In general, there's not really much benefit for the retail investor to create a business entity for the purpose of holding equities or fixed income.However, completely different story if we are talking about estate entities like a living revocable trust, but that gets more into the estate planning side of things.Talk to a qualified tax advisor or estate attorney if you want more details regarding your situation, but if you're just looking to buy some stocks/bonds/ETFs/mutual funds for investment purposes, you're probably just fine using a Transfer on Death account (individual or joint account with benenficiaries).

The exception is if it’s a joint venture, but that usually requires bringing a significant amount of money (often a majority) and is something many investors would rather not do.

Real estate" is not one business or one type of investment, it is a number of related businesses or investmentsResidential, multi family, office building, warehouse, mixed use, retail, recreational, raw land, tech centersLarge, medium, small, microUrban, suburban, small town, rural, exurbsbDifferent states, different metropolitan areas, different cities, different neighborhoods, different blocks, different demographicsDifferent property age, different architectural style, different fixed expenses, different financing, different tenant mix, different tenant demandSingle net lease, double net lease, triple net lease, CAM, building allowances, rent holidays, lease length, buyout provisions, personal guarantees, lease renewal, cost of living increases, flat percentage increases, Different loan amortizations, fixed interest rate, variable interest rate, balloon payments, fully amortized, institutional loan, private loan, seller carry backBuy and hold, fix and flip, syndicate, partner, joint venture, self manage, professional manager, management company, leasing company, in-house leasing, real estate agent, licensing requirementsFederal laws, Federal regulations, state laws, municipal laws, rent control, eminent domain, set back requirements, utility easements, property taxes, special tax assessments, development districts, water districts, utility bondsPassive investing, active investing, portfolio income, business income, retirement funds, ERISA regulationsAsbestos, Clean Air Act, Environmental Super Fund, pollution control, water runoff, Flood plain, floodway, Flood control, Flood insurance, endangered species, wet lands Zoning, Planning Board, building permits, occupancy permit, community board hearings, noise ordinancesEviction laws, foreclosure laws, bankruptcy laws, civil liability, fair housing, tenant rights, disclosure laws, loan modification laws. 

I thought I'd be getting more money back then my reg joint filing. 

@Ranjit Wasu You can joint venture with a partner who has strong credit and a high balance sheet.

I currently have a personal online only high yield savings account, but my partner and I would like to jointly contribute to our future funds in a savings account with some growth potential---I was thinking about opening another Wealthfront account for us but wondering if there's any other recommendations from local BP-ers!

Assuming this loan assumption still will not work out - piggy backing on the lease to own option with the contract in place for us to buy in a billion years (lol) once rates give, could we do a joint tenancy deed with the current owner?

@Robert SquiresWe've done some joint-venture syndications at a 50-50 split.

Code Section 121Any gains up to $250,000 for single filers and $500,000 filing jointly will be tax free. 

That being said, you have to watch the mortar joints between the bricks as they can erode and or wear away over time.