Stash: Invest. Bank. Save.

Stash is a perfect solution if you are a college student or newbie investor thinking, “When am I ever going to start investing?” With the Stash app, you don’t have to visit expensive brokerage firms, and you certainly don’t need thousands of dollars to start your portfolio. Billed as ‘investment simplified,’ Stash lets you start out with as little as $5. With themed investments, you can choose what works for you.

Auto-stash lets you invest without overthinking it, thus allowing you to transform this into a habit. With tips and expert articles, you can learn more about growing your portfolio and making wise investment decisions.

Features

Stash works on the concept of fractional investment, which is an affordable way for people with tight disposable incomes to invest. Investors get 30 themed investment options which you can choose from based on your profile and preferences. As you progress, you can diversify your portfolio, buy other investments, and monitor your overall progress.

You’ll need to link a bank account that you will be using for your Stash transfers. Stash will keep you informed of all your growth milestones.

Two-factor authentication (PIN and login code) with 256-bit encryption and Security Socket Layers make this app quite secure even on mobile.

Usability

The biggest issue for me is the investment fees. 0.25% or $1 per month reflects a significant tax on a smaller investment and may take away from your portfolio’s earnings. The app design has a very seamless appeal, and you’ll easily move through the various investment options. Some customers have complained about their transfers from Stash to their accounts being declined with no good reason given by the Stash team. Security on the app is quite tight with the two-factor authentication.

For your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you’ll require at least iOS 9.0. The Google Play version requires Android 4.1 or later.