7 Robinhood Features That Are Attracting Seasoned Investors

8 min read
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- Courtesy of Robinhood
Courtesy of Robinhood

Since its inception, Robinhood's new generation platform has made a name for itself, with many cutting-edge features gaining attention in the online investing space — especially amongst seasoned investors looking for more innovative investing solutions to Wall Street.

Designed for active trading, Robinhood's user-friendly, yet sophisticated platform allows investors to buy and trade stocks, options, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, and more — all commission-free.

In addition to providing easy access to fractional shares in Fortune 500 companies, these 7 Robinhood features are attracting investors and giving other larger trading platforms a run for their money.

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  1. 24-Hour Market: Robinhood is one of the few US retail brokerages to offer 24-hour a day, 5 days a week trading of single name stocks.¹ Trade TSLA, AMZN, AAPL, and more of your favorite stocks and ETFs on your schedule. This unique feature gives investors the flexibility to act swiftly and adapt to market-moving news whenever it hits.
  2. Earn 5% APY on your idle cash: Earn more interest on your uninvested cash with the Robinhood Gold subscription (1.5% APY without a Gold subscription). There's no cap, and you can withdraw or invest at any time.²
  3. Lower margin interest rates than competitors: Robinhood Gold members can increase their buying power with margin investing at 8% (12% without a Gold subscription)³ — versus competitor rates ranging from 8.075% to 12.45%.
  4. Commission-free trading — including options & crypto: Buy and sell stocks, ETFs, and options through Robinhood Financial and cryptocurrencies through Robinhood Crypto with zero commission fees* — compared to a $0.65/contract fee charged by competitors. Transfer crypto (including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Altcoins) to Robinhood, or send coins from your Robinhood account to other crypto wallets. It’s secure and simple, and you’ll never be charged deposit or withdrawal fees.⁴
  5. The only IRA with a match: Maximize your retirement goals with extra money from Robinhood Retirement, the only IRA with a boost on every dollar. Deposit any amount from any account, IRAs, or old 401(k)s and they’ll add 1%.⁵
  6. Exclusive IPO access: Be the first in line to invest in companies at the IPO price before they go public.⁶ Robinhood is one of the few online brokers that give eligible investors access to request shares from a privately held company before they go to the open market.
  7. Advanced market data & professional research (included with a Robinhood Gold subscription): Track market trends and plan trades with custom price alerts, advanced charts, and more. Keep tabs on the price movement of stocks and ETFs with Level II market data from Nasdaq, and plan your next move with in-depth research by independent financial analysts at Morningstar.

Getting started

Opening a new account with Robinhood requires no monthly fee or account minimum, and your first stock is free.

To create your Robinhood account, click here to fill out this short form and get the free app. You can then fund your account through a bank transfer or debit card and start investing with as little as $1. Or level up with the Robinhood Gold subscription for $5 a month.

Transfer all or part of an outside account, including stocks, cash, and other eligible assets through ACATS. Your other brokerage may charge up to $75 for transfers of $7,500 or more, but don't worry because Robinhood will reimburse you.

Create your Robinhood account and gain access to commission-free trading & a 24-hour market.
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* Terms apply. Other fees may apply, such as (non-commission) trading fees.

¹ Among U.S. retail brokers. Limitations and risks apply. Other fees may apply.

² Terms apply. Rates subject to change. With the brokerage cash sweep program, the uninvested cash in your brokerage account (cash intended for investing but that you have not yet invested or spent) is swept to partner banks (there are currently six banks in the program), where it becomes eligible for FDIC insurance up to $2 million or $250,000 per partner bank, inclusive of any other deposits you may already hold at the bank in the same ownership capacity which may impact how much is covered. Robinhood is not responsible for monitoring the amount of your deposits in any partner bank, whether these deposits are made through the brokerage cash sweep program or otherwise, to determine whether the amount on deposit exceeds the limit of available FDIC insurance. Please note that until funds are swept to a partner bank, they are held in your brokerage account which is protected by SIPC. Once funds are swept to a partner bank, they are no longer held in your brokerage account and are not protected by SIPC. However, these funds are eligible for FDIC insurance through the Partner Banks subject to FDIC insurance coverage limits. Please see the IND Sweep Agreement for more information on how the sweep program works and how we treat your uninvested cash balance. Member of SIPC, which protects securities customers of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash). Explanatory brochure available upon request or at http://www.sipc.org.

³ For margin enabled customers, to earn interest through the cash sweep program, a cash balance is needed. If you have a margin balance, there is no cash balance to earn interest.

⁴ Availability may be subject to regulatory approval in certain states. Network fees still apply.

⁵ Limitations apply. The IRA Match is automatically added after eligible contributions from an external bank account. Keep the contributions in your IRA for at least 5 years from the date you contribute. Other fees may apply.

⁶ IPOs can be risky and speculative investments, and may not be appropriate for every investor. Not intended as investment advice or a recommendation.

Robinhood’s Disclaimer: All investing involves risk and loss of principal is possible. There are additional, unique risks with trading outside of regular market hours you should be aware of before making an investment decision, including the risk of lower liquidity, increased volatility, greater spreads, and pricing uncertainty. Please review Robinhood’s Extended Hours Trading Disclosure for more information concerning these risks. Robinhood Financial LLC (member SIPC), is a registered broker dealer. Robinhood Securities, LLC (member SIPC), is a registered broker dealer and provides brokerage clearing services. Cryptocurrency services are offered through an account with Robinhood Crypto, LLC (NMLS ID 1702840). Robinhood Crypto is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. All are subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc. (Robinhood).

The information provided on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as investment or financial advice.