WhiteBoard Finance Investing Guide

Introduction
Thanks for picking up the WhiteBoard Finance Investing Guide! The purpose of
this guide is very simple – I’ve reviewed multiple investment platforms to give you
a head start on understanding where you can invest your money.
This guide includes an objective summary of each platform, the pros, the cons, and
what type of investor these platforms are ideal for. Putting together this guide took
me hours of work and research so that I can bring you a fair and unbiased review.
I’ve been investing since I was 18 years old, starting with a TradeKing brokerage
account (showing my age here) because the commissions were only $4.95 per
trade. Since then, TradeKing has been acquired by Ally Invest, which is mentioned
in this guide. After I got my first big boy job, I focused on investing with Vanguard
because I knew I needed to start investing into a Roth IRA for my retirement.
Vanguard is mentioned later in this guide as well. In addition to Vanguard, I’ve
invested my own money in various platforms such as Fundrise, M1 Finance,
Robinhood, WeBull, and others mentioned in the guide below.
I strongly believe that investing early and often is incredibly important because of
the power of compound interest. Investing a portion of your income will help build a
financial nest egg for you and your loved ones for years to come.
Thanks again for checking out my guide, and I hope you get a ton of value from it!
If you do find value in this guide, please share it with people who will benefit from
this information.
Enjoy!
Marko - WhiteBoard Finance

www.whiteboardfinance.com
Self-directed
Investment Brokers
If you prefer to choose your investments and
manage your own portfolio, you can do it virtually
for free with any of the self-directed investment
brokers listed below. Most will give you the ability
to trade stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds
(ETFs), mutual funds, options, and a host of other
securities.
Most also offer free trades, so your decision will

come down to which offers the best combination
of trading tools, investment research and
education, as well as customer service.
You can use any of these brokers for the self-

directed trading portion of your portfolio.
Meanwhile, you can look into some of the other
investment platforms listed later in this guide,
where you can add a managed investment
option, commercial real estate investments, and
high-yield savings. Diversification matters to
investors large and small, and you’ll find there’s
an investment platform to specialize in each
allocation in your portfolio.
But for the self-directed allocation of your

portfolio, you may want to check out the following
investment brokers:
WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 3

1
Ally Invest
WHO ALLY INVEST IS BEST FOR:
Self-directed investing. High yield savings accounts.
Great overall “1 stop shop” for most people’s investing needs.
Ally Invest has come on strong in recent years, as a small but rapidly growing investment
broker. The platform is particularly strong for options trading, offering many valuable tools to
help you improve your investment performance. In addition to having no minimum balance
requirement and no trading fees on most investments, you’ll also get the benefit of both high
yield savings products and some of the best automotive financing programs in the industry
through their banking arm, Ally Bank.
ALLY INVEST FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0
account balance:
Trading fees: $0 on US Stocks, ETFs and Options (+ $0.50 per contract);

$9.95 for mutual funds

Investments offered: Stocks, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Options and Forex
Available accounts: Individual and Joint taxable accounts, Traditional, Roth,

Rollover, SIMPLE and SEP IRAs
Customer service: 24/7 by phone, live chat and email
CURRENT PROMOTIONS:
Tiered bonus, ranging from $50 to open a $10,000 account, up to $3,500 to open a $2.5 million
account
PROS CONS
No minimum opening account No local branches

balance requirement
No trading fees on most investments
Low commissions on mutual fund

trades
Excellent platform for options trading
High-yield savings products available

through Ally Bank
Innovative auto financing, also

through Ally Bank
Click here to learn more about Ally Invest

2
Webull
WHO WEBULL IS BEST FOR:
Anyone looking to get started investing in stocks & ETFs with $0 fees and great stock research.
You get a free stock for signing up.
Webull is a mobile app offering free stock trading. The service provides advanced technical
charting, such as MACD, Bollinger Bands, and exponential moving averages, as well as access to
in-depth stock market research. You don’t need any money to open an account, but like Firstrade
(mentioned later), you will need at least $2,000 to open a margin account.
The main drawback for Webull is limited investment options. While you can trade in stocks and
ETFs, they do not offer mutual funds, bonds, or options trading.
WEBULL FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0
account balance:
Trading fees: $0 on US Stocks, ETFs

