Commission
A fee a broker charges for executing a trade. Many brokers now offer commission-free trading on some products, earning instead from spreads, financing or payment for order flow.
Related terms
Related lessons
How Brokers Make Money
A complete map of every way a broker earns — commissions, spreads, payment for order flow, margin interest, interest on your cash, securities lending, FX and fees — and which revenue streams align with your interests and which work against them.
Retirement Accounts
The big picture of saving for retirement: why tax-advantaged retirement accounts exist, the three pillars (state, workplace and private pensions), why an employer match is free money to claim first, and the priority order for your contributions.
401(k)
The US workplace retirement plan: what a 401(k) is, how pre-tax (and Roth) contributions work, why an employer match is free money to claim first, how tax-deferred growth compounds, contribution limits, vesting, and the rules around accessing the money.
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