Investing can be intimidating, but following some basic principles can put you on the path to achieving your financial goals.
— Brian Baker, CFA
Brian Baker, CFA, covers investing and retirement for Bankrate. He previously worked in equity research at Diamond Hill Capital Management and is a CFA Charterholder. His work has appeared online in various publications including MarketWatch, Fortune, the Omaha World-Herald, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Detroit News, MSN and Yahoo Finance.
Prior to joining Bankrate, he covered mergers and acquisitions for MLex Market Insight in Washington, D.C. Baker is passionate about helping people make sense of complicated financial topics so that they can better plan for their financial futures.
Readers can rely on his articles to learn more about a variety of investing topics such as how to start investing, investing through mutual funds, when to sell a stock and how investors can manage their emotions.
Baker’s passion for investing developed in college after reading about the success of long-term investors like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger.
Investing can be intimidating, but following some basic principles can put you on the path to achieving your financial goals.
— Brian Baker, CFA
SoFi Automated Investing offers a low-cost robo-advisor that can get the job done without a lot of fuss. Its biggest advantages include no management fee, cheap ETFs, and access to certified financial planners.
While Webull may not receive the fanfare of Robinhood for no-fee trading apps, the broker is at least as capable and may even make a better mobile or web-based trader than its popular rival.
Axos Self-Directed Trading is a good home for investors in mutual funds and stocks, especially existing Axos customers looking to keep their financial life under one roof.
E-Trade has a wide variety of valuable tools and easy-to-understand resources that offer a lot of value for beginners.
If you're not worried about funds and simply want a cheap and flexible platform for stocks and options, Ally has you covered with a low-cost structure and great tools.
SoFi Active Investing is a low-cost broker that should meet the needs of new investors looking to only trade stocks and ETFs.
Zacks Trade might appeal to active traders with its advanced platform and extensive research resources, however its high account minimum, a monthly inactivity fee, and charges for mutual fund trades may not be attractive to new investors.
Merrill Edge's synergy with Bank of America makes it one of the most cost-effective brokers.
What investors should know about alpha and how it is generated.
Short-term investments minimize risk, but at the cost of potentially higher returns available in the best long-term investments.