Investment Choices
Building your portfolio shouldn’t be like ordering off the kids’ menu. You want choices. You want opportunity. You want to explore. Well, that all starts here—with our full range of investment choices.
Meet your investment choices
They range from the simple to the complex. Long term to short term. The beginner to the expert level.
Here’s a quick overview before you dive in.
Stocks
Stocks are purchased in "shares." Each share is a small piece of the company, which makes you a part owner. Share prices are constantly going up and down, so stocks can be traded throughout the day.
Options
Options give you the right to buy or sell a stock at a set price, on or before an expiration date. The two most common are "puts" where the owner believes the stock’s price will fall, and "calls" where the owner believes the stock’s price will rise.
Futures
Futures let you lock in a price today for a security you would like to buy or sell on or before a set date in the future. Because futures contracts are less expensive than the underlying investment, you can buy or sell more with less upfront cost. Both gains and losses can be greater than the initial outlay.
ETFs
ETFs—or exchange-traded funds—are diversified “baskets” of investments that you can buy for one set price. ETF prices go up and down all day, so ETFs can be traded similar to stocks.
Mutual Funds
Mutual funds are "baskets" of stocks and bonds that can be purchased for one set price, known as the net asset value. Unlike ETFs, whose prices go up and down throughout the day, mutual fund prices only change once, at the close of the trading day.
Bonds & CDs
Think of bonds and CDs as loans you provide to an institution, such as the U.S. Treasury, a corporation, or a state or local government. They are designed to pay you interest, and return your initial investment 100% by their date of maturity. Risk levels, and therefore rates of return, vary by institution.
Interested in gaining indirect exposure to cryptocurrencies via securities and futures?
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Low pricing
$0
Stocks, ETFs and options2
65¢
Options contracts2
$1.50
Futures contracts3
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Buy and sell stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, bonds, and more.
Roth IRA4
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Pay no income taxes or tax penalties on qualified distributions if you meet certain requirements.
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