Disclosure: This blog and specifically this blog post, is not meant to give you advice on what to invest in. I am not a licensed broker. I am providing you information on platforms that can be used to invest only. Investing in any format, micro or otherwise, carries the same risks. It is a risk and you should carefully read all fund information provided and if you have further concerns talking to a licensed professional may make sense.

This post may contain affiliate links. It is how I make money to run this site and it in no way affects the cost of the item for you. I only recommend items I have personally used and love.

Investing Like a Lady

Investing, this is probably one of the scariest topics.I personally was afraid to invest, and I have a degree in Finance, a certificate in Accounting, and took specific classes on the subject. Despite all that, it still felt like it was a mans world. A study completed by Fidelity Investments (Who’s the Better Investor: Men or Women?) There is a huge misconception that men are better investors than women. So, it may come as a big surprise that women on average make more on their investments and save more as well.

The big issue I had once I got over the fear and self-doubt of investing is, being able to afford it. I sat on the sidelines and only invested through my 401K (retirement plan from work) and IRAs (Individual Retirement Account, another vehicle to save money for retirement).

Then came micro investing.

But What is Micro Investing?

Micro–investing is the act of saving very small amounts of money regularly. This would include things like Building Your Emergency Savings or putting small amounts of money into the stock market through micro investing apps.

Previously, the only way to invest in the stock market was to buy a certain number shares and pay a hefty trade commission. Then came the advent of mutual funds, EFTs, and a host of other products that allowed the average investor to purchase a basket of items in 1 share. The problem still is that you could not easily buy a part of a share and there was still the need to invest a larger amount of money to even start.

In Comes Micro Investing to Save the Day

Stash- The Winner

One Micro Investing App in particular is my favorite to use. It is called Stash. The app provides learning tools so you can learn about general investing. It also makes investing less scary by using no jargon, or when they use fancy jargon, it is explained. Stash has mixed funds based on topics, for example they have a fund called Clean & Green which allows you to invest in renewable resources.

There is a subscription fee of $1 per month accounts under $5,000, and 0.25% a year for balances over $5,000. There are no fees the first three months. Plus, you can get $5.00 free to invest, which would give you 8 total months to decide if you like it!

Now you have the ability to invest with as little as $5.00. That is a big difference from what you needed before, maybe $100 or even a $1,000 to be able to make a purchase. Just think, you can put $5.00 a week in and invest into funds that normally you would not have access to. I started at $5.00 and now put $15.00 – $20.00 a week in. It is just nice knowing that I have a small but diverse portfolio without having trade and other hidden fees I cannot afford.

This app is the winner in my mind because it allows you flexibility, the cost structure is the same as the other apps, and with 3 months free followed by Stash giving you money to cover an additional 5 months, it is a no brainer.

Clink- Comes in second

Clink has been around the longest. It allows you to set a daily savings goal. Minimum needs to be a $1.00 a day. Clink is nice because you can set it and forget it. They figure out what portfolio to invest in for you and change it based on your risk profile. You cannot buy specific stocks. Just like the other apps.

The pricing is the same as Stash and Acorns, they charge a flat fee of $1 a month up to $5,000 of balance and 0.25% of your total balance annually above $5,000.

Clink would be good for a person just starting out who wants assistance in choosing their portfolio. That is why it comes in second for me. I want the flexibility to choose my portfolio.

Acorns- Still a solid choice

There are other apps, like Acorns which allows you to invest spare change by rounding up the purchase on cards you have linked to your account and then invest that money.

The only thing I did not like about this is that it is dependent on you spending money. Potentially on credit cards that you may not be paying off in full every month. This would make this app a bad idea for some. That is why I do not use it.

There are some good things about Acorns, they are fee free for college students for 4 years with a valid .edu email address. They have the same pricing as Stash otherwise.

A Final Thought

If you are not ready to take on the risk of investing in the stock market. I totally understand. As I previously said you can micro invest in another way. By stashing away small amounts weekly. Here are a few ways to accomplish that. Just put it into a Money Market Account (MMA) which will give you interest but the freedom to withdraw funds a maximum of 6 times each month.

52 Week Savings Plan in Reverse

Saving a $1,000 Emergency Fund