Business cash management accounts are a hybrid business checking, savings and investment account. This combination lets business owners earn above-average interest while maintaining easy access to their funds.
These accounts typically leverage sweep networks, which distribute your funds across a number of Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. members. This allows you to maximize FDIC insurance coverage without juggling multiple business banks.
Cash management accounts can be a good solution if your business has a lot of idle cash to invest — think startups with seed funding or companies with large operating budgets. But if your margins are thinner, a high-yield business checking or savings account will likely meet your needs.
Business cash management accounts
Brex
Brex’s business account has no monthly fees or minimum opening deposit. You can open up to eight accounts under one employer identification number, allowing you to have separate operating accounts for different business functions, like payroll and accounts payable.
Account holders can designate a portion of their balance to be invested in a business money market account that earns 4.92% annual percentage yield (APY), as of this writing. Funds deposited in a Brex business account are held across a network of FDIC-insured banks, providing up to $6 million in coverage.
You cannot deposit or withdraw cash from a Brex business account. Instead, you can add or move funds via check, ACH or wire transfer. Read our full review.
Mercury
Mercury’s free business checking and savings accounts are eligible for up to $5 million in FDIC coverage through its partner banks, which participate in sweep networks to maximize coverage. These accounts do not earn interest, but eligible businesses can apply for a Mercury Treasury account to unlock the higher yields characteristic of a cash management account.
Mercury Treasury accounts tap into low-risk investments, like Treasury bills and money market accounts, and earn up to 5.43% APY as of this writing. Investments made through your Treasury account are insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corp. (SIPC) for up to $500,000 — not the $5 million in FDIC insurance.
You need at least $500,000 in your Mercury Checking and savings accounts to open a Mercury Treasury account. Monthly fees for Mercury Treasury start at 0.05% of your deposits across all Mercury accounts. Read our full review.
Arc
Arc’s cash management account is comprised of three accounts: Operating, Reserve and Treasury. There’s no monthly fee for operating and reserve accounts; treasury accounts have a monthly fee that starts at 0.02% of your account’s value annually.
Arc’s reserve account earns up to 4.00% APY and its treasury account boasts an APY of up to 5.26%, as of this writing. The actual yield on Arc Treasury accounts will depend on how you divvy up funds between money market and Treasury bills.
Money held in Arc Treasury accounts is FDIC insured up to $5 million through sweep networks and partner banks. Operating and Reserve accounts are FDIC insured up to the standard $250,000 per depositor, per account.
Rho
Rho offers business checking and treasury accounts, as well as corporate cards and accounts payable services, for incorporated businesses with at least $1 million in annual revenue or equity capital.
Treasury accounts earn up to 5.06% APY, as of this writing, and offer up to $75 million in FDIC insurance via a partner network. Checking accounts do not earn interest and are FDIC-insured up to $250,000. Rho accounts do not include ATM access, so you can’t withdraw cash, but there are no fees for ACH or wire transfers.
All Rho account holders are paired with a dedicated support specialist, plus general customer support (via phone or live chat) from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, seven days a week.
What is a business cash management account?
Business cash management accounts are a combination of multiple business bank accounts offered by one financial institution, allowing you to easily manage and move funds between accounts. Most business cash management accounts include the following:
Operating account: Used for day-to-day operating expenses, this account functions similar to a business checking account. Some cash management accounts allow for multiple operating accounts, so you may have one for payroll and another for vendor payments, for instance.
Reserve account: This is essentially a savings account, and it may or may not earn interest, depending on the financial institution. At Mercury, for example, savings accounts do not earn interest, but Mercury Treasury accounts earn up to 5.43% APY. Arc’s reserve accounts do earn interest — up to 4.00% APY — but Arc’s Treasury account earns up to 5.27% APY, as of this writing.
Treasury account: Most business cash management accounts let you allocate funds in your treasury account across high-yield savings, business money market accounts and treasury bills. Money in treasury accounts can earn 5% APY or more, depending on the account and where you allot your money.
Personal cash management accounts are usually offered by brokerages. However, business cash accounts are typically available through fintech companies like Brex and Arc, which offer business banking services through an FDIC-insured bank or investment broker. And most leverage sweep networks to offer FDIC insurance well beyond the standard limit ($250,000 per depositor, per account type).
Benefits of a business cash management account
Potentially high APY. The best business cash management accounts advertise rates of 5.00% APY or higher. But what you actually earn depends on the account you choose and how you allocate your funds.
Streamlined money management. Business cash management accounts may consist of multiple accounts, with funds spread across varying investments. But you can easily view and manage everything from one dashboard.
No transaction limits. Brick-and-mortar business banks typically limit how many transactions you can process each month. And most business savings accounts only allow six transfers or withdrawals per month. But business cash accounts have no such limits. Account holders can move money in and out of accounts as needed, though some withdrawals may be delayed — more on that below.
Increased FDIC coverage. Deposit accounts are typically insured by the FDIC for up to $250,000 per depositor, per account. But business cash management accounts often partner with a network of banks to spread funds across multiple institutions. These “sweep” networks allow you to unlock greater FDIC insurance coverage while only dealing with one financial institution.
That extended FDIC coverage may not apply to all of the funds in your cash management account, though. With Arc, for example, funds allocated to the Treasury account are FDIC insured up to $5 million, but money held in your operating or reserve accounts is subject to the standard FDIC coverage limit.
Drawbacks of a business cash management account
Substantial cash flow needed. While some business cash management accounts don’t have a minimum balance requirement, you do need a large operating budget and a chunk of idle cash to reap the benefits of this type of account. Companies with smaller cash reserves can achieve similar benefits with separate business checking and high-yield business savings accounts.
Limited access to cash. Cash management accounts are generous with free ACH and wire transfers, but cash is less accessible. Most business cash accounts don’t allow cash deposits, and some, like Brex, do not allow you to withdraw money at an ATM.
Lack of banking diversity. While business cash management accounts do leverage a network of banks to extend FDIC insurance coverage, you’re still dealing with a singular entity — typically a financial technology company. Should the fintech or its banking partner fail, your funds, while insured, may be unavailable for a time. Using separate accounts across multiple business banks can help minimize the disruption to your operations should any one of those banks collapse.
One of the critical strategies involved in purchasing and owning rental properties is using leverage. In a perfect scenario, you will purchase a property primarily using borrowed money. Then, the rent income from the property will not only pay the mortgage, but it will also provide you with a small profit. Over many years, that profit will grow, and your mortgage will shrink. Eventually, you will have a property that’s a virtual cash machine.
But there may be times between now and then when you will consider whether or not you should ever pay off the mortgage on your rental property early. It’s not an easy decision, and here are some considerations.
Why You SHOULD Pay Off Your Rental Property’s Mortgage Early
1. When You Have a Negative Cash Flow on the Property
If the monthly mortgage payment makes you lose money on the property, you effectively subsidize your tenant’s residency. But if you can turn that into a positive cash flow by paying off the mortgage, the property will instantaneously become a successful investment, and more so as the future cash flow builds.
A positive cash flow is important because repairs are an inevitable part of owning a rental property. Keeping cash aside for those repairs means staying ahead of the game.
2. When You Need an Income More Than a Tax Write-Off
Many times, the reason for owning rental property is to generate tax write-offs. Those write-offs reduce your tax liability on other sources of income.
One of the reasons rental property can be so effective in generating tax write-offs is that the taxable loss of the property is usually related to depreciation. That means you have a “paper loss” on the property rather than an actual loss.
For example, let’s say that you break even on the property based on actual rent income and cash expenses. But because of depreciation, it generates a tax loss of $5,000 for the year. Even though it isn’t a real loss in terms of dollars, it can be used to reduce your tax liability on other income sources.
But if you need an actual income property, it may be better to pay off the mortgage. For example, let’s say that you have a $100,000 mortgage on the rental property. By paying it off, you’ll have an actual cash income of $800 per month. That would be an excellent reason to pay off the mortgage on the rental property.
Related: Investing in commercial real estate with RealtyMogulis an exciting way to multiply your investment in ways that aren’t often possible with small-scale real estate.
3. If It’s Time to Retire
As a general rule, debts of all types should be paid off once you reach retirement. Just as is the case in the example above, by paying off the mortgage on the rental property, you will maximize the monthly income that it produces. In addition, if you decide to sell the property after you retire, you will receive more cash on the sale of the property if it has no mortgage on it.
4. When the Return on the Paid Mortgage Is Higher Than What Else You Can Invest In
This is where you have to crunch some numbers. Let’s say that the mortgage on the rental property has an interest rate of 6%. You have also been averaging an annual rate of return of 4% on your investment portfolio over the past several years.
Since the interest rate on the mortgage is higher than the rate of return on your portfolio, you’ll come out ahead by paying off the mortgage. You may be exchanging money invested in your portfolio at 4% per year to pay off a 6% mortgage. That will represent a return on your money that is 2% higher than what you are currently getting.
Related Question: Should You Invest or Pay Off Debt?
That strategy might actually make sense in today’s super low-interest rate environment. In truth, it’s much more valid to compare the rate of return on fixed-rate investments with the interest rate you are paying on a mortgage. That’s because both rates are certain.
Returns on a stock portfolio may not be entirely valid because they fluctuate over time. There are years in which stocks will easily outperform the rate you’re paying on the mortgage. There are others when they will seriously underperform.
In that regard, paying off the mortgage on your rental property may be an even better long-term bet. This is especially true if you believe that the stock market is heading down or is entering what could prove to be a long-term bear market trend. Paying off a 6% mortgage on a rental property could prove to be a windfall when compared to a market in which you may lose 25% or more of your stock portfolio over the next three or four years.
Related: 8 Ways to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early
Why You Should NOT Pay Off The Mortgage Early
1. If You Need Leverage to Buy More Rental Properties
The most basic problem with paying off the mortgage on a rental property early is that it requires capital. In fact, it usually requires a lot of it. Once you pay off the mortgage, you lose access to that cash. It represents capital that can be used to purchase other rental properties.
If you have one rental property that’s providing a comfortable return on the investment, you may want to purchase other rental properties in the future. Paying off your current rental property early will certainly improve the cash flow on that particular investment. However, it may deny you the ability to purchase similar investments in the future.
2. When You Need a Tax Write-Off
If you do need a tax write-off to reduce taxable income sources, you may not want to pay off the mortgage early. Of course, this usually only makes sense when the loss on the rental property is the type of paper loss that we discussed earlier. That’s the kind where you’re at least breaking even on the property on a cash basis, but depreciation expense is creating a taxable loss.
If that tax loss is important to your income tax situation, you’ll almost certainly want to keep the mortgage outstanding.
3. You Have a Positive Cash Flow, Even With the Mortgage
If you have an actual positive cash flow on the property even with the mortgage – meaning that the rental income more than covers the mortgage payment, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and other expenses – you probably won’t want to pay it off.
Related: The 1% Solution – How to Determine if a Rental Property is a Good Investment
The basic idea is that the rental income is both providing you with a monthly profit while at the same time gradually paying down the mortgage until it is paid in full when your cash flow will really take off. That’s a successful real estate investment. It’s also one that’s probably best left undisturbed by major strategies – like paying off the mortgage early.
4. You Can Earn a Higher Return on Your Capital Than You’re Paying in Interest on the Mortgage
Let’s say you’re earning 7% on your investment portfolio, and the property’s mortgage has a rate of 6%. By paying off the mortgage early, presumably by liquidating part of your investment portfolio, you’ll actually lose money on the exchange. That’s because the rate of return on your investment portfolio is higher than the interest rate on the rental property mortgage.
Just be careful that you’re comparing “apples to apples” when doing this. In other words, be sure that the rate of return you will receive on your investment portfolio represents at least a relatively stable income. That means primarily your interest or dividend income. Since higher-yielding investments, including interest and dividend-yielding securities, tend to be riskier at higher returns, you also have to factor your current level of portfolio risk into the mix.
Related: A Step-by-Step Guide to Rebalancing Your Investments
The Bottom Line
If you’re considering whether to pay off the mortgage on your rental property early, you’ve got some thinking to do. It will all depend upon your personal circumstances. You should take into account the rate you’re paying on the mortgage. And, of course, ask the opportunity cost question of, ”What else could I be doing with the money?” other than paying off the mortgage.
And if you decide to pay off the mortgage and realize that it was a mistake, you always have the fallback option of taking equity out of the home. It’s a touch expensive, but available in a pinch.
One of the most powerful financial combinations is the ability to invest and bank through the same financial institution. But J.P. Morgan isn’t just any financial institution. It’s the largest bank in the U.S., and it also offers the ability to engage in self-directed trading–commission-free. There are many brokerage firms you can invest with, but this is the only one with the power of J.P. Morgan behind it!