Investments offered: Stocks, and ETFs, but not options, bonds or mutual funds
Available accounts: Individual taxable accounts, traditional, Roth, and rollover IRAs
Customer service: Email is the only communication method indicated
CURRENT PROMOTIONS:
Open a new account with $100 or more, and claim a free stock worth up to $1,000
PROS CONS
No minimum opening account Trading is limited to 5,000 US stocks

balance requirement and ETFs
No trading fees on most investments Does not offer joint taxable accounts
2X overnight margin trading, and 4X Does not offer option trading, bonds
intraday margin trades or mutual funds, though they do
promise options trading is coming
Unlimited day trading with account
soon
equity of $25,000 or more
Customer service is limited to email
Click here to learn more about Webull

3
Vanguard
WHO VANGUARD IS BEST FOR:
Low Cost Fund investors (ETFs and Index Funds). Retirement planning.
Vanguard isn’t the best broker for trading individual stocks, since they’re one of the last
remaining major brokers that charge trading fees. But where Vanguard shines is with fund
investing. They offer more than 1,800 no-fee ETFs and over 3,000 no-fee mutual funds. As well,
Vanguard’s own proprietary funds are some of the biggest and best in the world, frequently
included in managed portfolios and robo-advisors. Vanguard is the 800lb. gorilla in the
retirement planning world.
VANGUARD FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0
account balance:
Trading fees: $2 to $7 Stocks, based on account size; 1,800 fee-free ETFs and
3,000+ fee-free mutual funds

Investments offered: Stocks, bonds, options, ETFs, mutual funds, annuities and CDs
Available accounts: Individual and joint taxable accounts, traditional, Roth, rollover,
SIMPLE and SEP IRAs, Solo 401(k)s, trusts and custodial
accounts
Customer service: Phone, M-F, 8 am to 10 pm Eastern Time
CURRENT PROMOTIONS:
None
PROS CONS
No minimum opening account High fees for trading individual

balance requirement securities
The go-to platform for fund investors No mobile trading platform
Large number of no-fee mutual funds Limited trading tools and investment
and ETFs resources
Offers some of the very best Designed with fund investors in mind,
proprietary funds in the industry not investors in individual securities
Strong with customer support Customer service hours are fairly

limited for such a large firm
Click here to learn more about Vanguard

4
Firstrade
WHO FIRSTRADE IS BEST FOR:
Advanced investors who want to make their own investment decisions and manage their own
portfolios, who don’t need broker support.
Firstrade has actually been around since the 1980s, even though it’s not as well-known as some
other big-name investment brokers. The platform offers more than 11,000 mutual funds. You can
open an account with no money at all. The platform offers a good balance between investment
tools and fees, especially for options traders. Not only is there no commission on options trades,
there’s also no contract fee. This is a huge plus if you are looking to invest in options.
FIRSTRADE FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0
account balance:
Trading fees: $0 on Stocks, ETFs & Options (no per contract fee), and Mutual
Funds

Investments offered: Stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, options and penny stocks
SIMPLE and SEP IRAs
Customer service: Phone, Live Chat, M-F, 8 am to 6 pm Eastern Time
CURRENT PROMOTIONS:
Up to $200 in Transfer Fee Rebates or $25 Wire Fee Rebate
PROS CONS
No minimum opening account Customer support is limited to

balance requirement regular business hours
No trading fees on most investments The platform is best suited for

intermediate to advanced investors
No fees at all on options trades,
including no contract fee
Offers more than 700 commission-

free ETFs
Accepts international investors from

20 countries
Click here to learn more about Firstrade

5
Charles Schwab
WHO CHARLES SCHWAB IS BEST FOR:
Investors at all levels, but especially beginners.

Charles Schwab is the largest investment brokerage firm in the world, with more than $3.4 trillion
in customer account balances. There are plenty of good reasons why this is true. Schwab is an
excellent choice for investors at all levels, from beginners to advanced traders. They offer trading
in all investments, and what may be the very best customer service in the investment industry,
including more than 300 local branches if you like face-to-face contact.
They even offer managed portfolio options, if you decide you need help managing some or all your
portfolio.
CHARLES SCHWAB FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0
account balance:
Trading fees: $0 on Stocks, ETFs and Options (+ $0.65 per contract), and
more than 4,000 no-fee mutual funds

