850 University
Who holds your money and how SIPC works, opening an account and what it means for your credit, cash vs margin accounts, funding and transfers, 2026 account types from Roth to HSA, choosing a platform by fees, a dated 2026 platform comparison, robo-advisors and BrokerCheck, investor taxes and wash sales.
Learn who actually holds the money in a brokerage account, what SIPC protects and what it doesn't, how FDIC fits in for swept cash, and how to check a firm before you deposit.
Walk through the screens of opening a brokerage account and learn how each one does, or doesn't, touch your credit, including what a credit freeze does to identity checks.
Learn the difference between a cash account and a margin account, how T+1 settlement affects a cash account, what margin really costs, and how the 2026 day-trading rule change fits in.
Is Opening an Account and Choosing a Platform free on 850 University?
Yes — 10 of 10 lessons in this course are free with an 850ai account. Watch on YouTube anytime; create a free account to take quizzes and track progress.
How many lessons are in Opening an Account and Choosing a Platform?
This course includes 10 short video lessons, each followed by a quiz when you learn inside the 850ai app.
Can I dispute errors on my credit report after this course?
850 University teaches the concepts; 850ai can analyze your credit report and generate dispute letters when you are ready. Start free at my850.ai/landing.
Learn the strategy here, then let 850ai analyze your credit report and generate dispute letters tailored to your accounts.
Learn how money gets into and out of a brokerage account, why deposits are held, how ACATS transfers work, what transfer-out fees cost, and what to check in a sign-up bonus.
Compare taxable, 401(k), traditional and Roth IRA, HSA, custodial and Trump accounts, with the 2026 IRS limits and the strings attached to each.
Learn how to choose a brokerage platform without the hype: why there's no single best app, how zero-commission brokers get paid, what payment for order flow is, and a fee checklist you can use on any platform.
Tour 16 U.S. investing platforms side by side, as of October 2026: stock and options fees, margin rates, fractional shares, crypto and futures, trading hours, transfer-out fees, payment for order flow and regulatory history. No rankings.
Learn what robo-advisors do and cost as of October 2026, how small fees add up, the difference between an investment adviser and a broker under Regulation Best Interest, and how to check anyone with Form CRS and BrokerCheck.
Learn how investment taxes work in a taxable account for 2026: when a gain becomes taxable, short-term vs long-term rates, dividends, the $3,000 loss rule, the 3.8% NIIT and your 1099 forms.
Learn how the wash-sale rule works, why rebuying in an IRA can cost you the loss for good, how tax-loss harvesting and cost-basis methods work, what Form 1099-DA reports for crypto, and what trader tax status means.