Here are the best investing apps for beginners to start their journey in investing. You can find out what the top investing information and news apps are, which investment mobile apps to get you set up right away, and other information. These apps will help you stay on track managing your accounts and current investments. The first step is that have to choose a brokerage service or broker that can provide the necessary tools, accounts and great investment classes such as stock trading, Stocks and Options, Commodities, Bonds, Funds and Retirement. From there you need to invest in stocks such as Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Google Inc., Viacom Inc., Cigna Corp., Pearson PLC, AT&T Inc., MetLife Inc., UnitedHealth Group Incorporated and many others that are listed on any of the major exchanges including NYSE AMEX or NASDAQ. Therefore investing is an essential habit to start early enough because it’s important to diversify your portfolio with not only stocks but also include bonds funds or commodities as part of your investment strategy.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Investing Beginners
Here are the best investment apps in April 2022:
Betterment – Best app overall
Invstr – Best app for education
Acorns – Best app for saving
Wealthbase – Best app for trading games and contests
Wealthfront – Best app for portfolio management
Stockpile – Best app for gifting stocks
Fidelity Investments – Best app for managing money all-in-one
Robinhood – Best app for active trading
Charles Schwab – Best app for beginners
Ellevest – Best app for socially responsible investing
Overview: Top investment apps in April 2022
Betterment – Best investment app overall
Betterment is one of the largest and most popular robo-advisors, and for good reason. The app provides professionally managed portfolios using a selection of ETFs that’s calibrated against your own risk tolerance and when you need the money. Betterment can create socially responsible portfolios focusing on climate change or social impact. If you’re willing to stomach a bit more risk, the app can find you investments with a potentially higher return. If you need a safer portfolio, Betterment can do that, too. Then add in a robust (and free) cash management account. Set up Betterment and then kick back while the pros do the rest of the work.
Betterment charges a much smaller price than you’d pay for a traditional financial advisor. The management fee for the basic account amounts to 0.25 percent — a competitive rate in the robo-advisor world, or $25 annually for every $10,000 you have invested. But you’ll have to pay extra for the ETFs that Betterment invests in, as you would at any robo-advisor. The app lets you set goals to invest for, such as a safety net or retirement, and there’s no account minimum.
Reasons to get this app: You like having a professionally managed portfolio for a low cost, along with a cash management account.
Minimum balance required: $0 for digital service; $100,000 for premium service
Fees: Management fee of 0.25 – 0.40 percent of assets annually
Invstr – Best app for education
Invstr is what you get when you mix learning, real-life investing and community into an app that’s designed to give beginning investors a way to get into stocks, especially if you like games. The app combines a fantasy stock game, where you can assist in managing a virtual portfolio, with access to investors’ thoughts on stocks and other investments.
The fantasy game gives you $1 million in virtual money, and you can use the app’s social network and news feed to source ideas. The month’s top performers win real cash, too. And if you want to turn some of those fantasy picks into real-life stakes, you can buy fractional shares and whole shares commission-free in the app. The app will even give new users $30 worth of Bitcoin when they open and fund an account with $100. Invstr has also started offering commission-free trading in cryptocurrencies.
Reasons to get this app: You want to learn from an investing community, hear why they like certain stocks and play a fun fantasy game.
Acorns – Best app for saving
Acorns remains one of the most popular of the new breed of savings apps, because of how easy it is to use. You really don’t have to pay much attention once you’ve set it up. Link a debit or credit card to your account, and Acorns will round up the total on purchases to the next dollar and invest that difference into one of a few ETF portfolios.
The cost is a modest $3 per month for Acorns Personal, which includes the investment account, an individual retirement account (IRA), a metal debit card and more. You’ll be able to open one of three IRA versions: the traditional, Roth or a SEP, and can roll over an existing 401(k) or IRA.
Acorns chooses your portfolio based on the targeted time until your retirement (calculated as age 59 ½), becoming more conservative as you near that age, a timing that may not be appropriate for all investors. This tier offers an FDIC-protected checking account, too, with no additional fees, fee-free access to thousands of ATMs and early access to direct deposits.
And for a total of $5 per month, you can add Acorns Family, which includes the features of the first tier as well as investment accounts for children.
Reasons to get this app: You like getting automatic investments while you’re spending without worrying about it. You like retirement investing without the hassle.
Minimum balance required: $0 for savings account
Fees: $3 or $5 per month depending on the service tier
Wealthbase – Best app for trading games and contests
Wealthbase is a newer entrant into the world of stock market games, and it may be the most user-friendly investing app out there for having fun and picking stocks. You can set up games with friends to last however long you want — a few weeks, days, even just until the end of the day.