Investments offered: Stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, options, annuities and
futures
SIMPLE and SEP IRAs
Customer service: 24/7 phone and live chat + over 300 local branches
CURRENT PROMOTIONS:
None
PROS CONS
Can accommodate investors at all No promotions offered, but when

levels you’re Charles Schwab you don’t
need to offer promotions
One of the very best investment
brokers for customer service
Outstanding trading tools and

investment research
Supports all types of investments
No minimum opening account

balance requirement
No trading fees on most investments
Click here to learn more about Charles Schwab

6
Robinhood
WHO ROBINHOOD IS BEST FOR:
Those who want to invest in cryptocurrencies, in addition to stocks, ETFs and options.
Get free stocks for referring your friends.

If you’ve been bitten by the cryptocurrency bug, Robinhood may be the trading platform for
you. It’s a platform where you can invest in cryptos, right along with stocks, ETFs, and options.
Robinhood is an industry disruptor, being one of the first investment platforms to offer no-fee
trading. Though that’s not the advantage it once was, now that most of the major players in the
investment universe have also gone the no-fee route.
ROBINHOOD FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0
account balance:
Trading fees: $0 on Stocks, ETFs & Options (no per contract fee)

Investments offered: Stocks, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies
Available accounts: Individual taxable investment accounts only
Customer service: Email support only, M-F
CURRENT PROMOTIONS:
Earn a free stock by clicking here. Earn a free stock by referring a friend to Robinhood.
PROS CONS
No minimum opening account Limited investment selection – does

balance requirement not offer mutual funds or bonds
No trading fees on most investments Very restricted customer support,

with email only, Monday through
Offers cryptocurrencies
Friday
Offers individual taxable accounts

only, no joint accounts or retirement
accounts
Click here to learn more about Robinhood

Robo-advisors
AUTOMATED ONLINE INVESTMENT
MANAGEMENT AT LOW FEES
Maybe you’re a new investor, and not yet

ready to take the plunge into self-directed
investing. Or maybe you’re a busy person,
who simply lacks the time to manage your
own investments. If you fit either profile, robo-
advisors are the best investment choice for
you.
When you sign up for a robo-advisor you

complete a brief questionnaire. It will be used
to determine your investment goals, time
horizon, and risk tolerance. Based on your
answers to the questions, the robo-advisor
will construct a portfolio of stocks, bonds,
and often alternative investments, like real
estate and natural resources. Each allocation
in your portfolio will be represented by an ETF
(Exchange Traded Fund), which enables the
robo-advisor to keep fees very low.
Once your portfolio is been created, it will

be fully managed for you, including periodic
rebalancing and reinvesting of dividends. All
you’ll need to do is fund your account!
Here are the robo-advisors we are big fans of:

1
M1 Finance
WHO M1 FINANCE IS BEST FOR:
Investors who want to choose their own investments, but have them managed by the platform.
You can invest in fractional shares of an investment like Amazon, if you can’t afford the entire
share at a time.
M1 Finance is a favorite among robo-advisors. I actually have $1,000 of my own money in M1

Finance right now. That’s because it combines the best of self-directed investing, with all the
benefits of robo-advisor portfolio management. You choose the specific investments you want to
make, then M1 Finance manages your portfolio is for you, including periodic rebalancing of asset
allocations and dividend reinvestment.
M1 Finance works around a unique concept they referred to as “pies”. Each pie is its own
investment portfolio, and you can create an unlimited number of them. They provide prebuilt pies,
or you can create your own based on a self-selected investment theme. You can include up to 100
individual stocks are ETFs in each pie.

