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The score above is being given by BestMoney and does not reflect Public's opinion.
Public is a financial services company founded in 2019. It’s headquartered in New York City, has over a million users, and has raised hundreds of millions of dollars since its inception.
The platform offers users the ability to invest in thousands of different stocks, ETFs, crypto, treasuries, and alternative assets like digital art and collectibles. There are no account minimums, and no commissions** on most trades.
Public is an investment platform that lets people trade stocks, ETFs, treasuries, crypto, and more. It’s great for beginners, but may also be appropriate for experienced users looking to make frequent trades.
The company helps investing become more approachable as there are no commission fees** on stock and ETF trades placed during US market hours, and the process of opening and funding an account is clear and straightforward. Public prides itself on being transparent, which isn’t something every financial services company can say.
We think that Public may be a good choice for those at the beginning of their investment journey. It has a user-friendly interface, is easy to get started on, and provides several options for funding your account. A lack of or low commission fees** also make Public a popular choice for those looking to make frequent trades.
The platform may also be a good fit for those looking to deepen their investing knowledge. There are daily live shows full of helpful information, an ample amount of blogs and guides, and a large help center that provides answers to many common questions.
Public provides a lot of information about each stock such as its price history, any news about the stock, what experts think about it, and more.
| Commission fees** | Transaction fees | Extended hours fees* | |
|---|---|---|---|
Stocks | $0 | $2.99/trade | |
ETFs | $0 | $2.99/trade |
*The extended hours fees apply to trades made outside of the regular market hours of 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM EST.
Public has specific fees for those who trade cryptocurrency.
| Order amount | Max transaction fee |
|---|---|
$0.01 to $10 | $0.49 |
$10.01 to $25 | $0.69 |
$25.01 to $50 | $1.19 |
$50.01 to $100 | $1.69 |
$100.01 to $250 | $3.29 |
$250.01 to $500 | $6.29 |
$500.01 and up | 1.25% of the order amount |
In addition, there are a few minor fees that will apply in certain situations. Here are some of the main ones, but check out the Public fee schedule for an exhaustive list.
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
SEC Regulatory fee | $8.00 per $1,000,000 of principal (sells only), rounded to the nearest cent |
Trading Activity Fee | $0.000145 per share on equity sells, rounded up to the next cent. Can be no larger than $7.27 |
Domestic wire transfer out of Public | $25 |
Foreign exchange transaction fee | 0-2% per transaction |
Public has a premium membership called Public Premium. It provides VIP support, recurring investments, advanced insights and data, and the ability to invest outside of normal trading hours without a fee. This membership costs $10 a month if you pay monthly, or $96 if you opt for yearly billing.
To see the full fee schedule go to Open to the Public Investing's Fee Schedule to learn more.
Public gives you the option to invest in stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrency, treasuries, and alternative assets. Stock and ETF trading is free of fees, and crypto has the small fees mentioned above.
If you invest in treasuries, there’s a monthly account management fee of 0.05% of the average daily balance of your treasury account. When you trade alternative assets, there’s a 2.5% fee per transaction.
While the company provides a decent selection of product choices, I would like to see it add things like options, bonds, and mutual funds to its list. Also, the ability to open joint accounts or IRAs would be a good addition.
Before you sign up for an account, you need to make sure you’re eligible. The eligibility requirements include:
Being at least 18 years of age
Having a valid social security number
Having a legal U.S. residential address
Being a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or having a valid visa.
If you meet these requirements, you can get started. You begin by entering some personal information like email, name, phone number, social security number, and birth date. You’ll also be asked about your investing goals, experience with investing, income, and net worth.
Next, you can make your first deposit and get started. In some cases, the company may require some extra information from you. I like how quick and easy it is to get started and how seamless the entire process is.
Yes, there’s a Public app that can be downloaded and used on both iOS and Android devices. It lets you invest, access helpful resources and tools, check your accounts, get support, and more.
This app features a clean interface, is easy to navigate, and has tens of thousands of positive reviews on both the Apple app store and the Google Play store. It has a 4.7 rating on the App Store and a 4.2 on the Google Play Store.
Public takes your security seriously. The company uses bank grade AES 256-bit encryption to secure all transmitted data, and complies with all regulations.
The company has a detailed privacy policy that lays out the information it collects, what it does with it, who it’s shared with, and more.
If you have questions or need support, you can reach out to Public through an in-app chat, web chat, via email at support@public.com, or on social media. I heard back via email within a couple of hours when I sent a question.
Support is available Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM ET. The company website also provides resources like FAQs, articles, and daily live shows to help you learn more.
In my opinion, Public is certainly worth considering. The platform is clean and user-friendly, gives access to a large variety of stocks, ETFs, and crypto assets, and has no or low fees on many trades**. Signing up is easy, and you don’t need to be concerned about maintaining an account minimum.
While it’s disappointing that you can’t open joint accounts or IRAs, and can’t invest in bonds and mutual funds, Public provides a lot of benefits, especially for those who are new to investing.
228 Park Avenue S, Suite 97716. New York, NY 10003
How can I fund my Public account?
You can fund your public account by using Plaid or Micro Deposits to link your bank account, fund using a debit card, or even through wire transfer.
Is Public legitimate?
Yes, Public is a legitimate company to work with. It has an A+ rating from the BBB, uses 2FA to secure accounts, and uses AES 256-bit encryption. The app has been downloaded and reviewed positively tens of thousands of times.
Does Public charge transfer fees?
Some incoming transfers have no fees. When you transfer funds to Public from another brokerage and are charged by the other brokerage for doing so, Public will pay for it, as long as your incoming account is more than $500.
Paid endorsement for Public.com. All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal.
Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, are offered by Open to the Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Brokerage services for alternative assets are offered by Dalmore Group, LLC, member FINRA & SIPC. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1828849), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. Brokerage services for U.S. Treasuries in a managed treasury account are offered by Jiko Securities, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Banking services are offered by Jiko Bank, a division of Mid-Central National Bank.
Securities investments: Not FDIC Insured; No Bank Guarantee; May Lose Value.
ETFs, options, fixed income through Public Investing, alternative assets, cryptocurrency, and treasury services in Jiko managed accounts are available to US members only.
See public.com/#disclosures-main for more information.
*Yield is an annualized 26-week T-bill rate (as of 10/10/2023) when held to maturity. Rate is gross of fees and is subject to change . Fee schedule at public.com/disclosures/fee-schedule.T-bills are purchased in increments of $100 par value at a discount; any remaining balance after purchase is held in cash. All investing involves risk of loss. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Risks. US members only.
**Commission-free trading of stocks refers to $0 commissions for Open to the Public Investing self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts that trade the U.S.-listed, registered securities electronically during Regular Trading Hours. Keep in mind that other fees such as regulatory fees, Premium subscription fees, commissions on trades during extended trading hours, wire transfer fees, and paper statement fees may apply to your brokerage account. Please see Open to the Public Investing’s Fee Schedule to learn more. See Fee Schedule
