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Billie Eilish’s ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ returns to three U.K. rankings while also gaining ground on the Official Albums Streaming chart.

Real estate technology company Zillow has a dire prediction about mortgage rates and the housing market in general, noting that rates are rising and will remain high for homeowners and homebuyers through the remainder of 2026.

“Mortgage rates holding above 6.5% — their highest level in a year — kept many buyers on the sidelines,” Zillow wrote in a statement. “Newly pending listings, a forward-looking measure of demand, fell 2.6% from a year ago, a sign that the slowdown could continue through the remainder of the year.”

In fact, the daily mortgage rate is even higher than that, according to Mortgage News Daily (MND).

“You may have seen other headlines today that reference 30-year fixed rates of 6.76%,” MND’s Matthew Graham wrote on Sept. 10. “Those stories would be citing Freddie Mac’s weekly rate survey which is an average of the 5 business days (4 in this case, due to the holiday) ending yesterday (September 9th).”

“Because of that methodology, the number lags reality. Today alone, the average lender moved up 0.125% in rate. In addition, Freddie no longer accounts for ‘points’ (additional money paid upfront for a lower rate),” Graham continued. “In other words, 6.75% with one point is roughly the same rate as 7.00% with no points.”

“As a reminder, our daily rate index accounts for the impact of points, so day-to-day comparisons are always apples to apples.”

Freddie Mac reports mortgage rates on the rise

Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage rate update showed an increase on its way up.

“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.76% this week,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Aspiring buyers should remember shopping around for the best mortgage rate and getting multiple quotes can potentially save them thousands.”

Freddie Mac expanded further to provide some yearly context.

“The 30-year FRM averaged 6.76% as of September 10, 2026, up from last week when it averaged 6.71%,” Khater added. “A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.35%.”

“The 15-year FRM averaged 6.09%, up from last week when it averaged 6.04%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.50%.”

Zillow emphasizes housing market discouraging news

Because August sales figures predominantly capture deals locked in during July — a time when high interest rates had already cooled buyer enthusiasm — closed transactions remained sluggish.

Zillow’s Home Value Index shows the typical U.S. home value reached $369,678 (a 1.3% year-over-year increase), while monthly mortgage costs for a median home rose 2% compared to last year.

More on mortgage rates, housing market:

3 tips for getting the lowest mortgage rate in today’s market

Will the housing market crash in 2026? Experts weigh in

Experts predict mortgage rate, housing market shift

“The for-sale housing market took a step back in August, and mortgage rates above 6.5% are the primary culprit,” said Mischa Fisher, chief economist at Zillow. “The combination of weak sales and even weaker pending sales points to a soft close to 2026.”

“There are more homes for sale than a year ago, which is good news for buyers who are ready to move, but until rates ease, many households will likely stay on the sidelines a little longer as renting is still the more affordable substitute.”

Real estate technology company Zillow predicts that mortgage rates will remain high throughout 2026.Shutterstock

Zillow explains cooling housing market

The U.S. housing market cooled in August as high borrowing costs nudged home values down 0.1% from July to $369,678, according to Zillow. Though values remain 1.3% higher than last year, high ownership costs continue to strain buyers.

A typical monthly mortgage payment reached $1,897 — up 2% annually — assuming a 20% down payment alongside estimated taxes, insurance, and maintenance.

Inventory grew slightly to 1.41 million active listings, a 0.2% increase from July and 3% higher than a year ago.

New listings fell 7.9% month-over-month to 356,934, despite a 2.4% annual rise. This supply tightening and persistent affordability pressures pulled transaction volume down significantly.

Zillow’s nowcast reported 339,927 sales in August, marking a 0.6% annual decline and a sharp 10.7% plunge from July.

Related: Fannie Mae predicts where home prices are headed next

A $48 billion valuation and more than $2 billion in fresh venture capital would normally signal that investors have completely lost the plot. 

Cognition AI, the startup behind the autonomous coding agent Devin, closed its Series E round on Sept. 8, 2026, to those exact headline figures.

The sheer size of the round drew immediate and predictable comparisons to the frothiest stretch of the 2026 AI investment cycle.

But the arithmetic behind the deal paints a different picture, one in which the ratio of investors’ per-dollar revenue barely moved. 

Between its May 2026 Series D and Series E close, Cognition’s annualized run-rate revenue grew from $492 million to nearly $900 million, the company reported.

A $48 billion price tag built on nearly $900 million in run-rate revenue

Andreessen Horowitz and Accel led the Series E as new investors, with Founders Fund, General Catalyst, and Avenir returning from earlier rounds. 

The valuation nearly doubled from $26 billion in May 2026, when Cognition raised more than $1 billion in its Series D. 

Dividing both valuations by their corresponding revenue figures produces multiples of roughly 53 times in each case, according to The Next Web’s analysis. 

Enterprise contracts anchor Cognition’s revenue growth

Cognition’s customer list now reads like a Fortune 500 directory, spanning chip design at Nvidia, aviation at GE Aerospace, banking at Citi, and automotive engineering at Mercedes-Benz. 

The company also counts Goldman Sachs, Dell, Santander, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Navy among its clients, the firm’s May 2026 Series D confirmed.

More AI:

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Mercedes-Benz condensed an eight-month legacy modernization project into eight days using Devin, as Cognition reported during its May 2026 funding announcement. 

Brazilian banking giant Itaú deployed Devin across its security operations and now resolves 70% of its code vulnerabilities automatically, the company reported.

Cognition is expanding revenue through major enterprise clients, with Devin helping companies automate coding, security, and modernization work at scale.Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images

Nvidia’s dual role complicates Cognition’s revenue picture

Nvidia sits on both sides of Cognition’s balance sheet as an investor in the Series E and a named customer using Devin for chip design workflows. 

