Chris Davis is a Managing Editor on the Investing team. As a writer, he covered the stock market, investing strategies and investment accounts, and as a spokesperson, he appeared on NBC Bay Area and ...

Read Money’s review of the best online trading platforms of 2023.

Brokerage accounts trade assets like stocks and ETFs; taxes apply on gains and dividends annually. Choose between self-service, automated, or full-service accounts based on your investment needs.

Baby Boomers (ages 61 to 79 in 2025) held the largest balances, averaging about $599,000, while the Gen X investors (whose oldest members started reaching 60 this year) averaged about $379,000. These ...