Two things set Wealthbase apart in the stock simulator world: first, the app marries social media with stock picking. You’ll see a feed of stocks your friends are picking, with daily updates of who’s winning, and you can engage in a little friendly “trash talk.” Second, the app runs very smoothly — no delays to load, no hiccups. Even if you’re not a huge stock-picker, you’ll have fun here. And you can trade crypto in the simulation as well.
Reasons to get this app: You like picking stocks and playing games in a social environment with friends and colleagues.
Wealthfront – Best app for portfolio management
Wealthfront is one of the largest independent robo-advisors, and for a small fee it can manage your money, whether that’s in a taxable account or an IRA. Wealthfront uses hundreds of ETFs to construct your portfolio and takes into account how much risk you want to take as well as when you’ll need the money. As you deposit money, Wealthfront will add it to your portfolio and keep your account balanced and on target toward your goal.
Wealthfront’s management fee runs 0.25 percent annually, which is the industry standard. It’s an eminently reasonable price for the features on offer, including tax-loss harvesting, which effectively covers the annual fee for many clients, says the company. Wealthfront also brings an attractive cash management account (even if you don’t sign up for the investment account), and you’ll receive early access to direct-deposited paychecks and a debit card – all without a monthly fee.
UBS is purchasing Wealthfront in 2022 and will continue to operate it under the Wealthfront banner.
Reasons to get this app: All you’ll need to do is add money to the account and Wealthfront manages your portfolio to help you reach your goal. The cash management account is cool, too. As a Bankrate user, get $5,000 managed for free when you open a Wealthfront investment account.
Minimum balance required: $500
Fees: Management fee of 0.25 percent of assets annually
Stockpile – Best app for gifting stocks
Stockpile is a neat app because it allows you to buy fractional shares of companies. So if you don’t have $300 to buy that one expensive tech stock, you can buy a half or a third of it, instead. Stockpile does not charge any trading fees.
The other neat thing about Stockpile is that it allows you to give a gift card that’s redeemable for stock, so it may be a way to get a younger relative into investing in a fun way. You don’t even need an account to send a gift. Stockpile allows kids to track their investments at any time, and you can set a list of approved stocks for them to trade. The app lets kids share a wish list of stocks with family and friends.
Reasons to get this app: You like investing but don’t have enough to buy high-priced stock and you like the idea of gifting stock to younger relatives.
Fidelity Investments – Best app for managing money all-in-one
If you wanted to live your whole financial life on Fidelity Investments, you could do it with little issue – and have the top integrated experience. At Fidelity, you can get an investment account, a checking account, an IRA, a business retirement account such as a SEP IRA, bill paying, a savings account, a robo-advisor account and even credit card accounts, to cover the big ones.
You can get all your finances in order with one company on one dashboard, and never feel like you’re missing a thing. You’ll get solid research on ETFs and mutual funds, tons of articles on budgeting, investing and personal finance and webinars, too. Plus, if you never need help, you’ll be connected with a courteous and helpful Fidelity rep in short order.
Reasons to get this app: You want all your financial accounts under one roof, and you enjoy being treated like a valuable customer.
Minimum balance required: $0
Robinhood – Best app for active trading
Robinhood is the app to have if you like a smooth interface and avoiding trading commissions, whether you’re trading stocks, ETFs, options or cryptocurrency. You’ll get to do it all with no commission and using a slick mobile interface that makes smooth work of it all. The stripped-down app is simple to navigate, and after a while you’ll move intuitively from screen to screen as you trade the market.
You can access a stock’s page from a search bar at the top of the screen and then pull up charts and vital statistics. Also useful is a feed that aggregates stories from news and investing sites, so that you keep on top of what’s going on. After you’ve decided what you want to trade and enter the number of shares to buy or sell, swipe up and the order is on its way. (Here’s Bankrate’s full review.)
Reasons to get this app: You like trading stocks (as well as ETFs, options and cryptocurrency) for free and having a simple way to quickly do so.
Minimum balance required: $0
Fees: No commissions for stock, ETF, options or crypto trades
Charles Schwab – Best app for beginners
Charles Schwab does well for experts, but it’s also a great app for beginners, because of all the resources it provides. Schwab provides tons of research and education, helping newer investors get up to speed on topics such as investing and personal finance. It also offers fractional shares, meaning you can invest all your money into your stocks, rather than have idle investment money sitting around. And of course, you’ll get commission-free stock and ETF trades.
Schwab is also great for mutual fund investors, with more than 4,000 no-transaction fee funds, one of the largest selections in the industry. You’ll also get highly responsive customer service that gets your questions answered quickly. As if that weren’t enough, you’ll get one of the best sign-on promotions around, with a cash bonus that starts with just a $25,000 deposit.
Reasons to get this app: You like investing with a friendly company that starts off in the right direction and then helps you along the way.