The chipmaker has committed more than $40 billion to AI equity positions in 2026 alone, The Next Web reported.

That pattern of investing in your own customers complicates outside assessments of revenue quality and customer independence.

Revenue caveats qualify the $900 million headline figure

Run-rate revenue itself has structural caveats that affect how the $900 million figure should be read.

The metric annualizes a recent period of performance, so a particularly strong month can generate an outsized headline figure. Cognition is private and publishes what it chooses, with no regulatory filing obligating it to reconcile these numbers.

Total cash burn could reach $800 million this year, driven partly by an expensive Nvidia server cluster that costs hundreds of millions annually, The Information reported.

The deal arithmetic points to a broader pattern taking hold in artificial intelligence venture rounds. Investors are underwriting revenue velocity, how fast enterprise contracts convert into recurring dollars, over model benchmarks or demo-stage momentum. 

Cognition’s flat multiple across two rounds is the clearest expression of that shift, and the Cursor acquisition that preceded it reinforces the same logic.

Cursor’s $60 billion exit frames Cognition’s next competitive test

Cursor, the popular AI code editor built by Anysphere, was in talks to raise at a $50 billion valuation when xAI secured an option in April 2026 to acquire the company for $60 billion. 

SpaceX, which had merged with xAI earlier that year, exercised that option on June 16 and closed the deal on Aug. 14, TechCrunch reported.

Cognition currently commands a higher revenue multiple than Cursor did at the time of that deal. 

Cursor’s annualized revenue had reached approximately $4 billion by the time SpaceX announced the acquisition, putting the $60 billion price at roughly 15 times revenue, according to Forbes.

Harrison Rolfes, senior research analyst of Private Company Coverage at PitchBook, commenting on the SpaceX and Cursor close in August 2026, told Benzinga that the economics of the AI coding market reward companies already embedded in developer workflows.

Owning the tool that professional developers already trust daily is a faster path to enterprise AI revenue than winning the model race.

Andreessen Horowitz backed Cursor before its sale to SpaceX and profited significantly from the exit, only to return and lead a round in Cognition, PitchBook reported.

That sequencing suggests the firm sees the same workflow-lock-in economics in Devin that it rode with Cursor.

The competitive test for Cognition, then, is whether Devin becomes the tool developers reach for by default. Cursor won that daily-use position before SpaceX bought it. 

Cognition’s enterprise roster is broader, but enterprise procurement and individual developer preference are different moats, and Rolfes’ point is that the second one converts to revenue faster.

What Cognition’s flat revenue multiple signals for AI investors

Owen Lamont, senior vice president and portfolio manager at Acadian Asset Management, warned in June 2026 that surging earnings expectations used to justify elevated prices are the clearest bubble signal, with S&P 500 growth forecasts now past the 2000 peak. 

A startup doubling its valuation in four months on run-rate revenue, a metric that annualizes a recent period’s performance, fits that description on its face.

Cognition’s Series E fits a different pattern; the valuation doubled, but revenue justified it at the same multiple. That multiple remains well above the 20-to-30-times range Aventis Advisors identifies as the AI startup median. 

A durable outlier becomes a stretched one, in that framing, when run-rate revenue fails to convert into audited annual revenue at scale. Cognition targets $4 billion to $5 billion by year-end, The Information reported. 

The test is whether enterprise revenue grows fast enough to hold it flat.

Related: Nvidia just sent a strong signal to AMD and Intel investors

Over the weekend, a woman approached me in my local Goodwill and asked if I could order her an Uber.

Before I could respond, she launched into a desperate-sounding story: Her car battery was dead, her phone was dead and she just needed a ride home via Uber or Lyft.

Part of me wanted to help, and I quickly evaluated the situation. I knew I wouldn’t count on getting paid back, but I could spend $15 to get her home.

But I was also shopping with my young child, which made me especially conscious of my surroundings and more cautious about getting distracted by a stranger’s urgent request.

I also thought about money expert Clark Howard’s recent warning about Tap-to-Pay scams and the dangers of handing an unlocked phone to a stranger.

I never planned to physically hand her my phone. But it occurred to me that even pulling it out and unlocking it within her reach created a risk.

So I told her I couldn’t order the ride, but I’d be happy to find an employee who could help her call a taxi.

Her reaction confirmed my suspicion that something wasn’t right. She wanted something from me, but it wasn’t simply a ride home.

I walked away convinced I’d avoided a scam.

When I got home, I started looking into what could happen when a stranger convinces you to order them an Uber or Lyft. I found several good reasons to say no.

Here are a few ways the “Can You Order Me an Uber?” Scam can work and how to protect yourself. 

The Unlock and Grab

The “I’ll Pay You in Cash” Scam

The Short Ride Home is Actually a Ride to Tennessee 

What Should You Do If a Stranger Asks You To Order Them a Ride?

Final Thoughts

The Unlock and Grab

My gut tells me my unlocked phone may have been the real target in my Goodwill encounter. Fortunately, I never let the situation get that far.

Think about what happens when you agree to order a ride for a stranger: You pull out your phone, unlock it and open an app connected to a payment method.

The person could then ask to hold your phone to enter an address, check the destination or look at the map. Handing it over gives a stranger an opportunity to run off with your phone — and potentially access much more than your rideshare app.

Even if you don’t hand it over, pulling out and unlocking an expensive device around someone you don’t know creates unnecessary risk.

The “I’ll Pay You in Cash” Scam

Not every version of this request is necessarily about stealing your phone.