M1 Finance may represent the future of investing – self-directed investing, with automated
portfolio management. And all at no fees!
M1 FINANCE FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0
account balance:
Management fees: None
Investments offered: Individual stocks and ETFs that invest in stocks
Available accounts: Individual and joint taxable accounts, trusts, and traditional,
Roth, rollover, and SEP IRAs
Customer service: Phone, email during regular business hours
CURRENT PROMOTIONS: None
PROS CONS
No minimum opening balance Investment pies include stock-based

requirement investments only, not bonds or
alternatives, like real estate
No account management fees
No tax-loss harvesting offered
You choose your investments, M1
Finance then manages them for you No availability of mutual funds or
fixed income assets within your pies
You can create an unlimited number
of investment portfolios
Click here to learn more about M1 Finance

2
Betterment
WHO BETTERMENT IS BEST FOR:
Beginner and Advanced Investors looking for complete hands-off investment management at a
very low fee.
Betterment was the first robo-advisor platform, first introduced back in 2008. It’s remained an
industry leader, being one of the most innovative players in the robo-advisor sector. You can open
an account with no money at all, and management fees are at the lower end of the industry range.
Check out my Betterment review video HERE.
TWO THINGS WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BETTERMENT ARE:
1 They offer tax-loss harvesting on all taxable accounts (saving you money at tax time)
2 They offer value-oriented stock investing, which selects stocks of companies with prices
below what their fundamentals indicate. That gives you an opportunity to outperform the
market over the long-term.
We can also add a third – unlike many robo-advisors, Betterment offers generous live customer
support. They don’t provide financial advice, but they will help you with any questions you have
about investing on the platform.

BETTERMENT FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0 - you can open your account with no money at all, then
account balance: making regular monthly deposits
Management fees: Digital plan, 0.25%; Premium plan, 0.40%
Investments offered: ETFs in US and foreign stocks and bonds
Available accounts: Individual and joint taxable accounts: trusts, and traditional,
Roth, rollover, and SEP IRAs
Customer service: By phone and email, M-F, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and weekends,
11:00 am to 6:00 pm – all times Eastern
PROS
No minimum opening balance requirement
Management fees at the lower end of the robo-advisor range
Better customer service availability than most competitors
Uses value investing with many of the stock allocations
Tax-loss harvesting offered on all taxable accounts
Betterment is offering specialized accounts, such as socially responsible investing, Smart

Beta, and a professionally managed income portfolio
On larger account balances, external investment accounts will be analyzed to better

determine your Betterment asset allocation
CONS
Portfolio allocations are limited to stocks and bonds, and do not specifically include real
estate, natural resources, or alternatives
Click here to learn more about Betterment

3
Personal Capital
WHO PERSONAL CAPITAL IS BEST FOR:
Investors who want to track their entire net worth in one convenient place.
Investors looking for low level investment support at no cost, or complete wealth management for
a fee. Personal Capital can provide all of this.
Personal Capital is a comprehensive financial application that will work for just about anybody.
They provide basic budgeting and financial account aggregation – as well as limited investment
advice – free of charge. But if you have at least $100,000, and you want comprehensive wealth
management, Personal Capital can provide that as well through their Wealth Management option.
Personal Capital Wealth Management functions somewhere between traditional human

investment advisors and robo-advisors. That is, while your portfolio is actively managed by an
investment team, the mechanics of your account are handled very similar to robo-advisors. This
makes Personal Capital one of the best choices for comprehensive investment management.

