Everywhere I read tells me it is not a good idea to leave BTC long term at an exchange wallet. However, the same people who say that recommend crypto interest earning accounts such as BlockFi or Celsious. Doesn't make sense to me. So I should not trust Coinbase or Gemini yet I can trust BlockFi or Celsius to keep my crypto safe? What?
You're mixing up two things, that is common for someone who is just starting in the investment world, let alone in the crypto investment world.
Let's roll back a little bit:
Interest earning accounts - This term has existed almost for as long as (traditional) banks do. Basically they assure you that, as long as you keep your money in a particular account, the bank rewards you a % in a way of money. The nature of this account is that your money is safe (you're guaranteed not to loose it) and you get that little % as a reward. So imagine that you have 1.000 € in an account with an interest earning of 1 % : This means that whenever the time of the contract reaches it's due (let's say 1 year) you'll be rewarded 1 % based on your account ( so you'll end the year with 1.010 € ).
Be aware that my example is a very simple one. Some banks demand more than just keeping your money and such, but as an example that will do.
Now some exchanges also do these type of "deals" regarding BTC. You deposit your BTC in an account and they'll reward you some interest after a while. The main problem with this methodology is the risk involved vs the (low) reward : In contrast with a traditional bank, if something happens to an exchange you will never be able to recover your investment since you do not own the private keys associated with the wallet where they are stored.
Look at this from this angle : Are you willing to leave those BTC (whatever the amount is) in a random exchange for 40+ years just to benefit from a small interest earning? The risk / reward seems feasible for you?
I tend to stay away from low interesting earning account simply because the traditional banks are the ones that end up winning while you get your money "stuck" in some bank account, milking away that pesky 1 % fee. I tend to look to other investment vehicles as an investment (which end up being more risky understandable).
My opinion for your particular case? It's just not worth considering the risk involved. Just get yourself a desktop wallet (Electrum) or if you're looking for an "upgrade" in safety just get a hardware wallet - I recommend Trezor.io.
You can find an overall list of wallets here -
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/general-bitcoin-wallets-which-what-why-1631151Hope I was able to show you the risks / rewards you're looking at. If I wasn't clear in any phrase just let me know.