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A brokerage account

The account you open to start buying real stocks.

The idea

To buy real stocks, you need a brokerage account — think of it as a bank account built for investing. It buys and sells for you, keeps your shares safe, and handles dividends and tax forms. If you're under 18, a parent opens a custodial version that's in your name until you turn 18. Schwab, Fidelity, and Vanguard are popular, trusted choices. 🏦

Words to know

Brokerage account: An account built for buying and holding stocks and funds.
Custodial account (UTMA/UGMA): A brokerage account a parent opens for a kid, in the kid's name, until they turn 18.
Fractional shares: Buying a small slice of a share, so you can invest even just a few dollars.
Index fund: A fund that holds a whole group of companies at once.
Roth IRA: A special account where your investments grow tax-free.
1099: A tax form your brokerage sends showing your gains and dividends for the year.

Try it — no account needed

Match each thing a brokerage does to its name.

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In the full lesson

1Match the pairs

Vine has 107 lessons like this one, each written three ways so a 7-year-old and a 17-year-old both get a version that fits.

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