After my encounter, I found reports of strangers using similar stories to convince people to order rides. In one 2024 incident reported by the Daily Dot, Ma’kiah Michelle said a woman approached her at Grand Central Terminal and asked her to order an Uber in exchange for cash. Michelle became suspicious when the woman pulled out multiple $50 bills and declined to order her a ride.

Michelle realized the cash could be counterfeit.

Someone could hand you a fake $50 bill for a $15 ride. You pay for the ride with your real credit card and give the person $35 in real change. Now you’re out the cost of the ride plus the cash you handed over.

The Short Ride Home Is Actually a Ride to Tennessee 

Even if the stranger isn’t after your phone or cash, there’s another problem: It’s your account and payment method attached to the trip.

Depending on the rideshare service and circumstances, a rider may be able to change the destination during the trip. That means the $15 ride you agreed to could potentially become a $150+ ride to Tennessee.

And if there’s a dispute, fee or other problem, your account is associated with the booking.

That’s a lot of potential responsibility to take on for a stranger.

What Should You Do If a Stranger Asks You To Order Them a Ride?

You don’t have to ignore someone who may genuinely need help. But you also don’t have to unlock your phone, hand over your device or put a stranger’s trip on your personal rideshare account.

Don’t Hand Over Your Unlocked Phone

Never hand an unlocked phone to a stranger. And if something about the situation feels suspicious, think carefully about pulling out and unlocking your phone within easy reach.

An unlocked phone can potentially give a thief access to much more than the device itself, including email, financial and payments apps and other sensitive accounts.

Offer a Safer Alternative

If someone genuinely needs transportation, offer an alternative that doesn’t require using your phone or payment account.

For example, you could direct the person to an employee, security guard or customer service desk that may be able to help them call a taxi. You could also point them toward public transportation.

If the person appears to be in immediate danger or experiencing an emergency, contact the appropriate emergency services.

Never Share Verification Codes

Never give a stranger verification or security codes sent to your phone. This includes codes associated with Uber, Lyft or your financial accounts.

A legitimate request for help shouldn’t require you to surrender control of your accounts.

Lock Down Your Financial Apps

Even if you never hand your phone to anyone, it’s smart to prepare for the possibility that it could be lost or stolen.

Use the security features available on financial apps such as Venmo, Cash App, PayPal and your bank’s mobile app. Enable biometric authentication or a separate PIN where available, and make sure your phone itself is protected with a strong passcode.

Final Thoughts

Clark Howard often reminds us that most people are good. But being willing to help someone doesn’t mean you have to put your phone, money or accounts at risk.

Looking back at my Goodwill encounter, I think the most important thing I did was offer the woman another way to get help. I wouldn’t order an Uber from my phone, but I was willing to find an employee who could help her call a taxi.

She wasn’t interested.

That’s a red flag worth remembering. If a stranger asks you for help but rejects a reasonable alternative that removes access to your phone, money or accounts, pay attention.

Scams constantly evolve, and none of us can know every scheme we’ll encounter. Instead, watch for the patterns that tend to repeat: an urgent story, an unusual request, pressure to use your phone or money, and resistance when you suggest a safer alternative.

You can still be kind and helpful without putting yourself at unnecessary risk. And when something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and walk away.

The post Scam Alert: Think Twice Before Ordering an Uber for a Stranger appeared first on Clark Howard.

Did you know you can go through airport security to meet a friend on a layover, share a farewell meal, or shop at terminal stores — even if you aren’t flying? A growing number of U.S. airports now offer free visitor pass programs that grant non-ticketed guests access to gate areas beyond the TSA checkpoint.

Currently, access generally falls into two primary categories depending on the airport and your traveler status.

Option 1: Express Access via TSA PreCheck (Gateside Program)

If you hold an active trusted traveler membership (such as TSA PreCheck), participating airports offer an expedited approval process that lets you use PreCheck screening lanes. The program is called Gateside by TSA PreCheck.

Key requirements and rules:

Eligibility: Must hold an active Known Traveler Number (KTN) via TSA PreCheck or another trusted traveler program.

How to Apply: Apply online 1 to 3 days prior to your visit and check your dashboard for approval.

Minors: Children are eligible but must be added to a parent or guardian’s reservation.

Validity: Valid for one full calendar day (re-entry allowed).

Cost: Free.

Participating airports:

Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) – Mesa, AZ

John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) – Columbus, OH

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) – Detroit, MI

Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) – Wichita, KS

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) – Indianapolis, IN

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) – Las Vegas, NV

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – Los Angeles, CA

Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) – Little Rock, AR

Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) – Oklahoma City, OK

Eppley Airfield (OMA) – Omaha, NE

San Diego International Airport (SAN) – San Diego, CA

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) – Salt Lake City, UT

Troubleshooting denials: If your application is rejected, double-check that your personal details (full name, DOB, KTN) match your TSA PreCheck profile exactly. If your information is correct, the airport may have hit its daily cap for visitor passes.

Option 2: General Airport Visitor Passes (Standard Security)

If you don’t have TSA PreCheck, or if your airport uses a standalone program, around 21 airports offer independent visitor pass systems.

How it works:

Screening: All visitors pass through standard TSA security lanes, regardless of PreCheck status.

Age restrictions: Applicants must be at least 18 years old (minors must be accompanied by an adult visitor pass holder).

Varying rules: Each airport sets its own hours, allowed terminals, stay durations, and baggage limits.

How to find them: Each airport runs its own programs. Search your local airport’s website for terms like “Visitor Pass” or custom program names (e.g., the Hopkins Hangout Pass in Cleveland or the BNA PASSport in Nashville).

(Note: Airlines can also issue traditional gate passes at their ticket counters, but these are restricted to specific needs, such as assisting passengers with disabilities, military personnel, or unescorted minors.)

