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Stash Review 2024: An Investing App With A Unique Twist

Last Updated on February 26, 2023 by Harrison Brown
8/10 (Expert Score)
Product is rated as #6 in category Investing
7.8Expert Score
One Of Our Top Robo Advisor Stock Apps

If you're looking for a user-friendly platform that makes it easy to invest your money, Stash is a great choice. You can invest any dollar amount; plans start at just $3 monthly. You can start building your portfolio without breaking the bank. And with advanced features like smart rebalancing,1 Stock-Back® rewards2, and an integrated banking account3 with 55,000 fee-free ATMs4, Stash is an excellent choice for those looking to invest without all the hassle and hidden fees that generally come with such a task.5

Features
8.8
Support
6.9
Fees
8.2
Pros
  • Fractional Shares
  • Stock-Back Card
  • Commission Free Trading
Cons
  • No 401(k) Options
  • Limited Customer Support
  • Debit Card Only For U.S. Customers

Sign Up Bonus

Open a Stash account and deposit $5.00 or more, and you'll get a $50.00 bonus added to your account once your initial deposit settles.
$50.00$5.00 CLAIM BONUS
To begin investing on Stash, you must be approved from an account verification perspective and open a brokerage account (“Personal Portfolio”). The promotion offer is subject to Terms and Conditions.

Pros & Cons

Pros & Cons Of Stash

Pros
  • Fractional shares: Allow you to buy stocks at $1.00 or less.
  • Stock-Back® Card3: Get cash back in the form of stocks deposited directly into your account.2
  • Trade stocks & ETFs: No add-on commission fees.
Cons
  • No 401(k): Stash does not currently offer this account type.
  • Support: Stash's support is not 24/7 and sometimes takes a while to get a hold of someone. 
  • The Stash Stock-Back® Card3: Only available to US citizens.

Features

Stash's Top Features

Automatic Investing

With Stash, you can set up automatic investing using the Auto-Stash feature so you can dollar-cost average into your account and never have to worry about timing the market. You can also enable round-ups, automatically investing your spare change into fractional shares of stock. Finally, with Smart Portfolio, you can have Stash automatically invest various amounts of money based on your spending habits using artificial intelligence.1

Features:

  • Stock Round-ups6
  • Automatic contributions
  • Smart Portfolio1

Stock-Back® Debit Card

With Stash's Stock-Back® Card1, get rewarded with a piece of stock every time you make a purchase.2 For example, if you buy something from companies like Apple, Amazon or Tesla you'll get a fractional share of that company’s stock in your portfolio, and if you make a purchase from a local retailer, you’ll get . The value of the stock will depend on the stock's price at the time of purchase and how much you spent on that charge.

Features:

  • Stock-Back® Rewards2
  • No hidden-fees3
  • 55,000 fee-free ATMs4

Retirement Accounts

With Stash, you can open an individual retirement account (IRA) and start saving for your future. They offer both traditional and Roth IRAs. With a traditional IRA, you'll get tax-deferred growth on your investments, meaning you won't pay taxes on the money you make until you withdraw it in retirement. With a Roth IRA, you'll pay taxes on the money you contribute now, but all withdrawals in retirement will be tax-free.

Features:

  • Traditional IRA
  • Roth IRA

Custodial Accounts

Stash also offers custodial accounts (aka Kids Portfolio at Stash), which are investment accounts set up for minors. With a custodial account, the child will be the owner of the account, and the parent or guardian will be the custodian. The custodian will control the account until the child reaches adulthood at age 18.

Did You Know?

If you invest $5 a day from when a child is born, they could have over $73,000 by age 18 due to compound interest!7

Bank Account

With the Stash banking account, store your cash in the banking account that’s FDIC-insured through Stride Bank N.A., member FDIC.3 Additionally, get paid up to 2 days early with direct deposit.8 All these features come with every plan.

Features:

  • Get paid up to 2 days early8
  • Auto-invest
  • Access to FDIC-insured banking accounts through Stride Bank N.A., member FDIC3

Fees

What Fees Does Stash Have?

Stash Growth – The growth plan is Stash's entry-level plan, which costs $3 per month. With this plan, you'll get more in-depth investing advice and access to retirement accounts, which include a traditional IRA and Roth IRA.

Stash+ – This is Stash's higher plan, which costs $9 per month. With this plan, you'll get everything from the Growth plan, plus access to advice for family finances, 2 custodial accounts, 1% in Stock-Back® rewards,9 and $10,000 in life insurance.10

Stash Plans Comparison
Stash plans comparison

Customer Support

Stash Customer Support

Stash offers customer support through their in-app messaging feature, phone support, and email support.

