8 Best Investing Apps For Beginners To Grow Your Money On A Small Budget - Investadisor (2024)

What Is Fintech?

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Fintech has developed the best investing apps for beginners to invest and grow your money on a small budget.

Fully described as Financial Technology, fintech refers to the innovative use of newly developed technologies to improve, increase, and enhance the use, delivery, and productivity of financial products and services.

Through the utilization of specialized software and algorithms that are used on computers and smartphones, financial technology helps organizations, companies, business owners, and product consumers to manage their financial activities efficiently.

From transferring money to buy things online to using PayPal to make secured transactions, fintech changes the way people access their finances.

What Are Examples Of Fintech?

  • Crowdfunding Platforms

    Crowdfunding platforms are sites that allow interaction between fundraisers and app users. On these sites, app users can send or receive money from others in the same place.

    Rather than go to a bank to get a loan to finance a project, companies register on crowdfunding platforms likeKickStarter,GoFundMe, orPatreonto enable people to invest in their projects.

    From peer-peer lending to equity crowdfunding to reward-based crowdfunding to donation-based crowdfunding to profit-sharing crowdfunding, there have been more reasons to set up crowdfunding platforms.

  • Blockchain And Cryptocurrency

    Amongst the high-profile examples of fintech in work, blockchain and cryptocurrency remain at the Zenith.BlockchainandCryptocurrencyhave helped to facilitate faster, easier, transparent, and more secure transactions.

    Cryptocurrency trading platforms likeBinance,Coinbase, Cash App, and Gemini connect users on their secured platforms. This enables them to buy and sell digital/cryptocurrencies likeBitcoin,Litecoin,Ethereum,Ripple, etc.

    Unlike traditional banks, cryptocurrency trading platforms redefine reliability through the provision of platforms resistible to hackers. More so, blockchain services like Blockverify keep data on the blockchain, thus reducing fraud.

  • Mobile Payments – Mobile Banking Apps

    In previous years, people have to go to banks to transfer funds. But now, almost everyone with a smartphone uses mobile payment to sort transactions. If you ask any young person to tell you their go-to payment strategy, they will most likely refer to mobile payments.

    With advancements in the fintech industry, people now engage in digital transactions using mobile payments like Paypal, Apple Pay, Venmo, and Google wallets. Even so, banks have made things easier by developing mobile applications for their users to use.

  • Insurance

    Also known as Insurtech – Fintech has revolutionized the insurance industry by reducing the cost of services, improving risk assessment, improving efficiency, and enhancing customers’ experience/satisfaction.

    According to CNBC,insurtechstart-ups like Oscar health are now increasingly attracting funding.

  • Robo Advising And Stock Trading Apps:

    Robo-advisor is a digital platform-based financial advisor that collects and compiles information relating to the financial status and future financial goals of a client in a bid to offer financial advice and set up financial plans without human interaction.

    Robo-advisors provide financial plans, easy account setup, account services, portfolio management, and secured options.

    Robo-advising fintech apps like Ellevest and betterment have changed the asset-management sector by providing algorithm-based management, thus lowering costs and increasing efficiency.

    More so, the development of stock trading apps like Acorns and Robinhood has made it possible for people to buy and sell stocks on their mobile devices.

  • Budgeting Apps

    Previously, consumers are left with no other choice than to solely gather checks, create their own budget, control excel spreadsheets to track their finances.

    But the introduction of budgeting apps now makes it easier for consumers to keep track of their income and expenses easily. Much more, popularbudgeting appslike INTU help users track their monthly income and expenditures on their mobile devices.

Who Uses Fintech?

Everyone uses Fintech.Companies, business owners, and product users (consumers) use fintech to manage and oversee their financial activities.

Why Is There A Steady Growth In The Use Of Fintech Applications?

Global fintech adoption has reached 64%, and global consumer awareness of fintech mobile payment services has reached 96%. Here is why the growth is steady.

