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Fewer Americans are opening Uber Eats as DoorDash pulls ahead

Filed Under: SUCCESS, The Street

Most people don’t think much about which delivery app they open. You pick the one with the lower fee, the faster driver, or the promo code that landed in your inbox.

That habit is exactly what makes delivery such a tough business. Loyalty lasts only as long as the next discount.

I’m clearly not alone in relying on Uber for both rides and meals. Uber Technologies (UBER) handled 3.9 billion trips in the second quarter, with gross bookings up 24% to $58 billion, according to its earnings release.

“Uber’s platform advantage continues to compound: record consumers and engagement, and profitable growth across our business,” said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in the release.

However, a subtle shift has emerged in how Americans use the delivery side of that platform.

According to a Bank of America research report seen by TheStreet, Uber Eats is losing daily users in the U.S. while DoorDash (DASH) keeps adding them.

The note lands one week before Uber reports third-quarter results on Nov. 4, according to the bank.

Bank of America data shows US Uber Eats daily users fell 4% while DoorDash grew 8%.Bloomberg / Getty Images

The app data shows Uber Eats slipping in the U.S.

The numbers come from Sensor Tower data cited in the report. U.S. daily active users of the Uber Eats app averaged 2.8 million in the third quarter, down 4% from a year earlier.

DoorDash averaged 9.1 million U.S. daily users over the same stretch, up 8%. Globally, Uber Eats was flat at 11 million, while DoorDash grew 11% to 10 million.

More Food Delivery:

DoorDash, Uber Eats have a new rival, offering lower menu prices

Food Lion, Stop & Shop online ordering stays down for a 3rd day

DoorDash wants customers to stop using its app to order food

There is a caveat. Customers “can also order Delivery through the main Uber app,” the analysts noted, so the Eats app alone may understate demand.

The ride-hailing side looks steadier. Uber’s U.S. rider app averaged 4.8 million daily users, up 1%, while Lyft (LYFT) fell 5% to 2.7 million.

Here is how the third-quarter app data stacks up, according to Sensor Tower figures in the note:

Uber Eats, U.S.: 2.8 million daily users, down 4%

DoorDash, U.S.: 9.1 million daily users, up 8%

Uber rider app, U.S.: 4.8 million daily users, up 1%

Waymo One, U.S.: 148,000 daily users, up 65%

Uber driver app, U.S.: 1.9 million daily users, down 2%

Investors have noticed the pressure. Uber shares hit a 52-week low of $65.41 on Oct. 28 and are down about 31% over the past year, Investing.com reported.

Analyst Justin Post laid out the case in a note titled “3Q Preview: Expect in-line qtr and outlook, AV supply & competition in focus.”

“YTD multiple compression suggests negative sentiment into the print,” wrote Post. He added that Uber trades at about 10 times its 2027 enterprise value to EBITDA, “near its all-time low.”

DoorDash is getting bigger as its rival walks away

The competitive backdrop is shifting fast. DoorDash is in advanced talks to buy Instacart (CART) in a deal valued at about $17 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Instacart’s market value was about $13 billion before the report. Press reports suggest Uber walked away from its own talks, the Bank of America analysts wrote.

Uber is placing different bets. It agreed this month to buy catering platform ezCater for $2.3 billion in cash, and it has also agreed to acquire Delivery Hero, the note said.

The two rivals are also fighting over the same partners. Costco signed delivery deals with both Uber Eats and DoorDash in September, with Uber Eats covering nearly 600 Costco locations in 47 states, the note said.

Drivers face their own squeeze. The national average for regular gas was $4.27 a gallon on Oct. 22, down from $4.41 on Oct. 1, according to AAA.

“The drop is fueled by the transition to winter-blend gasoline,” AAA said. Post still flagged elevated gas prices as a possible risk to driver supply and margins.

Given that backdrop, it’s easy to understand why the bank thinks the earnings call matters more than the quarter itself.

Bank of America says robotaxis will decide the next move

Post expects a quarter in line with Wall Street. He estimates gross bookings of $59.8 billion, up about 20% from $49.7 billion a year earlier, with adjusted EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] of $2.94 billion.

For the fourth quarter, he expects guidance of $62.75 billion to $64.75 billion in bookings and adjusted earnings of 96 cents to $1 a share.

He trimmed his 2026 adjusted earnings estimate to $3.43 a share from $3.45, mostly because a stronger dollar shrinks Uber’s overseas sales.

Delivery may surprise to the upside, though.

Bank of America card data showed online restaurant spending up 10% in the third quarter. That’s an acceleration from the second quarter, the analysts wrote.

The bigger question is robotaxis. Waymo plans to grow its fleet from about 4,000 vehicles to 8,000 by year-end and 20,000 by the end of 2027, Semafor reported, according to the note.

“We believe an update on more visible US AV [autonomous vehicle] supply pipeline (NVIDIA deal a potential driver) is key for sentiment,” wrote Post.

Much will likely depend, however, on whether Uber’s partners can actually deliver the cars. Lucid alone has committed at least 35,000 vehicles, and Post wants updates on whether partners, “especially Lucid,” can meet those commitments.

In my analysis, there’s an irony in the math. Bank of America cut its estimates and kept its $101 price objective, yet the implied upside jumped to 53.5% from about 43% last month simply because the stock fell.

For Post, that gap is the opportunity. “We see room for multiple expansion with AV progress,” he wrote, reiterating a Buy rating.

Related: Bank of America sees 43% upside in beaten-down ride-hailing giant

Why You Should Always Ask for an Itemized Hospital Bill

Filed Under: Clark Howard, SUCCESS

On a recent podcast, we received a message from an independent medical provider explaining how their insurance reimbursements are drastically lower than what hospital-owned facilities receive.