PERSONAL CAPITAL FEATURES:
Minimum opening N/A for free accounts, $100,000 for Wealth Management Option
account balance:
Management fees: None on the free account, but tiered pricing on Wealth
Management, ranging from 0.89% on the first $1 million, sliding
down to 0.49% on balances of $10 million and up
Investments offered: US and foreign stocks and bonds, real estate investment trusts,
energy, and cash
Available accounts: Taxable investment accounts, traditional, Roth, rollover and SEP
IRAs, and trusts. They’ll also provide management advice on
401(k) plans, though they don’t directly manage them.
Customer service: Phone and email, 24/7
PROS
The free version provides budgeting, financial account aggregation, and limited investment
advice at no cost
Comprehensive wealth management available
Wealth Management reflects your employer-sponsored retirement plan in your portfolio

allocations, though it doesn’t directly manage those accounts
Personal Capital has a special orientation toward retirement planning
Wealth Management accounts provide generous live financial advice
Investment allocations go beyond stocks and bonds, and include real estate, precious
metals and energy
24/7 customer service
CONS
High minimum balance requirement for Wealth Management option
Management fee on Wealth Management sits well below those charged by traditional
human investment advisors, but well above robo-advisors

Click here to learn more about Personal Capital

4
Acorns
WHO ACORNS IS BEST FOR:
Anyone who hasn’t been able to save money to invest and wants to get started right now.
Great for people just starting out in investing.
Acorns is a micro-savings app and a robo-advisor rolled into one platform. It works based on a
process they referred to as Round Ups. You link the app to your checking account, and every time
you make a purchase, the payment is rounded up to the nearest dollar. If you make a purchase for
$7.15, your account will be charged $8, and $0.85 will be held for investing. Once your roundups
reach $5, the funds will be transferred into your Acorns investment account. There it will be
managed by the Acorns robo-advisor.
It’s the perfect passive way to accumulate savings, as well as have your money managed for you.
Acorns may be the single best starter investment platform in the industry.

ACORNS FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0
account balance:
Management fees: $1 per month each on taxable and retirement accounts
Investments offered: US and foreign stocks and bonds, and real estate
Available accounts: Individual taxable accounts and traditional IRAs (no Roth IRAs)
Customer service: Email only
PROS CONS
Excellent choice if you’ve had Good starter account, but not as

difficulty saving money to begin diversified as competing robo-
investing advisors
Automatic and completely passive Fees are high on low balance

money accumulation process accounts
No minimum investment required,

and you can begin investing with as
little as $5
Click here to learn more about Acorns

5
blooom (not a typo)
WHO BLOOOM IS BEST FOR:
Anyone looking for investment management of their employer-sponsored retirement plan. (401k,
etc.) Could save/earn you a lot of money over time.
blooom is unique in the robo-advisor space in its very specific target niche – employer-
sponsored retirement plans. That’s an overlooked niche in the market, because while millions of
people have 401(k) plans, there are few services available that will manage them, at least at a low
cost.
One of the big advantages with blooom is that you can use the service with any employer’s
retirement plan. Approval by the employer or the plan administrator is not required. They’ll create
an asset allocation within your plan, based on the investment options offered. The service
manages your plan, but you’re still the owner. Your account will be managed robo-advisor style,
which will include rebalancing up to four times per year.

BLOOOM FEATURES:
Minimum opening None required, because bloom doesn’t actually host your
account balance: account – it remains with your plan administrator
Management fees: $10 per month
Investments offered: Investment options are limited to those available in your

retirement plan
Available accounts: 401(k), 403(b), 457 and 401(a) plans
Customer service: Email, live chat and text, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Eastern time,
M-F; no phone support
PROS
Use of blooom does not require approval by your employer or by your plan administrator
Low flat fee of just $10 per month
Free account analysis just for registering an account
No minimum account balance required
Service provides an analysis of your investment expenses, recommending lower cost

options offered within your plan
You can communicate directly with registered investment advisors
CONS
No phone contact available
Investment options are limited to those offered by your employer plan
The flat fee of $10 per month, or $120 per year, will be high on smaller account balances
Click here to learn more about Blooom