Phone:
(800) – 205-5164

8am-8pm EST M-F and 10am – 6:30pm EST Saturday/Sunday.

Email:
[email protected]

8am-8pm EST M-F and 10am – 6:30pm EST Saturday/Sunday.

Compare

How Does Stash Compare?

Pros
Cons
Webull Logo
Webull
SIGN UP
Pros
Commission-free trading
High Sign-up bonus Promotion
Easy-to-use app interface
Cons
Limited customer support
No access to mutual funds
Lack of educational support
Acorns Logo
Acorns
SIGN UP
Pros
Automatically invest spare change
Automatic cash back at certain merchants
Intuitive automatic investing features
Cons
Monthly fee ($3-$5)
No tax-loss harvesting
Lower sign-up bonus compared to others
Pros
Zero fees or commissions
Banking, loans, & More All In One
High sign-up bonus for new users
Cons
No physical locations
No tax-loss harvesting
Currently only available to US residents

Stash Vs. Acorns

Stash and Acorns are two popular micro-investing apps. They both offer similar features, such as the ability to invest spare change, a debit card with cash-back rewards, and custodial accounts. However, Stash has some features that Acorns doesn't offer, such as the ability to earn cash back in the form of stocks.

Stash Vs. Webull

Webull is an investing app that offers commission-free trades, real-time market data, and research. However, Webull doesn't provide the ability to invest spare change like Stash. Webull is better for investing in individual stocks and actively monitoring your account, whereas Stash is better for long-term investing and hands-off management. Stash also offers a Stock-Back® Card2 with stock-back rewards4, which Webull does not have.

Stash Vs. SoFi

SoFi is an investing app that offers commission-free trades and no account minimums. SoFi also can invest spare change, similar to Stash. However, SoFi doesn't offer a debit card with stock-back rewards or custodial accounts. SoFi is better for investing in individual stocks and ETFs, while Stash is better for long-term investing and hands-off management.

FAQ

Stash FAQ

How Does Stash Work?

Stash is an investing app that helps you invest in stocks, ETFs, and more. It also has a Stash banking account with a Stock-Back® Card3 that gives rewards back in the form of investments2. You can use Stash to invest your spare change, and it will automatically rebalance your portfolio to keep you on track and build wealth.1

Who Owns Stash?

Stash is owned by Stash Investments LLC, which is a private company founded by Brandon Krieg in 2015.

Is Stash Legit?

Yes, Stash is safe. It is a registered investment advisor with the SEC. Your investments in your account are protected up to $500,000 total (including $250,000 for claims for cash). For details please see www.sipc.org. For uninvested funds, your Stash account is enrolled in the Apex FDIC-insured Sweep Program. Deposits to the Sweep Program are covered by FDIC insurance up to $250,000 limit per customer at each FDIC-insured bank that participates in the Program. Once your cash is deposited with the participating banks under the Sweep Program, such cash will no longer be covered by SIPC.

Can You Make Money With Stash?

Yes, you can make money with Stash by investing in stocks, ETFs, and other securities. You may also earn Stock-Back® rewards2 from using the Stash Stock-Back® Card3, and you can grow your wealth over time.

How Much Does Stash Cost?

Stash has two different subscription plans: Growth and Stash+. The plans range from $3 to $9 per month and offer additional features depending on your plan.

What Is Stash?

Stash is an investing app that allows users to invest in stocks, ETFs, and more. It also has a Stash banking account with a Stock-Back® Card3 that gives rewards back in the form of investments added directly to your portfolio.2 Additionally, Stash's low fees make it an affordable option for anyone starting to invest.

Disclaimers:

Paid non-client endorsement. See Apple App Store and Google Play reviews. View important disclosures.

Nothing in this material should be construed as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell any security. All investments are subject to risk and may lose value.

1 Stash has full authority to manage a “Smart Portfolio,” a discretionary managed account. Stash reviews the assets in your Discretionary Managed Account no less frequently than quarterly to ensure that the account asset allocation has not drifted by 5% or more from the set asset allocation associated with your Discretionary Managed Account, which shall be determined by Stash in its sole discretion. Calendar rebalancing is automatic and does not require ongoing, active monitoring of ETF thresholds in Client accounts. Stash does so on a best efforts basis and does not take into account individual tax, market, or legal circumstances. In some market conditions, this may create capital gains tax liabilities. Clients must consult with a tax or legal professional for such information.

