How to keep up your broker face

Broker Basics

Finding your match

What To Look For

How to split the check

Fees 😢

Brokerage risks to consider

Checking They're Legit

How to avoid kissing too many frogs

How To Find The One

How to pick a trading platform

Your Guide To Choosing An Investment Platform That Suits You Best

Choosing A Broker

There’s no real roadmap for navigating this kind of banking crisis. So Russell takes a look at the road ahead and where you might find opportunities now.

The Two Big Risks Ahead For US Banks, And What It All Means For Your Portfolio

With all this volatility, you may want to write that useful old adage down.

Remember: It’s About Time In The Market (Not Timing The Market)

JPMorgan’s leading the charge to save First Republic Bank – but not out of pure generosity

JPMorgan To The Banking Rescue

Big Tech kept downsizing, with Amazon nixing another 9,000 jobs

Amazon’s Cutting Down On More Workers

JPMorgan’s leading the charge to save First Republic Bank, while Big Tech kept downsizing with Amazon nixing another 9,000 jobs

Your Daily Brief For March 22nd

Buying a share in Apple Inc. isn’t like buying an actual apple. When purchasing a fruit you’re generally going to one of a limited number of stores and browsing the shelves. But with a share most of the time you’re buying it from a fellow investor (that might be a bank, a hedge fund, or Jenny from Iowa).

It can be hard for these buyers and sellers to pair up: it’s unlikely that you’ll know someone wanting to sell a stock at the exact same time you’re wanting to buy. That’s where brokers, the middlemen of finance, come in. They take your order to buy and find you a seller.

__Do I need a broker?__ If you want to buy and sell stocks regularly (a.k.a. trade), then yes. Having a “broker” doesn’t mean there’s actually a suited guy running around on your behalf on the stock exchange floor though! These days, brokers are mostly digital platforms – systems that you can access from your phone or laptop to trade at your leisure. You can manage your portfolio online, submitting trades that your broker will execute electronically. And there are tons of different brokers out there, ranging from ultra-minimalist to complex tools that let you trade arcane financial products. The choice can be pretty overwhelming.

__How do I pick the broker for me?__ Choosing a broker is a bit like dating: you’ll want to think about what you’re looking for, take your time, and hopefully end up with someone that you can stick with forever. But it’s hard at first to know what to look for, and that’s where this guide comes in. We’ll arm you with the tools to swipe right with confidence.

First up: time to imagine your dream broker…

Pack

chapterId

encryptedEmail

ContentPieceChapterQuery

viewer

query ContentPieceChapterQuery(
  $chapterId: String!
  $encryptedEmail: String
) {
  viewer {
    authorization {
      roles {
        isAnonymous
      }
      ...SingleContentPieceChapter_authorization
    }
    content(encryptedEmail: $encryptedEmail) {
      ...SingleContentPieceChapter_content
      contentPieceChapter(chapterId: $chapterId) {
        __typename
        ...SingleContentPieceChapter_contentPieceChapter
        id
      }
    }
    id
  }
}

fragment AudioOnlyBanner_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  headerImage {
    ...ServerImage_image
  }
  title
}

fragment Avatar_image on URLImage {
  original
}

fragment Block_block on ContentPieceBlock {
  __isContentPieceBlock: __typename
  __typename
  ... on TextBlock {
    id
    ...TextBlock_block
  }
  ... on ImageBlock {
    id
    ...ImageBlock_block
  }
  ... on QuoteBlock {
    id
    ...QuoteBlock_block
  }
}

fragment ChapterSelector_contentPieceChapter on ContentPieceChapterInterface {
  __isContentPieceChapterInterface: __typename
  contentPiece {
    __typename
    title
    chapters {
      __typename
      title
      subtitle
      id
      slug
    }
    id
  }
}

fragment ContentHeader_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  ...DefaultContentHeader_contentPiece
  ...EvergreenContentHeader_contentPiece
  contentPieceType {
    isEvergreen
  }
}

fragment ContentMetadata_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  byline
  consumptionTime
  dateUpdatedDisplay
  contentPieceType {
    name
  }
}

fragment ContentPieceChapterSEO_contentPieceChapter on ContentPieceChapterInterface {
  __isContentPieceChapterInterface: __typename
  title
  contentPiece {
    __typename
    byline
    imageForSeo: headerImage {
      url: full
    }
    id
    title
    seoTitle
    searchDescription
  }
  subtitle
  firstPublishedAt
  id
  ... on PublicContentPieceChapter {
    globalContentPieceChapterId
  }
}

