Step 4.

Start Investing
with a Low-Cost Online
Service
Once you have a retirement account up and
running, it's time to start investing for your non-
retirement investing needs.

Use a Robo Advisor

If you're not the type of person who wants to
DIY their investing accounts, you might be
happy using a robo advisor.

Robo advisors use algorithms to help create

the ideal portfolio mix for your needs and risk
tolerance, usually by investing in exchange
traded funds (ETFs). Usually, you don't get to
pick and choose individual stocks or funds —
the robo advisor does it all for you. You can
truly “set it and forget it.”
Betterment is an excellent robo advisor choice
for new investors because:
1. There's no initial minimum deposit
requirement
2. You can build the fund with periodic
contributions as low as $100 per month
3. Its fees are among the lowest in the
industry
One disadvantage of a robo advisor such as
Betterment is that investing in the account is
limited. You buy into either a basket of stock-
related ETFs or a basket of bond ETFs.
However, this is not a problem when you're
first starting out.
Get Up To 1 Year Free with Betterment
Still, when you're ready to spread your capital
around the investment universe and
particularly into individual stocks, you'll need to
look for a full-service broker to meet your
needs. If you want to find a financial advisor
who can not only help you invest, but also help
you plan for the future, you can use a service
like Paladin Registry . This service helps you
find a registered advisor who is legally
required to act in your best interest.
Use an Online Stock Broker
As opposed to hands-off robo advisors, online
stock brokers let you do the trading yourself.
That means researching, choosing, buying and
selling stocks, options, funds, etc., on your
own.

A great stock broker choice for beginners

is Merrill Edge. As a subsidiary of Bank of
America, you can simplify your finances by
having your bank and investing account in one
place. Like other stock brokers, stock trades
are commission-free, although you will have to
pay a small fee for more advanced trades like
options and mutual funds. Merrill Edge offers a
lot of account options, including IRAs, 529s,
and taxable investment accounts.