You’ve got this

Slashing through the BS and putting common personal finance expressions in plain terms.

Autonomy is cool, right? An intrepid explorer blazing their own trail. A semi-deranged finance writer cracking jokes in a male-dominated field. (Hi 👋) A self-driving car developing sentience and hurtling itself into a gorge after its human operator plays Ginuwine’s “Pony” one too many times. OK, that last one is a bit of a stretch—but if you’re excited by the idea of controlling your own investment journey, self-directed investing could be your thing.

And it’s exactly what it sounds like, which is an investment approach that lets you take the wheel. With a self-directed investment account, you can trade stocks, mutual funds, options, or whatever your little autonomous heart desires. Every trade, every choice, and every penny is in your hands.

Why go the self-directed route? Well, some investors like keeping tabs on their funds without a go-between. And since online brokerage services typically operate self-directed accounts, you never have to call up an advisor to make a trade. Self-directed trading is also frequently employed in options trading, making it an excellent choice for adrenaline junkies. Just keep in mind that self-directed trading might not be for you if you’re new to investing or want to take a more conservative approach. Either way, it’s less risky than test-driving a sentient autonomous vehicle, that’s for sure.—Lillian