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Passive and active investors can open an account to access personalized guidance, bonus rewards, stock round-ups, and more. The Stash app allows novice traders to take advantage of dividend reinvesting, commission-free trades, and micro-investing. However, Stash may not be right for experienced investors or those who don't want to pay a monthly subscription fee.
Business Insider's personal finance team compared Stash to the best investment apps for beginners. We found its offering to be well-suited for passive investors and beginners.
Introduction to Stash
Stash Invest is a subscription-based, beginner-friendly trading platform offering automated and DIY investing strategies for all kinds of investors. You can stay on track to reach your goals with Stash's simplified trading strategies, personalized financial guidance, and banking features.
Building a diversified portfolio on Stash is simple. The platform provides straightforward stocks and ETFs organized by themes and market sectors. Stash is fairly low-cost with a transparent fee structure. It's also a great option for folks looking for banking and investing in one location.
Additional features with Stash include auto-investing with a Smart Portfolio, smart transactions, dividend reinvesting, and stock round-ups. Hands-off investors can use the platform's automated portfolios for goal-tracking capabilities and reduced portfolio risk techniques.
If you want various asset options (such as bonds, mutual funds, or options trading), then Stash won't be the right platform. Stash isn't the best option for experienced investors looking for advanced trading features.
How Stash Works
Subscription Options
Stash subscription plans and features include:
- Stash Growth: The basic subscription option that costs $3 per month. With the Growth plan, you can invest in a range of stocks and ETFs through a personalized investment portfolio, smart portfolio (robo-advisor), and retirement portfolio. Stash Growth provides investment guidance for beginners and personal finances. Regarding banking features, the Growth plans include a Stock-Back Card and $1k life insurance from Avibra.
- Stash+: For $9 per month, traders get all the benefits of a Growth subscription plus access to Kids Portfolios (does not include a custodial IRA), guidance for family finances, and access to Stash+ Market Insights. Moreover, Stash+ includes a 1% earning in stock with Stock-Back Card purchases and $10k life insurance from Avibra.
Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts
Self-directed brokerage accounts through Stash (aka Invest Your Way) allow investors to trade stocks, ETFs, and fractional shares. Stash account holders can access personalized advice, stock round-ups, recurring investments, and educational tools and resources.
The platform also offers fractional shares of individual stocks from top-performing companies like Apple.
Stash's "themed" ETFs have names like "Blue Chips" and "Delicious Dividends," which make it easy to understand what types of securities are bundled in the fund. Finally, Stash offers "Portfolio Builder" ETF portfolios built to match each investor's risk and volatility level.
Automated Investing Accounts
The platform's investment team designed Stash's robo-advisor platform, called Smart Portfolio, for personalized portfolio diversification and return optimization. Smart Portfolio offers customized stock and ETF portfolios based on risk tolerances and investment goals.
Smart Portfolios are included in all Stash subscriptions, so access to automated investing strategies is free of additional fees or minimum requirements.
Saving and budgeting tools on Stash include:
- Set Schedule: Save and invest automatically according to a recurring schedule
- Round-Ups: Link a debit card to save and invest your spare change from each transaction
- Smart transactions: When you add or remove cash in your portfolio, Stash will allocate your assets to meet your preferred investment mix better.
Each tool is designed to help you save more each day and month. You can move these funds to your cash balance until you're ready to invest them. Or you can choose to immediately invest your savings in an investment you already own in your portfolio.
Retirement Savings Accounts
Stash's retirement savings plans are limited compared with most competitors. Although traditional and Roth IRAs are two of the best retirement plan options, Stash doesn't offer small-business retirement plans or custodial IRAs.
On the plus side, Stash IRAs do not charge add-on commission fees. You'll also have access to auto-invest features and advice from a registered investment advisor (RIA).
Custodial Accounts
Custodial accounts are called Kids Portfolio at Stash, and they allow parents or guardians to invest in stocks and ETFs on behalf of a child or minor. You can access personalized advice from a Stash RIA, invest in fractional shares, and use Auto-Stash for long-term wealth building.
However, Kids Portfolio accounts are only available with a Stash+ subscription. Stash only offers Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA) accounts. It does not offer UTMAs, similar to UGMAs, but you can put real assets (like cars or property) into the account.
To open an account, you must provide your child's full legal name, date of birth, and social security number.
StashWorks
Employers can partner with Stash's workplace benefits program to help workers invest and save efficiently. Through automatic payroll deductions, a portion of an employee's paycheck can be automatically invested in a Stash Investment account.