  • DIY Investing Apps:Fintech removes the pains of spending hours on the phone with a financial advisor by providing trading apps that allow you to receive a personal portfolio, check performance, trade stock and shift funds without the need for human interaction.
  • Ease of Use:A number of people find finances quite confusing and challenging. But fintech app designers have made things easy by providing simple, clear, easy-to-use applications for consumers.

    Uncluttered dashboard, clear interfaces, unambiguous segmentation, and neat integration of functional elements make it easy for first-time app users to use.

  • Lack of stress:Fintech apps remove the stress of visiting a brick and mortar bank branch to begin to invest.
  • Use of mobile phones: With a smartphone, and an internet connection, you can invest, transfer funds and track your expenses in the comfort of your home.
  • Access to information:With fintech apps, consumers can trade stocks, save, and get financial advice that will enable them to generate profit in the stock market
  • Little or no fees:Trading apps like Robinhood and Acorns offer a number of services for free or at a low cost.

How And Why Is Fintech Reshaping The Future?

How?

Fintech is reshaping the future by introducing a customer-centered approach to the financial industry.

This customer-centred approach provides solutions that can meet the needs of consumers in terms of convenience, personalization, usability, and accessibility.

Amongst others, Fintech provides various fintech apps, multiple messaging channels to improve customers’ experience, introduces blockchain technology to offer a quicker and easier way of completing transactions while building wealth, and incorporates Robo-advisors to make investing easier.

Why?

Fintech is reshaping the future to make financial operations cheaper, optimize operational efficiency, provide more secure activities, create fast economic growth, improve traditional financial services, empower small businesses and make data more meaningful to companies.

5 Things To Know About Fintech

  • Faster and Cheaper Remittance Transfer:Cross-border bank transfer is costly. Blockchain changes the narrative by making transactions faster, easier and more transparent
  • Banks may stop existing:In a few years, fintech start-ups may finally replace traditional banking. Peer-to-Peer lending companies took over China in 2015 until regulators stepped in.
  • Unbanked may no longer exist:Fintech will improve financial inclusion by making everyone a mobile money account holder without necessarily passing through a bank.
  • Smartphones may soon becomefinancial advisors:Having Fintech app on phones give consumers easy access to on-demand financial advice.
  • Multiple Choices on management and investment:Fintech apps also help users track and manage their funds, notify them to pay their bills, bring up investment options, and encourage them to save.

Here Is A List Of 8 Best Investing Apps For Beginners To Grow Money Fast. These Apps Are Pretty Compatible With Many Budgeting And Financial Investing Applications.

  1. Acorns

Acorns is one of the best investing apps for beginners. It helps users to start saving by rounding up their transactions to a dollar and then depositing the difference into an account. When the deposits reach $5, Acorn invests it in a portfolio.

Account Minimum – $0

Monthly Fees: This trading app is free for college students. Between $1 and $3 for non-college students

Pros
  • The trading app charges no trading fees
  • Users do not have to pay so much attention before investing
  • It rebalances users’ portfolio automatically
Cons
  • Users on the fintech apps cannot make large investments with spare change
  • Limited account options
Account Types
  • Taxable non-registered account
  • Registered Retirement savings account
  • Checking account with a debit card
Getting Started
  • Log in toacorns.comto open an account on the trading app
  • Take a quiz to determine your investing goal and the risk associated
  • Review your portfolio and invest or wait till the app starts investing for you when your transaction rate equals $5

Users can deposit funds through a one-time lump sum investment, recurring investment, and round-ups on the trading app.

  1. Betterment

Bettermentis best for long term investors.It is a Robo-advisor app that invests based on the goals of the account holder.

This platform uses the user’s age, income, and proposed age of retirement to determine their risk level. It automatically manages the user’s portfolio.

Account minimum – $0

Fees: Digital plan users are charged 0.25%. Premium plan users are charged 0.40% annually.