What is happening across the country is a clash between two titans of the marketplace: massive hospital systems — many of which have built local monopolies or semi-monopolies — and giant health insurance companies fighting over reimbursement rates.

As they battle it out, you and I are the ones left holding the bag.

How the Hospital Squeeze Hits Your Wallet

First, large hospital networks hold immense negotiating leverage over insurers, which has been a primary driver of the relentless, year-after-year increases in our health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

Second, there is growing concern that patients are absorbing more charges because hospitals are constantly looking for new ways to bill insurers. There are even claims that hospital billing departments are deploying AI to run up charges — identifying one procedure and automatically tacking on fees for related services.

When the insurance company pushes back and refuses to cover these inflated fees, the hospital often turns around and attempts to balance-bill you for the difference.

Why You Must Demand an Itemized Bill

If you have been in the hospital for any length of time, you are likely facing a serious bill.

Hospitals usually send a summary statement that looks something like:

Total Charges: $X

Insurance Paid: $Y

Amount You Owe: $Z

Do not just pay that summary bill. You must request a complete, itemized bill with every individual charge, service, and medical billing code listed. Hospitals often resist handing this over, but you have the right to see it.

Once you receive that itemized bill:

Decode the line items: If you see a mysterious charge — say, $1,422 for a medical term or procedure you don’t recognize — look it up. Today, you can even paste confusing medical codes or descriptions into an AI tool to translate them into plain English.

Check for phantom charges: Over and over again, patients find charges for medications they never received, tests that were never performed, or duplicate line items.

Compare with your EOB: Line up your itemized bill against the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your insurance company. Often, an insurer denies a legitimate claim simply due to a coding error, leaving you with an improper bill.

(Note: If you are recovering from a major illness or procedure and do not have the energy to tackle this, enlist a trusted family member or friend to make the calls and review the statements on your behalf.)

Medical Debt and Your Credit

This isn’t just about a few extra dollars — big money is at stake.

Even after recent credit bureau rule changes removed many smaller medical debts, medical debt still makes up roughly half of all collection items appearing on credit reports. You do not want your credit score trashed, your phone ringing with collection calls, or a hospital taking legal action over charges you legitimately do not owe.

When To Bring in a Professional Advocate

If you are facing a massive, complex hospital bill and feel overwhelmed, consider hiring an independent medical billing advocate (patient advocate).

These are frequently former medical billing specialists and hospital back-office professionals who review charges for a living. They know how the system operates, how to spot billing errors, and how to negotiate directly with hospital financial departments.

Most advocates work for an hourly fee or a percentage of the money they save you — and on a significant bill, they can save you a fortune.

Final Thoughts

The healthcare billing system is deeply broken, but it is the system we have to navigate right now. Everyone wants a piece of your wallet; your job is to ensure that whatever comes out of your pocket is strictly what you legitimately owe.

When it comes to medical expenses, do not be passive. Ask for that itemized bill, scrutinize every charge, and protect your hard-earned money.

The post Why You Should Always Ask for an Itemized Hospital Bill appeared first on Clark Howard.

Major Fast-Food Chain Faces Wave Of Restaurant Closures As Franchise Giant Files For Bankruptcy

Filed Under: THE NEWS

Major Fast-Food Chain Faces Wave Of Restaurant Closures As Franchise Giant Files For Bankruptcy

Wendy’s could see up to 60 more restaurants closed across the United States through mid-November as one of its largest franchise operators battles bankruptcy, according to USA Today.Meritage Hospitality Group, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on September 17, has already shuttered 33 restaurants since entering bankruptcy proceedings and could reportedly shut down dozens more by November 13.Meritage previously closed 60 underperforming locations before filing for bankruptcy. Reports differ on whether the 33 closures since the filing count toward the up-to-60 figure, so the total could reach roughly 120 or more.The restaurant company operated 314 Wendy’s restaurants across 15 states when it filed for bankruptcy.Meritage reported a $31.5 million net loss in 2025, followed by another $23.1 million loss during the first half of 2026, according to QSR Magazine.The franchisee blamed weak sales, aggressive discounting and what it described as less effective Wendy’s marketing under the chain’s previous leadership. The financial pressures have been compounded by stubbornly high beef prices, which the Trump administration has struggled to bring down despite aggressive efforts to boost imports.In February, President Donald Trump authorized an additional 80,000 metric tons of tariff-free beef imports from Argentina. Moreover, the White House in August allowed another 300,000 metric tons of foreign beef trimmings into the country at reduced tariff rates in hopes of lowering hamburger prices. However, the measures have delivered little relief so far. Ground beef prices have climbed over 22% since Trump returned to office.Meritage’s bankruptcy has also triggered a bitter financial dispute between the restaurant company and Wendy’s, with the fast-food chain claiming the operator owes approximately $147 million in royalties, fees and other contractual charges.The latest development has only made Wendy’s already difficult few years go from bad to worse. The burger chain has suffered over 300 net restaurant closures since 2024, including 245 during the first half of 2026, according to NRN.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 10/29/2026 – 12:25

