the type of account that you should choose should depend on your needs and investment goals.
One important thing to remember is that you do not need to be constricted to a single account type. If you want, you can have a standard brokerage account along with a retirement account. How you divide your money between them is entirely up to you.
One important thing to remember is that if you have a large amount of capital in your hand and want to open up multiple accounts, it is better to utilize multiple brokerages as opposed to a single one. This is because SIPC insurance only provides limited protection that applies to all your accounts at a particular brokerage.
For example, if you have two different accounts with a total of $1 million at the same brokerage, you will only be covered for up to $500,000 in case the brokerage fails. Having that amount across two brokerages will cover you for the entire amount.