  • No transaction fees.
  • No minimum balance.
  • Deposit is automatic.
  • ‘Retire Guard’ feature calculates the amount a user should save.
Cons:
  • Users cannot choose individual stocks.
Account Types
  • Taxable non-registered investment accounts
  • Smart saver accounts.
  • Registered Retirement Savings Account – IRAs

Incorporation of Robo-advisors makes betterment the right choice for newbies.

Getting Started
  • Download Betterment app and register
  • Complete a survey to determine your portfolio
  • Choose an amount to deposit – First time and recurring basis
  1. Stash

Cost effective investing app:Like Acorns, the app rounds up transactions and deposits the difference, which is later invested in individual stocks. Stash doesn’t use Robo-advisors.

Amount minimum: $0

Fees: From $1 to $9 depending on the subscription plan

Users can choose individual stocks and ETFs

Pros
  • Availability of round-up option
  • Users can invest with as little as $1
  • Investors can pick individual stock
Cons
  • No Robo-advisor to auto-invest or manage funds
  • Users can quickly outgrow the app as it is too basic
Account Types
  • Taxable non-registered investment account.
  • Custodial account – A brokerage account for children. It has great investing and tax benefits.
  • Registered retirement savings account IRAs.

Stashis one of the best investing apps for beginners looking to invest independently and those who want guidance in selecting investments.Stash offers a number of ETFs and individual stock.Stash has an auto-stash feature that allows users to save and invest automatically

Getting started – Stash account doesn’t take time to open

  • Download the trading app to register
  • Link and verify your bank account
  • Make an initial deposit and begin to invest.
  1. M1 Finance.

M1 financeRobo-investing app gives users more choice in their investment.It is best for those who need several investment options. Users can set up an automatic investment plan.

Account minimum: $100

Monthly fees: 0%

Pros
  • No monthly or annual trading fee
  • Transparency
  • Users can see their current position on the dashboard
  • Investors can choose both ETF and individual stocks
  • Users can set up automatic withdrawals
Cons
  • $100 minimum deposit to get started
  • Financial advisors are unavailable
  • High cost for premium service
Getting Started
  • Register on the trading app
  • Take a quiz to determine your investment goals and risk levels
  • Edit the portfolio to taste
  • Get your account running almost immediately
  1. Ally

As one of the best investing apps for beginners,Allyserves as an excellent choice for DIY investors. Best for active traders interested in huge discounts

Account minimum: $0

Monthly Fees: Low fees

Pros – Managed Account
  • Best for those who do have time to self-manage
  • Robo-advisor automatically self invests based on stated goals
Cons – Managed Account
  • Account minimum of $100 is required
Pros – Self-Directed
  • You can manage your own investment portfolio
  • No account minimum
  • No annual fee
  • No inactivity fee
  • No maintenance fee
Cons – Self-Directed
  • The investor has to be careful with investment on the trading app
Account Types
  • Self-directed – Joint, custodial, individual taxable, Coverdell, IRAs.
  • Managed – Individual and joint taxable, custodial, and IRAs.

Ally is best for casual traders, beginners, advanced traders, and active traders.

On the fintech app, Ally investment offerings include: Mutual Funds, Stocks, ETFs, Options, Fixed Income Securities, Penny Stocks

In Ally, portfolios are rebalanced as required in response to market fluctuations.

  1. FundRise

FundRiseis an excellent alternative fintech app. It offers real estate investing, and real investment trust (REITs)

Account minimum – $500

Annual Fees – $1 other fees may apply

Pros
  • Open to every investor
  • IRA accounts are also available
  • Website is easy to use
  • Instant diversification
Cons
  • Some investments may require due diligence
  • Investment is highly illiquid
  • Specific income requirement for buying shares
Account Types
  • Taxable non-registered investment account
  • Registered Retirement savings accounts – IRAs minimum
  1. Robinhood

Robinhoodis one of the bestinvesting apps for beginners who want to engage in commission-free options, stock, ETF and cryptocurrency trading

Account minimum: $0

Monthly fees:

Pros
  • Streamlined interface
  • $0 account minimum
  • Cryptocurrency trading
Cons
  • Customer support is limited
  • No bonds
  • No retirement account
  1. Stockpile

This trading app is best for buying fractional shares of any company.Stockpile can be used to buy ETFs, single stocks, or give an e-gift card that is redeemable for stock.Stockpileis one of the best investing apps for beginners.