If you’re already a J.P. Morgan customer or client–either with a deposit account or through one of their many top-of-the-line credit cards–you should know that you can also invest through the company. J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers commission-free trades for self-directed investors, as well as a low-cost managed portfolio option. You can open an account with no money, and handle all your trading and account monitoring through the mobile app. And if you’re not already a J.P. Morgan customer or client, you may be interested in investing through the largest banking organization in the U.S., with all the advantages and benefits that provides.
What is J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing?
J.P. Morgan is the largest bank in the United States and the sixth-largest bank in the world, with assets of nearly $2.7 trillion. Founded all the way back in 1799, the bank currently has more than 5,000 branches operating in 36 states. J.P. Morgan is also one of the leading providers of credit cards.
But while the company is best known as a bank, it’s also one of the largest asset managers in the world. J.P. Morgan’s asset management arm has nearly $3 trillion in assets under management (AUM), while its investment and corporate banking arm has more than $25 trillion in AUM.
Given the company’s experience in managing investments for individual and business clients, as well as its massive banking footprint across the U.S., it’s only natural that J.P. Morgan would eventually roll out a retail brokerage platform for individual investors. That platform is J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing. Originally launched as You Invest in 2018, J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is already showing plenty of promise with innovative investment options.
J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Product Features
J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing offers two different investment programs. Self-Directed Investing (SDI) is a self-directed investment platform, while SDI portfolios offers several fully managed investment plans for those who want to turn the investing job over to the professionals.
Self-Directed Investing
This is the trading account offered by J. P. Morgan. There is no minimum initial investment required to open an account. Available accounts include individual and joint taxable brokerage accounts, and traditional and Roth IRA accounts. There, you can trade individual stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, fixed income securities, and mutual funds.
Self-Directed Investing offers commission-free trades in thousands of securities. You can manage your portfolio online or on the go from your mobile device.
The platform also has resource pages that can help with basic investing, investing strategies, planning, and market insights.
Portfolio Builder
This tool helps create an asset allocation based on your investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. This tool requires a minimum account balance of $500. It can be used to select securities within the designated portfolio allocations, and even places trades for you.
Self-Directed Investing Portfolios
If you prefer to have your investment portfolio professionally managed–or if you want to add managed portfolios to your self-directed investing–you can take advantage of SDI Portfolios.
You’ll need a minimum of $500 to open an account, and the account will be managed for a single annual percentage fee, regardless of account size (see J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Pricing & Fees below).
The specific mix in your portfolio will depend on your investor profile, which may be Conservative, Moderate, Growth, or Aggressive. A Conservative portfolio will be more heavily invested in fixed income and cash investments, while Growth and Aggressive will be slanted towards stocks. The Moderate portfolio will use an equal mix of both.
After you open an account, you’ll determine your asset allocation and your portfolio is put in place–it will be rebalanced as necessary. At that point, all you’ll need to do is fund your account, and all aspects of your portfolio will be fully managed for you.
If self-directed investing isn’t for you, you can work with a J.P. Morgan advisor, or schedule a check-up to see if you’re on track to meeting your investment goals.
Self-Directed Investing Portfolios Glide Path
Your portfolio allocation doesn’t remain static. SDI Portfolios employs a Glide Path, adjusting your portfolio as you age. Your portfolio will be gradually reallocated toward a more conservative mix as you approach retirement and have less time available to recover from losses that may occur in a down market.
J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Pricing & Fees
Self-Directed Investing Trade
There are no fees to open and maintain a SDI Trade account. Trading commissions are as follows:
Stocks and ETFs: You’ll have unlimited commission-free trading online with stocks and ETFs. However, if you make representative-assisted trades there is a fee of $25 per trade.
Option: Also commission-free, but there is a charge of $0.65 per contract. And similarly, there will be a $25 commission for any representative-assisted trade.
Mutual funds: Commission-free for online trades, with a $20 per transaction commission if representative-assisted.
Fixed income/bonds: There are no commissions or fees charged for trades of U.S. Treasury bills, notes and bonds, or new issues of corporate bonds, municipal bonds, government agency bonds or brokered certificates of deposit.
However, trading of secondary market corporate bonds, municipal bonds, government agency bonds and brokered CDs have the following fees:
Online – $10 per trade, plus $1 per bond over 10 bonds, up to a maximum of $250.
Representative-assisted – $30 per trade, plus $1 per bond over 10 bonds, up to a maximum of $270.
Self-Directed Investing Portfolios
SDI Portfolios come with a low percentage annual advisory fee of 0.35% of your account balance, paid monthly. There are no other fees involved in the management of your account.
J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Sign-up Bonus
J.P. Morgan is currently offering a bonus of between $50 and $700 if you open an account with at least $5,000. The bonus is structured as follows:
$700 when you fund with $250,000 or more
$325 when you fund with $100,000-$249,999
$150 when you fund with $25,000-$99,999
$50 when you fund with $5,000-$24,999
(All accounts must be funded at these levels in the first 45 days and remain in the account for at least 90 days)
Disclosure: INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE
How to Sign Up with J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
To open a SDI account you must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security number, and a U.S. home address. You’ll be asked to provide a valid driver’s license or state-issued ID for identity verification purposes.
You can open the account from YouInvest.com. There you can choose a Self-Directed Investing Trade or Self-Directed Investing Portfolios option, either as a taxable brokerage account or an IRA. If you choose to open a SDI Portfolios account, you’ll need to complete a questionnaire that will help determine your investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.
If you are an existing Chase account holder, much of your application information will be transferred over from in-house records.
When completing the application, you’ll first be asked if you are an existing Chase customer. If you are, you can simply enter your username and password, and your application will be populated from information already on file with Chase.
If you are not an existing Chase customer, you’ll need to complete the online application. You’ll then need to manually supply the following information:
Your full name
Country or citizenship
Date of birth
Social Security number
The type of ID (driver’s license or state-issued ID), as well as the ID number, expiration date, and the issuing state
Your home address
Your email and phone number
Funding your account
You can fund your account either through an existing Chase account or from an external financial institution. If you already have a Chase account, you can transfer funds into your Self-Directed Investing Account by choosing Pay & transfer, then Transfer money.
If you are linking an external account, you can simply choose “Add new external account”, then enter the routing number and personal account number from your institution. You can set up either a one-time transfer or recurring transfers.
J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Security
All investment accounts are protected against broker failure by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Your account is covered for up to $500,000 in cash and securities, including up to $250,000 in cash.
J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing Mobile App
You can invest with SDI using the Chase Mobile App, which is available at The App Store for iOS devices, 11.0 and later. The app is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Its also available at Google Play for Android devices, 6.0 and up.
You can use the mobile app to manage all your accounts with J.P. Morgan including your Self-Directed Investment accounts. That includes trading securities and funds and taking advantage of all the tools and research information available on the platform.
J. P. Morgan Customer Service
Customer service is available by phone Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm, Eastern time. However, you can place online trades anytime between 6:00 am and 2:00 am Eastern time.
FAQ
Do I need to be an existing Chase account holder to open a Self-Directed Investing account?
No. There is no requirement for you to be a current Chase account to participate in the service, nor is there a requirement for you to open a Chase bank or credit card account as a condition of your SDI account.
Can I open a Self-Directed Investing account in the name of my business?
No. SDI accounts are only available to individuals and joint personal account holders. The platform is not designed for business customers.
I like that Self-Directed Investing offers commission-free trades on stocks, options, and ETFs. But why do they charge such high fees for representative-assisted trades?
The practice of charging fees for trading with live assistance is common in the brokerage industry, even now that most brokers have eliminated commissions for online trades. Self-Directed Investing representative-assisted trade fees are consistent with those charged by other brokerage firms. A major reason brokerage firms are able to offer commission-free trades is because they don’t require assistance from broker employees. Fewer assisted trades means lower payroll costs for the brokerage firm, enabling them to charge no fees for online trades.
If I use the Portfolio Builder, what kind of investments can I hold?
The Portfolio Builder tool enables you to invest through ETFs and stocks. This includes both U.S. and international equities, as well as core fixed income and commodities. However, the tool does not allow mutual funds in the portfolio.
Open to non-Chase customers — Self-Directed Investing is available to both Chase and non-Chase customers and investors.
Commission-free trades — This applies to stocks, ETFs, and options (though like most brokers, there is a per contract fee with options).
Generous sign-up bonus — These range from $50 to $700.
Both self-directed investing or professionally managed — Ability to choose either self-directed investing through Self-Directed Investing Trade or a professionally managed option through SDI Portfolios – or you can use a combination of both.
Tools to help create and manage a portfolio — The Portfolio Builder tool helps create and manage your portfolio, even as a self-directed investor.
Investment options are a bit limited — The platform doesn’t allow you to invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs) or penny stocks (stocks that either aren’t listed on a major exchange and have a price of less than $5).
Limited customer service hours — J.P. Morgan’s customer service live support is limited to business days until 7:00 pm. This is substantially less than the 24/7 customer support available with most major competitors.
High Advisory fee — The advisory fee of 0.35% on SDI Portfolios is higher than the industry average of 0.25% for robo-advisors.
Alternatives to J. P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing
The investment brokerage field is a crowded one, and some of the alternatives you may want to consider include the following:
E*TRADE
E*Trade operates similarly to J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing in that it has both commission-free self-directed trading, as well as managed portfolio options. But the platform offers a more comprehensive suite of investment tools, and also a wider range of investment options. For example, you can also trade futures and FOREX.
Ally Invest
Ally Invest, with both self-directed investing and a managed portfolio option. And just as is the case with J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing, you can also take advantage of the banking services and high-yield savings accounts and CDs offered through Ally Bank. Much like E*TRADE, Ally Invest also offers more diverse investment options than J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing.
TD Ameritrade
Tied in with TD Bank, TD Ameritrade also enables you to invest where you bank. They similarly offer no commission trading on stocks, ETFs, and options. And like most brokerage firms, they also offer managed portfolio options. Once again, TD Ameritrade offers something that J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing doesn’t, and that’s commission-free mutual fund trades. In fact, they offer more than 4,000 no transaction fee mutual funds to choose from.
Is J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing for You?
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investment will work best for existing customers and clients of J.P. Morgan. If you already have a banking relationship and/or a credit card through the company, investing with them will be a natural choice.
If you’re not an existing J.P. Morgan customer client, or even if you are, you should be aware that this is strictly for self-directed investors. It doesn’t have quite as many investment tools and resources as other major brokerage platforms. For that reason, it’s best suited to self-directed investors who have their own investment resources and tools.
However, the platform was launched less than two years ago and is still evolving. With J.P. Morgan behind it, we can expect better things to come.
If you’re not a self-directed investor, you can still invest through Automated Investing. This is a robo-advisor, and provides all the benefits that come with low-cost, professional investment management. However, the annual advisory fee of 0.35% is higher than the industry standard fee of 0.25%. Those are the fee levels you can expect from popular competitors, like Betterment and Wealthfront.
But if you’re looking to combine investing with banking, there’s no better place to do it than with J.P. Morgan. As the largest bank in the U.S., operating in 36 states–and determined to enter the remaining 14–they offer something for everyone.
Bottom Line
J.P. Morgan Self-Directed Investing is a solid investment platform for self-directed investors who have access to a reliable source of investment tools and research. The platform may expand those tools and resources going forward, but they’re not quite there yet. In the meantime, they offer commission-free trades, as well as a managed portfolio option if you’re not quite ready for self-directed trading.
Disclosure: INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE
Betterment and Betterment are not only two of the most popular robo advisors in the industry, but they may very well be the most innovative in the field. Though they represent two of the first robo advisors, both have built out their platforms and now offer robust portfolio options and other services to their clients.
Though they each have their own nuances–and specializations–you really can’t go wrong with either platform. Each will take complete control of your portfolio, managing every aspect of it for a very low annual fee. When you sign up with either service, your only responsibility will be to fund your account on a regular basis.
But what if you’re either new to robo advisors or you’re considering a switch from another one? If you’re researching robo advisors, the information will inevitably lead to Betterment and Wealthfront. So let’s take a look at the two heavyweights in the robo advisor space and see which might be a better fit for your portfolio. Listen to the Podcast of this Article
About Betterment
Betterment is not only the original robo advisor, but its also the largest independent robo (along with Wealthfront), with $21 billion in assets under management. The company is based in New York City and began operations in 2008.
As a robo advisor, Betterment is an automated, online investment platform that handles all aspects of investment management for you. When you sign up for the service, you complete a questionnaire that will help determine your investment goals, time horizon, and investment risk tolerance. From that information, Betterment creates a portfolio of stocks and bonds to meet your investor profile.
