How to start investing online

Investing and trading online is an easy, low-cost way to start putting your money to work. With a do-it-yourself investing approach, you can easily buy and sell stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs)1 on your own. Or, if you want a little more guidance, just tell us your goals and comfort with financial risk and we’ll put you in a portfolio that is managed for you and automatically rebalances to keep you on track.

Automated Investor

Automated Investor, our robo-advisor, uses technology and industry insights to manage your investments for you. You tell us your goals, your comfortability with risk and how much you want to begin investing and Automated Investor does the rest. If you need help, an investment professional is just a phone call away.

Self-directed investing

If you’re an experienced investor, we offer a way to control how your money is invested. Manage your own portfolio with a self-directed brokerage account from U.S. Bancorp Investments. Choose from stocks, options, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and over 10,000 mutual funds to trade.

Comparing online investing options

Managed for you

Automated Investor

How it works for you:

  • Investment decisions made and managed for you

 

Investment types:

  • Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) chosen by experts for performance and low cost

 

Live support:

  • Service and technical support when you need it
  • Access to an investment professional at the Advisory Center

 

Minimum investment:

  • $1,000

 

Pricing:

  • For every $1,000 you invest, pay only $.20 a month in fees,2 with fees billed quarterly
  • Other account and transaction fees may apply. See the Automated Investor-specific fees as well as our Full Service and Investment Advisory Fee Schedule

Managed by you

Self-directed investing

How it works for you:

  • Flexibility to select and trade your own individual investments

 

Investment types:

  • Stocks, options, ETFs and over 10,000 mutual funds

 

Live support:

  • Service and technical support when you need it
  • Access to an investment professional at the Advisory Center

 

Minimum investment:

  • None

 

Pricing:

  • $4.95 per stock and ETF trades
  • Get 100 free trades per year with a self-directed account enrolled in paperless document delivery and a U.S. Bank SmartlyTM Checking account offered by our affiliate U.S. Bank.3
  • Other account and transaction fees may apply. See self-directed brokerage fee schedule

 

Benefits of investing online with us

Low fees

Investing online typically has lower fees than investing with an advisor in person

All your accounts in one place

U.S. Bancorp Investments, and our affiliate U.S. Bank, provide your complete financial picture in a single view, quick account transfers and one login to access all your accounts.

Live support when you need it

Our financial advisors at the Wealth Management Advisory Center work with you by phone or online to determine the best approach for your goals.

Market research and analytics to help guide your decisions

Get up-to-date reports on economic events and news from the markets

icon-dec-checklist Created with Sketch.

Investing options quiz

Explore ways to start investing with U.S. Bancorp Investments by answering a few simple questions. When you’re done, you can review your investing options and considerations based on your answers.

Enhance your investing knowledge

What is a robo-advisor?

Learn what a robo-advisor is, how it works and some of the benefits of using one.

Types of investors: Which are you?

People invest for different reasons and work in different ways to reach their goals.

Investing for beginners

You know investing is important, but you may not know how or where to begin.

Start of disclosure content
  1. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are subject to risks similar to those of stocks, such as market risk. Investing in ETFs may bear indirect fees and expenses charged by ETFs in addition to its direct fees and expenses, as well as indirectly bearing the principal risks of those ETFs. ETFs may trade at a discount to their net asset value and are subject to the market fluctuations of their underlying investments.

  2. Annual advisory fee is 0.24% of invested assets, billed quarterly with a minimum investment of $1,000. Your annual advisory fee doesn’t include ETF fees and expenses which are reflected in the daily pricing of the fund, or other account level fees as described in our Automated Investor Wrap Fee Program Brochure.

  3. Offer is for 100 free trades per calendar year (Jan. 1-Dec. 31). Offer applies to online trades of equities and exchange-traded funds only and requires enrollment in paperless documents for self-directed brokerage account. To receive the free trades, a U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account or an existing U.S. Bank Platinum® Checking Package or U.S. Bank Gold® Checking Package must be established with our affiliate U.S. Bank. Free trades made available up to four business days from confirmation of account funding. This offer is not designed to support day trading or active trading and may be revoked if there is excessive or unreasonable activity. Additional fees may apply. Please refer to the Schedule of Commissions and Fees for more information at https://www.usbank.com/investing/online-investing/self-directed-investing/brokerage-fees.html.

Start of disclosure content

Investment and insurance products and services including annuities are:
Not a deposit • Not FDIC insured • May lose value • Not bank guaranteed • Not insured by any federal government agency.

U.S. Investments is a marketing logo for U.S. Bancorp Investments Inc.

U.S. Bank, U.S. Bancorp Investments and their representatives do not provide tax or legal advice. Each individual's tax and financial situation is unique. You should consult your tax and/or legal advisor for advice and information concerning your particular situation.

For U.S. Bank:

Equal Housing Lender. Deposit products are offered by U.S. Bank National Association. Member FDIC. Mortgage, Home Equity and Credit products are offered by U.S. Bank National Association. Loan approval is subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Not all loan programs are available in all states for all loan amounts. Interest rates and program terms are subject to change without notice.

U.S. Bank is not responsible for and does not guarantee the products, services or performance of U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

U.S. Bank does not offer insurance products. Insurance products are available through our affiliate U.S. Bancorp Investments.

For U.S. Bancorp Investments:

Investment and insurance products and services including annuities, are available through U.S. Investments, the marketing name for U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC, an investment adviser and a brokerage subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp and affiliate of U.S. Bank. U.S. Bank is not responsible for and does not guarantee products, services or performance of U.S. Bancorp Investments.

Insurance products are available through various affiliated non-bank insurance agencies, which are U.S. Bancorp subsidiaries. Products may not be available in all states. CA Insurance License #0E24641.

IMPORTANT: The projections or other information generated by Automated Investor regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results and are not guarantees of future results. Results may vary with each use and over time.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal.

U.S. Bancorp Investments is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as both a broker-dealer and an investment adviser. To understand how brokerage and investment advisory services and fees differ, the Client Relationship Summary and Regulation Best Interest Disclosure are available for you to review.

Pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, U.S. Bancorp Investments must provide clients with certain financial information. The U.S. Bancorp Investments Statement of Financial Condition is available for you to review, print and download.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Rule 2267 provides for BrokerCheck to allow investors to learn about the professional background, business practices, and conduct of FINRA member firms or their brokers. To request such information, contact FINRA toll-free at 1-800‐289‐9999 or via https://brokercheck.finra.org. An investor brochure describing BrokerCheck is also available through FINRA.

Past performance and market conditions do not guarantee future results. There is no assurance that a particular investment mix or hypothetical performance shown will lead to actual investment results or performance. Diversification and asset allocation strategies do not guarantee low volatility, profit or protection against loss. There is no guarantee that you will achieve your goal within your time horizon, or over a longer time period by using Automated Investor. You are responsible for providing accurate and up to date information about your goal, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact us to consult with an investment professional 866-758-8655. The illustrative portfolios cannot account for the impact that economic, market, and other factors may have on an actual investment portfolio.

Municipal Securities Education and Protection– U.S. Bancorp Investments is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB). An investor brochure that describes the protections that may be provided to you by the MSRB rules and how to file a complaint with an appropriate regulatory authority is available to you on the MSRB website at www.msrb.org.

U.S. Bancorp Investments Order Processing Information.