Where to open the account

All five work for the three-fund plan. Each carries IRAs and charges $0 to trade US stocks and ETFs. They differ on automatic investing and what your cash earns. Pick one, open the account, and move on.

Fidelity

Trading fees
$0 for US stocks and ETFs.
Minimum to open
None.
Fractional shares
7,000+ stocks and ETFs, from $1.
Automatic investing
Stocks, ETFs and funds, from $1. No daily option.
Cash earns
3.50% (SPAXX, 2026-10-16).
Open at FidelityNo referral. I get nothing from this link.

Source, checked 2026-10-17.

Charles Schwab

Trading fees
$0 for US stocks and ETFs.
Minimum to open
None.
Fractional shares
Most US stocks and ETFs, from $1.
Automatic investing
Mutual funds only, from $100.
Cash earns
About 0.01% unless you move it to a money market fund.
Open at Charles SchwabNo referral. I get nothing from this link.

Source, checked 2026-10-17.

Vanguard

Trading fees
$0 for stocks and ETFs. $25 yearly fee, waived with e-delivery.
Minimum to open
$1 for ETFs. $1,000 to $3,000 for most mutual funds.
Fractional shares
Vanguard ETFs and funds only.
Automatic investing
ETFs and funds, weekly to monthly.
Cash earns
3.82% (VMFXX, 2026-10-16).
Open at VanguardNo referral. I get nothing from this link.

Source, checked 2026-10-17.

Robinhood

Trading fees
$0 for stocks and ETFs.
Minimum to open
None.
Fractional shares
Most stocks and ETFs, from $1.
Automatic investing
Any amount, daily to monthly, IRAs included.
Cash earns
3.6% with Gold ($5 a month). Not published without it.
Open at RobinhoodMy referral link. I get a referral bonus if you open an account through it. Plain link.

Source, checked 2026-10-17.

M1

Trading fees
$0. $3 a month under $10,000.
Minimum to open
$100, or $500 for an IRA.
Fractional shares
US stocks and ETFs, from $1.
Automatic investing
Weekly to monthly, invested automatically into your mix.
Cash earns
Nothing in the investing account.
Open at M1My referral link. I get a referral bonus if you open an account through it. Plain link.

Source, checked 2026-10-17.

Already have a 401(k) at work? Keep it where it is for the match. The broker you pick here is for your IRA and anything beyond.