They dont actually invest your money in individual securities, but instead through exchange-traded funds (ETFs), each representing a specific asset class. They can build an entire portfolio for you through about a dozen funds that will give you exposure to the entire global financial markets.
All this is done for a low annual management fee. Your only responsibility will be to fund that your account on a regular basis and let Betterment handle all the management details for you.
Better Business Bureau rates Betterment as A+, which is the highest rating in a range from A+ to F. The company also scores 4.8 stars out of 5 by more than 20,000 users on the App Store, and 4.5 stars out of 5 by more than 4,500 users on Google Play.
About Wealthfront
Wealthfront is, with Betterment, the largest independent robo advisor, and Betterment’s primary competitor. In fact, with over $24 billion in assets under management, its now slightly larger than Betterment. The company is based in Redwood City, California, and launched operations in 2011.
As a robo advisor, it works much the same as Betterment, creating a portfolio for you based on your answers to a questionnaire when you open your account. Wealthfront will also manage your account using a small number of ETFs spread across various asset classes. But on larger accounts, they’ll also add individual stocks to get greater benefit from tax-loss harvesting.
Like Betterment and virtually all robo advisors, Wealthfronts basic investment strategy is based on Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), which emphasizes asset allocation over individual security selection.
Similar to Betterment, and really all robo advisors, your account will receive full investment management for a very low annual fee. Your only responsibility will be to fund your account on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, Wealthfront has a Better Business Bureau rating of F, due to unanswered complaints. However, the company gets 4.9 stars out of 5 from more than 9,000 users on the App Store, and 4.8 stars out of 5 by more than 2,700 users on Google Play.
Investment Strategies Betterment vs Wealthfront
Betterment Investment Strategy
Betterment offers two plan levels, Digital and Premium. Premium is available for minimum account balances of $100,000, while Digital is open to all account balances. Like many robo advisors, Betterment has evolved past building and managing a basic portfolio comprised of a mix of stocks and bonds.
For example, if you choose the Premium Plan, you’ll have access to live financial advisors. But there are many other services and plans to choose from.
Read More: Betterment Promotions
Basic portfolio mix
Your portfolio will be invested in as many as six stock asset classes/ETFs and eight bond asset classes/EFTs.
Stocks:
US Total Stock Market
US Value Stocks Large Cap
US Value Stocks Mid Cap
US Value Stocks Small Cap
International Developed Markets Stocks
International Emerging Markets Stocks
Bonds:
US High-quality Bonds
US Municipal Bonds
US Inflation-Protected Bonds
US High-Yield Corporate Bonds
US Short-term Treasury Bonds
US Short-term Investment-Grade Bonds
International Developed Markets Bonds
International Emerging Markets Bonds
Use of value stocks
Notice that three of the six stock asset classes involve value stocks. This is a specialization of Betterment and represents a time-honored stock market investment strategy. Value stocks are investments in companies with stock prices that are low in relation to their competitors by various standard measurements. But the companies are deemed to be fundamentally sound, and therefore likely to outperform the general market once the investment community realizes the true value of the stocks.
In this way, Betterment makes an attempt to outperform the general market, such as the S&P 500 or even some broader indices.
Smart Beta
This is another investment strategy Betterment uses with the potential to outperform the general market. This specific portfolio is managed by Goldman Sachs. Smart Beta is a form of active portfolio management, which seeks high-quality companies with low volatility, strong momentum, and good value.
Since its a higher risk/high reward type of investing, it requires a minimum portfolio of $100,000.
Socially responsible investing (SRI)
This is an investment option increasingly being offered by robo advisors. However, with Betterment only a portion of your portfolio will be invested in SRI. They replace the ETFs in the International Emerging Market Stocks and US Value Stocks Large Cap with ETFs that specialize in socially responsible investing in those sectors.
Learn More: The Pros and Cons of Socially Responsible Investing
Flexible Portfolios
If you want more control over your investment portfolio, you can choose this option. It allows you to adjust the individual asset class weights in your portfolio allocation. Its also designed for more advanced investors and gives you an opportunity to increase allocations in asset classes you believe are likely to outperform the market.
BlackRock Target Income
For investors looking for income and safety of principal, Betterment offers this portfolio, which consists of 100% of bonds. There is some risk of principal in this portfolio but it’s designed to be minimal. You can even choose the level of risk and return you want. It won’t provide the type of long-term gains you’ll get from a stock portfolio, but it will offer the kind of steady income that will work especially well for retirees.
Tax-loss Harvesting
Tax-loss harvesting is a year-end strategy in which asset classes with losses are sold (and later replaced with comparable ones) to offset gains in winning asset classes. The strategy helps to defer taxable capital gains on growing asset classes.
Betterment makes this strategy available on all account balances. However, it’s only offered on taxable accounts since it’s completely unnecessary for tax-sheltered retirement plans.
Betterment Everyday Cash Reserve
If you’re looking to add a cash option to your investment portfolio, you can do it through Betterment Cash Reserve. The account is eligible for FDIC insurance up to $1 million. The minimum deposit is $10, and offers unlimited transfers, both in and out of your account.
Betterment Checking
The Betterment Checking account gives you the flexibility to manage your money in a way that best fits your financial goals. You’ll get this account with a debit card and you can use it to pay in person or online. You’ll also get FDIC insurance on your money.
The Betterment Checking account is an innovative way to manage your money. It’s faster, more secure, and requires zero minimum balance requirements. You can now deposit checks using their streamlined mobile app. Just take a picture and deposit checks will be there for you on the other side.
Wealthfront Investment Strategy
Unlike Betterment, Wealthfront has a single plan for all investors, with an annual management fee of 0.25% on all account balances. And like Betterment, Wealthfront has expanded its investment options menu in many different directions.
Basic Portfolio Mix
Wealthfront uses 11 asset classes in the construction of its portfolios, including four stock funds, five bond funds, plus real estate and natural resources.
The allocation looks like this:
Stocks:
US Stocks
Foreign Stocks
Emerging Market Stocks
Dividend Stocks
Bonds:
Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS)
Municipal Bonds (on taxable investment accounts only)
Corporate Bonds
U.S. Government Bonds
Emerging Market Bonds
Alternatives:
Real Estate
Natural Resources
Use of Alternative Investments
Wealthfront includes real estate and natural resources in its portfolio composition. The real estate sector invests in companies that provide exposure to commercial property, apartment complexes, and retail space. Natural resources are held in ETFs representing that sector.
The combination of the two offers a stronger diversification away from a portfolio comprised entirely of stocks and bonds, largely because they offer protection in an inflationary environment. It’s possible for these sectors to perform well when the general financial markets are not.
Smart Beta
The Smart Beta option attempts to outperform the general financial markets. The strategy deemphasizes market capitalization in the creation of a portfolio. For example, rather than using the capitalization allocations of certain companies within the S&P 500, the strategy might increase some allocations and decrease others. It’s more of an active investment strategy and requires a minimum investment portfolio of $500,000.
Wealthfront Risk Parity
This is another investment strategy for investors with larger accounts and a greater appetite for risk. Its been shown to provide higher long-term returns, but it may use leverage to increase those returns.
Stock-level Tax-loss Harvesting
Tax-loss harvesting is available on all taxable investment accounts. But Stock-level Tax-loss Harvesting is available to larger accounts to provide more aggressive tax deferral.
This is a fairly complex investment strategy, but it involves the use of individual stocks to take greater advantage of tax-loss harvesting. The use of individual stocks will make it easier to buy and sell securities to minimize capital gains taxes. Depending on the specific plan, the required minimum investment ranges between $100,000 and $500,000.
Wealthfront Path
This is a software-based financial advisory, providing you with financial planning tools. They can help you plan for retirement or saving for the down payment on a house or a college education for one or more of your children. The apps run what-if scenarios, that can make projections based on various savings levels for each of your specific goals.
Though it doesn’t offer live financial advice, the service is free to use.
Wealthfront Cash
You can open an interest-bearing cash account with Wealthfront Cash Account with just $1. There’s no market risk, no fees, unlimited free transfers, and your account is FDIC insured for up to $5 million. The account currently pays 4.30% APY and provides a safe, cash investment to go with your stock portfolios.
And now, Wealthfront Cash allows you to get your paycheck up to two days early when you set up a direct deposit. They’ve also implemented the ability for you to invest directly into the market within minutes, straight from your Wealthfront Cash account. That means you can get paid early and immediately invest – giving you about extra days of investing each year.
Read more: Wealthfront Cash Account review
Wealthfront Portfolio Line of Credit
Much like a home equity line of credit, the Wealthfront Portfolio Line of Credit is secured by your investment account. You can borrow up to 30% of the value of your account for any purpose. There’s no prequalification since the line of credit is completely secured by your investment account.
The line of credit is automatic if you have a non-retirement account balance of at least $25,000. You can request funds against the line on your smartphone and receive them in as little as one business day.
Current interest rates paid on the line range between 2.45% and 3.70% APR, depending on the size of your account.
Retirement Planning Betterment vs. Wealthfront
One of the most common uses of robo advisors is the management of retirement accounts. Both Betterment and Wealthfront can manage all types of IRA accounts, similar to the way they do with taxable accounts. But each also offers some level of retirement planning.
Read More: Best Robo Advisors Find out which one matches your investment needs.
Betterment Retirement Planning
Betterment is strong in this category because in addition to their regular portfolios, they also offer income-specific investment options, like their BlackRock Target Income and Everyday Cash Reserve. The Target Income option in particular focuses on maximizing interest income, which is exactly what most people are looking for in retirement.
One of the advantages Betterment offers is that you can connect your 401(k) with your investment account. Betterment cant manage the 401(k) (unless chosen to do so by your employer through their 401(k) management plan), but they can coordinate your Betterment retirement account(s) with the activity in your employer plan.
And of course, if you have at least $100,000 in your Betterment account, you can enroll in the Premium plan and have access to live financial advisors.
But Betterment also offers its Retirement Savings Calculator to help you know if you’re on track for your retirement. By answering just four questions, they’ll be able to determine if your current retirement plan will provide the income you’ll need in retirement, taking your projected Social Security income into consideration. If it isn’t, it’ll let you know how much more you need to invest on a regular basis.
Wealthfront Retirement Planning
You can take advantage of Wealthfront Path to help you with retirement planning. You’ll start by linking your financial accounts so the program can get a better understanding of your finances. Recommendations to help you reach your goals are made based on the amount of regular contributions you’re making and the income you will need in retirement.
Path will analyze your spending patterns, your average annual savings rate, the interest you’re earning on those savings, as well as your investment and retirement contributions. It will also analyze the fees you’re paying on your investment and retirement accounts. Loan accounts are analyzed as well.
The information is assembled, and future projections are made. You’ll be given advice on any needed increases in savings for retirement contributions, as well as asset allocations. And perhaps best of all, since all your financial accounts are linked to the service, it will provide continuous updates on your progress toward your retirement goals.
Betterment Pros & Cons
No minimum initial investment or account balance requirement.
Reduced fee structure on larger account balances.
Use of value stocks seeks to outperform the general market.
Unlimited access to certified financial planners on account balances over $100,000.
Comprehensive retirement planning package.
Limited investment diversification, excluding alternative asset classes, like real estate and natural resources.
The annual management fee rises from 0.25% to 0.40% if you select the Premium plan.
The reduced fee structure on large account balances doesn’t kick in until you reach a minimum of $2 million.
Wealthfront Pros & Cons
Your account includes alternative investments, like real estate and natural resources. This offers greater diversification than a portfolio invested only in stocks and bonds.
The minimum initial investment is just $500. That’s not zero, but it’s an amount most small investors can comfortably start with.
Flat-rate fee of 0.25% on all account balances.
Larger accounts get the benefit of more efficient tax-loss harvesting strategies through Wealthfront Risk Parity.
The Wealthfront Portfolio Line of Credit lets you borrow up to 30% of the value of your non-retirement accounts at very low interest and with no credit check.
There’s no reduced management fee for larger account balances.
The retirement planning tool (Path) is an automated system and does not provide advice from live financial advisors.
Poor rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Bottom Line
We’ve covered a lot of territory and details in this side-by-side comparison of Betterment vs Wealthfront. The summary table below should help you to be able to compare the various services each offers with a quick glance.
