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My Top Online Stock Brokers

Listen — once your emergency fund is set and your debt is handled, it's time to put your money to work. The right online stock broker makes investing simple, low-cost, and beginner-friendly. These are the brokers I trust to help you start building real, long-term wealth.

Anthony O'Neal

Anthony's Top Online Stock Brokers

Ready to put your money to work? These are the brokers I trust to help you build real wealth.

Updated September 16, 2026.

292 people compared accounts in the last hour
96% of visitors chose this partner
Top Pick
SoFi® Invest

Our Partner

🏆 Get up to $1,000 in Stock when you Fund a New Account*

  • 1% Match on recurring deposits, paid in rewards points with a SoFi Plus membership
  • Buy fractional shares starting at $5
  • Buy and sell stocks with no commissions
  • Access to alternative investments, including private market funds
  • Get a 30 minute session with a SoFi financial planner, or upgrade to SoFi Plus for unlimited sessions
Start Investing

SoFi Invest Official Site

Public

Our Partner

Start Investing

Public Official Site

  • Invest in stocks, bonds, options, crypto and more
  • Earn rebates on your options trades, including with our free active trading API
  • Turn any idea into an investable index. Just enter a prompt, and put our AI to work
  • Invest for retirement with a matching 1% bonus on your annual IRA contributions
Acorns

Our Partner

Start Investing

Acorns Official Site

  • Online banking that automatically saves and invests with no hidden fees

  • Earn bonus investments from thousands of top brands

  • Expert-led, bite-sized courses to increase your financial knowledge
Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck by Anthony O'Neal

FROM ANTHONY O'NEAL

STOP LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK

Break free from debt, build real wealth, and live free on any income — get the full playbook.

Wealth Projection Calculator

See what consistent investing could do.

Plug in your numbers and find out what your future could look like when your money keeps working.

Your age today.

If you were born in 1960 or later, you can retire at age 67 with full benefits.

$

Total of all investment accounts including 401(k)s, IRAs, mutual funds, etc.

%

Historically, the 30-year return of the S&P 500 has been roughly 10–12%.

$

We recommend investing 15% of your paycheck.

Your Projection

In years, you could have

Total projected value

$0

Initial Balance

$0

0% of total

Contributions

$0

0% of total

Growth

$0

0% of total

Projections are illustrative only. Actual investment returns vary and are not guaranteed.

Expert Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

The questions I get asked the most

01
When am I actually ready to start investing?

Real talk — investing is step four, not step one. Before you put a dollar in the market, get on a written budget, build a starter emergency fund, knock out your high-interest debt, and stack three to six months of expenses in a high-yield savings account. Once that foundation is solid, open a brokerage account and start putting money to work every single month. That's how you build wealth that lasts.

02
Are online stock brokers safe and legit?

Yes — the brokers I recommend are regulated by the SEC and FINRA, and your account is protected by SIPC insurance up to $500,000 (including a $250,000 limit for cash). That covers you if the broker fails. It doesn't cover market losses — no insurance does — but your money and shares are protected from broker fraud or insolvency. Stick with reputable platforms, and you're in good shape.

03
How much money do I need to get started?

Less than you think. Most of the top online brokers have $0 account minimums and let you buy fractional shares for as little as $1 or $5. That means you can start investing with whatever you have today — and then commit to adding to it every paycheck. Consistency beats lump sums every time. The hardest part isn't the amount, it's getting in the game.

04
What should I actually invest in as a beginner?

Keep it simple. For most people, low-cost index funds and ETFs that track the broad market are the smartest place to start — you get instant diversification, low fees, and decades of historical growth working in your favor. Skip the meme stocks, skip the day-trading, and skip anything you don't understand. Slow, steady, and consistent — that's how regular people build generational wealth.

SoFi® Invest's Disclosures:

INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE

Probability of a Member receiving $1,000 is a probability of 0.026%; If you don't make a selection in 45 days, you'll no longer qualify for the promo. Customer must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify. Probability percentage is subject to decrease.

Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA / SIPC.

SoFi® Invest

1. Other fees, such as exchange fees, may apply. Please view our fee disclosure to view a full listing of fees.
2. Investing in alternative investments and/or strategies may not be suitable for all investors and involves unique risks, including the risk of loss. An investor should consider their individual circumstances and any investment information, such as a prospectus, prior to investing. Interval Funds are illiquid instruments, the ability to trade on your timeline may be restricted. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, Member FINRA(www.finra.org) /SIPC(www.sipc.org).
3. There are limitations with fractional shares to consider before investing. During market hours fractional share orders are transmitted immediately in the order received. There may be system delays from receipt of your order until execution and market conditions may adversely impact execution prices. Outside of market hours orders are received on a not held basis and will be aggregated for each security then executed in the morning trade window of the next business day at market open. Share will be delivered at an average price received for executing the securities through a single batched order. Fractional shares may not be transferred to another firm. Fractional shares will be sold when a transfer or closure request is initiated. Please consider that selling securities is a taxable event.
4. Options involve risks, including substantial risk of loss and the possibility an investor may lose the entire investment Before trading options please review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options
5. Utilizing a margin loan is generally considered more appropriate for experienced investors as there are additional costs and risks associated. It is possible to lose more than your initial investment when using margin. Please see https://www.sofi.com/wealth/assets/documents/brokerage-margin-disclosure-statement.pdf for detailed disclosure information.
6. SoFi Plus members can schedule an unlimited number of appointments with a financial planner during periods in which the SoFi Plus member meets the eligibility criteria set forth in section 10(a) of the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions. SoFi members who are not members of SoFi Plus can schedule one (1) appointment with a financial planner. The ability to schedule appointments is subject to financial planner availability. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this benefit at any time with or without notice. Advisory services are offered by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov
7. The probability of a member receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. If you don’t make a selection in 45 days, you’ll no longer qualify for the promo. Members must fund their account with a minimum of $50.00 to qualify. The probability percentage is subject to decrease. Members are only eligible for the Stock Award promotion upon opening their first brokerage account; subsequent cash brokerage accounts are ineligible for the promo, including for members with multiple accounts.

8. SoFi will match 1% of a customer's ACAT transfers, up to $5,000,000 into an existing or newly opened SoFi self-directed individual retirement account (IRA) or SoFi self-directed taxable account during the Offer Period of Sept 10- Sept 30, 2026. The transferred assets must be settled before the end of the Offer Period to qualify for the match and must be maintained in the account for five years. For the full terms and conditions, please visit SoFi.com/ACATterms.

9. Terms and conditions apply*. For 401k rollovers, existing SoFi IRA members must complete 401k rollovers via this link For SoFi members without a SoFi IRA, a SoFi IRA must first be opened, and 401k rollover must be completed utilizing Capitalize via this link. SoFi and Capitalize will charge no additional fees to process a 401(k) rollover to a SoFi IRA. SoFi is not liable for any costs incurred from the existing 401k provider for rollover. Please check with your 401k provider for any fees or costs associated with the rollover. For IRA contributions, only deposits made via ACH and cash transfer from SoFi Bank accounts are eligible for the match. Click here for the 1% Match terms and conditions.

10. Must be a SoFi Plus member at the time a recurring deposit is received into your SoFi Active or Automated investing account to qualify. Bonus calculated on net monthly recurring deposits made via ACH and paid out as Rewards Points. See Rewards Terms of Service. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time without notice. See terms and limitations. https://www.sofi.com/sofiplus/invest/#disclaimers

Public

*Rate as of 1/21/26. APY is variable and subject to change.

**Paid endorsement. Brokerage services provided by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Investing involves risk. Not investment advice. Options trading entails significant risk and is not appropriate for all investors.  Review Options Disclosure Document here. Review Options Rebate Terms here. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at public.com/disclosures/GA. See terms of match program at https://public.com/disclosures/matchprogram. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time.