The picks below are part of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s annual Best List, a roundup of the best values in all the areas we cover — from funds, stocks and ETFs to credit cards and bank accounts to cars, college, kid stuff, phone plans, travel and health. Discover all our Best List picks here.
Start with funds on Schwab’s OneSource list for breadth of choice. Many of them come with $100 minimums and no transaction fee. One such fund is Schwab Total Stock Market Index (symbol SWTSX); it charges a low annual fee of 0.09% to boot.
For super-low minimums, invest in an ETF. You can buy one share of WisdomTree International LargeCap Dividend (DOL) commission-free through E*Trade for just $43. And $47 buys a single share of Vanguard Total International Stock (VXUS) at Vanguard without commission. Buy just one share of iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) through Fidelity or TD Ameritrade and you’ll pay no commission, just the $124 price of the fund. All three are members of the Kiplinger ETF 20. (Prices are as of September 30.)
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