Category
Betterment
Wealthfront
Minimum initial investment
Digital: $0 Premium: $100,000
$500
Promotions
Up To 1 Year Free
First $5,000 Managed Free
Management fees
Digital: 0.25% up to $2 million, then 0.15% above Premium: 0.40% to $2 million, then 0.30%
0.25%
Available accounts
Individual and joint taxable accounts; traditional, Roth, rollover and SEP IRAs; trusts and nonprofit accounts
Individual and joint taxable accounts; traditional, Roth, rollover and SEP IRAs; trusts and 529 accounts
Rebalancing
Yes
Yes
Dividend reinvestment
Yes
Yes
Tax-loss harvesting – on taxable accounts only
Yes
Yes
Socially-responsible investing
Yes
Available through Smart Beta ($500,000 minimum) and Stock-level Tax-Loss Harvesting ($100,000 minimum)
Smart Beta investing
Yes
Yes, minimum $500,000
Interest bearing cash account
Yes
Yes
Line of credit
No
Yes
Financial advice
Yes, on Premium Plan only
Automated only
Mobile app
Yes
Yes
Customer service
Phone and email, Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern time
Phone and email, Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern time
You’ve probably already guessed were not declaring a winner between these two popular roboadvisors. Both are first rate and you can’t go wrong with either. More than anything, your decision will likely come down to specific details–what features and benefits one offers that better suits your own personal preferences and investment style.
But one advantage that’s undeniable with both Betterment and Wealthfront is that not only is each a first-rate service, but they provide enough investment options and related services that they can accommodate your growing financial capabilities and needs well into the future.
For example, while you may start out with a basic managed portfolio, you’ll eventually want to get into higher risk/higher reward options as your wealth grows. As well, you’ll like the flexibility of having high-interest cash investment options, as well as low-cost or free financial or retirement advice.
We like both these services and are certain you can’t go wrong with whichever one you choose.
Betterment Cash Reserve Disclosure – Betterment Cash Reserve (“Cash Reserve”) is offered by Betterment LLC. Clients of Betterment LLC participate in Cash Reserve through their brokerage account held at Betterment Securities. Neither Betterment LLC nor any of its affiliates is a bank. Through Cash Reserve, clients’ funds are deposited into one or more banks (“Program Banks“) where the funds earn a variable interest rate and are eligible for FDIC insurance. Cash Reserve provides Betterment clients with the opportunity to earn interest on cash intended to purchase securities through Betterment LLC and Betterment Securities. Cash Reserve should not be viewed as a long-term investment option.
Funds held in your brokerage accounts are not FDIC‐insured but are protected by SIPC. Funds in transit to or from Program Banks are generally not FDIC‐insured but are protected by SIPC, except when those funds are held in a sweep account following a deposit or prior to a withdrawal, at which time funds are eligible for FDIC insurance but are not protected by SIPC. See Betterment Client Agreements for further details. Funds deposited into Cash Reserve are eligible for up to $1,000,000.00 (or $2,000,000.00 for joint accounts) of FDIC insurance once the funds reach one or more Program Banks (up to $250,000 for each insurable capacity—e.g., individual or joint—at up to four Program Banks). Even if there are more than four Program Banks, clients will not necessarily have deposits allocated in a manner that will provide FDIC insurance above $1,000,000.00 (or $2,000,000.00 for joint accounts). The FDIC calculates the insurance limits based on all accounts held in the same insurable capacity at a bank, not just cash in Cash Reserve. If clients elect to exclude one or more Program Banks from receiving deposits the amount of FDIC insurance available through Cash Reserve may be lower. Clients are responsible for monitoring their total assets at each Program Bank, including existing deposits held at Program Banks outside of Cash Reserve, to ensure FDIC insurance limits are not exceeded, which could result in some funds being uninsured. For more information on FDIC insurance please visit www.FDIC.gov. Deposits held in Program Banks are not protected by SIPC. For more information see the full terms and conditions and Betterment LLC’s Form ADV Part II.
DoughRoller receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Advisers LLC (“Wealthfront Advisers”) for each new client that applies for a Wealthfront Automated Investing Account through our links. This creates an incentive that results in a material conflict of interest. DoughRoller is not a Wealthfront Advisers client, and this is a paid endorsement. More information is available via our links to Wealthfront Advisers.
If you’re new to investing, the idea of getting started can be daunting. After all, you probably don’t have tens of thousands of dollars lying around to build a portfolio and feel like you can’t make much of a difference with the disposable cash you do have.
Luckily, though, you can start your investment journey for a lot less–even if you only have $100 to begin.
The most important part of investing is getting started as early as possible. Rather than waiting until you have a large sum of money saved up, you can get started today and begin growing your savings. Before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to building a healthy portfolio that earns you interest and sets you up for financial success for as little as $100.
Let’s look at a few fun (and low-cost) ways that anyone can start building an investment portfolio today.
Overview: Where and How to Invest $100
Investment Type
Best For
High-yield savings accounts
Emergency funds and money that needs to be accessible
Certificates of deposit (CDs)
Those who don’t need to touch their funds right away
Company retirement accounts
Easy contributions, company matching, and investment diversification
Investment apps
On-the-go recommendations that are easy to access and often free
Robo-advisors
A hands-off approach with a diversified portfolio
Peer-to-peer lending
High risks but also high rewards
1. Start with High-Interest Savings Accounts
The easiest and most flexible way to begin your investment adventure is actually to start saving your money in a high-yield savings account. While your returns will be more limited than they would be on the stock market, it will also be a safer investment–and you can withdraw your funds at any time without penalty.
If you don’t already have a sufficient emergency savings account established (ideally, six months’ worth of expenses), this is a must. Even if you do have some money saved away, a savings account can be a great way to keep a smaller amount of funds safe and secure, yet accessible.
The savings accounts of today won’t earn you as much as they would have ten or twenty years ago. However, there are some online banks offering as much as 1.80% on high-yield savings accounts right now, and the interest rate climbs all the time. This makes them a great introduction to the world of interest-bearing funds.
Some of our favorite banks for high-yield savings accounts include CIT Bank, Ally Bank, and Capital One 360. All three are online banks, charge no fees for savings accounts, and offer some of the highest interest rates on the market today.
Want to see even more of the best interest rates and the banks offering them? Check out our list here.
2. Earn With A CD
If you want your money to grow a bit more than it would with a high-yield savings account but still need the funds to be secure against market drops, then you can look into a certificate of deposit, or CD. These savings vehicles offer a guaranteed rate of return on your investment in exchange for locking your money away for a specified period of time.
As long as you leave the funds alone until the end of the CD term, you will receive your full investment amount plus the agreed-upon interest. It’s a safe, easy way to earn extra cash on your savings!
CDs come in a number of different flavors. For instance, there are CDs ranging in term from as little as three months to as many as five or six years. The longer the term, the higher interest rate you’ll be offered. Plus, many of them have low minimum deposit requirements, meaning that you can get started even if you only have $100 to tuck away.
As long as you know for certain that you won’t need to withdraw your funds early (which usually involves a painful early-withdrawal penalty), putting cash into a CD is a safe and easy way to invest.
3. Invest in Your Retirement Through Work
Interested in tax-advantaged retirement funds that will help you invest in your future? Then look into starting (and fully funding) an IRA in addition to your 401(k), through your employer.
If your employer offers to match contributions toward your 401(k), you should always take advantage of this. Even if you only contribute enough to collect the full employer match, that’s fine; failing to do so is essentially leaving free money on the table, though. Plus, your 401(k) contributions are tax-deductible and will grow over time, providing you with a healthy retirement nest egg for your future.
IRAs are also excellent long-term investment vehicles, primarily for the tax benefits. If you open a traditional IRA, your contributions will be tax-deductible up to the annual maximum. If you qualify for a Roth IRA, your contributions won’t be tax-deductible now, but your withdrawals will be when the time comes to utilize those funds.
Saving for retirement is the second-most-important priority (behind establishing a healthy emergency savings account). Before worrying about building a stock market investment portfolio, be sure that you are setting your older self up for success.
4. Utilize an Investment App
Ready to dabble in the stock market, but don’t quite know where to start? Or maybe you don’t think that you have enough investable funds to warrant a stock brokerage? Well, then an investment app might be the perfect introduction for you and your money.
There are a number of intro-to-investing apps on the market today, but one of our favorites is called Stash. After answering a few questions to determine your investment style (do you want to be super conservative with your money or risk more in order to potentially make more?), Stash will curate the perfect recommendations for you.
To start using Stash, you only need $5, making it one of the most flexible and affordable investment options around. Plus, if your account balance is below $5,000, your monthly service fee for using the app is a single dollar.
Yep, for only $3, you can get curated investment options as well as a wealth of advice and resources. This makes Stash truly ideal for beginner investors who don’t really know where to start or aren’t ready for a financial advisor just yet.
Sign up for Stash and get a $5 bonus after funding your account with $5.
To read our complete review of Stash and learn more about the app, see our write-up here.
Alternatively, Acorns uses your spare change to make thoughtful investments across a diverse portfolio. It starts the process by siphoning off the change from your spending. If you buy a drink for $4.75, the app pays the vendor the correct amount and puts the remaining $0.25 in an account ready for investing.
The app is essentially a robo-advisor that automatically invests money you wouldn’t otherwise miss. Your portfolio can easily be spread across thousands of individual securities using just a small amount of funds. Read more in our Acorns Review.
Related: The Best Investment Apps
Another app we love is Public. Public is unique because it makes the stock market social. You can follow your friends and other investors and have conversations about companies and trends to build your financial literacy over time. There are even a few famous faces on the app, like Girlboss founder Sophia Amoruso, Adobe Chief Product Officer Scott Belsky, and NBA legend, Shaq.
In addition to the social piece, Public offers fractional shares for thousands of public companies and even popular ETFs from Fidelity and BlackRock. This makes it possible to build a portfolio with just $100, because you can invest with dollar amounts (e.g. $1 worth of Amazon stock, if you like).
Public also has a fun Themes tab where you can discover and learn about companies based on your values and interests. The Growing Diversity theme spotlights companies with high marks for diversity and inclusion. Infinity and Beyond curates companies involved in space travel. Made in the USA spotlights companies who support job creation domestically.
You won’t pay any commissions for standard stock and ETF trades with Public. It’s also one of the first free trading apps to announce that it will no longer participate in payment for order flow (PFOF). This decision removes any conflict of interest from its business model. Public also added an optional Tipping feature on trades and hopes that community support will help to offset the revenue it will lose by forgoing the PFOF model.
Read our review of Public
Related: How to Invest in the Stock Market: A Guide
If you’re looking to diversify your portfolio, you could try Masterworks. Masterworks enables you to buy shares in blue-chip artwork pieces by household names like Van Gogh and Andy Warhol. While the value of art is inherently subjective and therefore a high-risk investment blue-chip works like these have historically outperformed the stock market by a significant margin.
Masterworks looks to buy a new work every 1-2 months, and pieces typically sell after 5-10 years, making it a long-term play. Works can only be sold when all owners agree to do so with no owner permitted a greater than 20 percent share, so as not to give them undue influence. As such, it is an illiquid asset, but long-term value investing is no bad strategy.
Aside from shared ownership of blue-chip art, Masterworks big innovation is using blockchain to both reliably value the art, and maintain accurate ownership records of all pieces. Plus, they’re planning to open a free-to-access gallery where you can visit your investment.
Read our full review of Masterworks or visit Masterworks.
SEE IMPORTANT INFORMATION HERE.
Related:
5. Robo-Advisors Might Be the Answer
There is a growing number of robo-advisors on the market today, most of which offer you automated investment options for an affordable price tag. This makes them a great option for beginners or hands-off investors who want their money to grow without constant oversight.
Companies like Betterment offer easy-to-use platforms that make investing as simple as using a savings account. Simply add the money you want to invest (as much or as little as you can afford each month) to your account and watch Betterment work its magic by investing your funds in ETFs (exchange traded funds).
Robo-advisors will help you rebalance your portfolio over time, can reinvest your dividends, and will even help you with tax-loss harvesting. The fees are a bit higher than you would find if you invested your funds directly with a company, but the added expense may be well worth it to you for the convenience of a hands-off approach.
You can also opt for a robo-advisor such as Ally Invest or M1. Ally’s trading platform is free for stocks and ETF’s, and charges less than $10 per trade for mutual funds. With M1, there are no fees to worry about as long as you meet low investment minimums on the platform.
6. Check Out Peer-to-Peer Lending
Looking for a quick return on your funds, whether you’re investing $25 or $2,500? Then look into peer-to-peer lending.
Platforms like Lending Club and Prosper allow approved investors to put up funds in denominations as low as $25. You’ll be able to choose the peer loans that you’re most interested in, lending money directly to borrowers and enjoying return rates ranging from 5% to as high as 33% in some cases.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending comes with additional risks, but with great risk comes great rewards namely in the form of interest rates higher than you’re guaranteed to find elsewhere.
FAQs
Curious how you can grow your investments if you’re starting out with only $100? Here are a few common questions from others who are just as curious.
How much interest will I earn on $100?
