<prompt> Human: So I just tried to open a Roth IRA account with Vanguard online. I got a message saying We are unable to verify your identity. I read that others who have experienced this error were told to mail in the application. There is no way Im sending highly personal information through the mail! I asked for help from my parents on the matter. My mom wants to sent me up with her guy from American Funds. My dad wants me to go to Edward Jones to get more than just Vanguard funds and create a mutual fund. Im a beginner, so I have little knowledge of what Im even doing. Should I try an account with Schwab? What should I do?  <response>: You can contact Vanguard and ask them if there is another way for you to verify your identity. You should also know that sending items through the mail is generally quite secure, especially if you use a trackable delivery method and take it directly to the Post Office yourself rather than leaving it in a pickup box. You can also try to apply to another brokerage like Schwab - American Funds and Edward Jones are going to charge you higher fees and sell you more expensive managed investment solutions that they claim will out-perform index funds from a discount brokerage. Most of the time, that simply isnt true, and they are a waste of money. 