- Betterment vs. Acorns
Betterment and Acorns are two of the most popular trading platforms on the market. As robo-advisors, neither lets you directly invest money on your own, so you cannot buy or sell any individual assets. This means even bundled assets, such as mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETF), are off limits. Investors who prefer to directly… read more…
- Charles Schwab vs. TD Ameritrade
Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade offer very similar online trading platforms. Both companies provide full-service trading that allows you to access most mainstream securities and research using all or almost all mainstream forms of data. Whether you’re a veteran or a… read more…
- What Is a Moving Average in Stock Investing?
Investing in stocks while building a diversified portfolio can help you build wealth over the long-term. There are a number of indicators you can use to analyze stocks when deciding where to invest, including the moving average. A stock’s moving… read more…
- What Is Time in Force (TIF) in Investing?
Trading securities online entails using specialized lingo so that your precise intentions are carried out. One key term that you should be familiar with, whether you are an active trader or someone who trades less frequently, is “time in force”… read more…
- What Is a Brokered CD?
A certificate of deposit, or CD, offers a safe and secure way to save money that you may not need to use right away. CDs can offer a guaranteed rate of return on your money, in exchange for leaving those savings in the CD until it matures. A brokered CD is a savings option you… read more…
- A Guide to 3(38), 3(16) and 3(21) Fiduciaries
A 401(k) retirement plan fiduciary is a person who has the responsibility of managing the plan to the best interests of its participants. Federal law recognizes three types of 401(k) fiduciaries, 3(16), 3(21) and 3(38) fiduciaries. The names refer to… read more…
- Betterment vs. Vanguard
The choice between Betterment and Vanguard has more to do with your investment strategy than the features offered by each product. Betterment is a robo-advisor service so users invest in a series of funds automatically managed by the brokerage and cannot use… read more…
- Vanguard vs. Charles Schwab
Vanguard and Charles Schwab have both made their names as retail firms that offer personal financial services and investment advice. While both continue to sell financial and investment management as their flagship products, they have also gotten into the online… read more…
- Fidelity vs. Robinhood
Fidelity and Robinhood are about as different as the two trading platforms can get. Fidelity is a full-service brokerage firm. You can trade most securities through its platform, either on your own or with the help of an advisor, and there’s lots… read more…
- E*TRADE vs. Fidelity: Which Is Best for You?
E*TRADE arguably ushered in the modern era of online finance. Although far from the only option on the market, it established itself as the brand name for web-based trading in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Fidelity, by contrast, has… read more…
- TD Ameritrade vs. E*TRADE: Which Is Best for You?
TD Ameritrade and E*TRADE are two popular investment brokerages that both help consumers trade and invest online. If you are deciding which brokerage to use to help you invest your funds, then you’re probably wondering what the differences are between… read more…
- Stash vs. Robinhood
Many people begin their investment portfolios online. And with the surge of mobile apps making investment brokerage services available on your phone, it can be challenging to know where to begin. Stash and Robinhood are two popular options for beginners interested… read more…
- TD Ameritrade vs. Fidelity
TD Ameritrade and Fidelity are two of the most popular full-service trading platforms on the internet. Ultimately between these two giants, there are relatively few points of true distinction. If you’re looking for a trading platform that will give you… read more…
- TD Ameritrade vs. Robinhood
Comparing TD Ameritrade and Robinhood is a little bit of an exercise in apples-to-oranges. TD Ameritrade is a full-service brokerage firm offering storefront advising, online and app-based trading platforms and robo-advisors. Robinhood is a highly streamlined, primarily app-based trading platform… read more…
- Robinhood vs. Acorns
Acorns and Robinhood are online investment tools both geared toward younger, newer investors, but they are still quite distinct. Acorns is a robo-advisor that helps people invest by automatically skimming the spare change off their digital purchases. This overage is… read more…
- What Is a Cash Management Account?
When opening a brokerage account, you may also be given the option of opening a cash management account. Cash management accounts share some of the same features as checking accounts but they’re not traditional bank accounts like the kind you’d… read more…
- Federal Funds Rate: Definition and Use
Set by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the federal funds rate directly controls whether banks will lend any excess reserves to meet federal requirements. This rate has a huge impact on inflation, short-term borrowing and even investing. In this… read more…
- Webull vs. Robinhood
Webull and Robinhood are two popular online stock trading platforms where users can invest and make trades largely commission-free. Webull advertises itself as much to the desktop market as to app-based users, if not more, and tends to aim toward more… read more…
- What Is a Volatility ETF, and How Does It Work?
A volatility ETF is an exchange traded fund (ETF) that tracks share price changes in a specific index of the stock market. These funds make their money based on the degree to which prices are changing across the market. The specifics are different based on individual funds, as various volatility ETFs offer exposure to volatility… read more…
- How Blank Check Companies (SPACs) Work
A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), also known as a blank check company, is a publicly traded company created for the purpose of buying or merging with another company or companies. For reasons explained below, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)… read more…
- What Is a Sophisticated Investor? Definition and Requirements
One way the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) protects investors is by restricting who can put their money into particularly high-risk, loosely regulated or complex financial offerings. While anyone who has the money can buy stocks and bonds, the… read more…
- What Are Dilutive Securities?
Dilutive securities are any financial instrument that can increase the number of shares a company has outstanding. Examples include convertible bonds, options, warrants and preferred stock. The effect of dilutive securities is to reduce the price of shares and earnings attributable to each share. That’s one reason many shareholders object when a board of directors… read more…
- What Is a Good Earnings Per Share (EPS) Ratio?
When deciding where to invest your money, there are different ratios you can use to find the right companies to back. One of them is earnings per share (EPS), which is one way to measure a company’s profitability. The higher… read more…
- What Is “Buy the Dip” in Investing
Buying the dip is a tactic in which traders buy an asset, usually a stock, immediately after its price declines, anticipating that the price will go back up in the near term. There are many reasons why a trader might employ… read more…
- What Types of Assets Are Illiquid?
One of the most important features of an asset is how quickly or slowly it can be converted into cash. Whether it’s investors seeking details about a company’s finances or market players trying to figure out the fair market value,… read more…