It’s impossible to say how much interest you can earn from $100 because there are a few key variables in play. First, it’ll depend on where you put that money — are you investing it in the stock market or letting it sit in a savings account? Then, it’ll depend on the timeframe — are you interested in how much that money will grow in a year or where it’ll stand come retirement? Just for perspective, though: if you had bought $100 worth of Amazon shares in 1997, you’d have enjoyed more than a $120,000 growth in value by 2018. On the other hand, if you put that $100 in a high-yield savings account today, you could earn a few extra bucks by year’s end.
How should I invest $100 to make $10k?
Again, where are you investing and how much risk are you willing to take on? The riskier the investment, the faster and more aggressive the growth. Short of perfectly timing a surprise stock or buying a winning lottery ticket, turning $100 into $10,000 will take some time. If you’re determined to grow a $100 investment to $10,000, though, you may want to consider high-risk stocks or something like peer-to-peer lending.
How can I invest $100 wisely?
The wisest investment is the one you can best live with. If you don’t really have $100 to spare in the first place, investing it in a mutual fund probably isn’t wise. If you can’t afford to lose that money, using a p2p platform to offer loans with it also isn’t wise. If you can comfortably take on that risk, though, go for it. Otherwise, wise investments include savings accounts and CDs, and you’ll want to be sure to calculate how long you realistically want to invest those funds.
What’s the best way to invest $100 short term?
If you need your money available sooner rather than later, you’ll be trading off growth for convenience. With that said, short-term investments may be the best choice for those who just want to earn a little extra money and then have their funds available when they need them. This means putting it away in a CD with a smaller time frame or letting it grow in a savings account.
Bottom Line
Investing doesn’t only mean spending tens of thousands of dollars on stocks and building a Wall Street portfolio. It simply means making your money work for you, and you can get started for as little as a few bucks.
There are plenty of options to begin building your first portfolio, letting your money earn interest and grow over time. Whether you choose a high-yield savings account or go the high-risk/high-return route of the stock market, the important thing is to start early.
Also read: What to Do with Your Money When Interest Rates Are Low
Be sure to also watch your progress over time, too, and revisit whether you are making efforts in the right places. No, you don’t need to watch your investments daily or obsess over normal market fluctuations. However, using a platform like Empower to track not only your investments and savings accounts but overall net worth can be invaluable along the way.
Brokerages often have promotions for new account sign ups. Most also have commission free trades and a full spectrum of investment options.
Depending on how much you have to invest you could get a bonus up to $10,000.
Best Brokerage Promotions
M1 Finance – Earn Up to $10,000
M1 Finance will give you up to $10,000 for opening an investment account. Your bonus amount depends on the amount you deposit.
A deposit of $50,000 – $249,999 will get you a bonus of $250
A deposit of $250,000 – $499,999 will get you a bonus of $1,000
A deposit of $500,000 – $999,999 will get you a bonus of $2,000
A deposit of $1,000,000 – $1,999,999 will get you a bonus of $4,000
A deposit of $2,000,000+ will get you a bonus of $10,000
Unlike a lot of brokers on this list, retirement accounts are not included in this promotion.
M1 Finance uses preset portfolios known as “pies.” You can choose premade pies or you can set up your own. Each investment of the pie is set a percentage of your portfolio and as investments are made to the account they are distributed based on asset allocation. So, if one of your “slices” is less than the preset your new investment will buy more of that slice to bring it up to its appropriate percentage allocation.
Offer ends 3/31/2023
Get started with M1 Finance here. Or read our full review of M1 Finance.
E*trade – Earn Up to $3,500
With E*Trade new customers can earn up to $3,500 depending on how much you have to deposit. To qualify, you must make the deposit within 60 days of opening the account and use promo code BONUS23.
A deposit of $5,000 – $19,999 will get you a bonus of $50
A deposit of $20,000 – $49,999 will get you a bonus of $100
A deposit of $50,000 – $99,999 will get you a bonus of $200
A deposit of $100,000 – $199,999 will get you a bonus of $300
A deposit of $200,000 – $499,999 will get you a bonus of $600
A deposit of $500,000 – $999,999 will get you a bonus of $1,200
A deposit of $1,000,000 – $1,499,999 will get you a bonus of $2,500
A deposit of $1,500,000+ will get you a bonus of $3,500
Existing customers can also get in on the action.
A deposit of $500,000 – $999,999 will get you a bonus of $600
E*Trade doesn’t have any account minimums to open or account maintenance fees. They also have $0 commissions for online domestic stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds. There is a fee for options that is between 50 and 65 cents depending on your trading volume. Bonds are $1 and futures are $1.50.
Offer ends 4/18/2023
Get started with E*Trade here. Or read our full review of E*Trade.
Charles Schwab – Earn Up to $1,000
Charles Schwab will give you up to $1,000 for opening a new investing account. The catch is that you’ll need to be referred to Schwab by a current client. If you know someone who is already using Schwab they will need to send you a link you can use that will qualify you for the bonus.
Also, how big your bonus will be depends on how much you deposit into the account.
A deposit of $25,000– $49,999 will get you a bonus of $100
A deposit of $50,000 – $99,999 will get you a bonus of $300
A deposit of $100,000 – $499,999 will get you a bonus of $500
A deposit of $500,000+ will get you a bonus of $1,000
To receive the offer you will need to make the deposit to the account within 45 days of account opening.
Charles Schwab has $0 commission online trades for stocks and ETFs. Options are 65 cents per contract. There are no account minimums to open but you’ll need to deposit at least $25,000 to receive a bonus.
Get started with Charles Schwab here. Or read our full review of Charles Schwab.
JP Morgan Self-Directed Investing – Earn Up to $700
You can get up to $700 by opening a self-directed brokerage account with JP Morgan. How much you’ll receive depends on how much you deposit into the account:
A deposit of $10,000 – $24,999 will get you a bonus of $50
A deposit of $25,000 – $99,999 will get you a bonus of $150
A deposit of $100,000 – $249,999 will get you a bonus of $325
A deposit of $250,000+ will get you a bonus of $700
You will have to fund the account within 45 days of opening and keep the account funded for 90 days to qualify. The money needs to be “new” to JP Morgan and Chase to qualify.
You can open a taxable investment account or either a Traditional or Roth IRA.
JP Morgan offers commission-free online trades and a wide variety of investments including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds. They also offer options which are charged 65 cents per contract.
Offer ends 4/13/2023
INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE
Get started with JP Morgan here.
Merrill Edge – Earn Up to $600
At Merrill Edge you can get up to $600 by opening a new self-directed brokerage account or IRA. The amount of your bonus depends on how much you deposit into the account.
A deposit of $20,000 – $49,999 will get you a bonus of $100
A deposit of $50,000 – $99,999 will get you a bonus of $150
A deposit of $100,000 – $199,999 will get you a bonus of $250
A deposit of $200,000+ will get you a bonus of $600
To receive your bonus, you’ll need to make your deposit within 45 days of account opening and then maintain that balance for at least 90 days. The money you deposit has to be “new” money to Merrill Edge which includes money that is currently with Bank of America or a 401(k) that is currently managed by Merrill Edge.
Merrill Edge has $0 stock and ETF trades. Options are 65 cents per contract.
Also, funds in your Merrill Edge account go towards your status as a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, which gives you preferred pricing on many of their products. You can learn more about the Preferred Rewards program here.
Get started with Merrill Edge here. Or read our full review of Merrill Edge.
Fidelity Investments – Earn $100
With the Fidelity you can earn $100 just by depositing $50 within 15 days of opening the account. Use code FIDELITY100 when signing up to qualify.
There are five account options included in this promotion.
The Fidelity Account
The Fidelity Account is Fidelity’s brokerage account. There are $0 commissions for online US stock, ETF, and option trades.
Investment choices include both domestic and international stocks, ETFs, options, over 3,700 mutual funds, bonds, CDs, and precious metals. It even allows margin borrowing and extended trading hours.
The vast majority of Fidelity’s mutual funds do not have any transaction fees and they even offer a few funds that have no fees at all, not even management fees. These fee-free funds are called Fidelity ZERO funds.
You can also buy fractional shares in your brokerage account. This is a great feature for those who want to own a piece of a company but don’t have the funds to buy a whole share.
Fidelity Cash Management Account
The Fidelity Cash Management Account works similar to a checking account but it keeps the funds in your Fidelity account for easy access when you are ready to invest.
Your funds are FDIC insured and you can access them all the ways you would normally use your money in checking account, including debit card, online bill pay, paper checks, and online transfers.
Your balance also earns a competitive interest rate so it will work as a savings account as well.
Fidelity Starter Pack
The Fidelity Starter Pack comes with both The Fidelity Account and the Fidelity Cash Management Account.
Neither account has fees or minimum balances to open, keep in mind to get the $100 bonus you’ll need to deposit $50 within the first 15 days.
In the brokerage account there are $0 commission for online US stock, ETF, and option trades. The cash management account is similar to a checking account, the cash is available for easy investing but it is also available for easy spending and is FDIC insured.
Traditional and Roth IRAs
Both Traditional and Roth IRA’s also qualify for the $100 promotion. These are both retirement accounts, but they are taxed slightly differently. When you make contributions to a Roth you contribute after tax money, meaning you don’t get a tax break when you contribute, but you can make tax free withdrawals. So, your money grows tax free.
With a Traditional IRA you make pre-tax contributions but are taxed on all the money when you withdraw in retirement.
Within these accounts you will have access to the full suite of investments offered through Fidelity.
Here’s more information about how IRAs work.
Get started with Fidelity here. Or read our full review of Fidelity here.
Webull – Earn Up to 12 Free Fractional Shares
You can earn two free fractional shares just by opening a Webull brokerage account. Then deposit any amount of money into the account for an additional ten free fractional shares.
Which shares you get will be determined at random, but all companies are listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ and have at least $20 billion capitalization and have share prices between $3 and $3,000. You will most likely receive between $3 and $30 worth of stock. Once the shares are issued you have 30 days to claim them.
Webull offers commission-free trades and no minimum deposit is required to open an account – although you will need to make a deposit to qualify for your bonus. They offer fractional shares, crypto, ETFs, options, OTC, and paper trading.
Offer ends 3/31/2023.
Get started with Webull here. Or read our full Webull review.
Robinhood – Earn Up to $200 in Free Stock (But Probably $5)
With Robinhood you can earn a free stock by opening an investment account and linking your bank account.
Once you are set up you will receive a “specified amount” that you can use to choose a fractional share of from a list of 20 S&P 500 companies. Your bonus amount will range between $5 and $200 — but most likely between $5 and $10.
New Robinhood customers are eligible, but existing customers can also claim the bonus if they refer a new customer to Robinhood. You can sell the free stock after three days but you can’t withdraw the cash for 30 days. You can use it to reinvest in something else if you’d like.
Robinhood’s key feature is no fees. They don’t even have fees on options which most brokerages charge for. Robinhood offers stocks, ETFs, crypto, and trading on margin.
Get started with Robinhood here. Or read our full review of Robinhood.
Betterment – Up to One Year Free
Betterment is a popular robo advisor offering up to one year free depending on how much you deposit into your new account.
A deposit of $15,000 – $99,000 will get you 1 month free
A deposit of $100,000 – $249,999 will get you a bonus of 6 months free
A deposit of $250,000 will get you a bonus of 1 year free
You must deposit the funds within one month of account opening; does not apply to crypto.
So, in order to get the full year free, you have to deposit at least $250,000 to your account. However, that’s a substantial savings when you consider even the 0.25% annual management fee.
Get started with Betterment here. Or read our full review of Betterment.
What is a Brokerage Account?
A brokerage account is a type of investment account that allows individuals to buy and sell various securities, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, and more. The account is managed by a brokerage firm or financial institution, which acts as an intermediary between the investor and the securities markets.
When an investor opens a brokerage account, they deposit funds into the account, which they can then use to buy securities. The brokerage firm will typically charge fees for each transaction made in the account, which can include commissions, fees for account maintenance, and other charges.
Brokerage accounts can offer a range of features and benefits depending on the firm or institution that manages them. For example, some accounts may provide access to research and analysis tools to help investors make informed investment decisions, while others may offer margin trading, which allows investors to borrow funds to make larger trades.
How to Choose a Brokerage Firm
Choosing a brokerage firm or platform that meets your needs can be an important decision when it comes to managing your investments. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a brokerage firm or platform:
Fees: Look for a firm that charges competitive fees for trades, account maintenance, and other services. Some firms may offer commission-free trades, which can be an attractive option for frequent traders.
Investment products: Consider the range of investment products offered by the firm, including stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, and other securities. Make sure the firm offers the products you want to invest in.
Research and tools: Look for a firm that provides access to research and analysis tools to help you make informed investment decisions. These tools may include market data, stock analysis, financial news, and more.
Trading platform: Consider the trading platform provided by the firm, including its ease of use, features, and functionality. Some platforms may offer advanced tools and customization options, while others may be more streamlined and user-friendly.