Final Thoughts

Whether you want to share a final toast with a traveling friend or lessen the stress for an arriving family member, airport visitor passes make it possible. Just remember to apply a few days in advance, double-check that your personal details match your identification, and keep daily visitor caps in mind when planning your trip. With more terminals opening their doors to the public each year, the gate area is no longer strictly for travelers — it’s an extension of the local community.
The post TSA Visitor Passes: How To Access Airport Gates Without Flying appeared first on Clark Howard.

Key Takeaways

Fidelity is the best overall online trading platform due to its low fees, wide variety of tradable assets and advanced trading tools. If you’re new to trading, E*TRADE may provide a smoother onboarding experience, while seasoned traders will better appreciate Charles Schwab’s sophisticated tools.
Online trading platforms allow you to buy and sell securities like stocks, ETFs, mutual funds and options. They usually offer access to real-time market data, interactive charts and news feeds.
Most major brokers now offer commission-free stock and ETF trades. However, there are often still charges associated with options contracts fees, margin interest, mutual fund transactions, transfer fees and advisory fees.
We evaluated online trading platforms based on 34 data points, including available assets, commissions and fees, charting and research tools, automation features and customer support.

Our top picks for the best online trading platforms

Fidelity: Best Overall Trading Platform
E*TRADE: Best for Beginners
Charles Schwab: Best for Active Traders
Betterment: Best for Automated Investing
Interactive Brokers: Best for International Trading
tastytrade: Best for Options Trading
Vanguard: Best for Long-Term Fund Investors
Public: Best for Social Investing

Pros

Extensive investment selection
Fractional shares starting at $1
Strong research and screening tools
International market access

Cons

$49.95 transaction fee for non-Fidelity mutual funds
No futures trading

Stock and ETF comissions

Options fee

Account fees

Account minimum

Range of assets

$0 for online U.S. trades; international commissions vary by market

$0 base; $0.65 per contract

$0 annual/inactivity fee for standard account; product-specific fees can apply

$0

Stocks, fractional shares, ETFs, mutual funds, options, bonds/CDs, precious metals, IPOs, crypto, managed portfolios

Why we chose it: Fidelity features the best combination of low cost and advanced tools. The platform charges no commissions for U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, has no account minimum and offers fractional shares starting at $1. Plus, you can trade everything from mutual funds and options to bonds, crypto and international stocks directly on foreign exchanges — while also getting access to extensive research, screeners and planning tools. This makes Fidelity a strong option for traders of all experience levels regardless of investment strategy.

Pros

Beginner-friendly educational resources
Two platforms for different experience levels
Fractional shares starting at $5
Paper trading available

Cons

International stocks only available via American Depository Receipts (ADRs)
$500 minimum for automated portfolios
Relatively high margin rates

Stock and ETF commissions

Options fee

Account fees

Account minimum

Range of assets

$0 for online U.S.-listed trades

$0 base; $0.65 per contract, or $0.50 after 30+ eligible trades per quarter

$0 annual/inactivity fee for standard account; futures, broker-assisted and service fees can apply

$0 self-directed; $500 minimum for Core Portfolios

Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, futures, bonds/CDs, IPOs and managed portfolios

Why we chose it: E*TRADE makes getting started with investing easy thanks to no minimums on standard brokerage accounts and commission-free stock and ETF trades, with fractional shares available from $5. Investors are given access to extensive educational resources, screeners and paper trading, which lets you test strategies and learn how the platform works without risking actual money. As your skills develop, you can move to Power E*TRADE for more sophisticated charting and trading tools without having to open an account elsewhere.

Pros

Advanced thinkorswim trading platform
Paper trading and customizable charting
Fractional shares starting at $1
Extended-hours trading

Cons

Low yield on uninvested cash
No fractional shares for ETFs
Relatively high margin rates

Stock and ETF commissions

Options fee

Account fee

Account minimum

Range of assets

$0 for online U.S.-listed stock and ETF trades; trades on foreign exchange may carry commissions

$0 base; $0.65 per contract

$0 annual/inactivity fee for standard account; transaction, service and product fees can apply

$0 standard account minimum; margin borrowing generally requires at least $2,000 equity

Stocks, fractional S&P 500 shares, ETFs, mutual funds, options, futures, bonds/CDs, forex, international and managed accounts

Why we chose it: Charles Schwab‘s thinkorswim platform is popular among active traders and offers comprehensive charting, order and analysis tools that surpass those of its competitors. Schwab also supports extended-hours trading and a broad selection of investments including stocks, ETFs, options, futures and bonds. Despite its advanced capabilities, Schwab charges no commissions for online-listed stock and ETF trades and has no brokerage account minimum, making its trading technology accessible without the pricing structure of some professional platforms.

Pros

Automatic portfolio management
Built-in tax optimization tools
Goal-based investing features
Access to financial advisors (Betterment Premium)

Cons

Flat $5 monthly fee for investors with small balances
No individual stock, mutual fund or ETF trading
Limited tools for active traders

Stock and ETF commissions

Options fee

Account fees

Account minimum

Range of assets

$0 for self-directed stock and ETF trades; managed portfolios charge an advisory fee

No self-directed options trading

$0 on self-directed accounts; $5 per month on managed accounts, or 0.25% AUM when eligible

$0 minimum for self-directed accounts; Premium advice requires higher balance

Managed ETF portfolios, self-directed stocks and ETFs, IRAs, Cash Reserve and checking

Why we chose it: Betterment handles many of the tasks involved in maintaining a diversified portfolio with little ongoing effort required, which makes it ideal for passive investors. Its managed portfolios include automatic rebalancing, dividend reinvestment plans and tax-loss harvesting, with additional tax-coordination features available to eligible customers. Betterment also offers goal-based investing, retirement planning and access to financial advisors for investors who want additional guidance.

