Solid or Braided?

[McIntosh 10+ year member]

Agreed. Aluminum is cheaper to buy and install into homes and cars. The MAJOR disadvantage to aluminum is the fact that it corrodes or oxidizes in the open atmosphere. Many homes were built with aluminum wiring and had major problems when the conductor oxidized (weathered away). The connections at the devices would arc and ultimately fail.... rendering the device useless and in some cases would actually overheat and cause fire.

That used to be the case. Today's aluminum conductors are required to be "AA-8000 series electrical grade aluminum" as opposed to the older 1350 alloy. I have used AA-8000 but not on anything as small as home wiring and always with lots of penetrox (anti-oxidation agent) at the terminations. The newer stuff is UL approved (when termination points are labeled for its use) but I still don't trust it. For larger stranded wire it may be OK but I'm still not a fan.