fragment ContentPieceExploreMore_content_4goxN4 on Content {
  moreContentPiecesOfSameType: contentPieces(first: 5) {
    edges {
      node {
        title
        id
        slug
        subtitle
        canonicalLink
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment ContentPieceSponsor_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  sponsoringCompany {
    id
    name
    link
    logo {
      ...ServerImage_image
    }
  }
}

fragment DefaultContentHeader_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  ...ContentMetadata_contentPiece
  ...ListenButton_contentPiece
  ...AudioOnlyBanner_contentPiece
  ...KeyInsights_contentPiece
  id
  deepLink
  canonicalLink
  title
  author {
    id
    byline
    profilePicture {
      ...Avatar_image
    }
  }
  headerImage {
    ...ServerImage_image
  }
}

fragment EvergreenContentHeader_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  ...ContentMetadata_contentPiece
  ...ListenButton_contentPiece
  ...ContentPieceSponsor_contentPiece
  canonicalLink
  id
  deepLink
  title
  hasAudio
  headerImage {
    ...ServerImage_image
  }
}

fragment ImageBlock_block on ImageBlock {
  image {
    ...ServerImage_image
  }
  alt
  caption
}

fragment KeyInsightsBlock_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  keyInsightsBlocks {
    id
    textMarkdown
  }
}

fragment KeyInsightsCarousel_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  keyInsightsBlocks {
    id
    textMarkdown
  }
}

fragment KeyInsights_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  ...KeyInsightsCarousel_contentPiece
  ...KeyInsightsBlock_contentPiece
  keyInsightsBlocks {
    id
    textMarkdown
  }
}

fragment ListenButton_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  id
  title
  trackingTitle
  subtitle
  readingTime
  isPremium
  hasBlocks
  hasChapters
  hasAudio
  contentPieceType {
    name
    trackingName
  }
  ...AudioOnlyBanner_contentPiece
}

fragment MainContentChapterSection_contentPieceChapter on ContentPieceChapterInterface {
  __isContentPieceChapterInterface: __typename
  globalContentPieceChapterId
  title
  trackingTitle
  isFirstChapter
  subtitle
  readingTime
  hasBlocks
  hasAudio
  id
  deepLink
  blocks {
    __typename
    ...Block_block
    ... on Node {
      __isNode: __typename
      id
    }
  }
  siblingChapters {
    id
  }
  contentPiece {
    __typename
    ...ContentHeader_contentPiece
    id
  }
  ...ChapterSelector_contentPieceChapter
  ...NextPreviousChapter_contentPieceChapter
  ...ContentPieceChapterSEO_contentPieceChapter
}

fragment MoreContentSection_content on Content {
  ...ContentPieceExploreMore_content_4goxN4
  mostRecentBrief: contentPieces(first: 1, contentType: "DAILY_BRIEF") {
    edges {
      node {
        id
        ...SingleContentLarge_contentPiece
      }
    }
  }
  mostRecentInsight: contentPieces(first: 1, contentType: "INSIGHT") {
    edges {
      node {
        id
        ...SingleContentLarge_contentPiece
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment NextPreviousChapter_contentPieceChapter on ContentPieceChapterInterface {
  __isContentPieceChapterInterface: __typename
  globalContentPieceChapterId
  siblingChapters {
    title
    subtitle
    globalContentPieceChapterId
    slug
    id
  }
}

fragment QuoteBlock_block on QuoteBlock {
  quote
  caption
}

fragment ServerImage_image on URLImage {
  full
}

fragment SingleContentLarge_contentPiece on ContentPieceInterface {
  __isContentPieceInterface: __typename
  title
  byline
  consumptionTime
  headerImage {
    ...ServerImage_image
  }
  hasChapters
  chapters {
    __typename
    id
    slug
  }
  id
  slug
  canonicalLink
}

fragment SingleContentPieceChapter_authorization on Authorization {
  roles {
    hasPremiumSubscription
    isPreviewing
    isAnonymous
    isPreviewingContentAllowance
  }
}

fragment SingleContentPieceChapter_content on Content {
  ...MoreContentSection_content
  anonymousUserHasPremium
}

fragment SingleContentPieceChapter_contentPieceChapter on ContentPieceChapterInterface {
  __isContentPieceChapterInterface: __typename
  ...MainContentChapterSection_contentPieceChapter
  hasAudio
  globalContentPieceChapterId
  hasBlocks
  isPremium
  trackingTitle
  contentPiece {
    __typename
    ...AudioOnlyBanner_contentPiece
    globalContentPieceId
    trackingTitle
    isPremium
    contentPieceType {
      name
      trackingName
    }
    id
  }
}

fragment TextBlock_block on TextBlock {
  textMarkdown
}