Pros

Extensive global market access
Advanced order and trading tools
Fractional shares starting at $1
Low margin rates

Cons

Complex pricing and market-data presentation
Steep learning curve

Stock and ETF commissions

Options fee

Account fees

Account minimum

Range of assets

$0 for U.S.-listed trades with IBKR Lite; IBKR Pro and international commissions vary

$0.15-$0.65 per contract on tiered schedule; fixed pricing ~$0.65 plus exchange fees

$0 account maintenance or minimum fee on Lite and Pro; market data and specialized services can cost extra

$0 standard account minimum; margin accounts require regulatory equity levels

Global stocks, fractional shares, ETFs, options, futures, forex, bonds, mutual funds, metals, prediction/event products

Why we chose it: Interactive Brokers combines a variety of investment options and advanced trading tools with unmatched access to global markets. Investors can trade stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds and other securities across markets in dozens of countries from a single account. Interactive Brokers’ currency-trading capabilities make investing overseas easier than with most mainstream U.S. brokerages. The platform also offers competitive margin rates and highly sophisticated order, charting and research tools.

Pros

Options-focused trading tools
Capped options commissions
Futures and futures-options trading
Fractional shares starting at $5

Cons

Smaller selection of traditional investment products
Research is geared heavily toward active traders
Limited appeal for passive investors

Stock and ETF commissions

Options fee

Account fees

Account minimum

Range of assets

$0 for stock and ETF trades

$1 per contract to open stock and ETF options, $0 to close, capped at $10 per leg

$0 base self-directed annual fee; service and transaction fees apply by product

$0 self-directed; Personal Advisors generally around $25,000 recommended/minimum

Stocks, fractional eligible shares, ETFs, mutual funds, options, bonds/CDs, IRAs and managed/advisory portfolios

Why we chose it: tastytrade’s platform and pricing structure are built around active derivatives traders. Stock and ETF options cost $1 per contract to open, with commissions capped at $10 per leg, and there is no commission to close those positions. The platform also offers strategy-building tools, probability analysis, backtesting and other features designed to specifically evaluate multi-leg options trades.

Pros

Extensive selection of low-cost funds
Fractional Vanguard ETF investing
Automated and human advisory services
Strong selection of retirement accounts

Cons

No fractional shares for stocks or non-Vanguard ETFs
Annual account service fee may apply
Limited selection of factional shares
Basic trading and charting tools

Stock and ETF commissions

Options fee

Account fees

Account minimum

Range of assets

$0 for online stock and ETF trades

$1 per contract for standard clients; qualifying high-asset tiers may receive reduced or free contracts

$25 annual account service fee with common waivers like e-delivery

$0 brokerage minimum; many Vanguard mutual funds have their own investment minimums

Stocks, Vanguard and third-party ETFs and mutual funds, options, bonds/CDs, money markets, 529 and managed/advisory portfolios

Why we chose it: Vanguard is the largest U.S. issuer of ETFs. The brokerage features an extensive lineup of low-cost index funds, ETFs and actively managed funds, as well as a strong selection of retirement accounts and advisory services. Online stock and ETF trades are also commission-free, but you can only purchase fractional shares of proprietary Vanguard ETFs. With more ETF assets under management than any other brokerage, Vanguard is particularly well suited for buy-and-hold investors with long-term investment horizons.

Pros

Follow other investors and their trading activity
Built-in investing community
Fractional shares starting at $5
Access to alternative assets

Cons

Paywalled date and market metrics
Limited mutual fund selection

Stock and ETF commissions

Options fee

Account fee

Account minimum

Range of assets

$0 for stock and ETF trades during regular market hours; extended-hours and routing fees may apply

$0 base; Public shares option-order rebate on eligible contracts; index/options fees can differ

$0 base brokerage fee; Premium and product-specific service/market fees may apply

$0 brokerage minimum; some products have product-specific minimums

Stocks, fractional shares, ETFs, options, bonds and Treasuries, crypto, margin, high-yield cash and direct indexing

Why we chose it: Public integrates community features directly into the investing experience rather than treating them as a separate discussion forum. You can follow other investors, see trading activity from people you follow, comment on trades and see which members of your network own or watch a particular security. Those features sit alongside access to thousands of stocks as well as ETFs, options, bonds and more than 60 cryptocurrencies. Public also offers access to collectibles, including fractional investments in contemporary art, sports cards, vintage comic books and luxury goods, though these assets can be illiquid at times.

