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For those just embarking on their investing journey, entering the stock market can be a daunting process. But a number of fintech investing apps have beginner-friendly features such as no account minimum, educational resources and simplified interfaces which can make the transition into investing much less intimidating. Many newcomers may opt for Acorns, which has many of these features.
Acorns is an app designed specifically for novice investors looking to get their feet wet in the stock market. It offers access to its robo-advisor platform, tax-advantaged IRAs for retirement, plus a checking account. Its main micro-investing feature allows budding investors to start small by investing the spare change from their everyday purchases.
For example, when you purchase a coffee for $3.75, Acorns rounds up to the nearest dollar and invests the spare $0.25 cents into the market. The idea with micro-investing is that over time your contributions will add up. It’s a good strategy for newbies who want to dip their toe into the investing pool before diving all in.
Below, Select reviews the investment options, features and fees of Acorns to help you decide if this platform is the right fit for you.
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Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. No minimum required to open an account, $5 minimum to start investing
Fees
Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Monthly plans include: Personal ($3 per month) and Family ($5 per month)
Bonus
Investment vehicles
Investment options
Diversified ETFs which include more than 7,000 stocks & bonds
Educational resources
Pros
$0 minimum deposit to open an account
Invests your spare change from everyday purchases
Customizes users’ portfolios around their financial goals, timeline and risk tolerance
Automatically rebalances portfolio
Offers Acorns Sustainable Portfolios for ESG investing
Access to educational articles and videos to learn about investing
Cons
Monthly fee can be steep if you’re not investing much
Investment options are limited
Investment options
Acorns acts as a robo-advisor that invests your spare change — and any other contributions you make — into a selection of about 25 low-cost, diversifiedETFs (which include more than 7,000 stocks and bonds). Users can fund their accounts with manual deposits, automatic recurring deposits and Acorns’ Round-Ups®, which are added from the rounded dollar purchases on your linked credit and debit cards once they reach $5.
The ETFs are selected for you by Acorns after you complete a survey about your financial goals, investing timeline and risk tolerance. Factors like your age, income and net worth are all taken into account when creating your portfolio. ETFs in your Acorns portfolio could include ones like the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, which mirrors the popular S&P500 stock index, or iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF which provides broad exposure to U.S. investment-grade bonds.
Investors, however, cannot currently buy or sell individual stocks through Acorns, although the company plans on launching this feature in 2022. If you ever want to break out of the training wheels and start trading on your own, consider a free stock trading platform such as Charles Schwab, Vanguard or Robinhood.
In addition to Acorns Invest, a taxable brokerage account, there is also Acorns Later, which allows you to open and manage a traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA and/or a 401(k) Rollover. Acorns Early is offered as an investment account for kids.
Features
Acorns stands out for its hands-off managed portfolio and Round-Ups feature that automatically helps you grow your money in the market. Acorns will automatically rebalance your portfolio for you to keep your investments on track. Round-Ups makes it easy to put investing on autopilot, and because your contributions can be so small with this tool, it makes investing accessible for almost anyone.
You can even opt to create an ESG portfolio which will be composed of ETFs that provide exposure to more sustainable companies.
Acorns also provides a checking account which has many of the features of a traditional bank account including, direct deposit, mobile check deposit, a debit card and fee-free withdrawal from over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs around the world.
If you’re set on really learning the ropes of the stock market, Acorns offers custom financial literacy content on the go. Its educational resources include a “Money Basics” blog and Grow + CNBC website.
The Acorns app is available to download for free in both the App Store (for iOS), where it has 4.7/5 stars, and on Google Play (for Android), where it has 4.6/5 stars at the time this article was written.
Personal plan for $3 per month that includes a checking account, investment account and retirement account.
Family plan for $5 per month that includes the three accounts you get with the Personal plan, plus additional investment accounts for your children.
While the app touts an affordable investing option for newbies, the monthly fee can eat up a big chunk of your returns if you’re only putting away a few dollars each month. To really take advantage, set up a larger recurring deposit into your Acorns investment account that’s in addition to any spare change that gets swept up.
Investing platforms like Robinhood and don’t charge any fees for trading stocks or a monthly fee to maintain a basic account, but they don’t have a robo-advisor service. SoFi offers its own robo-advisor through its SoFi Automated Investing service and does not charge any management fees, plus, you can open a cash management account with them for no fee as well.
Bottom line
For those who want to invest their money but don’t know where to start, Acorns is an approachable platform for beginners. It has a simple interface and a micro-investing feature that goes to work every time you make a purchase. Plus, your investments will be safe in low-cost, diversified funds.
If you’re looking for something a bit less entry level, consider a robo-advisor like Betterment. It’s a solid choice for those who still want to be hands-off with their investments, though more advanced investors have the option to customize through flexible portfolios.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.
The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.
The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.
The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.
Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.
The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.
Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.
Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.
Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.
Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.
The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.
