Investment platforms:

If you are fairly new to investing, you might be asking yourself: where do I invest my money??!

First, you’ll need to choose where to invest your hard earned money. There are many financial institutions, online brokers that will be happy to have you as a new investor.  Here are few well known platforms where you can place your money (to name a few):

• Online brokerages such as Charles Schwab, TDAmeritrade, Vanguard or Fidelity (I currently use Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, and Schwab)
• Full-service brokers or financial advisors
• Specialty brokerages like Betterment
• Direct mutual fund accounts
• Dividend reinvestment programs (DRIPs)

Until you become a comfortable investor, I strongly recommend buying mutual funds and/or ETFs through an online broker or direct mutual fund account. Get the feel for it, then expand on that. Make sure you do plenty of research before jumping in.