For new investors, not only is it hard to choose which stocks, bonds and other assets to put your money in, but it’s also challenging to figure out what app or site might be best for you to begin the process. While investing sites and apps can be a great place to find information, research stocks and ETFs, and even manage your investments, there are myriad options.
So we asked 10 wealth experts: what are the best sites or apps that actually help first-time investors the most? And, what features should you be looking for in one of these platforms?
Fidelity Investments, says Shane Cummings, CFP and director of technology/cybersecurity at Halbert Hargrove.
“I would generally recommend the Fidelity Investments platform for new investors starting off. The user interface is well-designed and intuitive to use. I think it offers a lot of functionality without being too overwhelming. They also highly value account security and offer a great dashboard for checking your security settings, which I think is very important in this day and age.
I also like that Fidelity will allow you to make trades in dollar quantities instead of only share quantities, which is a great feature for investors getting started. If you have only $50 or $100 to invest and want to buy shares of a specific stock/company, you can purchase fractional shares this way, so you can still participate in ownership of your desired stock(s) even if the current share price is greater than the amount you’re able to invest.”
M1 Finance, Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard, says Michael Boggiano, registered investment adviser, managing partner and co-founder at Wealthcare Financial.
“For any first-time investors, I typically recommend platforms that emphasize simplicity, education and low costs. M1 Finance as a good option for those who like a bit more control over their portfolio construction while still having some automation features. Apps like Fidelity, Schwab, and Vanguard are strong starting points because they combine easy-to-use interfaces with robust educational resources and long-term investing tools.
For clients who prefer a more guided approach, robo-advisors such as Betterment or Wealthfront can also be useful. These platforms help new investors get started quickly by automatically building diversified portfolios and rebalancing them over time, which removes some of the guesswork and emotional decision-making. Ultimately, the best platform is one that encourages consistency and long-term investing rather than frequent trading.”
Monarch Money, says Dace DeKruif, CFP at Silver Strand Financial Planning.
“For people looking to track expenses, net worth, savings/investing goals and overall budget, I really like what Monarch Money has to offer. Monarch money is one of those all-in-one apps that can help provide a clear holistic view of someone’s financial health and help them understand how they got there and how they can work to take the next step. SoFi Invest is a great all in one account if someone is looking to combine banking and investing in the same app …
… I would caution any first time investor to be very careful when it comes to options and margin and I would recommend avoiding anything that is pushing options/margin unless you really mean to get involved with this.”
Schwab, says Chelsea Kiehler, investment adviser and managing principal at Sequent Planning.
“Schwab is pretty user friendly and easy to learn while offering free trades. They also provide access to general market information.
Rather than going it alone, employees should take advantage of free workplace resources such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), financial wellness programs, coaching and access to financial advisers. These benefits can provide objective guidance, help investors avoid emotional decision-making, like buying high during market excitement, and support a disciplined, long-term strategy aligned with their broader financial plan.”
Fidelity, Vanguard or Schwab, says Michael Foguth, founder and president at Foguth Financial Group.
“When clients are just getting started with investing, I usually point them toward platforms that make the process simple without oversimplifying the decisions. Apps like Fidelity, Vanguard or Schwab tend to be strong options because they combine low costs with solid educational resources. For beginners, that combination is critical — you want a platform that encourages long-term investing rather than constant trading. Some newer apps can make investing feel like a game, which may be exciting at first but can lead to poor habits if people start chasing short-term gains.
A good investing platform should offer low fees, access to diversified investments like index funds or ETFs, and educational tools that help people understand what they’re doing with their money.”
Betterment, Fidelity, Vanguard, Wealthfront and Schwab, says Kyle Mostransky, financial adviser and owner at Mostransky & Associates, LLC.
“Not one app/platform is perfect, however these do a great job for new investors: Fidelity, Vanguard, Betterment, Wealthfront and Schwab … They prioritize simplicity, education tools and relatively low cost when first starting out choosing an investment app or platform.
Also, it helps clients that do not have an adviser to help teach risk tolerance, diversification, tax implications, etc. A good app/platform can help educate them on those topics. We want new investors to build confidence and engagement early on and make sure they know why they are doing something and not just the ‘how to do it.’ Simplicity reduces decision fatigue and minimizes behavioral mistakes to help with long term goal-based investment.”
Robo advisers, says Brian Matter, CFP, principal and owner at Creative Capital Management Investments.
“For first-time investors, I highly recommend low-cost, easy-to-use platforms that make it simple to buy diversified investments (like broad-market index ETFs) and focus on automating good habits over gamification. A few common examples include large, well-established brokerages as well as reputable robo-advisors. The ‘best’ choice depends on what the investor needs most.
If simplicity is the priority then a robo-advisor might be a good option because it handles portfolio construction, rebalancing, and ongoing maintenance automatically. As an adviser I don’t always agree with some of the allocations that are put together but they will be easy to use and get someone started. If the investor wants to learn hands-on then a major brokerage with strong education tools, access to fractional shares, and easy recurring dollar-cost averaging investing can be a good fit.”
Vanguard, Fidelity, Betterment or Wealthfront, says Josh Katz, CPA and founder of Universal Tax Professionals.
“For most beginners, I tell them to start with Vanguard or Fidelity because the fund options are solid, fees are low, and the platforms aren’t trying to gamify investing with confusing features. Vanguard’s interface isn’t flashy but that’s actually good for new investors who need to just buy index funds and leave them alone.
Fidelity’s got a better mobile app and customer service if you need hand-holding. For clients who want more guidance, I’ve seen good results with Betterment or Wealthfront for automated investing, though you’re paying a small management fee for something you could do yourself with a little research. I stay away from recommending Robinhood or apps that encourage day trading because new investors don’t need that temptation.”
For those just looking to do some research
If you’re just looking to do research, pros also have some picks. “I like to introduce Morningstar to students so the students have a better understanding of how investment funds, such as exchange-traded funds and mutual funds, are evaluated. Morningstar’s tools allow for easy attribution analysis on size, style, geographical location, industry, sector, etc. I also like to introduce students to Barchart. Barchart provides easy-to-use and understandable information on equities,” says Larissa Adamiec, associate clinical professor of finance at Purdue University.
And take a look at Bogleheads.org, says Michael Ryan, retired financial planner and personal finance writer. “Not a brokerage. But another free, community-driven forum built around John Bogle’s low-cost index philosophy. The wiki covers everything from choosing your first fund to tax-loss harvesting. No ads, no affiliate links, no one selling anything. Signal-to-noise ratio crushes Reddit. I’ve pointed hundreds of clients there over decades.” https://www.marketwatch.com/picks/10-financial-advisers-and-money-pros-on-the-best-investing-apps-now-ac4de9ba?mod=newsviewer_click
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