Account minimum – $0

Fees – $0

Pros
  • Low Trading fees
  • No annual fees
  • No minimum balance
  • Fractional shares are allowed
Cons
  • Limited Account selection
  • Minimal analysis tool
  • Limited availability of securities – No options or bonds
Account Types
  • Taxable non-registered investment accounts
  • Custodial accounts

Conclusion

Amongst others, the advancement of Fintech is seen in the progress of these investing apps. While there are several other investing apps, the ones listed above have proven to be very useful for investors despite their differences. It’s one of the best trading apps out there for free.

Here are the best investing apps for beginners, it’s pretty easy than ever to get started with ETFs, stock and mutual funds investing in this day and age.

To invest, choose an investing app that is in sync with your investing needs.


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8 Best Investing Apps For Beginners To Grow Your Money On A Small Budget - Investadisor (2024)

FAQs

What is the best investing app for beginners? ›

Best Investment Apps for Beginners
  • SoFi Invest®: Best overall investment app for beginners.
  • Acorns Invest: Best automated investment app for beginners.
  • Ally Invest: Best overall runner-up investment app for beginners.
  • TD Ameritrade: Best active trading investment app for beginners.
Jul 30, 2024

How to invest $1,000 to make it grow? ›

Here's how to invest $1,000 and start growing your money today.
  1. Buy an S&P 500 index fund. ...
  2. Buy partial shares in 5 stocks. ...
  3. Put it in an IRA. ...
  4. Get a match in your 401(k) ...
  5. Have a robo-advisor invest for you. ...
  6. Pay down your credit card or other loan. ...
  7. Go super safe with a high-yield savings account. ...
  8. Build up a passive business.
Apr 15, 2024

Which stock market app is best for beginners? ›

List of The Top 10 Trading Apps in India
NamesTop FeaturesFees (Per Trade)
Groww AppPerfect for Beginners0.05% or Rs. 20, whichever is lower
5paisa AppProvides Auto investing optionRs. 20
ICICI Direct AppOffers Pay Later option with marginal tradingRs.20
Edelweiss AppHas many advanced trade analysis toolsRs.10
6 more rows

What is the best investment for small investment? ›

Best investments for beginners
  1. High-yield savings accounts. This can be one of the simplest ways to boost the return on your money above what you're earning in a typical checking account. ...
  2. Certificates of deposit (CDs) ...
  3. 401(k) or another workplace retirement plan. ...
  4. Mutual funds. ...
  5. ETFs. ...
  6. Individual stocks.
Jul 15, 2024

What is the best company to invest in for beginners? ›

Compare the best stocks for beginners
Company (Ticker)SectorYTD Performance
JPMorgan Chase (JPM)Financials24.06%
UnitedHealth (UNH)Health care8.12%
Comcast (CMCSA)Communication services42.87%
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY)Health care−7.36%
2 more rows

How do I start investing as a beginner? ›

Let's break it all down—no nonsense.
  1. Step 1: Figure out what you're investing for. ...
  2. Step 2: Choose an account type. ...
  3. Step 3: Open the account and put money in it. ...
  4. Step 4: Pick investments. ...
  5. Step 5: Buy the investments. ...
  6. Step 6: Relax (but also keep tabs on your investments)

How much money do I need to invest to make $1000 a month? ›

To make $1,000 per month on T-bills, you would need to invest $240,000 at a 5% rate. This is a solid return — and probably one of the safest investments available today. But do you have $240,000 sitting around? That's the hard part.