The main benefit of a StashWork account, outside of the convenience of automatic payroll deduction, is that employees can earn rewards for achieving savings streaks. Cash rewards are deposited into an employee's banking account once they complete a savings streak goal.
StashWork accounts are regular brokerage accounts, not retirement plans.
Stash Fees
To start investing with Stash, you need to have a minimum of $1, not including the monthly subscription fee. You'll either pay a $3 monthly subscription fee for Stash Growth or a $9 monthly subscription fee for a Stash+ account.
Stash has commission-free trading for stocks, ETFs, and fractional shares.
Stash Pros and Cons
Stash Pros
- Automated investing and self-directed investing available
- Round up and dividend investing features
- Stock-back card
- Online banking available
- Offers fractional shares
Stash Cons
- Limited IRA options
- Few advanced trading features
- Doesn't offer mutual funds, individual bonds, or options
- No longer offers cryptocurrency trading
Stash Trustworthiness
The Better Business Bureau has given Stash a B rating. The BBB rates businesses with scores ranging from A+ to F based on customer reviews and history.
In addition to customer complaint history, the BBB considers a company's time in business, its business practices, and any advertising issues associated with the company. However, the bureau also says on its website that its ratings don't guarantee a company's reliability or performance.
Stash's record clearly shows any major scandals or lawsuits within the last few years.
Stash vs. Other Investment Apps for Beginners
Stash vs. Acorns
Acorns Invest is a similar investment app to Stash with a monthly fee, round-up features, fractional share investing, and automated trading features.
However, Acorns doesn't provide the same flexibility as Stash. Acorns is mainly a robo-advisor offering customized ETF portfolios for beginners and passive investors. DIY trading options are available, but you'll have to pay for Acorns Gold ($12 per month). Stash, conversely, gets you access to automated and self-directed investing starting at $3 per month.
If you want to open a custodial account for your kids, Acorns will be the more affordable choice. Custodial accounts are included in the Acorns Family plan, which costs $6 per month. Meanwhile, Stash restricts custodial account access to subscribers on its $9-per-month Stash+ plan.
Stash vs. Robinhood
Robinhood Investing is another popular investment app for beginners. But unlike Stash and Acorns, Robinhood doesn't offer automated investing accounts.
Regarding fees, Robinhood is the best choice for individuals looking to save the most on trading. But Stash is the best option for those who want access to both DIY trading and automated investing. That said, Robinhood has a larger suite of investment options like options trading, IPO access, and over a dozen cryptocurrencies.
Business Insider's Overall Stash Rating
| Feature | Insider rating (out of 5) |
| Fees | 4.00 |
| Investment selection | 4.25 |
| Access | 4.40 |
| Ethics | 5.00 |
| Customer service | 4.00 |
| Overall score | 4.33 |
FAQs About Stash
Stash is a powerful, cost-effective trading platform for beginners and intermediate investors interested in micro-investing, automated investing, goal-planning, and accessible banking features. Fund your retirement, diversify your assets, get personalized investment guidance, or invest on behalf of your child with Stash. Personal finance management is available with all subscription levels, but you'll get more options (such as custodial and family finance planning) with a Stash+ account.
Stash offers two subscription options: Stash Growth and Stash+. Stash Growth is the basic option, providing thousands of stock and ETF options, personalized advice, $1k in insurance and banking features like a Stock-Card Card. To access advice on family finances, market insights, and custodial accounts, you'll need a Stash+ for $9 per month.
Stash offers thousands of stocks, ETFs, and fractional shares for investors to hand-select with a DIY account or automatically invest in through Stash's robo-advisor, Smart Portfolio. Thematic investments that align with specific trends or market sectors are available through Stash. This includes commodity ETFs, bond ETFs, shares in leading pharmaceutical and medical industries, and much more.
Stash is a suitable trading platform for beginners. Its user-friendly interface, transparent pricing, commission-free trades, and personalized advice make it ideal for folks just getting started. It offers a wealth of educational materials, beginner-friendly tools, and easy portfolio diversification for increased market exposure and risk management.
Stash offers comprehensive, personalized investment guidance for individuals, families, beginners, and parents. Through its robo-advisor (Smart Portfolios), Stash creates a custom investment portfolio based on your goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. Moreover, Stash offers budgeting tools and insights to help investors track spending patterns for improved money management.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Stash Invest
We examined Stash investing app using Personal Finance Insider's rating methodology for investing platforms to compare accounts, fees, assets, and overall customer experience when reviewing investing platforms. Platforms are given a rating between 1 and 5.