Our team’s favorite pillows — plus early holiday deals and gifts

Filed Under: THE NEWS

The right pillow can make or break a night’s sleep. Our team has strong opinions, from the adaptive option Julia Fields loves to the “fancy” model Jaclyn Kaufman raves about and the budget-friendly pick Liz Kiernan recommends.I’ve struggled to find a pillow for side sleepers that supported my neck without forcing it into an uncomfortable position or losing its shape overnight. My ideal pillow would be supportive, adjustable and easy to clean — and this Layla side-sleeper pillow checks all three boxes. FOX readers can take an extra 20% off the sale price with code FOXDEAL.— Caitlyn Martyn, Commerce EditorLiz Kiernan’s favorite cotton sheet set, which she compares to luxury hotel beddingThe Bear mattress that Nusrat Sultana says helped ease her back discomfortJenny Op’t Holt says this Wink mattress has stayed supportive over time–Why it’s worth a look: Apple’s newest iPhone, the Duo, is now available through T-Mobile, with $0 due upfront when you bring your existing number and enroll in the Experience Beyond plan. The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable phone and features the largest display on an iPhone to date.Score up to 82% off bedroom furniture, bedding, seasonal decor and more during the Fall Clearance sale through Oct. 31.Score up to 70% off purses, clothing and accessories, including cardholders, shoulder bags and wristlets.Shop discounts on popular appliances and personal care devices, including the Shark FlexStyle, Ninja Crispi and Shark CryoGlow LED Mask.–Holiday shopping season is here, and some of the most popular Advent calendars and gifts are already on sale or available to preorder. Here are a few FOX reader favorites to shop now.Now more than 50% off: Beekman 1802 Advent Calendar ($199) A cute buy for kids (and adults): Hugz Toffee the Highland Cow ($59.99) A popular pick that may sell out: L’Occitane Advent Calendar ($215) Screen-free play: Magna-Tiles Construction Set ($48.99) Lock in the presale price: Flaviar Whiskey Advent Calendar ($270)–Celebrities love Angara jewelry — and the brand’s holiday collection is on saleAmazon fall fashion deals: Shop sweaters, loungewear and boots for 40% off or moreThis gift-worthy smart meat thermometer is at its lowest price ever — save $100

Trump DOJ’s fight over 20K suspected noncitizen voters takes sharp turn as California ballots pour in

Filed Under: THE NEWS

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter on Wednesday rejected the Justice Department’s emergency request to force California to set aside mail-in ballots associated with more than 20,000 registered voters whose citizenship the Trump administration has questioned, ruling that the last-minute intervention would disrupt an election already underway.The over 20,000 voters identified by Department of Justice officials as “likely aliens” were designated as such after Homeland Security Investigations and federal partners “used multiple data-enrichment and verification methods” to flag potential noncitizens on California’s voter rolls. California officials, however, disputed the list’s accuracy, citing a preliminary review that identified U.S.-born individuals and voters with no voting history among those flagged.Carter, a Clinton appointee, ruled that the Justice Department’s last-minute effort to intervene in California’s election violated constitutional and federal-law constraints, while questioning the reliability of the government’s evidence that the flagged voters were noncitizens.”The district court denied our emergency request to sequester ballots from 20,000 suspected noncitizens,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “This ongoing emergency disenfranchises American citizens through dilution. The Solicitor General authorized an immediate appeal. We filed our Notice of Appeal and will immediately seek an emergency order from the Ninth Circuit.”NINTH CIRCUIT QUESTIONS TRUMP DOJ’S EMERGENCY REQUEST TO SET ASIDE 20,000 CALIFORNIA MAIL BALLOTSThe Trump administration has suffered a string of defeats in election-related cases in the lead-up to the midterm elections, raising questions whether the administration will be able to deliver on its promises of improved election integrity ahead of the 2028 presidential election. President Donald Trump and other administration officials have repeatedly raised concerns about widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections, though those claims have not been supported by evidence demonstrating fraud on such a broad scale.California election officials argued that complying with the Justice Department’s request would be virtually impossible because county election offices had already processed more than 500,000 ballots, separating them from identifying information and preventing officials from reliably linking those votes to individual voters.Carter warned that the requested intervention would “wreak havoc and disrupt the election that is already underway,” though he noted that federal authorities were free to pursue individual voting fraud cases.Experts were divided along ideological lines in the case.TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN IN ELECTION INTEGRITY FIGHT AS STATES GAIN NEW VOTER ROLL TOOLHans von Spakovsky, an election expert at Advancing American Freedom, a Mike Pence-affiliated think tank, criticized California for refusing to comply with the DOJ’s request.”It tells you something very revealing and unfortunately badly revealing about California officials that they don’t even want to check,” von Spakovsky told The Center Square. “In California, for example, they have automatic voter registration. When you go in to get a driver’s license, they don’t ask you, ‘Would you also like to register to vote?’ The state of California just automatically registers you, and when you ask them, they say, ‘Well, it’s up to the individuals to tell us they’re not eligible to vote.’”BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS VOTER-FRAUD PROBES IN BATTLEGROUND STATES JUST DAYS BEFORE MIDTERMSRick Hasen, a University of California, Los Angeles, election-law professor, meanwhile, called the Justice Department’s request a “total overreach of federal power,” arguing that “the Constitution’s clear that states have the authority to run Congressional elections unless Congress passes a statute otherwise — and Congress didn’t do so here.”The California governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

Victor Reacts: Democrat Judge Gives Illegal Alien Probation After Shooting Man (VIDEO)

Filed Under: THE NEWS

If you are an illegal, you can shoot someone in the face and just get probation. https://t.co/pBk6Goe5Hs
— Victor Nieves (@ItsVictorNieves) October 29, 2026

Turns out if you are an illegal alien, you can shoot a man in the face and just get 5 years of probation.
At least, that is what happened in this case.
The Gateway Pundit reported,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested Aldo David Herrera-Andino, a 22-year-old illegal alien from Honduras who was released into the United States under the Biden administration’s catch-and-release policies, after he pleaded guilty to shooting a Tennessee man in the face and leaving him fighting for his life.
ICE announced the arrest on Tuesday, stating that Herrera-Andino had been convicted of felony reckless aggravated assault in Davidson County and received just five years of probation.
“Herrera-Andino shot a man in the face, left him fighting for his life, and fled the scene,” ICE spokesperson Micah Bock told Breitbart News. “He later admitted to the shooting and pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault.”
Herrera-Andino illegally crossed the border and was arrested by Border Patrol agents in March 2021 before being released into the country under Biden-era policies, according to ICE and reporting from Breitbart News.
How many more Democrat judges are going to allow these dangerous criminal illegal aliens to roam the streets?