How to turn $1,000 into $10,000 fast? ›

Best Ways To Turn $1,000 Into $10,000
  1. Flip items for profit. ...
  2. Start an online business. ...
  3. Real estate investing. ...
  4. Peer-to-peer lending. ...
  5. Stock investing. ...
  6. Create digital products. ...
  7. Flip domains. ...
  8. Start a blog.
May 22, 2024

How can I double $1000? ›

How Can I Double $1000? If your employer offers a dollar-for-dollar match contribution, you can double $1,000 by investing it in your 401(k). Other than that, there's no easy or risk-free way to double $1,000—you can invest the money in individual stocks, but there will be risks involved.

What is the safest stock to invest in for beginners? ›

Here's a list of seven high-quality stocks that are excellent choices for beginning investors who don't have a lot of money:
  • Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (ticker: BRK.A, BRK.B)
  • JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)
  • Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)
  • Walmart Inc. (WMT)
  • PepsiCo Inc. (PEP)
  • Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)
  • American Water Works Co. Inc. (AWK)
Jun 17, 2024

Which is the most trusted trading app? ›

List of The Top 10 Trading Apps In India
RankNamesBest Offers
1Paytm MoneyNo current offers
2Zerodha KiteZerodha Referral and Earn: Flat 10% Brokerage + Extra 300 Reward Points
3Angel OneFree Offer : Free Demat Account
4Upstox AppSign Up Offer: Sign up for Free and start your investing journey today
6 more rows

How to start trading for beginners with little money? ›

The process of stock trading for beginners
  1. Open a demat account. To enter the share market as a trader or an investor, you must open a demat or a brokerage account. ...
  2. Understand stock quotes. ...
  3. Bids and asks. ...
  4. Fundamental and technical knowledge of stock. ...
  5. Learn to stop the loss. ...
  6. Ask an expert. ...
  7. Start with safer stocks.

What investments can I make with little money? ›

7 easy ways to start investing with little money
  • Workplace retirement account. If your investing goal is retirement, you can take part in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. ...
  • IRA retirement account. ...
  • Purchase fractional shares of stock. ...
  • Index funds and ETFs. ...
  • Savings bonds. ...
  • Certificate of Deposit (CD)
Jan 22, 2024

What investment is best for beginners? ›

Best ways for beginners to invest money
  • Stock market investments.
  • Real estate investments.
  • Mutual funds and ETFs.
  • Bonds and fixed-income investments.
  • High-yield savings accounts.
  • Peer-to-peer lending.
  • Start a business or invest in existing ones.
  • Investing in precious metals.
Jul 18, 2024

What is the best investment to make fast money? ›

What to invest in right now
  1. Stocks. Almost everyone should own stocks or stock-based investments like exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds (more on those in a bit). ...
  2. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) ...
  3. Mutual funds. ...
  4. Bonds. ...
  5. High-yield savings accounts. ...
  6. Certificates of deposit (CDs)

Is Robinhood good for beginners? ›

Is Robinhood a good broker for beginners? Robinhood is a good fit for beginner investors, and the company made our list of the best brokers for beginners. The app offers a streamlined, approachable and easy-to-navigate trading platform, plus extremely low costs, which beginner investors tend to prioritize.

Are investment apps a good idea? ›

Are investing apps safe? Your money is protected in an investing app just as it is at any brokerage firm. If the brokerage goes under, your money is insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). The SIPC will cover up to $500,000 in investments.

What's better, Robinhood or Acorns? ›

Robinhood is the best choice for DIY investors who prefer to approach investing hands-on. Acorns is the better bet for investors who are hands-off and who prefer to do their checking in the same app where they do their investing.

How should I invest my first $500? ›

How to invest $500 to begin building wealth
  1. 7 best ways to invest $500. It's never too early to start investing for your financial future. ...
  2. Invest with a robo-advisor. ...
  3. Contribute to a 401(k) or IRA. ...
  4. DIY with commission-free ETFs. ...
  5. Buy fractional shares of stocks. ...
  6. Buy bonds. ...
  7. Invest In real estate. ...
  8. Pay off debts.

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