2 All rewards earned through the use of the Stash Stock-Back® Debit Mastercard® will be fulfilled by Stash Investments LLC and are subject to Terms and Conditions. You will bear the standard fees and expenses reflected in the pricing of the investments that you earn, plus fees for various ancillary services charged by Stash. In order to earn stock in the program, the Stash Stock-Back® Debit Mastercard must be used to make a qualifying purchase. Stock rewards that are paid to participating customers via the Stash Stock Back program, are Not FDIC Insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value. What doesn’t count: Cash withdrawals, money orders, prepaid cards, and P2P payments. If you make a qualifying purchase at a merchant that is not publicly traded or otherwise available on Stash, you will receive a stock reward in an ETF or other investment of your choice from a list of companies available on Stash. See Terms and Conditions for more details.

3 Stash Banking services provided by Stride Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. The Stash Stock-Back® Debit Mastercard® is issued by Stride Bank pursuant to a license from Mastercard International. Mastercard and the circles design are registered trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. Any earned stock rewards will be held in your Stash Invest account. Investment products and services provided by Stash Investments LLC are Not FDIC Insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, and May Lose Value.

4 Get fee-free transactions at any Allpoint ATM, see the app for location details, otherwise out-of-network ATM fees may apply. For a complete list of fees please see the Deposit Account Agreement for details.

5 For a complete list of fees please see the Deposit Account Agreement for details.

6 This Program is subject to terms and conditions. In order to participate, a user must comply with all eligibility requirements and make a qualifying purchase with their Stock-Back® Card. All funds used for this Program will be taken from your Stash Banking account.

7 This hypothetically illustrates how investments may impact the long-term value of investing in the market, assuming an annual growth rate of 8% (compounded annually). This is purely an illustration of mathematical principles and such results do not represent actual investment results and do not take into consideration fees, taxes, other account deposits, dividend reinvestment, time horizon, or economic factors which can impact performance. Diversification, asset allocation, and dollar-cost averaging does not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss. Client’s may achieve investment results materially different from the results portrayed. This example is for illustrative purposes only and is not indicative of the performance of any actual investment or investment strategy.

8 Early access to direct deposit funds depends on when the payor sends the payment file. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.

9 1% Stock-Back® rewards available only on Stash+ ($9/mo) and only for client’s first $1,000 of Qualifying Purchases in each calendar month program. See Terms and Conditions for details.

10 Group life insurance coverage provided through Avibra, Inc. Stash is a paid partner of Avibra. Only individuals who opened Stash accounts after 11/6/20, aged 18-54, and who are residents of one of the 50 U.S. states or DC are eligible for group life insurance coverage, subject to availability. Individuals with certain pre-existing medical conditions may not be eligible for the full coverage above, but may instead receive less coverage. All insurance products are subject to state availability, issue limitations, and contractual terms and conditions, any of which may change at any time and without notice. Please see Terms and Conditions for full details. Stash may receive compensation from business partners in connection with certain promotions in which Stash refers clients to such partners for the purchase of non-investment consumer products or services. Clients are, however, not required to purchase the products and services Stash promotes.

To note, SIPC coverage does not insure against the potential loss of market value.

Ancillary fees charged by Stash and/or its custodian are not included in the subscription fee.

Stash does not monitor whether a customer is eligible for a particular type of IRA, or a tax deduction. Clients should consult with a tax advisor.

Traditional IRA: Withdrawing prior to age 59½, generally means you’re subject to income tax and a 10% penalty. Withdrawals after age 59½ are only subject to income tax but no penalty.

Roth IRA: Withdrawals of the money (Contributions) you put in are penalty and tax-free. Prior to age 59½, withdrawals of interest and earnings are subject to income tax and a 10% penalty. All earnings are tax-free at age 59½ or older, assuming your first contribution was more than 5 years prior. Income Eligibility applies. Stash offers access to investment and banking accounts under each subscription plan. Each type of account is subject to different regulations and limitations. Stash Monthly Subscription Wrap Fee starts at $3/month. You’ll also bear the standard fees and expenses reflected in the pricing of ETFs, plus fees for various ancillary services charged by Stash and/or the Custodian. Please see the Advisory Agreement for details. Other fees apply to the bank account. Please see the Deposit Account Agreement.

Stash Review 2024: An Investing App With A Unique Twist
Stash Review 2024: An Investing App With A Unique Twist
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