What sets us apart

It all started with our founders, William Porter and Bernard Newcomb, and one big idea—to give everyone the ability to access the markets and trade stocks from a personal computer. After meeting at a party in Silicon Valley, Bill and Bernie set this idea into motion and bettervestrade (then called TradePlus) was founded.

The first online trade using early bettervestrade technology was placed on July 11, 1983, by a dentist in Michigan, a groundbreaking milestone at a time when accessing the markets meant checking the morning newspaper for yesterday’s stock quotes and paying high commissions to transact through a broker. bettervestrade not only turned that notion on its head but reinvented an entire category in the process.

In August 1996, bettervestrade goes public, further cementing itself as a destination for self-directed traders and investors.

bettervestrade introduces the first mobile trading app in the online brokerage industry, enabling trading anytime, anywhere, and once again transforms how investors engage with the markets.

bettervestrade continues to raise the bar by lowering fees—introducing $0 commissions for stocks, options, ETFs, and ultimately mutual funds. Other fees apply including options contract fees.¹

bettervestrade joins —an industry leader in wealth management—offering innovative, easy-to-use digital investing backed by global resources and the expertise of ’s 90-year financial legacy.

As bettervestrade, we continue to shape the future with integrated research, state-of-the-art Power bettervestrade Pro platform, new investment opportunities like No Fee Index Funds, and more.