The post Victor Reacts: Democrat Judge Gives Illegal Alien Probation After Shooting Man (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

N.Y. Times report: Obama administration investigated Omar, found evidence of fraud

Filed Under: THE NEWS

Barack Obama speaks on Night 2 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024.
There’s another bombshell in the long list of scandals that Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, a.k.a. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., now is facing.
This, from a New York Times report, is that the administration of fellow Democrat Barack Obama investigated her, and “found evidence that her marriage may have been fraudulent in 2016.”
The Fox report credited the Times for its confirmation that “prosecutors within the Obama administration stalled the case after determining that the potential felony charges would fall outside the 5-year statute of limitations.”
“Omar has long faced rumors that she fraudulently married one of her brothers for immigration purposes. She has denied the accusation as a right wing conspiracy theory,” the report said.
However, if the accusations are documented, the Somali native potentially could face denaturalization as well as deportation.

BREAKING via NYT: In 2016, the Obama administration investigated Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and found “some evidence that Ms. Omar had entered into a sham marriage with a man suspected of being her brother”, but the case and potential felony charges stalled because of a 5 year statute of limitations. https://t.co/7GSQB4qNim
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 29, 2026

A new investigation has been launched by President Donald Trump’s administration into her history, prompting her to claim it is “political.”
Obama himself, jumped to her defense, claiming to investigate possible federal crimes is “appalling.”
Interestingly, several dozen Democrats in Congress refused to sign a letter assembled by Rep. Pramila Payapal accusing the DOJ and DHS of “weaponizing” law enforcement against her.
That came after law enforcement raided her home in Washington with a search warrant seeking evidence for their investigation of her.
Online reports confirmed, “The probe centers on allegations involving her late father’s immigration paperwork and her age at the time the family arrived from Somalia. A judge signed the warrant. Agents reportedly left with documents, phones, and other items.”
But about 40 Democrats refused to sign Jayapal’s politicization of the dispute.
The report revealed, “It is an early sign of the slow abandonment already underway. Party leaders still defend her in public statements, but the number of Democrats willing to attach their names is shrinking. For lawmakers in swing districts, the political risk of standing with Omar now outweighs the benefit. Expect more distance as the investigation continues and the midterms approach.”

40 House Democrats Won’t Sign Letter Defending Ilhan Omar, Including Nancy Pelosi In February 2023, every House Democrat voted to block Rep. Ilhan Omar’s removal from the Foreign Affairs Committee over her past comments about Israel. Republicans still removed her. This week the picture looks different. Rep. Pramila Jayapal led a letter signed by 175 House Democrats accusing DOJ and DHS of “weaponizing” law enforcement after agents searched Omar’s Washington, D.C. home earlier this month. The probe centers on allegations involving her late father’s immigration paperwork and her age at the time the family arrived from Somalia. A judge signed the warrant. Agents reportedly left with documents, phones, and other items. Roughly 40 Democrats declined to sign. Among them: former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Tom Suozzi (NY), Laura Gillen (NY), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA). Current Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries did sign. The non-signers are disproportionately from competitive districts or areas with significant Jewish or moderate constituencies where embracing Omar has been politically costly. Omar has a long record of controversial statements on Israel and other foreign-policy issues that many Democrats previously defended but now appear less eager to own right before Election Day. Democrats usually close ranks. When 40 of them, including Pelosi, choose not to, it is an early sign of the slow abandonment already underway. Party leaders still defend her in public statements, but the number of Democrats willing to attach their names is shrinking. For lawmakers in swing districts, the political risk of standing with Omar now outweighs the benefit. Expect more distance as the investigation continues and the midterms approach. The letter frames the search as election interference 22 days before the vote. Those who stayed off it are letting that argument be made by others. Stop Communism Vote RED in the Midterms Vote America First
— Patricia (@1109Patricia) October 29, 2026

WND has reported on other scandals, including how her financial disclosures exploded from about $100,000 to $30 million in a year, then plunged back down just as fast.
Also, the year she claims she was born.
The basics are that she now claims her birth year was 1982, which would have made her 17, a juvenile, when her father apparently obtained citizenship, and would be a citizen.
But it’s documented that after she joined Congress she gave orders to a number of nonpolitical resources to change her birth year from 1981, a date under which she would have been technically 18 and an adult, and ineligible for citizenship under her father’s application. Those resources didn’t see any documentation, they just changed the date because that’s what she said.
She apparently never filed a citizenship application on her own.
Her own autobiography states, “I was eight years old when civil war broke out in Somalia. One day everything was okay, and the next, there were bullets piercing not only buildings but also people,” she wrote of the war that broke out in 1989.
“The claim that she was 8 in 1989 points to a birth year of 1981, meaning she was 18 or 19 in 2000 at the time of her naturalization,” the Federalist said
In another part of her book, “Elmi once again made claims that would give her a 1981 birth year, as opposed to 1982. During a three-month trip back to Somalia in 2011, Elmi said, ‘I was thirty years old.’”