Other online trading platforms we considered
The online trading platforms below are all strong options worth considering. However, they didn’t make it into our top list either because they lack a strong niche, offer products within a limited scope or simply did not come out ahead of a similar platform.
Acorns
Acorns is designed for people who want to build an investing habit with minimal effort. Its signature Round-Ups feature invests spare change from everyday purchases made in its checking accounts into a diverse portfolio of ETFs, while its managed portfolios include automatic rebalancing and recurring investments.
Acorn subscriptions range from $4 to $12 per month — a relatively high cost for investors with small balances — and the platform offers fewer self-directed trading tools than our top picks.
FutureMoney
FutureMoney is an automated investing platform meant for parents building wealth for their children. Its offerings include 529 plans, general investment accounts and products designed around long-term family investing, including its Junior Roth IRA, which begins as a 529 and can later roll eligible funds into a Roth IRA (lifetime maximum rollover of $35,000 per 529 beneficiary).
While FutureMoney’s family-focused approach is innovative, the service is centered on children’s long-term savings rather than self-directed securities trading. As such, it isn’t directly comparable with the traditional online trading platforms in our rankings.
Plynk
Plynk is a beginner-friendly app focused on lowering the barrier to entry for new investors, with no account minimum and fractional shares starting at $1. Users can choose from more than 5,000 stocks and 2,000 funds and practice with $100,000 in virtual money through its simulated trading feature. That said, Plynk is currently available on mobile only and lacks advanced tools available from more comprehensive brokers.
Robinhood
Robinhood offers an intuitive, easy-to-use trading platform that is popular with new and experienced investors alike. It offers a wide range of investment options that includes ETFs, IPOs, fractional shares from $1 and crypto, and like many other discount brokers, has no commission on stock and option trades.
International stocks can’t be traded on foreign exchanges — only via ADRs on U.S. exchanges — and a lack of educational resources and advanced tools on its free version kept Robinhood out of our top list. The platform is still a good choice for anyone looking to trade quickly and for less, or take advantage of its Roth IRA match, which is a rarity among brokerages.
SoFi Invest
SoFi Invest combines self-directed stock and ETF trading with fractional shares starting at $5, options trading and a robo-advisor, all within the company’s broader ecosystem of banking and lending products. SoFi has also featured Composer, an AI-powered investing platform which lets investors create and test automated strategies using natural-language prompts.
Although SoFi’s traditional brokerage tools and research aren’t as extensive as those offered by other platforms on our list, the platform does make for a strong all-in-one option.
Disclosure: INVESTMENTS ARE NOT FDIC INSURED • ARE NOT BANK GUARANTEED • MAY LOSE VALUE. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA / SIPC.
What you need to know about online trading platforms
Online trading platforms, or online brokers, let you buy and sell assets like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, options and crypto via a mobile app or website. These platforms are designed for you to easily open an account, deposit money and start trading within just a few minutes.
Online brokers also offer various research tools you can use to evaluate stocks and market activity in real time. For instance, many of them have built in stock screeners that allow you to find securities based on preferences like market capitalization, earnings per share or expense ratio.
Types of brokers
Although every trading platform is different, they can be split into two broad categories: discount brokers and full-service brokers.
Discount brokers
With a discount broker, you’re in complete control of your securities and when you’d like to trade them. They offer self-directed portfolios, which require a hands-on investment approach, meaning you pick stocks, bonds and ETFs yourself.
Robinhood and Webull are examples of discount brokers. These platforms typically offer accounts that require low to no account minimums and may waive some of their fees for executing a certain amount of free trades per month, which makes them ideal for active or frequent traders.
Full-service brokers
Offering a more traditional approach, full-service brokers often pair clients with a financial adviser, who can offer advice about what stocks to buy or even manage your entire portfolio for you. Examples of full-service brokers include Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch.
Many full-service brokers feature other services too, such as retirement and estate planning, wealth management and tax planning. Consequently, account minimums and fees are much higher, so they are best suited for high-net-worth investors who want a more personal level of service.
How to choose the best trading platform for you
Before comparing online trading platforms, ask yourself:

What are my investment experience and needs? Beginners should look for platforms that offer educational resources, responsive customer support and trading practice. Experienced traders may benefit more from platforms that let them issue specific types of trades and offer more complex analytic tools.
What are my financial goal(s)? If your goal is to save for retirement, you should look for a broker that offers the right type of account for it, like a traditional or Roth IRA. But if you mainly want to throw a wrench in the system and invest in meme stocks or crypto, then you might want a platform with a greater variety of available assets.

Once that’s clear, you can continue with the following:

Compare account fees and charges. Most online trading platforms offer commission-free trading stocks and ETFs. However, there are other fees and charges you should watch out for, such as account fees, options contract fees and monthly memberships.
Look for a variety of assets. Some trading platforms limit their selection to popular choices, while others offer a wider range of assets, including futures, cryptocurrency and international stocks. Choose a platform that has the right choices for your investment strategy, not just the one with the most options.
Check brokers’ background. Online trading platforms and brokers should be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). You can check a broker’s information and registrations with search tools like the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure and FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
Figure out deposit and withdrawal methods. Most trading platforms let you fund your account by linking a checking or savings account, but there are a few that allow you to use alternate methods, such as a debit or credit card and digital wallets.
Evaluate security and customer support options. Look for platforms with security features like two-factor authentication or biometrics and that have multiple customer support channels, for example, via phone, email and live chat. You can also check if the company has been involved in any recent data breaches or legal proceedings.
Try different trading platforms. Many online trading platforms let you open an account for free and without minimum deposits. This will help you evaluate its features, the process for placing orders and its research tools.

Online trading platforms vs. robo advisors
Self-directed online trading platforms give you the freedom to choose your own assets and develop an investment strategy. Yet this can often be time consuming and requires some basic knowledge of how to buy stocks — especially if you’re a first-time investor.
Robo-advisors offer a hands-off solution to investors who would rather pass off investment decisions to professional managers, a computer algorithm or a combination of both. In fact, the best robo-advisors typically offer advanced management algorithms and user-friendly interfaces, requiring little how-to knowledge.
Below are some key differences between online brokerages and robo-advisors.

Online trading platform

Robo-advisor

Allows you to create your own portfolios and manage trades according to your knowledge and investment strategy.

Uses computer algorithms to create and automatically manage a diversified portfolio on your behalf.

Lets you decide how passively or actively you want to invest and how much risk you are willing to take.

Creates personalized portfolios based on your income, age, risk tolerance and investment goals.

Grants access a wide selection of assets, such as stocks, options, ETFs, mutual funds and bonds.

Only features ETF portfolios in most cases.

Leaves you responsible for rebalancing your portfolio by buying or selling assets to keep in line with your desired allocation.

