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Edited by Brian Beers Brian Beers
Reviewed by Kenneth Chavis IV
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Looking for the best investing apps to get your financial life back on track? A solid finance app can handle routine financial tasks, shuffle money into investment accounts, and track spending. But the best investment apps can also let you quickly trade stocks, follow your account in real time, help you learn about the markets and more. Because they can do so much, investment apps have become increasingly popular.
Here are some of the top apps for getting your finances organized and invested.
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- 12 best stock investment apps
- What to consider when choosing an investment app
- Investment apps FAQs
12 best stock investment apps
All of these apps are great for beginners, and they make it easy for thosejust starting to investor looking to play a stock-picking game for fun.
- Betterment – Best app for automated investing
- Invstr – Best app for education
- Acorns – Best app for saving
- Wealthbase – Best app for trading games and contests
- Wealthfront – Best app for portfolio management
- Fidelity Investments – Best app for managing money all-in-one
- Robinhood – Best app for active trading
- Stock Rover – Best app for stock research
- Charles Schwab – Best app for beginners
- Ellevest – Best app for socially responsible investing
- Public – Best app for learning about companies
- Fundrise – Best app for direct investment in real estate
Betterment - Best app for automated investing
Bettermentis 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 createsocially responsible portfoliosfocusing on climate change or social impact.
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
Invstris what you get when you mix learning, real-life investing and community into an app that’s designed togive 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.
Minimum balance required:$0
Fees: $0, $3.99 a month for Invstr Pro. Can trade stocks, crypto and ETFs commission-free with a $5 minimum investment.
Acorns - Best app for saving
Acornsremains 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.
Minimum balance required:$0 for savings account
Fees: $3, $5 or $9 per month depending on the service tier
Wealthbase – Best app for trading games and contests
Wealthbaseis a top player in 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 up to 15 days or even just until the end of the day.
Minimum balance required:$0
Fees:$0 up to 5 players. $20 game fee up to 1,000 players, plus five cents per player per day.
Wealthfront – Best app for portfolio management
Wealthfrontis one of the largest independent robo-advisors. For a small fee, it can manage your money, whether that’s in a taxable account or anIRA.
Minimum balance required:$500
Fees:Management fee of 0.25 percent of assets annually
Fidelity Investments – Best app for managing money all-in-one
If you wanted to live your whole financial life onFidelity 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, arobo-advisor accountand even credit card accounts, to cover the big ones.
Minimum balance required:$0
Fees:$0 for stock/ETF trades, $0.65 per contract on options.
Robinhood – Best app for active trading
Robinhoodis 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.
Minimum balance required:$0
Fees:No commissions for stock, ETF, options or crypto trades
Stock Rover is the app to use if you’re looking to access detailed financials and research reports on thousands of publicly traded companies and funds. You’ll be able to screen for stocks and funds, chart valuations over time and access what seems like an endless amount of data.
Fees: A free plan as well as three subscriptions ranging from $7.99 to $27.99 per month or discounted annually
Charles Schwab – Best app for beginners
Charles Schwabdoes 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.
Minimum balance required:$0
Fees:$0
Ellevest – Best app for socially responsible investing
Ellevestis 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).
Minimum balance required:$0
Fees: $12 a month (or a discounted $129 annually)
Public – Best app for learning about companies
Publicis a trading app geared toward helping new investors learn about business and investing. You can trade stocks, ETFs and cryptocurrency, but what sets Public apart from others is the educational content, including “town hall” meetings with business leaders and its podcast Public Live. Users will also have access to a social feed to discuss stock picks with other investors.
Minimum balance required:$0
Fees: Commission-free stock and ETF trades; $5 semiannual inactivity fee for accounts less than $20
Fundrise – Best app for direct investment in real estate
The Fundrise app allows individual investors to invest in commercial real estate with virtually any amount of money. The app provides information about potential deals, and then you can select the ones you’d like to participate in. But if you can bring more money to the table, you can get access to even more select deals. The app even allows you to reinvest your dividends.
Minimum balance required:$10
Fees: 0.15 percent annual advisory fee, annual asset management fee of 0.85 percent; 1.85 percent for Innovation fund.
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.
Deciding how much money to invest
The good news for investors starting out today is that it requires very little money to get started. Fees are so low or even non-existent that you can start with virtually any amount of money. In fact, what you start with matters much less than your saving and investing discipline over time.
The key to achieving ongoing investing success is toadd money regularly over time. So you’ll want to add cash to the account and keep investing in your positions regularly over time in order to build wealth.