In her book, Ilhan Nur Said Elmi (aka Ilhan Omar) claimed to take a three-month trip with her father to Somalia in 2011 when she was 30 years old That would place her birthday in 1981 at the latest, well before her claimed birthday of October 4, 1982 https://t.co/fMCbYFmH4m
— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) October 26, 2026

NEW: Reporting details a multi-pronged federal inquiry zeroing in on Rep. Ilhan Omar—revealing “three pieces of trouble” on the immigration front alone: • Missing DHS records: “If her father was never naturalized, there’s literally no theory under which she could be naturalized.” • Congressional paperwork: An altered birth date likely behind the search warrant’s conspiracy charge—allegedly involving staff who “was in on it.” • Family ties: Marriage fraud claims where “the DOJ reportedly has the DNA.” “And that doesn’t even get to the financial investigation.” | @PaulDMauro
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) October 27, 2026

“Ilhan Omar listed her date of birth as 1981 back when she was a young lawmaker, and it has since been revised to 1982.” @jsolomonReports shares that a discrepancy in Ilhan Omar’s birth date presents a factual case, not a conspiracy theory. https://t.co/n31F4CoEgG
— Just the News (@JustTheNews) October 13, 2026

Other similar references have been found in the Atlantic, the BBC, and Le Temps.
And President Donald Trump has weighed in:

It was just revealed that Ilhan Omar’s name is not Ilhan Omar, the one she used to get elected and sworn into Congress, but rather, it’s an entirely different name, Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, and that her last name is, incredibly, also the exact name of her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, the person they said she married and had children with. When asked whether or not she married her brother, she said, “Not to my knowledge.” In other words, she somehow didn’t know? Therefore, because she used a fake name to be sworn in, I assume she must IMMEDIATELY resign from Congress. Please inform the Speaker of the House of Representatives, James Michael Johnson, that the Dumocrat Party has just conceded her seat. Ilhan Nur Said Elmi, her real name, has openly admitted to FRAUD, and she will not be legally allowed to be a Member of this August Body from this point forth. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP ( TS: Oct 22 2026, 11:20 PM ET )
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 23, 2026

‘That’s not her real name’: aka ‘Ilhan Omar’ suddenly faces new, complicated issue

Ilhan Omar’s latest answer when asked if she married her brother

Revealed: A.K.A. Ilhan Omar’s own statements on her mystery birth date

8 Best Stock Trading Apps of November 2026

Filed Under: Money.com, SUCCESS

Key Takeaways

Fidelity Investments is the best overall stock trading app thanks to its low fees, variety of order types, comprehensive research tools and intuitive interface. Robinhood is an excellent alternative for beginners, while TradeStation is ideal for experienced traders.
Most stock trading apps operate as brokerage platforms, meaning they execute trades on behalf of users rather than acting as marketplaces themselves.
Automation and AI features are an increasingly common sight in trading apps, from recurring investments and dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) to portfolio rebalancing tools and robo-advisors.
Stock apps vary widely in terms of what products, fees, data, service and abilities they offer. It’s important to compare options and choose the one that best suits your needs and budget.
We evaluated 20 stock trading apps based on 24 data points grouped under three factors: cost, features and user experience.

Our top picks for the best stock trading apps

Fidelity Investments: Best for a Wide Range of Investment Products
Robinhood: Best Trading App for Beginners
TradeStation: Best App for Active Traders
Interactive Brokers: Best Trading App for Global Investing
SoFi Invest: Best Low-Cost Trading App
Moomoo: Best Trading App for Options
Charles Schwab: Best Trading App for Retirement Investing
eToro: Best App for Social Trading

Latest news for stock trading app users (as of Oct. 29, 2026)

The Federal Reserve held interest rates on Oct. 28, 2026, on a 10–2 vote. Cash yields at brokers are variable, so the rates quoted below can change.
FINRA’s change to the pattern day trader rule took effect June 4, 2026. It phases in through Oct. 20, 2027. See our FAQ below.
Charles Schwab began rolling out Schwab Crypto in May 2026. It offers bitcoin and ether trading, with solana, avalanche and chainlink announced as next.
Public lists a 3.75% APY on cash with a paid Reserve subscription and 3.30% without one, as of Sept. 17, 2026.

Pros

$0 commissions on stocks, ETFs and options (options carry a 65-cent contract fee)

Industry-leading research from 20+ independent providers
No expense ratios on select Fidelity index funds

Highly-rated mobile apps
Above-average DIY investor satisfaction

Cons

High broker-assisted trade fees
65 cents per options contract
0% expense ratio funds are limited to Fidelity’s offerings

Why we chose it: Fidelity does more things exceptionally well than any other platform on our list. It charges no trading commissions, offers proprietary index funds with a 0% expense ratio, provides research from more than 20 independent data providers, and its app has over 4 stars for both iPhone and Android. All this with no account minimum and no pressure to upgrade to a paid tier to unlock basic features.
What makes Fidelity especially compelling for a wide range of investors is how well it scales. A first-time investor can open an account for as little as $1 with fractional shares available for around 7,000 stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), follow structured educational content and get started with a Fidelity Zero fund at no cost. Meanwhile, more experienced investors have access to Trader+, which offers sophisticated screeners and one of the deepest libraries of third-party research in retail brokerage. There are also classes and live events to help you learn more about the Trader+ web, mobile and desktop tools and how to use them to your advantage.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fees
$0 stocks/ETFs; 65 cents per options contract; bonds ~$1

Promotions
None as of Sept. 29, 2026

Minimum Deposit
$0

Pros

$0 commissions with no per-contract options fee on equity options (index options carry a contract fee: $0.50, or $0.35 with Gold)
Clean, intuitive mobile-first user interface
IRA with up to 3% contribution match (requires a paid Robinhood Gold subscription ($5/month); non-Gold customers receive only 1%)
24/7 in-app customer support
Highly rated mobile app

Cons

History of outages during high-volatility market events

No mutual funds or individual bonds

$5/mo or $50/yr (single charge) for Robinhood Gold
Below-average for DIY investor satisfaction
Nearly 4,200 complaints with the CFPB in the last three years

