How To Use Wealthfront – Step By Step Tutorial

If you’re interested in managing your own investments but want a platform that’s clean, modern, and fairly simple to navigate, Wealthfront might be on your radar. This tutorial will walk you through how to use Wealthfront — from opening a brokerage account to buying and selling stocks or ETFs.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• Setting up a Wealthfront account
• Linking your bank
• Funding your investment
• Navigating the dashboard
• Buying and selling stocks/ETFs
• Viewing individual stock data
• Exploring portfolio options

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Visit the Wealthfront Website and Start the Process

To begin, head over to the Wealthfront website and click “Get Started”.

You’ll be prompted to choose from six different types of accounts:

• A high-yield 4% savings account
• An automated index investment portfolio
• A bond portfolio
• A diversified 500-stock portfolio
• A stock investing account (this is what we want)

To buy and sell your own stocks and ETFs, select the “Invest in Stocks” option.

Step 2: Creating Your Account

You’ll now start the account creation process.

1. Enter your first and last name
2. Add your email address and create a password
3. Check the “I am not a robot” box
4. Provide your mobile phone number and verify it via a 6-digit code sent to your device

After verification, Wealthfront shows you a breakdown of upcoming steps:

• Provide your personal information
• Open a cash account to hold uninvested funds
• Open a stock investing account

Step 3: Link a Bank Account

Unlike some platforms that ask you to link a bank after account approval, Wealthfront requests this early in the setup.

1. Click “Link an external account”
2. Choose your bank from the list or search for it
3. Log into your bank through the secure pop-up window
4. Select which checking account you want to use
5. Authorize Wealthfront to access account data

This connection allows you to move money into Wealthfront for investments.

Step 4: Fund Your Account

You’ll be brought back to the Wealthfront dashboard to confirm the funding account.

1. Select the linked bank
2. Choose how much you’d like to transfer (as little as $1 is accepted)
3. Confirm and complete the transfer

Step 5: Enter Personal and Financial Information

Before investing, Wealthfront requires additional information to comply with financial regulations:

• Date of birth and home address
• Citizenship and Social Security Number
• Tax filing status
• Employment status and employer details
• Liquid net worth and pre-tax income
• Disclosure questions about affiliations or holdings (most users will answer “no”)

Read and acknowledge the disclosure agreements and click “Open Account”.

Step 6: Complete Stock Investing Account Setup

At this point, your cash account is open. To enable stock investing:

1. Repeat some of the financial questions (household income, net worth, etc.)
2. Answer risk-tolerance questions (e.g., “What would you do if your $10,000 investment dropped $1,000 in one month?”)
3. Review and accept the agreement
4. Click “Open My Account”

Some users might be asked to verify their identity further.

Step 7: Identity Verification (If Required)

If Wealthfront cannot verify your identity automatically:

• Request a verification link
• Download the Wealthfront mobile app
• Upload proof of address (e.g., utility bill or bank statement)
• Take a photo of the front and back of your ID
• Take a selfie for facial verification

Approval is usually completed in under a day.

Step 8: Buying and Selling Stocks or ETFs

Once your account is active, it’s time to trade.

How to Buy:

1. From your dashboard, click “Explore”
2. Use the search bar to find a stock or ETF (e.g., S-CHD – Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF)
3. View performance, expense ratios, dividend yield, and top holdings
4. Click “Invest”
5. Select how much you want to invest
6. Transfer funds from your cash account
7. Review and click “Start Investment”

How to Sell:

1. Go to your portfolio
2. Select the stock or ETF
3. Click “Sell”
4. Enter the dollar amount
5. Confirm sale (funds return to your cash account in 1–2 business days)

Step 9: Transferring Between Accounts

If you need to move funds manually:

1. Go to “Transfer Money”
2. Choose “Transfer between Wealthfront accounts”
3. Move money from your Individual Cash Account to your stock portfolio
4. You can also choose to directly fund a specific stock or ETF when investing

Just note: if you select an investment first, any transfer will be tied to that asset. So, add the stock/ETF to your portfolio before transferring if you want more control.

Step 10: Exploring Stock Information

Wealthfront isn’t just for trading — it offers valuable research tools as well.

For example, when you search for a stock like Apple (AAPL), you’ll see:

• 52-week highs/lows
• Dividend yield
• P/E ratio
• Volume and market cap
• Risk level
• Sector-specific groupings (e.g., “AI Adopters,” “Cash Flow Kings”)

A unique feature is the “Magnificent 7” bundle. It includes Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta, and Tesla. You can invest equally across all seven with a single click — a beginner-friendly way to diversify.

How To Use Wealthfront: The Interface

The main dashboard is minimalist. Wealthfront is primarily app-based, so don’t expect overly complex charts or trading tools. That said, it does enough for basic long-term investing:

• Clear view of your portfolio
• Access to account types
• Fund transfers
• Investment research tools

If you’re wondering how to use Wealthfront for more advanced trading like options, margin, or crypto — those features are not currently available. It’s best suited for passive and long-term investors.

Final Thoughts

You’ve now seen exactly how to use Wealthfront to:

• Open and fund a brokerage account
• Navigate identity verification
• Buy and sell ETFs or stocks
• Explore investment research and bundles
• Transfer funds across accounts

The platform makes it relatively easy for beginners to get started. Just don’t expect a lot of day trading tools or flashy features. It focuses on simplicity, automation, and long-term investing.

If your goal is to slowly build a diversified portfolio without a steep learning curve, then now you know how to use Wealthfront efficiently.