How much you actually invest depends on your own financial situation and needs. And today’s low-fee brokerages and apps leave more money in your pocket to actually invest.
Investment apps FAQs
Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation.
As a financial expert with a deep understanding of investment strategies, let me provide a comprehensive overview of the concepts mentioned in the article about the best investment apps. The article covers a range of investment apps, each tailored to different needs and preferences. Here's a breakdown of the key concepts discussed:
-
Betterment - Best app for automated investing:
- Betterment is a prominent robo-advisor known for managing portfolios using a selection of ETFs.
- The app tailors portfolios based on individual risk tolerance and financial goals.
- Betterment offers socially responsible portfolios focused on climate change or social impact.
- No minimum balance is required for the digital service, with a management fee ranging from 0.25% to 0.40% of assets annually.
-
Invstr - Best app for education:
- Invstr combines learning, real-life investing, and community engagement.
- The app features a fantasy stock game where users can manage a virtual portfolio.
- Access to investors' thoughts on stocks and other investments is provided.
- No minimum balance is required, and fees range from $0 to $3.99 per month for Invstr Pro.
-
Acorns - Best app for saving:
- Acorns is a popular savings app known for its user-friendly approach.
- Users can set up the app easily and automate savings with minimal attention.
- No minimum balance is required for the savings account, with fees ranging from $3 to $9 per month depending on the service tier.
-
Wealthbase - Best app for trading games and contests:
- Wealthbase is a top player in stock market games, offering a user-friendly investing experience.
- Users can set up trading games with friends for fun and stock-picking challenges.
- No minimum balance is required, with fees varying based on the number of players.
-
Wealthfront - Best app for portfolio management:
- Wealthfront is a leading independent robo-advisor offering portfolio management services.
- The app manages money in taxable accounts or IRAs for a small fee.
- A minimum balance of $500 is required, with a management fee of 0.25% of assets annually.
-
Fidelity Investments - Best app for managing money all-in-one:
- Fidelity provides a comprehensive financial platform covering investment accounts, checking accounts, IRAs, and more.
- Users can access various financial services, including robo-advisor accounts, with no minimum balance required.
- Fidelity offers $0 fees for stock/ETF trades and options.
-
Robinhood - Best app for active trading:
- Robinhood is known for its smooth interface and commission-free trading of stocks, ETFs, options, and cryptocurrencies.
- The app is ideal for active traders, offering a seamless mobile interface.
- No minimum balance is required, and there are no commissions for various types of trades.
-
Stock Rover - Best app for stock research:
- Stock Rover provides detailed financials and research reports on publicly traded companies and funds.
- Users can screen for stocks and funds, chart valuations, and access extensive data.
- The app offers a range of subscription plans with varying fees.
-
Charles Schwab - Best app for beginners:
- Charles Schwab caters to both beginners and experts, offering extensive resources and educational materials.
- The platform provides research and education to help newer investors understand investing and personal finance.
- No minimum balance is required, and fees are competitive.
-
Ellevest - Best app for socially responsible investing:
- Ellevest is a top-ranked robo-advisor focused on socially responsible investing, particularly designed to empower women investors.
- The app aims to help clients make smart investing decisions.
- No minimum balance is required, and the fee is $12 per month or a discounted annual fee.
-
Public - Best app for learning about companies:
- Public is a trading app with a focus on helping new investors learn about business and investing.
- Users can trade stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies while accessing educational content, including town hall meetings and podcasts.
- No minimum balance is required, and stock and ETF trades are commission-free.
-
Fundrise - Best app for direct investment in real estate:
- Fundrise allows individual investors to invest in commercial real estate with any amount of money.
- The app provides information about potential deals, allowing users to select investments.
- The minimum balance required is $10, with various fees, including an annual advisory fee and asset management fee.
Considerations when choosing an investment app:
- Evaluate how you plan to use the app, whether for education, trading, or long-term investing.
- Consider fees associated with the app, including management fees, trading fees, and any additional costs.
- Assess features such as educational tools, access to real-time data, and the ability to trade various assets, including cryptocurrencies.
- Decide on the amount of money you want to invest and choose an app that aligns with your financial goals.
Investment FAQs:
- Investors are advised to conduct independent research into investment strategies before making decisions.
- Past investment performance does not guarantee future price appreciation.
This comprehensive overview should provide you with valuable insights into the concepts covered in the article on the best investment apps. If you have specific questions or need further details on any of the mentioned concepts, feel free to ask.