Why we chose it: Robinhood offers a nearly frictionless experience, with account setup taking just minutes and an uncluttered, easily readable trading screen. Fractional shares starting at just $1 lets you build a portfolio with whatever amount you can spare, even if that’s just a few dollars. That level of accessibility combined with 24/7 customer support directly inside the app makes Robinhood the most forgiving platform for investors who are still learning the basics.
Robinhood includes a wide variety of educational resources, 24-hour stock trading five days a week, IPO access and a Gold membership tier that unlocks reduced management, futures, and index fees, as well as AI insights from Robinhood Cortex and charts and analysis through Robinhood Legend. Robinhood also offers custodial investment accounts, checking and savings accounts, and an individual retirement account (IRA) with up to a 3% contribution match — a meaningful feature that competitors rarely offer.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fees
$0 trades; no equity options contract fee

Promotions
Refer a friend and get up to $15,000 in stock per year (US residents; for sign-ups on or after Sept. 1, 2026)

Minimum Deposit
$0

Pros

Advanced trading tools in a modern, cross-platform interface
Commission-free stock and ETF trades
High complexity futures and options tools
Extensive backtesting capabilities
Up to $3,500 in cash rewards
Highly rated mobile app

Cons

$35 annual IRA fee and $50 IRA termination fee
Steeper learning curve than competitors
Inactivity fee of $10 per month
No fractional shares

Why we chose it: TradeStation comes closest to giving retail investors the same execution environment as professional traders. Its newest Mac and Windows application marks a significant quality-of-life improvement by packaging TradeStation’s multi-asset charting, complex options spread grouping, real-time Matrix price ladder and FuturesPlus platform into an interface that is much easier to navigate. There are also trading simulators and backtesting tools to help investors head off mistakes before they happen.
TradeStation’s integration with Claude, Anthropic’s AI model, allows traders to connect their brokerage account directly to the AI to fetch live quotes, preview orders and analyze portfolio risk using plain-language prompts. Moreover, the platform is virtually unrivaled when it comes to backtesting and systematic strategy thanks to its extensive historical data library and EasyLanguage scripting environment.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fees
$0 for new accounts; $0.80 per options contract ($0 at the highest trading volume tier);

Promotions
$0 per leg trade options for three months

Minimum Deposit
$0 (margin trading requires $2,000)

Pros

$0 commissions on stocks and ETFs
No account minimum or annual fee
Fractional shares starting at $5
No SoFi options contract fees (regulatory and clearing fees apply)

No. 1 for DIY investor satisfaction (JD Power)
Highly rated mobile app
1% cash match and IRA match for Plus members

Cons

Limited third-party ETF variety
$100 account transfer-out fee
$25 inactivity fee

Why we chose it: While Fidelity and Charles Schwab charge 65 cents per options contract, SoFi InvestⓇ charges no commission and no SoFi contract fee on options. Robinhood and Moomoo also waive per-contract fees on equity options. Regulatory and clearing fees still apply on every contract. For investors who trade options with any regularity, that difference adds up quickly and meaningfully over time.
Beyond its pricing structure, SoFi’s broader advantage is integration. Users who already bank with SoFi can move money between checking, savings and investing accounts without friction. That helps provide a full picture of your finances in a single app, which also gives you access to IPO investing and automated portfolios alongside self-directed trading.
If you become a SoFi Plus member, you can earn an unlimited 1% match on recurring deposits to a SoFi Invest account, paid in rewards points.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fees
$0 trades; no options contract fee

Promotions
Up to $1,000 in free stock for new SoFi Active Invest accounts

Minimum Deposit
$5

Pros

Unmatched reach in global market and currency access
Commission-free U.S. stock and ETF trading on IBKR lite
Among the lowest currency conversion fees in the industry
Exceptionally low margin rates
Highly rated mobile app
Uninvested cash earns high interest rate

Cons

High minimum balance required for reaping interest
Steep learning curve for its flagship platform
Limited crypto offering

Why we chose it: Interactive Brokers (IBKR) provides access to 170 markets, 40 trading countries and 29 currencies for funding, all in a single account. Where most U.S. brokers limit international exposure to a handful of American Depositary Receipts or a curated set of foreign ETFs, IBKR offers direct access to tens of thousands of listings across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. There’s also overnight trading.
IBKR Pro’s currency conversion fee of a flat 0.003% is significantly cheaper than the 0.50% to 1.50% markup charged by competitors — a difference that compounds meaningfully for any investor regularly moving between currencies to buy foreign-listed securities. Moreover, the platform’s research library spans more than 140 domestic and international providers; it boasts AI integrations with ChatGPT, Grok, Perplexity, and Claude; and its SMART Routing technology routinely scans for best execution across exchanges globally.
One last perk: Uninvested cash balances above $10,000 earn up to 3.38% interest — automatically.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fees
$0 (Lite); $0.15 to $0.65 per options contract on Pro, $0.65 on Lite

Promotions
$10 instant cash when opening a new Prediction Markets account

Minimum Deposit
$0

Pros

No equity options commissions and no per-contract fee
Advanced multi-chart layout and AI-powered assistant
Paper trading with up to $1 million in virtual funds
Access to new Nasdaq weekly expirations
Highly rated mobile app
Uninvested cash earns very high interest
24/7 support

Cons

$20 fee for domestic bank wire withdrawals; $25 for international
No mutual funds or IRAs

Why we chose it: Moomoo doesn’t charge commissions or per-contract fee on equity options, putting it on a very short list of platforms that offer options trading for free. For traders who run high-frequency strategies or manage sizable positions across multiple names, the savings relative to the 65 cents-per-contract standard charged by most full-service brokers are substantial.
The Moomoo desktop and mobile apps support up to six simultaneous charts, a customizable layout, over 60 technical indicators, and Moomoo AI — an integrated trading assistant that processes real-time market data. The platform’s partnership with Nasdaq adds nine major U.S. underlyings — the main investment an option is based on — that expire twice a week for even greater flexibility in short-term strategies. Cash sweeps at Moomoo earn a hefty 3.60% APY for users who meet a qualifying deposit or transfer requirement (promo rate as of Sept. 18, 2026; rates can change).