Automatically rebalances your portfolio and performs tax-harvesting techniques to help you keep in line with your desired asset allocation.

Provides free financial counseling in some cases.

Sometimes offers human portfolio managers, although generally at an extra fee.

Best Online Stock Trading FAQs
How much money do I need to start investing?
Many trading platforms have low or no investment minimums, meaning you can generally start investing in stocks with any amount — as little as $1. However, minimums can vary depending on the type of investment you choose. For instance, mutual funds and ETFs sometimes have minimums ranging from a few hundred to a thousand dollars.
How do I buy stocks online?
You can buy stocks online in four steps: open a brokerage account, fund it with a transfer from your checking or savings account, search for the stock’s ticker symbol and place an order for the number of shares you want. You can open most types of account in minutes and with no minimum investment.
Which online trading platforms have fractional shares?
Fractional shares are a common among leading online trading platforms, including Fidelity, Charles Schwab and Robinhood. Buying a slice instead of a whole share means you can start with as little as $1 at some platforms, putting high-priced stocks within reach on almost any budget. The selection of eligible stocks and ETFs varies by platform.
What’s the difference between a market order and a limit order?
A market order tells your broker to buy or sell an investment right away at the best available price, while a limit order lets you set the highest price you’re willing to pay when buying or the lowest price you’ll accept when selling. Market orders can work well for heavily traded stocks and ETFs, where prices tend to be more stable, while limit orders give you more control over the price.
Which platform is best for a managed or robot-advised account?
Betterment is our pick for hands-off investors. It charges $5 per month, or a 0.25% annual advisory fee once your balance reaches $24,000 or you set up $200+ per month in recurring deposits, with no account minimum. Fidelity is a more affordable option for smaller balances — no advisory fee under $25,000, then 0.35% annually above it.

Methodology
We evaluated 21 online trading platforms against 34 data points, grouped into five criteria: cost, trust, asset and account selection, trading tools and resources and customer experience. All pricing, rates and ratings were verified against primary sources — brokerage fee schedules, FINRA/SEC registrations and App Store listings — as of September 8, 2026.
Costs
The costs associated with a trading platform can largely be attributed to its fees. While most platforms charge no commissions on stock and ETF trades, the numbers start to look different when it comes to other types of service fees, such as options contracts and maintenance fees.
In addition to those mentioned above, we compared account minimums, inactivity fees, outbound ACAT transfer fees, margin rates at every tier, spread and markup costs, advisory pricing, the yield paid on uninvested cash and any current transfer or new-account bonuses.
Trust
There’s no point in trading on a platform that you can’t trust with your money — or your personal information. Stock brokers accounts in the U.S. are insured up to $500,000 by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, but there’s more to trust than insurance.
After confirming SEC and FINRA registration and SIPC membership for all companies on our list, we reviewed their payment-for-order-flow practices and order-routing disclosures and considered each platform’s reliability, years in operation, account security features and independent third-party ratings.
Asset and account selection
Generally speaking, the more types of asset or security you can trade on a given platform, the better, since that lessens the likelihood of having to switch platforms just for a specific trade. And while you may not need every single type of investing account, having the option to open a different one as your circumstance changes is worth considering.
​​We looked at each platform’s range of tradable assets, fractional share availability, extended and overnight trading hours, direct access to international markets and the account types they offered — taxable, IRA, custodial, 529, HSA, trust and business, for example.
Trading tools and resources
What type of tools and resources you value most will depend on your level of experience when trading. A beginner may want to have paper trading to practice trading before they try the real thing, whereas an experienced trader might prefer extensive charts and data analysis tools to get a better understanding of the market.
We evaluated supported order types, including conditional and multi-leg orders, charting and technical analysis tools, proprietary and third-party research, automated investing options and tax tools, such as cost-basis tracking and tax-loss harvesting.
Customer experience
Ultimately, a trading platform needs to be usable regardless of how many features it may have. Beginners and experts alike benefit from platforms that are responsive and offer guides or helpful content on how to use their tools.
We compared the platforms’ support channels, service hours, depth of educational content, and banking integration for moving cash in and out.
 
Summary of Money’s Best Online Trading Platforms of 2026

Fidelity: Best Overall Trading Platform
E*TRADE: Best for Beginners
Charles Schwab: Best for Active Traders
Betterment: Best for Automated Investing
Interactive Brokers: Best for International Trading
tastytrade: Best for Options Trading
Vanguard: Best for Long-Term Fund Investors
Public: Best for Social Investing

The USTA Foundation is one of the biggest beneficiaries of U.S. Open revenue. The U.S. Open funds the charitable arm of the organization and its community Impact Hubs.

Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You: The Best Of Whitney Houston’ returns to three Billboard rankings as renewed interest in Dolly Parton’s song of the same name lifts Houston’s catalog.

SpaceX (SPCX) has already convinced investors that rockets can be a serious business.

Now it has to prove they can behave more like airplanes.

Pivotal Research Group analyst Jeffrey Wlodarczak initiated coverage of Elon Musk’s space company with a Buy rating and $220 year-end 2027 price target, representing roughly 48% upside from SpaceX’s Sept. 11 closing price of $148.18. SpaceX shares rose following the call.

On the surface, the bull case rests on multiple huge opportunities: Starlink, satellite launches, military contracts, and maybe even AI computing in space.

But Wlodarczak’s thesis is much simpler than that.

SpaceX needs to make Starship reliably reusable.

If successful, Pivotal estimates launch costs could drop by over 90%, changing SpaceX’s existing economics.

That makes the $220 target less a standard earnings call and more a big gamble on an engineering breakthrough.

Starship is the number that matters for SpaceX

Starship will carry far more cargo than SpaceX’s Falcon 9, and both stages will ultimately become reusable.