Minimum balance required: $0
Ellevest – Best app for socially responsible investing
Ellevest is one of the top-ranked robo-advisors, but it’s also the top app for socially responsible investing. Ellevest’s mission is to help women investors make smart investing decisions (though, of course, anyone can become a client). It does so by creating investment portfolios and plans that take into account the differing circumstances of women, such as lower lifetime earnings.
Ellevest allows clients to build portfolios that incorporate up to 53 percent of their portfolio in ESG or social impact funds – what it calls its Impact portfolio. These funds invest in companies that have more women leaders, that support affordable housing and community services, and that have higher standards for sustainability. The Impact portfolio costs only modestly more than Ellevest’s low-cost core portfolio, just $13-$19 per year on average for every $10,000 invested.
Reasons to get this app: You want a socially responsible portfolio that can offer attractive returns and also makes it easy for you to invest.
Minimum balance required: $0
Fees: $1, $5, or $9 a month (or discounted annually)
What to consider when choosing an investment app
When it comes to investment apps, think about how you’ll plan to use them. Do you need an educational tool or are you looking to actually trade and invest? Some apps charge fees that can eat into your investment returns, while others have very low costs and offer commission-free trading. If you’re interested in trading things like cryptocurrencies, you’ll want to make sure that’s a feature offered by the app or broker – not all brokers offer crypto trading.
Best investment apps for beginners 2022
Time constraints are one of the biggest obstacles for aspiring investors — and even experienced investors trying to grow their portfolios. A packed schedule gets in the way of the research and management required to develop a successful financial portfolio. Today’s best investment apps for beginners and everyday investors aim to solve that problem by making your finances accessible straight from your smartphone.
There are apps dedicated to almost every investment strategy and at every skill level. From beginners ready to make their first investment to advanced entrepreneurs looking to trade stocks on the go, the right app can make many financial actions more accessible. Keep reading to find the best investing apps and start building your portfolio straight from your phone.
What Are The Best Investment Apps For Beginners?
The best investment apps for beginners focus on a few main features: user experience, risk management, and available information. Beginners should find apps that show them the ropes while making investments that fit their personal financial goals. Based on this, here are some of the best investment apps for beginners:
Acorns
Stash
Ally
Invstr
Robinhood
Wealthbase
Ellevest
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investment apps for beginners
- Acorns
Acorns is a great investment app for beginners. This app is especially useful if you want to bolster your savings and invest without even thinking about it. The app integrates with your credit or debit card and rounds up purchases to automatically add funds to an investment account. Acorns allows you to invest in ETFs and a few fractional shares in stocks. Three tiers (lite, personal, and family) allow users to add additional accounts for a premium rate. Other key features of the app include:
No investment minimums
Five portfolio types
Automatic rebalancing
Option for family spending account
24 hour customer support by phone or live chat
Costs $1 to $5 a month depending on account type
- Stash
Stash is one of the best apps for beginners hoping to learn the ropes of investing fast. The app mixes educational content and games to make financial topics easier to learn. Users can customize goals based on what they want to focus on and actively track their progress. Stash lets you work with value-based investment offerings and provides suggestions for building your portfolio. Stash is also known for:
$5 Investment minimum
Fees ranging from $1 to $9 a month
Educational support
Option to invest in stocks and ETFs
No inactivity fees
Visualization tools for investment decisions
- Ally
Ally invest is a great option for beginners interested in stocks and bonds. This app integrates real-time data to allow users to trade anytime, anywhere. Ally invest also gives users access to bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs. There is no minimum investment, and the app doesn’t require additional downloads to access the trading platform (making it very user friendly). Additional features include:
Nonexistent fees on eligible stock and options trades
Options pricing calculator
Some transaction fees depending on investment type
Chat, email, and phone support
Additional web browser based access
- Invstr
Invstr is one of the best investment apps for beginners. This investing app is best known for its fantasy game-play, allowing users to play with $1 million in fake cash to learn more about stocks. Invstr is a great option for anyone who wants experience managing a portfolio before actually getting started. The app has an active community of investors and an updated news feed to help users learn more about managing a portfolio. Invstr also offers:
Real cash prizes for successful game play
Fractional shares in stocks
Portfolio management simulation
Access to specialized education material
Interactive game play
- Robinhood
Robinhood gained popularity as one of the first apps to offer stock trading without fees or commissions, which made starting a stock portfolio a lot more attractive for first-time investors. Today, several apps have this same offering, but Robinhood still stands out for a few reasons. First, the app allows users to trade cryptocurrency without fees. Robinhood also has no minimum account balance and no inactivity fees. Its user-friendly interface also makes it stand out among other web-based trading platforms. There are a few drawbacks to keep in mind, for example, Robinhood doesn’t sync with retirement accounts and has limited customer support. But given its user-friendly interface and nonexistent fee structure, Robinhood remains one of the best stock market apps.
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