High-Yield Bank
Accounts
With interest rates as low as they’ve been for the
past few years, just about everyone needs to be
invested in stocks. But you also need to have at
least a small portion of your portfolio allocated to
completely safe investments, both to be available
for emergencies and to lower the overall risk in
your investment portfolio. For most investors,
interest-bearing bank investments will be the
perfect solution. High-Yield bank accounts are an
excellent place for a 3-6 month emergency fund to
live.
Unfortunately, local banks pay pathetically low

interest rates. But there are a handful of online
banks that pay interest rates as much is 20 times
higher than local banks. They’re able to do this
precisely because they operate mostly or entirely
online. That eliminates the expenses associated
with maintaining a network of bank branches, and
the thousands of employees needed to staff them.
With lower overhead, online banks can pay higher
interest rates to their customers.
We love the following online banks to help you earn

the highest interest rates available:

1
CIT Bank
CIT Bank is based in Southern California, and while it has numerous bank branches in that area, it
otherwise operates as an online bank. They consistently offer some of the highest interest rates
being paid on deposit accounts in the industry.
Perhaps their star program is their Savings Builder account. Based on current rates, you can earn
1.85% APY with either a minimum deposit of $25,000, or by making recurring monthly deposits of
at least $100. In addition to high interest, there are also no fees connected with the account.
CIT BANK FEATURES:
Minimum opening $0 to $1,000 depending on the instrument

account balance:
Current APYs: 1.85% on Savings Builder account; 1.85% on the Money Market
Account; 1.55% on Premier High Yield Savings; CD rates as high
as 1.95%
Fees in savings Generally, none

instruments:
Other banking Home loans

services offered:
Customer service: Live phone, 9:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern time, M-F; automated
telephone, online and mobile banking, 24/7

PROS CONS
Pays interest well above the national Does not offer checking accounts
averages on all accounts
Primarily for high interest savings,
No account fees with only limited other banking
services provided
No minimum opening balance on the
popular Savings Builder account
CDs with initial minimum deposits of

just $1,000
Click here to learn more about CIT Bank

2
Capital One 360
Capital One 360 is proving to be one of the disruptors even among online banks. Not only do
they pay some of the highest interest rates on deposit accounts around, but they also come very
close to being a full-service bank. They do this by providing interest earning checking accounts,
auto loans, credit cards, and even business and commercial services.
Capital One’s 360 Performance Savings currently pays an APY of 1.90%, with no account
minimums and no fees. They’re also currently offering a one year CD paying 2.20% APY, with no
minimum opening balance.
CAPITAL ONE 360 FEATURES:
Minimum opening None on many accounts

account balance:
Current APYs: 1.90% on 360 Performance Savings; CDs as high as 2.20%; up

to 0.75% with 360 Checking account
Fees in savings None

instruments:

Other banking Credit cards, auto loans, business and commercial banking
services offered:
Customer service: Phone, 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm, Eastern time, seven days a week
PROS
Offers some of the highest rates on savings deposits anywhere
No fees on most accounts
No minimum initial deposit requirement on most accounts
Offers interest-bearing checking – many online banks don’t offer checking at all
Provides full-service banking, including credit cards, auto loans, and business and
commercial services
CONS
None to speak of!
Click here to learn more about Capital One 360

Real Estate
Crowdfunding
INVESTING IN COMMERCIAL REAL
ESTATE
Do you want to know how many of the wealthiest

people in America got rich? The answer is
commercial real estate. Because of the combination
of rent income and long-term appreciation, returns
on commercial real estate have historically been
higher than returns on stocks.
Not only does commercial real estate represent a

way to diversify your equity investments away from
stocks, but it also provides an opportunity to invest
in a “hard asset”. In fact, real estate is the hardest
of all hard assets! For this reason, it tends to retain
its value long-term, and rise in price with inflation.
And while inflation often hurts financial assets, it
provides a lift to real estate. In that way, commercial
real estate is a serious inflation hedge.
Up until recently, commercial real estate investing

has been limited to the wealthy. But with the
development of real estate crowdfunding platforms,
small investors can invest in commercial real
estate with as little as a few hundred dollars. It’s an
opportunity to participate in a powerful investment
that up until now has been available only to the very
wealthy.
If you want to invest in commercial real estate,

we love the following real estate crowdfunding
platforms:

1
Fundrise
WHO FUNDRISE IS BEST FOR:
Investors looking for high returns by investing in diverse commercial real estate investments
with a very low upfront investment.
Investing in actual real estate, not just a REIT.