HIGHLIGHTS

Fees
$0 stocks/options (reg fees apply)

Promotions
Up to $1,000 in NVDA shares plus 8.1% APY on uninvested cash; $200 in traditing coupons for depositing $100

Minimum Deposit
$0

Pros

Widest selection of no-transaction-fee mutual funds among major brokers
Over 400 branch locations nationwide for in-person guidance
Automated IRA management with no advisory fee
24/7 phone and chat support
Thinkorswim tools offer charting, analysis and simulation trading

Cons

Low interest rate on uninvested cash
Limited crypto trading
Below average DIY and advised investor satisfaction (JD Power)

Why we chose it: Schwab offers nearly 4,000 no-transaction-fee mutual funds, giving IRA holders a broader selection from which they can build a passive, low-cost portfolio without worrying about trading fees eroding contributions. Its IRAs carry no annual fees and no closing fees, removing two of the most common hidden costs in retirement accounts.
The platform also leads on the advisory side. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios provides fully automated IRA management with no management fee — unusual in an industry where robo-advisory services typically cost 0.25% annually. Its 24/7 phone and chat support remains among the most consistently praised customer service teams in retail brokerage.
Schwab also gives its investment customers access to thinkorswim, trading platforms that offer charting, analysis and simulation tools. It’s available via desktop, mobile or web app.Schwab Crypto began rolling out to clients in May 2026 and lets investors buy and sell Bitcoin and Ethereum at 75 basis points per trade, in a separate account through Schwab Premier Bank. Schwab has announced that solana, avalanche and chainlink are coming next.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fees
$0 stocks; 65 cents per options contract

Promotions
$100 to $1,000 via referral from an existing Schwab client; 500 commission-free trades with a qualifying deposit of $100,000 or more

Minimum Deposit
$0 ($5,000 for Schwab Intelligent Portfolios)

Pros

40 million+ user community

Commission-free stock and ETF trading
Copy the portfolios of vetted US investors (US users can copy only US-based traders; $200 minimum per copy; phased rollout, not available in all states)
Social feed, live market commentary and sentiment data
$0 withdrawal fee and a $30 minimum withdrawal amount
Highly rated mobile app
Invest as little as $50

Cons

Narrower asset selection than full-service competitors
Fractional shares carry a $10 minimum
$50 minimum for options trading

1% fee on crypto

Why we chose it: eToro’s CopyTrader feature lets you automatically mirror the real-time trades of verified investors with publicly audited performance histories. In the US, you can copy only other US-based customers. Performance data going back multiple years, risk scores and monthly return breakdowns make it easy to evaluate who you’re copying. Plus, there are no management fees for copy trading; the only cost is the same spread you’d pay on any trade executed manually.
You can start investing with as little as $50, and there’s even a virtual portfolio feature to help you practice your trades.
Every asset page on eToro is integrated with live community discussion, sentiment indicators and real-time commentary from other investors. In 2025, eToro expanded that feed by incorporating data from Stocktwits’ over 10 million users, giving the platform one of the most robust market-sentiment signals available to retail investors.
The company is working on a new product that will allow customers to direct funds straight from their paychecks into investments.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fees
Spread-based

Promotions
Up to $300 crypto bonus with first deposit

Minimum Deposit
$10

Other stock trading apps we considered
E*TRADE
E*TRADE is a well-rounded broker and an excellent option for investors who want to dive into educational resources. In addition to commission-free stock, ETF and options trades, the platform also enjoys backing from Morgan Stanley, which adds a layer of institutional research most discount brokers can’t match. However, it struggles to carve a niche for itself in a field where competitors offer comparable or superior tools at similar prices. It was also rated well-below average on JD Power’s Satisfaction Study.
Plynk
Purpose-built for first-time investors, Plynk removes several barriers that typically discourage beginners. It has no account minimum, fractional trades starting at $1 and plain-language guidance throughout the app. The platform’s learning hub offers structured lessons on investing basics, and a simulated trading environment with $100,000 in virtual funds lets new investors hone their skills before risking real money. It also offers a 25% cash match on dividends earned — up to $250 per year (or 50% and $500 if you join Plynk Premium).
Because Plynk offers no automated trading, rebalancing or tax optimization, and has no IRA support, investors may need to graduate to a fuller platform as their goals grow. But as an on-ramp for the genuinely uninitiated, it does its job better than almost any competitor in this category.
Public
Public offers stocks, ETFs, options, bonds, crypto and a high-yield cash account in one app, with a built-in social feed for community discussion. The platform stands out for its options rebate model, which pays traders back a portion of the spread rather than routing orders to market makers for profit. It also has a 1% cash match on both its Roth and Traditional IRAs. While Public doesn’t match the versatility or depth of eToro’s copy-trading, it’s still worth a look for investors who want an honest cost structure and a community-driven experience.
Webull
Webull offers commission-free trading on US-listed stocks and ETFs, $0 contract fees on stock and ETF options, and Roth, Traditional and Rollover IRAs with no account minimums. Its pages disagree on its index-option fees and cash yield, so check the current fee schedule in the app before you open an account.
Ally Invest
Ally tied for third place in J.D. Power’s 2026 U.S. Investor Satisfaction Study for DIY investors, with a score of 707.
What you need to know about stock trading apps
Stock trading apps allow investors to buy and sell stocks online, be it on desktop or on your mobile device. Most trading apps also allow you to trade other types of securities, such as ETFs, bonds, options, futures and even crypto.
To use one of these platforms, you must first create an account and deposit funds into it. Once the account is set up, you can research different stocks, track their performance and decide which ones to buy or sell. The app will calculate the total cost of trading and show it to you trade on a confirmation screen.
After the user confirms the transaction, the app will send the order directly to the broker. Then, once it has been completed — often within seconds — the user will receive a trade confirmation, and the stock will be added to their portfolio. The app will also provide real-time updates on the stock’s performance so the user can monitor their investments.
What are stock trading app orders?
An order in a trading app is a set of instructions given to a broker that determine how and when a trade is executed. Stock trading apps typically support a set of standard order types that includes market orders, limit orders and stop orders. More advanced apps may offer conditional orders such as bracket orders or one-cancels-the-other (OCO) orders, where executing one order.
How to start investing with stock trading apps
Getting started with stock trading apps is a relatively simple process.

