BEST OF
A custodial account is a savings or investment account an adult opens and administrates on behalf of a minor. The best custodial accounts offer features that matter most to both child and adult account owners: low fees, investment education and strong customer support.
By Elizabeth Ayoola and Chris Davis
Edited byArielle O'Shea
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Looking for a way to set a minor with an investment account, but aren't sure where to start? You likely want a custodial account.
A custodial account is a common way for adults to start an investment account for a child, whether their own child, a grandchild or another minor. With a custodial account, the adult — also known as the account custodian —manages and maintains ownership of the account until the child reaches the age of majority, which varies by state. At that point, the child is generally able to take control of the account and funds, though in some cases you may be able to continue to apply restrictions.
You may also see custodial accounts described as UGMA/UTMA accounts. This is based on the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act — the legislature that allowed for the formation of these custodial accounts.
To arrive at our list of the best custodial accounts, we looked at factors that matter most to both the adult who started the account, as well as the child who will eventually take control of it. These factors include how robust a broker's educational materials are, how strong its customer support is, and how low its fees are, among other criteria.
Why you can trust NerdWallet's picks: Our writers and editors together have more than 50 years of experience writing about finance, and follow strict guidelines to maintain editorial integrity. We do a deep, independent analysis of dozens of investment firms, sorting through the details to find and evaluate the information investors want when choosing an investing account. To see our full methodology and learn more about our process, read our criteria for evaluating online brokers.
Looking for a way to set a minor with an investment account, but aren't sure where to start? You likely want a custodial account.
A custodial account is a common way for adults to start an investment account for a child, whether their own child, a grandchild or another minor. With a custodial account, the adult — also known as the account custodian —manages and maintains ownership of the account until the child reaches the age of majority, which varies by state. At that point, the child is generally able to take control of the account and funds, though in some cases you may be able to continue to apply restrictions.
You may also see custodial accounts described as UGMA/UTMA accounts. This is based on the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act — the legislature that allowed for the formation of these custodial accounts.
To arrive at our list of the best custodial accounts, we looked at factors that matter most to both the adult who started the account, as well as the child who will eventually take control of it. These factors include how robust a broker's educational materials are, how strong its customer support is, and how low its fees are, among other criteria.
Why you can trust NerdWallet's picks: Our writers and editors together have more than 50 years of experience writing about finance, and follow strict guidelines to maintain editorial integrity. We do a deep, independent analysis of dozens of investment firms, sorting through the details to find and evaluate the information investors want when choosing an investing account. To see our full methodology and learn more about our process, read our criteria for evaluating online brokers.
Broker | NerdWallet rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charles Schwab Learn more on Charles Schwab's website | 4.9/5 | $0 per online equity trade | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn more on Charles Schwab's website |
Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite Learn more on Interactive Brokers' website | 5.0/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn more on Interactive Brokers' website |
Vanguard Learn more on Vanguard's website | 4.2/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | Learn more on Vanguard's website |
E*TRADE Learn more on E*TRADE's website | 4.4/5 | $0 per trade. Other fees apply. | $0 | Get up to $1,000 when you open and fund an E*TRADE account | Learn more on E*TRADE's website |
Firstrade Read review | 4.4/5 | $0 per trade | $0 | Up to $200 in Transfer Fee Rebates | Read review |
NerdWallet rating
4.9/5on Charles Schwab's website
Fees
$0
per online equity trade
Account minimum
$0
Promotion
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Four trading platforms with no minimum or fees.
Above-average mobile app.
Extensive research.
Large fund selection.
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Cons
Low interest rate on uninvested cash.
Why We Like It
Charles Schwab has earned its strong reputation: The broker offers high-quality customer service, four free trading platforms, a wide selection of no-transaction-fee mutual funds and $0 commissions for stocks, ETFs and options.
Best Online Broker for Advanced Traders2024
NerdWallet rating
5.0/5on Interactive Brokers' website
Fees
$0
per trade
Account minimum
$0
Promotion
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Large investment selection.
Strong research and tools.
Over 19,000 no-transaction-fee mutual funds.
High order execution quality.
Cons
High minimum to earn interest on uninvested cash.
Why We Like It
Interactive Brokers' IBKR Lite is a strong option for frequent traders: The broker offers international trade capabilities, no stock-trading commission and a quality trading platform.
NerdWallet rating
4.2/5on Vanguard's website
Fees
$0
per trade
Account minimum
$0
Promotion
None
no promotion available at this time
Pros
Large mutual fund selection.
Commission-free stock, options and ETF trades.
Leader in low-cost funds.
High interest rate on uninvested cash.
High order execution quality.
Cons
Basic trading platform only.
Limited research and data.
Why We Like It
Vanguard is the king of low-cost investing, making it ideal for buy-and-hold and retirement investors. But active traders will find the broker falls short despite its $0 trade commission, due to the lack of a strong trading platform.
Want to compare more options? Here are our other top picks:
E*TRADE
Firstrade
Ally Invest
Fidelity® Youth Account
Merrill Edge® Self-Directed
M1 Finance
Last updated on May 31, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks the largest U.S. brokers by assets under management, along with emerging industry players. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 20 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
For more details about the categories considered when rating brokers and our process, read our full methodology.
To recap our selections...
NerdWallet's Custodial Accounts: 9 Best Options of June 2024
- Charles Schwab
- Interactive Brokers IBKR Lite
- Vanguard
- E*TRADE
- Firstrade
- Ally Invest
- Fidelity® Youth Account
- Merrill Edge® Self-Directed
- M1 Finance