No app we reviewed scored as highly across the board as Fidelity’s relatively new product, Spire. Designed for inexperienced traders, Spire combines savings graphics and nudges with the ability to buy and sell stocks.
Spire has no account or investment minimums, and it features fractional share investing, allowing you to buy less than one share of a particular security. There are no account fees, and your orders aren’t sold to high-frequency trading shops. This practice, called selling order flow, is thought by some to result in customers getting worse prices when they buy or sell investments.
Plus, you needn’t commit yourself to short-term buying and selling; Spire offers a range of account types outside of normal taxable investment accounts, like you find at Robinhood. Its retirement and 529 accounts allow you to invest for your and your children’s futures.
From a usability standpoint, Spire is first-rate. Not only is it easy to navigate, but it’s also chock-full of useful investing definitions and educational material that will help fledgling Warren Buffets find their way. Another perk is the ability to coordinate with Fidelity Go, the Boston-based investment firm’s robo-advisor service, which tied for third in our ranking of best robo-advisors. As with most leading robos, you’ll be presented with a suite of pre-made portfolios that match your risk tolerance and are stuffed with low-cost funds.
While Spire provides indirect access to the full capabilities of investing behemoth Fidelity, Forbes Advisor’s top choice for best brokerage overall, traders desiring more esoteric options, such as commodities or cryptocurrency, will be disappointed.