Choose a brokerage app that matches your goal — such as retirement, saving for a major purchase or learning how markets work — and your style of investing. Compare fees, investment options, user interface, educational tools and customer support.
Download the app and create a brokerage account. You’ll usually need to provide your personal information so the platform can verify your identity. Don’t forget to enable two-factor authentication, use a strong password and turn on biometric login if available.
Connect your checking or savings account so you can transfer funds into the trading app.
Choose a security, enter the dollar amount or number of shares, review the order and confirm the purchase.
Check your investments periodically. As your goals, income and risk tolerance change, revisit your portfolio. You may need to rebalance, increase contributions or shift toward more conservative investments over time.

Best Stock Trading Apps FAQs
Are stock trading apps safe?
Reputable U.S. trading apps generally use encryption to protect customer data and operate under oversight from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. SEC-registered broker-dealers are also generally members of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, which can restore up to $500,000 per customer if a brokerage fails, including up to $250,000 in cash.
That protection has limits. SIPC does not reimburse you for investment losses, and it generally does not protect cryptocurrencies or other digital assets that don’t qualify as securities.
Do you still need $25,000 to day trade?
No. FINRA did away with the pattern day trader designation and its longstanding $25,000 minimum equity requirement in 2026. The previous trade-counting system was replaced with intraday margin requirements that apply throughout the trading day.
You still need at least $2,000 in equity to use a margin account, and individual brokerages can set stricter requirements of their own. So while the $25,000 threshold is gone, frequent trading with borrowed money still comes with capital and margin requirements.
How do free trading apps make money?
A trading app can charge zero commissions and still make money in several other ways. Depending on the platform, revenue may come from payment for order flow, interest earned on customers’ uninvested cash, margin lending, securities lending and paid subscription plans.
There can also be smaller fees that aren’t obvious from the “commission-free” label, such as options contract fees, wire transfer charges, inactivity fees or account transfer fees. That’s why it’s worth looking beyond the advertised trading commission when comparing platforms.
Can you lose more money than you invest?
Not if you’re simply buying stocks in a standard cash account. In that case, the most you can generally lose on a stock investment is the amount you paid for it.
Margin trading is different because you’re investing with money borrowed from your brokerage. If your investments fall sharply, you can lose more than your original cash deposit. Your broker may also sell investments in your account without getting your approval first if your equity falls below its maintenance requirements. Certain options strategies can carry substantial losses as well.
How much money is needed to start trading?
You don’t need much to get started with many of today’s trading apps. Most major platforms have no account minimum, and fractional shares make it possible to invest with only a few dollars. Fidelity and Robinhood, for example, allow fractional-share purchases starting at $1, while SoFi starts at $5 and eToro at $10.
Minimum balances aren’t the only fees to watch, though. Some platforms charge inactivity fees if you leave an account unused for too long, which can matter more than the amount required to open the account.
How do taxes work with stock trading apps?
Your brokerage typically reports taxable investment activity to the IRS and provides you with tax forms, often including a consolidated Form 1099 covering sales, dividends and interest. You’re still responsible for making sure the information is reported correctly on your tax return.
How much tax you owe depends in part on how long you held the investment. Gains on investments held for one year or less are generally taxed at ordinary income tax rates, while investments held for more than a year may qualify for lower long-term capital gains rates. You also need to watch the wash sale rule, which can prevent you from immediately claiming certain losses if you sell an investment and buy the same or a substantially identical security within 30 days.
What’s the difference between a market order and a limit order?
A market order tells your broker to buy or sell as soon as possible at the best price currently available. It’s designed for speed, but the final price may be different from the one you saw when you submitted the order.
A limit order gives you more control over price. You choose the highest price you’re willing to pay when buying, or the lowest price you’re willing to accept when selling. The trade will only go through if the market reaches that price, so there’s no guarantee the order will be filled. Limit orders can be especially useful with volatile or lightly traded stocks, where prices can move quickly.

Methodology
To identify the best stock trading apps, we evaluated platforms across three categories: cost, features and user experience. Each category reflects several data points that directly affect how investors interact with a trading app, from affordability to functionality and ease of use.
Cost
We evaluated cost by looking at the direct and indirect expenses associated with each platform. That includes trading commissions for stocks, ETFs and options; margin rates; account minimums; and any subscription or premium feature fees. We also considered additional charges, such as transfer fees, inactivity fees and costs tied to advanced data or tools.
Features
For features, our focus was on the breadth and quality of investment tools offered by each app. We considered access to different asset classes such as stocks, ETFs, options and crypto, as well as the availability of fractional shares. Research tools, charting capabilities, educational resources, automation features and advanced trading functionalities were also taken into account.
User Experience
We assessed the overall usability and design of each app to evaluate user experience. This includes account setup, navigation, trade execution and portfolio management. Factors such as mobile app performance, interface clarity, customization options and reliability factored into the equation. Customer support availability and responsiveness also played a role.
Summary of our top picks

Fidelity Investments: Best for Wide-Range of Investment Products
Robinhood: Best Trading App for Beginners
TradeStation: Best App for Active Traders
Interactive Brokers: Best Trading App for Global Investing
SoFi Invest: Best Low-Cost Trading App
Moomoo: Best Trading App for Options
Charles Schwab: Best Trading App for Retirement Investing
eToro: Best App for Social Trading