Folks on h1b planning to stay in US for ~5 to 8 years, what platform do you use to invest in ETFs/Mutual funds? I'm looking for something I can invest in a monthly cadence for S&P500 or some well known index. I read about vanguard, betterment and wealth front but was not able to make a decision. What do you use?
Betterment - true autopilot.
You could do vanguard mutual funds. Or Robinhood to buy ETFs
Vanguard
Wealthfront for taxable accounts (to take advantage of tax loss harvesting) and vanguard for Roth / traditional
From two years ago: Betterment will force you to sell and close the account when you aren’t a resident. Wealthfront will let you transfer stocks to another broker but will close your account. Schwab, Interactive Brokers and Fidelity has international account. You can convert your account to international account when you aren’t a resident. This is what I did. Make a list of all the brokerages suggested that might fit your need. Mail them and ask this question. Pick the one that answered the question to your satisfaction. I closed all other brokerage accounts and only have Interactive Brokers account now
Do you recommend ib over fidelity for passive investment?
Fidelity might be better if you're only looking for passive investment. Especially if you're investing in Fidelity products they will have lower or no fees. Look at the fee structure and see which one will be cheaper for how you plan to use the account.
Vanguard
Depends which funds. Do you need margin trading? Do you need it to be automatic?