Customer support: Look for a firm that provides responsive and helpful customer support, whether it’s through phone, email, or live chat. Make sure the firm has a good reputation for resolving issues quickly and efficiently.
Security: Consider the security measures taken by the firm to protect your account and personal information, such as two-factor authentication, encryption, and other security features.
All the platforms in this article are reputable, safe, and have low fees.
What is the Minimum Deposit to Open a Brokerage Account?
The minimum deposit required to open a brokerage account can vary depending on the brokerage firm or platform you choose. Some firms may not require a minimum deposit at all, while others may require several thousand dollars or more.
In general, discount brokers and online platforms tend to have lower minimum deposit requirements than full-service brokers.
Also, keep in mind that to receive the brokerage account bonus, you will have to meet the minimum deposit requirements. While there may not a minimum deposit required to open the account, there will be one to qualify for the bonus.
Are Brokerage Account Bonuses Taxable?
Yes, brokerage account bonuses are generally considered taxable income and must be reported on your tax return. Make sure to consult with a tax professional to understand the tax implications of any brokerage account bonuses you receive.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a place to invest your money is going to depend on a variety of factors including how much money you have to invest, how much investing experience you have and the type of investments you are looking for. You want to make sure your choice is the best fit for your financial situation so be sure to check out our list of Best Online Discount Brokers for 2023 for additional options.
Buying a home is a significant milestone filled with excitement and anticipation. However, the process can also be intricate and overwhelming, especially when it comes to understanding the nuances of home inspections.
If you’re looking to buy a home in Baltimore, MD, the significance of a comprehensive home inspection cannot be overstated. A thorough home inspection not only provides valuable insights into the condition of a property but also offers peace of mind, so you can make informed decisions. In this Redfin article, we will delve into the importance of getting a home inspection in Maryland. Plus, we’ve got insights straight from local home inspection experts who’ll be sharing their best advice on the subject. Let’s get started.
Why should you get a home inspection in Maryland?
A house is likely the most expensive purchase of your life, and getting an inspection is the only way to ensure that you are making a sound investment.
“A home inspection is crucial and valuable for many reasons,” says Austin Callahan of Callahan Inspection Services. “Not only will it allow you to fully discover the issues your home may have, but it can also uncover some serious safety hazards that may affect you and/or your loved ones. A home inspector can also let you know what kind of things require routine maintenance to extend the life and efficiency of the systems in your home.”
“A home inspection should be a requirement for the future homeowner’s protection,” says Chris Lord, owner of Invision Home Inspections. “Invest a couple of hundred dollars now to protect thousands in the future. You are buying peace of mind and sometimes training if you participate in the inspection.”
Are there any specialized inspections that Maryland buyers should consider?
“Lead paint is common in Maryland, especially in homes built before the 1950s,” says Matthew Schelberg of Shell Home Inspections. “Builders would often use paint from the shipyards. If a buyer expects to have young children in the home, it’s a good idea to consider a lead paint inspection. This can tell you what components have lead paint, so you can take proper measures during future renovations.”
In addition to testing for lead paint, Dimitrios Bitsanis of OBSERVE Home Inspections recommends inspections for radon and termites.
Are home inspections required in Maryland?
“It is not required to get a home inspection in Maryland, but some lenders may require it,” according to Patrick and Natasha Hammond of 360 Home Inspections. “A home inspection is highly recommended for the buyer to ensure that you are purchasing a property you are comfortable with and is not going to put you in financial distress, whether it is a pre-existing home or a new build.”
How much does a home inspection cost in Maryland?
“The cost of a home inspection typically varies based on the type and size of the home, foundation type, and age,” says John Stavlas of Stavlas Home Inspections. “Plan to spend $350-$400 for a condo and $450-$600 for a single-family detached home.”
Can you sell a house in Maryland without an inspection?
Yes, you can sell a house in Maryland without a home inspection. However, many buyers in Maryland opt to have one as part of their due diligence process to ensure they’re making an informed decision about the condition of the property.
Scott Donnelly of High Tech Inspections, Inc. adds, “Sellers do not need a pre-sale inspection in Maryland. However, having a pre-sale inspection allows you to address any major issues that may scare away a buyer. A thorough inspection report you can share with buyers may also help them feel more at ease and perhaps opt not to have their own independent inspection.”
Expert advice for Maryland buyers before they get a home inspection
“A good home inspection can be so thorough that you get cold feet when you review it,” says Daniel Sperling-Horowitz, CEO of OfferMarket. “That’s why we recommend reviewing the home inspection report with your real estate agent and a trusted contractor. We also encourage you to call the home inspector to go over any concerns. In a buyer’s market, the home inspection can also serve as leverage to request seller concessions to address legitimate concerns in the inspection report.”
For those who are unsure whether a full inspection is necessary, an inspector can do a basic walk-through of a home to identify any major red flags. “A walk-through is simply a one to two-hour visit to the property with the inspector, the client, and their agent,” says Neil Summers of Neil Summers Home Inspections. “This may be the only time the buyer can see the home through an inspector’s eyes before committing to purchase.” Summers stresses that even with a walk-through, buyers should always get a full home inspection.
Maryland home inspections: the bottom line
Buying a home is one of the biggest life decisions you can make. Before you finalize the purchase of your dream home, a Maryland home inspection will give you peace of mind before buying.
It may seem like you’ll never have $1 million to invest, but if you invest consistently over decades, you might build up that much wealth more quickly than you’d think. And if you manage to get a windfall with that many zeros behind it, it’s best to figure out ahead of time how you’ll invest it to keep it growing.
So let’s say you find yourself with a $1 million windfall tomorrow. What will you do with it? Well, hopefully, you’d consult with a professional who can give you advice on the best way to allocate your funds. But once you’ve decided to do that, your best bet is to choose low-cost, high-reward investment options. And, of course, you’ll want to diversify your investment portfolio. So to do that, here are the best options you can invest in if you have a million dollars.
What To Do Before You Begin Investing $1 Million
Before you start investing, there are a few things that you should do.
Think About Your Investing Goals
Before you start investing, you need to know why you’re investing. Your goals will play a significant role in determining how you invest.
For example, if you’re young and investing for retirement age, you can afford to own volatile stocks. You’ll probably want to build a portfolio that’s heavy on stocks and light on less risky investments like bonds. This can give your portfolio the highest potential returns.
If you’re investing for a more short-term goal, you’ll likely want to build a more conservative portfolio so that you don’t lose your savings right before you need them.
Your goals can also determine the account you use to invest. If you’re saving for retirement, you’ll want to use a 401(k) or IRA. If you want to help a child pay for college, you might use a 529.
Related: The 10 Best Investment Strategies for Short-Term Savings Goals
Think About Your Investing Style
Are you the type of person who enjoys managing their money, or do you want to take a hands-off approach to investing?
If you’re an active investor, look for a brokerage that offers low or no commissions on trades and has tools you can use to research stocks and other securities.
If you’re looking for more passive, buy-and-hold investments, consider working with a company with low-cost mutual funds, such as index funds.
Related: The 5 Best S&P 500 Index Funds (and the Worst Ones)
Think About What’s Important to You
Some people want to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to investing. Before you start investing, you might want to consider ESG investing, which focuses on Environmental, Social, and Governance factors in companies.
For example, you might want to focus on investing in companies that work to benefit the environment or take steps to ensure they treat their workers fairly and pay them well.
ESG investing has grown popular in recent years, and some argue that it can improve performance compared to investing without focusing on these factors. However, ESG investing is often more difficult or expensive because you have to do the work to assess companies’ commitment to ESG concepts or pay a mutual fund manager to do that for you.
Related: The Pros and Cons of Socially Responsible Investing
How to Invest $1 Million: Overview
Type of Investment
Best For
Robo-Advisors
Lowest Fee Structure
Stocks and Mutual Funds
Autonomy
Real Estate
Physical Asset Value
Bonds
Proper Risk Balance
P2P Lending
Higher Risk / Return
1. Pay Off All High-Interest Debt
First, if you have any major debts, you’ll want to pay those off. There’s some debate about whether or not you should pay off your house, so put some thought into that one. But, at a minimum, you should knock out all high-interest debt. Most of the investments below will not come anywhere near beating the 20%+ interest you’re paying for credit cards and personal loans. So get rid of those first so you have a great financial base to launch your investments from.
2. Be Sure You Have a Fully-Funded Emergency Fund
Again, before we talk about investments, let’s be sure you’ve got your financial base in place. A fully-funded emergency fund of six months or more worth of expenses is your next step. For this, you’ll want to put the money somewhere liquid and insured, so look for an FDIC-insured savings account with a high yield.
One of the best options today comes from the CIT Bank Savings Connect Account. You’ll earn a cool 4.65% APY on your money which should keep you in line (or ahead) of inflation. The money is always liquid so if there’s an emergency, you’ll have full access to the account.
Also Read: Best Online Savings Accounts with High Interest
3. Max Out Your Retirement Savings
With a million dollars to invest, you can max out your retirement savings vehicles first, and using these tax-advantaged accounts should be your priority each year that you possibly can. If you already have money going into a company 401(k), consider a service that can analyze the fee structure of your account to make sure you’re maximizing your return.
And if you don’t already have an IRA, open one to use with some of the following investing options. Then max out those accounts before you direct money to your taxable accounts.
4. Use a Robo Advisor
Any time you’re looking to make a big investment, big fees will have an amplified effect. So you’ll want to look for the lowest-fee options with a good yield when you’re looking to invest this much money. One option for that is to invest with a robo advisor. Using algorithms instead of individuals, these services make historically solid investing decisions but cost far less than traditional investment advisors.
Wealthfront is one of the best robo advisors out there and they’ll give you $50 on the house for creating an account with a $500 deposit. Wealthfront has dozens of features that will allow you to set a personal risk tolerance and create a portfolio that suits you. After you’ve created your profile, it’s largely hands-off from there.
The advisory fee to use Wealthfront is 0.25%. So for example, if you invested $500,000 with them, you would pay an annual fee of $1,250. That may sound pretty steep, but if you’re generating returns of 7%+, it represents a very small fraction of what you’ll gain. In this example, a 7% return means your end of year balance after one year would be ~$533,750 after the fee was taken.
5. Invest $1 Million In Your Values
If you’re interested in using that million dollars to spread some good in the world, you can do that while earning money through a company like Stash. Investing in socially responsible companies is easier than ever now. You can invest in these types of stocks (or any other stock) with as little as $5 from the palm of your hand with Stash. It’s an app that simplifies and democratizes investing so everyone, from first-time investors to pros, can reach their financial goals regardless of income or experience level.
With detailed stock market data and educational materials, personalized portfolio tracking, easy-to-read reports, and personalized notifications on your personal moments of success, this app not only lets you invest without any brokerage fees but also equips you with the tools to make more informed decisions about when it’s time to sell up or down.
Read our Stash Review
6. Consider Adding Real Estate
Even with a million dollars to invest, you may not be able to buy a property outright in some areas of the country. And if you do own property on your own, you’re stuck with the headache of managing it. If you want to avoid that but still want to add real estate to your portfolio, Fundrise is a company that can get you invested.
Through crowdfunding, your investment is pooled with others to purchase property. There are different investment strategies and goals within every Fundrise account so you can play it safe, or take on more risk for a higher return. Fundrise even offers a self-directed IRA option so your contributions can reduce your annual tax burden.
If you’d rather not invest directly in a single property, CrowdStreet also offers real estate funds that let you diversify your investment. You can also sign up for the site’s advisory service, which lets you work with a professional to build a real estate portfolio that can help you achieve your investing goals.
In order to become a CrowdStreet investor, you will need to have an income that exceeds more than $200,000 annually and a total net worth of at least $1 million (not a problem if you’re reading this post). And unlike Fundrise, you won’t be able to invest in single family units. CrowdStreet is for retial and commercial real estate only.
7. P2P Lending for Higher Risk & Return
Another way to be choosy and to get a potentially hefty return on your investment is with a peer-to-peer lending platform. Prosper is great for lending your money to individuals who need to consolidate debt, fix up their homes, or need a cash infusion to start a business.
When you invest in this platforms, you can create a portfolio of loans that you partially help fund so that you can spread your risk across multiple loans quite easily. The historical returns are generally well above that of savings and CD’s but the more risk you take, the greater the chance that the customer you lend to could default, which will offer negative returns.
P2P lending was a very hot idea 15 years ago and has cooled considerably since. Still, when you choose a blended loan portfolio, the returns through Prosper can be quite generous. And perhaps the greatest upside to Prosper is that your investment helps others achieve their financial futures.