Pivotal’s value is based on a future where individual Starships fly 20 to 50 times, with cheap maintenance and fast turnaround times between missions.

That’s important because reusable rockets affect the cost structure.

Old-school launch economics mean throwing away pricey gear. Repeated use of the same spacecraft spreads the manufacturing cost across multiple trips, which may reduce the cost of getting each kilogram into orbit.

SpaceX has already proved this concept with Falcon 9.

Starship is designed to take this capability much further.

Related: SpaceX stock price hinges on one massive engineering bet

Its huge payload capacity might let SpaceX deploy bigger groups of next-generation Starlink satellites and unlock markets that are now not viable because it costs too much to get enough gear into orbit.

But the Starship is not yet commercially operational.

That’s a rare divergence between SpaceX’s nearly $2 trillion valuation and the technology that underpins much of its future value.

The engineering still needs to keep up with the value.

Starlink could turn cheaper launches into recurring revenue

Why does Starship matter? Because SpaceX isn’t just selling rocket launches.

It has one of the biggest potential client bases for such initiatives.

Starlink is now SpaceX’s biggest source of income, providing the firm with a rare vertically integrated model: SpaceX develops rockets, launches its own satellites and then sells connection over the network.

That implies cheaper Starship launches might improve Starlink’s economics and accelerate deployment.

Pivotal expects SpaceX revenue to surge from an estimated $46.6 billion in 2026 to $118.2 billion in 2027. The firm projects adjusted EBITDA could nearly double from $11.2 billion to $22.3 billion.

Those assumptions are extraordinary.

But they do demonstrate why Wall Street is so eager to put so much value on Starship. A successful reusable vehicle would produce more than just launch revenues. It might reduce the infrastructure costs of SpaceX’s largest recurring-revenue business.

That is the second-order consequence investors should be watching.

SpaceX’s $220 bull case comes down to one engineering breakthroughBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty Images

SpaceX’s AI opportunity could be even bigger

Then there’s the most speculative part of the value.

Artificial intelligence.

The cost and power needs of terrestrial AI data centers have led to interest in placing computer infrastructure in orbit, where solar power is plentiful and heat control works differently.

For SpaceX, that potential has one apparent prerequisite: affordable access to space for massive quantities of stuff.

Pivotal views reusable Starship flights as a way to make orbital computing possible.

Other experts are already placing great value on that prospect.

Morgan Stanley previously valued SpaceX using a sum-of-the-parts framework in which more than half of its $300 price target was attributable to AI-related operations, according to TheStreet.

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That does not make space-based AI data centers a sure-fire big business.

It implies investors are giving SpaceX a valuation much larger than that of a rocket firm.

SpaceX’s 48% upside comes with a massive catch

There is a danger to Pivotal’s bull case.

SpaceX thinks it will need about $1 trillion of financing over the next 10 years. The analyst’s base scenario also only has 65% likelihood built into its $220 goal.

Starship delays could undermine those projections. SpaceX also faces regulatory hurdles, enormous infrastructure requirements, and increasingly well-funded competitors.

Related: SpaceX is now in your 401(k), and Musk is the risk

The stock has already shown how tough valuation may be.

SpaceX priced its historic June IPO at $135 and soared as high as almost $225 before selling off significantly.

But that unpredictability is precisely what Pivotal is focused on.

SpaceX doesn’t need every futuristic notion around the firm to succeed.

It requires a Starship.

If Musk can transform the world’s biggest rocket into a quickly reusable transportation system, SpaceX could launch more Starlink satellites for less money, increase launch capacity, and perhaps make orbital AI infrastructure economically viable.

If he can’t, then a big portion of the price is much tougher to explain.

Thus, although Wall Street’s new bull anticipates almost 50% upside, the most crucial figure for SpaceX investors may not be $220.

It may be 20 to 50, the number of times Pivotal believes each Starship eventually needs to fly.

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Why we love this deal

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The Gaious Kitchen Pantry Storage Cabinet offers space for all sorts of kitchen items with five tiers of storage, plus storage in the doors for smaller items. For just $85, this pantry storage organizer is a great option for anyone who needs to tidy up the kitchen a bit, offering space for cereal, spices, bulk dry goods, canned goods, and more. Shoppers save 15% on this storage shelf.

Gaious Kitchen Pantry Storage Cabinet, $85 (was $100) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

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Why do shoppers love it?

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Related: Amazon’s $180 farmhouse storage cabinet has four adjustable shelves

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Details to know

Size: The unit measures 14.8 inches deep, 47.2 inches tall, and 27.6 inches wide.

Adjustable: Three of the middle shelves are adjustable to fit larger or smaller items. 

Cold-rolled powder-coated steel: The steel material is resistant to scratches and offers a durable option for everyday use. 

One shopper wrote, “This pantry cabinet is simple but really useful. It has plenty of space for my kitchen stuff, and the adjustable shelves make it easy to organize different-sized items. The white finish looks clean and matches my kitchen nicely.”Another buyer wrote, “I’m really happy with this cabinet. It looks much more expensive than it is and fits perfectly in my office. The clean white finish and gold handles give it a modern, elegant look. The storage space is surprisingly roomy. It easily holds all of my supplies while keeping everything organized and out of sight, making the room look much cleaner.”

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Chefstory Airtight Food Containers, $20 (was $22) at Amazon

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Ristern Metal Storage Cabinet, $70 (was $80) at Amazon

The Gaious Kitchen Pantry Storage Cabinet is a fantastic option to store kitchen items like dry goods, canned items, or small appliances, and can also be used in other areas like the laundry room or office for extra space. For just $85, this steel unit is a sturdy option.