolio management, often through robo-advisors—computer programs that make trades for you. These cost less than accounts with a human advisor. Charles Schwab’s robo-advisor costs 0.30% per year and needs a $5,000 minimum. At M1 Finance, it’s free.

Fidelity gives customers basic investment advice over the phone for free when buying or selling securities.

If you want more personal help, traditional firms like Edward Jones and Raymond James have thousands of offices where you can meet a human advisor to make a plan just for you. This kind of planning can cost 2.0% of your assets or even more.

Trading Technology

If you want to trade on your own, you’ll need good trading tools to place orders and find investments. Some brokers, like TradeStation and Charles Schwab, offer powerful desktop platforms with great charting and screeners to help you make decisions.

Some firms charge fees for their tools or require a minimum account balance. TradeStation’s software is free, but there is an annual fee, which can be waived if you keep at least $2,000 in your account or make five trades a year.

The quality of tools can vary. Charles Schwab’s advanced platform, thinkorswim, is far better than JPM’s basic one. Some brokers, like WellsTrade and Sofi Invest, don’t offer a desktop platform at all.

Educational Materials

It’s important to understand the basics before you start trading. Many brokers offer educational resources on their websites, but the quality and amount can vary a lot. Schwab has many articles and videos covering topics like retirement, estate planning, and investing. Some brokers, like Robinhood, have almost no learning materials.

New Investor Brokers Pricing

Every broker lists its fees and commissions so you know what you’ll pay. One of the most common fees is for trading mutual funds, and prices can vary. Firstrade charges nothing for mutual fund trades, while Charles Schwab can charge up to $49.99 per trade.

Some brokers also charge fees just for having an account, transferring your account, wiring funds, or closing a retirement account. Always read the pricing schedule on a company’s website before you open an account.

Customer Support

All brokers offer some level of support, but the type and quality varies. Firstrade does not have 24/7 service, but you can use live chat on its website. Merrill Edge has service all day and night, but no chat. E*Trade has physical locations, but Vanguard does not. Make sure your broker offers the support you need.

Range of Funds

Mutual funds and ETFs are very popular. All discount brokers have ETFs, but not all have mutual funds. M1 Finance, for example, does not have mutual funds, but does offer ETFs.

Brokers that do offer mutual funds differ in how many and which ones are available. Merrill Edge offers under 5,000 funds, while Schwab offers over 10,000.

Banking Features

When you invest, you’ll have cash in your account. Some brokers add banking features to make it easy to use your money. Some, like Merrill Edge, give free checks and a debit card. Other firms, like WellsTrade, charge $100 a year for cash management.

Best Brokerage Firms For Beginners Summary

These are the standard features top brokers offer to beginners and experienced investors. Even though these features are standard, the quality and cost can vary a lot. Always do your research before choosing a broker.

If you’re still not sure where to start, start with Charles Schwab—you won’t be disappointed.