8. Consider Balancing with CDs and Securities
Of course, even millionaires have to worry about keeping a balanced portfolio and ensuring that not all of their capital is in riskier investments. That’s where options like CDs and securities come in. These have traditionally been a way to out-earn inflation, so you aren’t losing money with it sitting around.
But they’re also much safer than any other type of investment. So be sure you talk to your financial advisor about the best way to utilize tools like these to bring balance to your portfolio.
Creating a CD ladder is a great way to lock in guaranteed returns and diversify. Short-term CD interest rates are the highest they’ve been in decades and you can lock in a 4-month no penalty CD with Ponce Bank right now and earn 5.15% APY.
A no-penalty CD means you can withdraw the funds at anytime and even thought it’s a CD, there won’t be an interest penalty for early withdrawal. Your investment is always protected and always available.
How Did We Come Up With This List?
When creating a list of ways to invest $1 million responsibly, we looked for investment strategies available to most people that will help them build a diverse portfolio and earn solid returns. We also considered the cost of the investment strategy, as costs play a direct role in your returns. Every penny you pay in fees can have a compounding effect on your future returns.
We also tried to come up with a list of investment strategies that meet different risk tolerances and investing goals. People who are less risk-tolerant may not want to invest in real estate because real estate investing often involves high risk and leverage. Instead, they might want to focus on safer investments like mutual funds or even CDs.
When looking for financial help online, it’s hard to know whether you can trust the information you find. Anyone can publish on the internet, and they may have an ulterior motive.
Diversify Your Investments
One essential thing, no matter how you choose to invest, is to make sure you diversify your investment portfolio.
Diversifying your investments, in essence, means not putting all of your eggs in one basket. If you decide to invest in stocks, don’t put all your money into a single company. If you’re purchasing real estate, try to buy more than one property.
Think about what would happen if the company you invested in goes bankrupt or the property you buy burns down. You’d lose all of your money. If you diversify your portfolio, even the worst-case scenario for one of your investments wouldn’t completely doom your portfolio.
Mutual funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs) that own multiple properties, and robo advisors that build balanced portfolios are all great ways to easily diversify your investment portfolio.
Strongly Consider Working with a Professional
If you have $1 million to invest, you have to be incredibly smart about managing that money. As we’ve written before, $1 million isn’t as much as it used to be. In fact, the argument can be made that you need at least $2 million to retire. So this would only get you halfway home.
So, it’s important that you not only preserve the $1 million the best you can but also help it grow. Investing is one thing you have to do, but only if you are comfortable managing that large of a portfolio. If you’re not (and even if you are), I would STRONGLY consider looking at working with a professional.
I get that you’d want to manage $1 million on your own (heck, even getting to this point is an accomplishment), but don’t be silly and mismanage it.
Track Your Investments
As you begin pulling together your various investments, it’s important to figure out how you will keep track of them. Sure, you could pay someone to do it all for you. But that would just eat into your returns and your ability to grow your money. If you’d prefer to keep an eye on your investments yourself, check out services like Empower, which help you pull together all the various threads of your financial life, from your budget to your investments on different platforms.
Empower can help you track your investment performance, spot potential problems, and keep an eye on your overall portfolio balance. It can also run your day-to-day budget, so it’s a very flexible platform worth using once you’re ready to start keeping track of all this money.
The most important thing to remember is once you hit that million-dollar goal mark you’ve been saving for, the work isn’t over. You could easily lose it with celebratory spending. Have a plan in place for how you want to make this money work for you. With the right investment vehicle, you’ll be cruising down the road toward financial freedom.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much interest will I earn on $1 million?
To use a basic example, say you had an account with $1 million that paid 4% annually–in such a case, you’d earn $40,000 per year. What’s great about compounding interest, though, is by leaving your money in the account, interest would accumulate on the new balance. So after the second year, assuming no other changes, you’d have $41,600.
Can I retire with $1 million?
You can retire with $1 million dollars if you manage your withdrawals appropriately (it’s pretty tight, but do-able). The Rule of 4 says that you should withdraw no more than 4% of your total portfolio each year. Assuming you’re earning at least 4% in returns, you can effectively live off of interest earned without touching your principal balance. With a $1 million portfolio, this is $40,000 per year.
What’s the best way to invest $1 million short-term?
The best short-term investment for $1 million is a low-cost index fund that broadly diversifies your investments in stocks across a variety of industries. Alternatively, you can invest your $1 million in a robo advisor which will pick low-cost investments across different areas for you.
Read More: Best Investments for Passive Income
Bottom Line
As you can see, there are many ways you can invest $1 million. The first thing to recognize is that you’ve amassed this much money, which is more than many people can say for themselves. Next, though, you need to determine a strategy and focus on executing that strategy (and stick to the plan!), so you can make that $1 million last and grow even more.
Robo-advisors have barely been around for 10 years, but in the past couple of years several have been steadily expanding their investment menus, and even offering valuable add-on services. One of the leaders in this regard is Wealthfront. The robo-advisor has been growing its investment capability in every direction but is now even offering financial planning. The platform now bills itself as offering High-Interest Cash, Financial Planning & Robo-Investing for Millennials. If you’re looking for more than just investing, Wealthfront has it. And as has become their trademark, it’s all available at a low cost.
What is Wealthfront?
Based in Palo Alto, California, and founded in 2011, Wealthfront has about $25 billion in assets under management. It’s the second-largest independent robo-advisor, after Betterment. And while dozens of robo-advisors have arrived in recent years, Wealthfront stands out as one of the very best. There isn’t any one thing Wealthfront does especially well, but many. And they’re adding to their menu of services all the time.
Their primary business of course is automated online investing. You can open an account with as little as $500, and the platform will design a portfolio for you, then manage it continuously. Your money will be invested in a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs–just like most other robo-advisors. But Wealthfront takes it a step further, and also adds real estate and natural resources.
Like other robo-advisors, Wealthfront uses Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) in the creation of portfolios. They first determine your investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance, then build a portfolio designed to work within those parameters. MPT emphasizes proper asset allocation to both maximize returns, and minimize losses.
But in a major departure from other robo-advisors, Wealthfront now offers the ability to customize your portfolio and get access to a variety of investment methodologies and portfolios, including Smart Beta, Risk Parity and Stock-Level Tax-Loss Harvesting. And more recently, they’ve also stepped into the financial planning arena. They now offer several financial planning packages, customized to very specific needs, including retirement planning and college planning.
If you haven’t checked out Wealthfront in the past year or so, you definitely need to give it a second look. This is a robo-advisor platform where things are happening–fast!
How Wealthfront Works
When you sign up with Wealthfront, they first have you complete a questionnaire. Your answers will determine your investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. A portfolio invested in multiple asset classes will be constructed, with an exchange-traded fund (ETF) representing each.
The advantage of ETFs is that they are low-cost, and enable the platform to expose your portfolio to literally hundreds of different companies in each asset class. With your portfolio invested in multiple asset classes, it will literally contain the stocks and bonds of thousands of companies and institutions, both here in the U.S. and abroad.
Wealthfront offers tax-loss harvesting on all portfolio levels. But they’ve also added portfolio options for larger investors, that include stocks as well as ETFs. The inclusion of stocks gives Wealthfront the ability to be more precise and aggressive with tax-loss harvesting.
Each portfolio also comes with periodic rebalancing, to maintain target asset allocations, as well as automatic dividend reinvestment. As is typical with robo-advisors, all you need to do is fund your account–Wealthfront handles 100% of the investment management for you.
More recently, Wealthfront has also added external account support. The platform can now incorporate investment accounts that are not directly managed by the robo-advisor. This will provide a high-altitude view of your entire financial situation, helping you explore what’s possible and providing guidance to optimize your finances.
And much like many large investment brokers, Wealthfront now offers a portfolio line of credit. It’s available only to investors with $25,000 or more in a taxable account, but if you qualify you can borrow money against your investment account and set your own repayment terms in the process
Wealthfront Features and Benefits
Minimum initial investment: $500
Account types offered: Individual and joint taxable accounts; traditional, Roth, rollover and SEP IRAs; trusts and 529 college accounts
Account access: Available in web and mobile apps. Compatible with Android devices (5.0 and up), and available for download at Google Play. Also compatible with iOS (11.0 and later) devices at The App Store. Compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices.
Account custodian: Account funds are held in a brokerage account in your name through Wealthfront Brokerage Corporation, which has partnered with RBC Correspondent Services for clearing functions, such as trade settlement. IRA accounts are held with Forge Trust.
Customer service: Available by phone and email, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific time.
Wealthfront security: Your funds invested with Wealthfront are covered by SIPC, which insures your account against broker failure for up to $500,000 in cash and securities, including up to $250,000 in cash.
Wealthfront uses third-party providers to maintain secure, read-only links to your account. The providers specialize in tracking financial data, as well as employ robust, bank-grade security, and in general, they follow data protection best practices. In addition, Wealthfront does not store your account password.
Wealthfront Investment Methodology
For regular investment accounts, Wealthfront constructs portfolios from a combination of 10 different specific asset classes. This includes four stock funds, four bond funds, a real estate fund, and a natural resources fund.
Each portfolio will contain various allocations of each asset class, based on your investor profile as determined by your answers to the questionnaire. The one exception is municipal bonds. That allocation will appear only in taxable accounts. IRAs don’t include them since the accounts are already tax-sheltered.
Notice in the table below that most asset classes have two ETFs listed. This is part of Wealthfront’s tax-loss harvesting strategy. In each case, the two ETFs are very similar. To facilitate tax-loss harvesting, one fund position will be sold, then the second will be purchased at least 30 days later, to restore the asset class. (We’ll cover tax-loss harvesting in a bit more detail a little further down.)
The ETFs used for each asset class are as follows, as of December 29, 2018:
Specific Asset ClassGeneral Asset ClassPrimary ETFSecondary ETF
US Stocks
Stocks
Vanguard CRSP US Total Market Index (VTI)
Schwab DJ Broad US Market (SCHB)
Foreign Stocks
Stocks
Vanguard FTSE Developed All Cap ex-US Index (VEA)
Schwab FTSE Dev ex-US (SCHF)
Emerging Markets
Stocks
Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index (VWO)
iShares MSCI EM (IEMG)
Real Estate
Real Estate
Vanguard MSCI US REIT (VNQ)
Schwab DJ REIT (SCHH)
Natural Resources
Natural Resources
State Street S&P Energy Select Sector Index (XLE)
Vanguard MSCI Energy (VDE)
US Government Bonds
Bonds
Vanguard Barclays Aggregate Bonds (BND)
Vanguard Barclays 5-10 Gov/Credit (BIV)
TIPS
Bonds
Schwab Barclays Capital US TIPS (SCHP)
Vanguard Barclays Capital US TIPS 0-5 Years (VTIP)
Municipal Bonds (taxable accounts only)
Bonds
Vanguard S&P National Municipal (VTEB)
State Street Barclays Capital Municipal (TFI)
Dividend Stocks
Bonds
Vanguard Dividend Achievers Select (VIG)
Schwab Dow Jones US Dividend 100 (SCHD)
Wealthfront’s historical returns are as follows (through 1/31/2019). But keep in mind these numbers are general. Since the portfolios designed for each investor are unique, your returns will vary.
Specialized Wealthfront Portfolios
As mentioned in the introduction, Wealthfront has rolled out several different investment options, in addition to its regular robo-advisor portfolios. Each represents a specific, and generally more specialized investment strategy, and is typically available to those with larger investment accounts.
Smart Beta: You’ll need at least $500,000 to be eligible for this portfolio. Smart beta departs from traditional index-based investing, which relies on market capitalization. For example, since Apple is one of the most highly capitalized S&P 500 stocks, it has a disproportionate weight in strict S&P 500 index funds. In a smart beta portfolio, the position in Apple will be reduced based on other factors.
In general, under smart beta, the weighing of stocks in the fund uses a variety of factors that are less dependent on market capitalization. There’s some evidence this investment methodology produces higher returns. This portfolio is available at no additional fee.
Wealthfront Risk Parity Fund: This is actually a mutual fund–the first offered by Wealthfront. It involves the use of leverage with some positions within the portfolio. It attempts to achieve higher long-term returns by equalizing the risk contributions of each asset class. It’s based on the Bridgewater Hedge Fund, and requires a minimum of $100,000, with an additional annual fee of 0.25% (0.50% total). This is the only Wealthfront portfolio that charges a fee over and above the regular advisory fee.
Socially responsible investing (SRI): Wealthfront just recently began to offer a specific SRI portfolio option. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to customize your portfolio and add socially responsible ETFs.
Sector-specific ETFs: If you want to invest in a particular portion of the market, such as technology or healthcare, Wealthfront gives you the option to build a portfolio that focuses on certain industries to portions of the stock market.