Fundrise is one of the stars in the real estate crowdfunding arena. You can choose to invest in
either an eREIT, which focuses on generating income, or an eFund, that specializes in long-term
growth. As you can see from the screenshot above, Fundrise has a consistent pattern of turning
double-digit returns.
Investors are NOT required to meet accredited investor criteria. This is a common requirement
with many real estate crowdfunding platforms, which limits participation to larger investors.
Update: Check out my Fundrise review video HERE!
I personally have $1,000 invested with Fundrise and will be tracking it every 3 months on my
YouTube channel WhiteBoard Finance!

FUNDRISE FEATURES:
Minimum opening $500

account balance:
Management fees: 1% per year
Property investments Commercial and residential

offered:
Investment types: Debt, equity, preferred equity
Availability: All 50 states
Accredited Investor No
requirement:
PROS CONS
Begin investing with as little as $500 As is the case with all real estate
crowdfunding investments, there is
History of double-digit investment
little liquidity once you make your
returns
investment
No accredited investor requirement
Long-term investment, generally
90-day moneyback guarantee on requiring a 3 to 7-year commitment
your investment if you’re not satisfied
Click here to learn more about Fundrise

2
RealtyMogul
WHO REALTYMOGUL WILL WORK BEST FOR:
Investors looking to diversify into commercial real estate with as little as $5,000.
RealtyMogul has been around since 2012, making it one of the better-established real estate
crowdfunding platforms in the industry. You can participate in investments in office buildings,
retail space, large apartment complexes, medical facilities and even industrial.
As is common with real estate crowdfunding platforms, you will invest through private REITs.
However, you can also invest in individual property deals offered through the platform.
REALTYMOGUL FEATURES:
Minimum opening $5,000

account balance:
Management fees: 1% to 1.25%

Property investments Commercial
offered:
Investment types: Equity and preferred equity
Accredited Investor Depends on investment type

requirement:
PROS CONS
Ability to participate in individual As is the case with all real estate

real estate deals, rather than strictly crowdfunding investments, there is
through REITs little liquidity once you make your
investment
Invest in large commercial real estate
properties with a relatively modest Long-term investment, generally
investment requiring a 3- to 10-year commitment
Offers REITs for non-accredited Some RealtyMogul investments do

investors require accredited investor status
Customer support available 24/7

through the company website
Click here to learn more about RealtyMogul

3
RoofStock
WHO ROOFSTOCK WILL WORK BEST FOR:
Anyone who wants to invest in single-family rental properties without getting their hands dirty.
RoofStock departs from investments solely in commercial property. Instead, they give you an
opportunity to participate ownership of single-family rental properties. The platform serves
as a marketplace for pre-vetted, single-family rental properties. You’ll earn income from a
combination of net rental income and capital appreciation upon the sale of the property.
Roofstock only makes properties available if they think they’re priced properly for investment
purposes. You can purchase those properties as a direct owner, and you don’t need to be an
accredited investor. Roofstock also offers an affiliated property manager, if you don’t want to
handle the management details yourself.
However, if you are an accredited investor, they also have a program in which you can buy a 10%
share of the equity in a rental property. The minimum investment in any one of these properties
is $5,000, which will give you an opportunity to diversify your portfolio across several different
properties.
ROOFSTOCK FEATURES:
Minimum opening Varies by property investment

account balance:

Management fees: 0.50% fee paid upon purchase
Property investments Single family rental properties

offered:
Investment types: Direct ownership
Accredited Investor Depends on investment type

requirement:
PROS
Opportunity to invest directly in single-family rental properties
Each property is pre-vetted to determine its viability as an investment
Roofstock serves as a marketplace for hundreds of investment properties across the country
Professional property management option is available
You can also sell your investment property on the platform at a much lower commission than
what is charged by real estate agents
Opportunity for accredited investors to have partial ownership in multiple single-family

rental properties
CONS
As is the case with all real estate crowdfunding investments, there is little liquidity once you
make your investment
Long-term investment, generally requiring a multi-year commitment
Large down payment may be required with the purchase of individual properties
Accredited investor requirement on certain investments
Click here to learn more about Roofstock

