I’m Kayla. I use money apps every week, sometimes every day. I’m picky about design because bad screens make me click the wrong stuff. And with money, that hurts. So I tested the big names and paid close attention to what helped me stay calm, move fast, and not miss a thing.
You know what? Good design doesn’t just look nice. It saves your nerves on red days.
If you’d like the blow-by-blow version of my testing marathon, I documented everything in I Tried the Best Investment Website Designs So You Don’t Have To over on Moon & Back Graphics.
What Makes a Great Investment Site?
- Clear buttons and one main action per screen
- Calm colors that don’t shout
- Big, steady numbers (no jumpy tables)
- Charts that drag smooth
- Strong contrast and good fonts
- A clean trade ticket with fewer scary surprises
- A mobile app that feels like the site, not a cousin
I also care about color choices for folks who can’t see red and green well. A small icon or a little arrow helps a lot.
My Quick Picks
- Best for pros: Fidelity
- Best for new investors: Betterment
- Best for fast moves: Robinhood
- Best for deep research: Morningstar
- Best “quiet” money feel: Vanguard
- Best all-around bank + invest hub: Charles Schwab
- Best free quotes and news mix: Yahoo Finance
- Best planning view: Wealthfront
Now the real stories.
Fidelity: Clean, Calm, and Fast When Markets Move
I keep a watchlist in Fidelity. The “Positions” page shows each ticker with a small green or red tag, but it doesn’t scream. The font is simple and easy to scan. I like the tiny filter at the top, because I can sort by day change or total gain with one tap.
The trade ticket opens in a neat side panel. Limit price sits right by quantity. No hunting. On a wild morning, I placed two trades while my kid colored at the table. No mistakes. That says a lot.
Downside? The research tab can feel heavy. Too many links in a row. But the core screens? Solid.
Betterment: Friendly Cards That Keep You On Track
I set a test goal in Betterment for a “Home fund.” The home screen turns goals into tidy cards. Each card shows a progress ring, a date, and a plain note like “You’re on track.” It sounds cheesy, but on a long week, it helps.
The sign-up flow uses simple sliders—How much? How often? It’s smooth on mobile. The “Adjust risk” screen explains things in small lines, not a wall of text.
If you’re saving for that home (or any big milestone) with a partner, staying in sync about contributions and purchase timing is crucial. A quick way to keep the conversation organized is to open a private room on InstantChat Couples, where you can share screenshots of your balances, pin budget reminders, and ping each other in real-time without wading through endless text threads—handy for turning “Did you fund the IRA yet?” into a two-second check-in instead of a nightly argument.
One small gripe: I wish the “Edit plan” button stayed sticky at the bottom. I had to scroll back up a few times. Still, this one makes saving feel doable.
If date-night adventures are also part of your shared “fun fund,” you might want to think beyond dinner reservations. Couples passing through southern Oregon can explore the lively community of Grants Pass swingers to browse vetted profiles, see upcoming meet-ups, and read safety-first etiquette guides before deciding whether to add a memorable twist to their travel plans.
Robinhood: Quick, Crisp, and a Little Too Fun
Robinhood moves fast. On my phone, I can press and drag on the chart and see the price pop up right away. The main buy button is big. No fluff. Dark mode looks clean.
It used to throw confetti after trades. Now it’s toned down, which I like. Money can be fun, sure, but not like a party. The order review is clear, though I want fees and risk notes to sit even closer to the “Submit” button.
If you want speed, it’s great. If you want layers of data on one screen, not so much.
Morningstar: Heavy Research, Smart Labels
When I’m digging deep, I open Morningstar. The “Quote” page has those star ratings and the “Bulls Say / Bears Say” boxes. I used it last month to compare two dividend funds. The labels helped me see the trade-offs fast.
The layout is dense. Charts and ratios crowd together. On slow Wi-Fi at my mom’s place, it lagged. But if you’re in a study mood, it’s a gold mine.
Vanguard: Quiet Like a Library (Sometimes Too Quiet)
My IRA lives at Vanguard. The dashboard feels steady. Lots of white space. Big, honest numbers. On stressful days, that tone helps.
But the menus can feel old. I had to click “My Accounts,” then “Balances,” then a link in a tiny table. It works, but it’s not quick. Still, I like the mood. It treats money like a serious thing, not a game.
Charles Schwab: Polished, Blue, and Straight to the Point
Schwab’s blue look is crisp. The top bar gives me “Accounts,” “Trade,” and “Research” right where I expect them. Watchlists are clean and easy to sort. I made a simple covered call test, and the trade flow showed each leg in a clear stack.
Wish list? A little more spacing in the options chain. My eyes got tired. But overall, it feels professional without getting cold.
Wealthfront: Planning That Feels Like a Map
Wealthfront’s “Path” planner is my favorite money map. It shows lines for cash flow and a simple future graph. I plugged in a house plan and a break year. The screen updated fast, and the “What if?” boxes made sense.
The color fades are pretty, though sometimes the labels get small on my phone. Still, it’s the only planner that didn’t make me feel dumb. That’s rare.
Yahoo Finance: The Free Workhorse
I use Yahoo Finance for quote pages. The price sits big at the top. News sits right below, then key stats. It’s not fancy, but it loads fast. Perfect for a quick check while waiting for coffee.
Comments can get messy. I skip them and just use the chart and the news feed. The mobile app matches the site well.
Little Design Wins I Loved
- A sticky gain/loss badge that stays in view while I scroll
- Tooltips that explain a term in one line, not ten
- A search bar that guesses tickers fast
- Tables that don’t jump when new data hits
- A “Preview order” screen that looks like the final receipt
Small things, big calm.
For more tiny-but-mighty ideas, I keep a swipe file of the best graphic design blog posts I keep going back to—worth a scroll if you need fresh eyes.
Stuff That Bugged Me
- Red/green only. Please add arrows or icons.
- Modals that cover the whole page for one tiny choice.
- Auto-logout that kicks me out mid-trade note. Give me a timer!
- Charts with tiny handles I can’t grab on mobile.
I know security matters. Just don’t make safety feel like punishment.
Mobile vs. Desktop
I trade and track on my phone, but I check tax lots on my laptop. Fidelity and Schwab keep the feel across both. Vanguard is better on desktop. Robinhood shines on mobile. Betterment and Wealthfront are good on both, since they use big tiles and simple flows.
If You’re Building an Investment Site (Yes, I Noticed)
I’ve mocked up pages in Figma for a small RIA site my friend runs. Here’s what worked:
- Show cash and total value first, always
- One main button per page
- Make errors plain: “Order failed. Cash is short by $23.40”
- Keep charts smooth; I used Highcharts for that test
- Check color contrast; I used the Stark plug-in
- Save views: “My columns” and “My sort” so I don’t redo work
- Need palettes or icons fast? Grab a kit from Moon & Back Graphics for a polished, trustworthy look.
Before you wire up a single button, it’s worth skimming Nielsen Norman Group’s comprehensive Investor Relations & Corporate Websites usability report for research-backed guardrails. And if you’re curious about letting simulated users bang on your prototype overnight, the recent “Generative Agents” study on arXiv (see the preprint at 2303.14263) offers a clever peek at how AI can model real-world behavior before launch.
And if you’re thinking longer term about leveling up your skills, here’s my field guide to [the best schools for graphic design from my own two feet](https://www.moonandbackgraphics.com/the-best-schools-for-graphic