GENERAL DISCLAIMER:
WhiteBoardFinance.com & Zlatic Media, LLC is not a financial adviser. This

document is for educational purposes only. Investing of any kind involves risk.
While it is possible to minimize risk, your investments are solely your responsibility.
It is imperative that you conduct your own research. I am merely sharing my
opinion with no guarantee of gains or losses on investments.
ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE:
WhiteBoardFinance.com & Zlatic Media, LLC has an advertising relationship with

some of the offers included in this document. However, the rankings and listings
of our reviews, tools and all other content are based on objective analysis. For
more information, please check out our full disclaimer. WhiteBoardFinance.com
& Zlatic Media, LLC strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. The
information in our reviews could be different from what you find when visiting a
financial institution, service provider or a specific product’s website. All products
are presented without warranty.
EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE:
This content is not provided or commissioned by the bank, credit card issuer, or
other advertiser. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the
bank, credit card issuer, or other advertiser, and have not been reviewed, approved
or otherwise endorsed by the advertiser. This site may be compensated through
the bank, credit card issuer, or other advertiser Affiliate Program.
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE:
Some of the links in this document are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost
to you, we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase and/or
subscribe. However, this does not impact our opinions and comparisons.

WhiteBoard Finance Investing Guide

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

WhiteBoard Finance Investing Guide

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Introduction

Marko - WhiteBoard Finance

Most also offer free trades, so your decision will

You can use any of these brokers for the self-

But for the self-directed allocation of your

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 3

WHO ALLY INVEST IS BEST FOR:

Self-directed investing. High yield savings accounts.

Great overall “1 stop shop” for most people’s investing needs.

ALLY INVEST FEATURES:

Trading fees: $0 on US Stocks, ETFs and Options (+ $0.50 per contract);

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 4

Available accounts: Individual and Joint taxable accounts, Traditional, Roth,

Customer service: 24/7 by phone, live chat and email

No minimum opening account No local branches

No trading fees on most investments

Low commissions on mutual fund

Excellent platform for options trading

High-yield savings products available

Innovative auto financing, also

Click here to learn more about Ally Invest

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 5

WHO WEBULL IS BEST FOR:

Trading fees: $0 on US Stocks, ETFs

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 6

Customer service: Email is the only communication method indicated

No minimum opening account Trading is limited to 5,000 US stocks

Click here to learn more about Webull

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 7

WHO VANGUARD IS BEST FOR:

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 8

Customer service: Phone, M-F, 8 am to 10 pm Eastern Time

No minimum opening account High fees for trading individual

The go-to platform for fund investors No mobile trading platform

Strong with customer support Customer service hours are fairly

Click here to learn more about Vanguard

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 9

WHO FIRSTRADE IS BEST FOR:

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 10

Customer service: Phone, Live Chat, M-F, 8 am to 6 pm Eastern Time

Up to $200 in Transfer Fee Rebates or $25 Wire Fee Rebate

No minimum opening account Customer support is limited to

No trading fees on most investments The platform is best suited for

Offers more than 700 commission-

Accepts international investors from

Click here to learn more about Firstrade

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 11

WHO CHARLES SCHWAB IS BEST FOR:

Investors at all levels, but especially beginners.

CHARLES SCHWAB FEATURES:

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 12

Can accommodate investors at all No promotions offered, but when

Outstanding trading tools and

Supports all types of investments

No minimum opening account

No trading fees on most investments

Click here to learn more about Charles Schwab

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 13

WHO ROBINHOOD IS BEST FOR:

Get free stocks for referring your friends.

WWW.WHITEBOARDFINANCE.COM — THE WHITEBOARD FINANCE INVESTING GUIDE 14

Available accounts: Individual taxable investment accounts only