Customized Wealthfront Portfolios:
Wealthfront also lets investors build their own portfolios, which is somewhat uncommon among robo-advisors.
Most robo-advisors will build your portfolio automatically based on your risk tolerance and goals. If you like that service, Wealthfront can do it. However, more hands-on investors are free to make tweaks to the automatically designed portfolio by adding or removing ETFs.
You can also build a portfolio entirely from scratch if you’d rather. You can choose which ETFs to invest in and how much you want to invest in them. You can then let Wealthfront handle things like rebalancing and tax-loss harvesting while maintaining the portfolio you desire.
Wealthfront Tax-loss Harvesting
If there’s one investment category where Wealthfront stands above other robo-advisors, it’s tax-loss harvesting. Not only do they offer it on all regular taxable accounts (but not IRAs, since they’re already tax-sheltered), but they also offer specialized portfolios that take it to an even higher degree.
Wealthfront starts with a tax location strategy. That involves holding interest and dividend-earning asset classes in IRA accounts, where the predictable returns will be sheltered from income tax. Capital appreciation assets, like stocks, are held in taxable accounts, where they can get the benefit of lower long-term capital gains tax rates.
But for larger portfolios, Wealthfront offers Stock-level Tax-Loss Harvesting. Three specialized portfolios are available, using a mix of both ETFs and individual stocks. The purpose of the stocks is to provide more specific tax-loss harvesting opportunities. For example, it may be more advantageous to sell a handful of stocks to generate tax losses, than to close out an entire ETF.
Given that Wealthfront puts such heavy emphasis on tax-loss harvesting, it’s not surprising they’ve published one of the most respected white papers on the subject on the internet. If you want to know more about this topic, it’s well worth a read. The paper concludes that tax-loss harvesting can significantly increase the return on investment of a typical portfolio.
US Direct Indexing
US Direct Indexing is an enhanced level of tax-loss harvesting that Wealthfront offers to people with account balances exceeding $100,000.
Instead of building a portfolio of ETFs, Wealthfront will use your money to directly purchase shares in 100, 500, or 1,000 US companies. By buying shares in so many companies, Wealthfront can emulate an index fund in your portfolio while owning individual shares in the businesses.
Owning individual shares in hundreds of companies makes tax-loss harvesting easier as it lets Wealthfront’s algorithm trade based on movements in individual stocks rather than in funds. This can increase the number of tax losses that Wealthfront harvests each year, reducing your income tax bill.
Other Wealthfront Features
Wealthfront Cash Account
Wealthfront offers acash account where you can safely and securely store your money for anything–emergencies, a down payment for a home, or to later invest. By working with what they call Program Banks, Wealthfront has quadrupled the normal FDIC insurance on this account, so you’re protected for up to $5 million.
There’s also no market risk since it’s not an investment account and the money isn’t being invested anywhere. You can make as many transfers in and out of the account as you’d like, and it only takes $1 to start.
So what’s the catch?
There really isn’t one. Wealthfront will skim a little off the top to make some money before giving you an industry-leading 4.30% APY, but other than that, you’re just giving them more financial data. Since we’re doing this all the time with technology anyway, it shouldn’t make that big of a difference.
I see no downside, especially if you’re already a client of Wealthfront.
They’re really making a play to be your all-in-one financial services provider, too.
A new feature, just launched, is the ability to use your cash account as a checking account. This includes the ability to access your paycheck up to two days early when you set up a direct deposit. Additionally, you can invest in the market within minutes using your Wealthfront Cash account. Put the two together and you give yourself the ability to invest more than 100 days more in the market. The account also allows you to auto-pay bills and use apps like Venmo and PayPal to send money to friends or family. Account-holders also get a debit card to make purchases and get cash from ATMs. And you can use the account to organize your cash into savings buckets – like an emergency fund, down payment on a house, or other large purchase – and use Wealthfront’s Self-Driving Money offering to automate your savings into those buckets.
If you have cash that’s getting rusty in a traditional bank account and you want to earn more, the Wealthfront Cash Accountis a great place to keep it.
Read more about the cash account in our Wealthfront Cash Account full review.
Wealthfront Portfolio Line of Credit
This feature is available if you have at least $25,000 in your Wealthfront account. It allows you to borrow up to 30% of your account value, and currently charges interest rates between 3.15% and 4.40% APR depending on account size. You can make repayments on your own timetable, since you’re essentially borrowing from yourself. And since the credit line is secured by your account, you don’t need to credit qualify to access it.
Wealthfront Free Financial Planning
This is Wealthfront’s entry into financial planning. But like everything else with Wealthfront, this is an automated service. There are no in-person meetings or phone calls with a certified financial planner. Instead, technology is used to help you explore your financial goals, and to provide guidance to help you reach them. And since the service is technology-based, there is no fee for using it.
The service can be used to help you plan for homeownership, college, early retirement, or even to help you plan to take some time off to travel, like an entire year!
Simply choose your financial objective, enter your financial information, and Wealthfront will direct you on how to plan and prepare.
Self-Driving Money
One of the biggest and largely unrecognized obstacles for most investors is something known as cash drag. That’s when you have too much of your portfolio sitting in cash, which may earn interest, but it doesn’t provide the investment returns you can get in a diversified investment portfolio.
Wealthfront has addressed the cash drag dilemma with their newly released Self-Driving Money features. It’s a free service offered by the robo-advisor that essentially automates your savings strategy. It does this by automatically moving excess cash to help meet your goals, including into investment accounts where it will earn higher returns. And in the process, it eliminates the need to make manual cash transfers, and the judgment needed to decide exactly when to make that happen.
Our vision of Self-Driving Money is going to be a complete game-changer for people’s finances, said Chris Hutchins, Head of Financial Automation at Wealthfront. We want to completely remove the burden of managing your money so you can focus on your career, your family or whatever is most important to you.
You can take advantage of Self-Driving Money from the Wealthfront Cash Account. You’ll set a maximum balance for the connected account, which should be an amount that’s more than you expect to spend or withdraw on a monthly basis.
How It Works
When Wealthfront determines you’re over your maximum balance by at least $100 it will schedule an automatic transfer of the excess cash based on your goals. For example, you can tell Wealthfront you want to save $10,000 in an emergency fund, then max out your Roth IRA, then put the rest toward saving for a down payment on a house. Once you set the strategy, Wealthfront will automate the rest.
And before it happens, you’ll receive an email alert, then always have 24 hours to cancel the transfer if you need to cover unexpected expenses. You’ll also be able to turn on and off your Self-Driving Money plan at any time.
It’s usually possible to set up automated transfers from external accounts into most investment accounts. But what sets Wealthfront apart is the fact that it will make those transfers automatically. They will make sure you always have enough cash to pay your bills, then automatically transfer any excess into your savings buckets or investment accounts to improve the return on your money.
The strategy is designed to optimize your money across spending, savings, and investments, and to make it all flow with no effort on your part. You can simply have your paycheck direct deposited into your external checking account or Wealthfront Cash Account, cover your expected monthly spending, then have excess funds automatically transferred into the Wealthfront account of your choice.
By delivering on its Self-Driving Money vision, Wealthfront is taking the robo-advisor concept to a whole new level. Not only do you not need to concern yourself with managing your investments, but now even funding those investments will happen automatically. The result will be near complete freedom from the financial stresses that plague so many individuals.
Wealthfront Fees
Wealthfront has a single fee structure of just 0.25% per year for their advisory fee. That means you can have a $100,000 portfolio managed for just $250, or only a little bit more than $20 per month.
The one exception is the Wealthfront Risk Parity Fund, which has a total fee of 0.50% per year.
How to Sign Up with Wealthfront
To open an account with Wealthfront, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old, and a U.S. citizen.
You’ll need to provide the following information:
Your name
Address
Email address
Social Security number
Date of birth
Citizenship/residency status
Employment status
As is the case with all investment accounts, you’ll also be required to supply documentation verifying your identity. This is usually accomplished by supplying a driver’s license or other state-issued identification.
As mentioned earlier, you complete a questionnaire that will be used to determine your investment goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Your portfolio will be based on your answers to that questionnaire, and will be presented to you upon completion of the questionnaire.
For funding, you can use ACH transfers from a linked bank account. You will also have the option to schedule recurring deposits, on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. The platform can even enable you to set up dollar-cost averaging deposits.
If you already have a brokerage account with another company, Wealthfront makes it easy to transfer your funds to your new account. If you’re invested in ETFs that Wealthfront supports, Wealthfront will assist with an in-kind transfer.
That means that you won’t have to sell your shares before transferring funds, which lets you avoid capital gains taxes that would be triggered by a sale.
Wealthfront Alternatives
Wealthfront’s closest competitor, and the robo-advisor that offers the most comparable services, is Betterment. They also have an annual advisory fee of 0.25%, but require no minimum initial investment. That could make it the perfect robo-advisor for someone with no money, who plans to fund their account with monthly deposits. Read the full Betterment review here.
Related: Wealthfront vs. Betterment
Another alternative is M1. Also a robo-advisor, M1 enables you to invest your money in what they call “pies”. These are miniature investment portfolios comprised of both stocks and ETFs. You can invest in existing pies, or create and populate pies of your own design. Once you invest in one or more pies, the platform will automatically manage it going forward. What’s more, M1 is free to use. Read more about M1 here.
Related: Wealthfront vs. Vanguard
Read More: The Best Robo Advisors – Find out which one matches your investment needs.
Wealthfront Pros and Cons
Investment options: Wealthfront offers more investment options than just about any other robo-advisor, particularly for investors with at least $100,000.
Reasonably priced: The annual fee of 0.25% is extremely reasonable, especially when you consider the degree of sophistication offered by Wealthfront’s investment methodology.
Tax-loss harvesting: This is available on all accounts, and Wealthfront is probably better at this investment strategy than any other robo-advisor.
Portfolio credit line: Gives you the ability to borrow against your portfolio with ease, and represents a form of margin investing.
Financial planning feature: The financial planning service is free to use and is available to all investors.
Limited access for smaller investors: Some of the more advanced investment portfolios and services are available only to investors with $100,000 or more to invest.
$500 minimum initial investment: It’s a minor issue, though some competitors require no funds to open an account.
FAQs
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Should You Sign Up for Wealthfront?
In a word, absolutely! Wealthfront is one of the very top robo-advisors, and you can’t go wrong with this one. Not only do they offer far more services than most other robo-advisors, but they also allow you to grow along the way. For example, as your account increases in value, you can take advantage of more sophisticated investment strategies, including advanced tax-loss harvesting.
That Wealthfront offers its portfolio line of credit and free financial planning services only makes the platform a bit more attractive, But the real benefit is the actual investment service. Wealthfront’s investment service comes extremely close to that of traditional human investment advisors, but at only a fraction of the annual cost.
Some companies make regular payments, called dividends, to investors who own shares of its stock. For investors, this may be considered an advantage of investing in a company — though they may wonder, when are dividends paid?
Not all companies pay dividends, so if steady dividend income is the goal, an investor would need to look specifically for dividend-paying investments.
How often do dividends pay? Dividends are typically paid quarterly, though there are cases where they are paid more or less frequently. But there’s more to it than simply investing in a stock and waiting for one’s dividend to roll in.
What Are Dividends?
Companies will sometimes share a portion of their profits with shareholders, and this is called a dividend. Dividends are typically distributed as cash, although it’s also possible to receive a dividend in the form of stock.
Typically, dividends work on a per-share basis. For example, if Company A pays a cash dividend of 50 cents per share, and an investor owns 50 shares, they would receive $25 in cash.
If a company pays a stock dividend, it’s usually a percentage increase in the number of shares an investor owns. So if Company A awards a 5% stock dividend and an investor owns 100 shares of Company A, they would have 105 shares after the dividend payout. 💡 Quick Tip: Did you know that opening a brokerage account typically doesn’t come with any setup costs? Often, the only requirement to open a brokerage account — aside from providing personal details — is making an initial deposit.
How Often Are Dividends Paid Out?
In most cases in the U.S., dividends are paid quarterly, or four times a year, on the same schedule as they must report earnings (quarterly). If you’re wondering why companies generally pay quarterly vs. monthly dividends, logically, it makes sense that dividends would come only after a company has finalized its income statement and its board of directors has reviewed (and approved) the numbers.
Some investments pay dividends on other schedules, such as twice a year, once a year, or as monthly dividend stocks, or on no schedule at all (called “irregular” dividends), but this isn’t typical in the United States. Ultimately, the dividend payout schedule is up to a company’s board of directors.
It’s also possible for a company to pay a special one-time dividend. Usually a special dividend is paid out when a company has had a stronger-than-usual earnings period or has excess cash on hand — from the sale of a business, perhaps, or the liquidation of an investment, or a major litigation win. These special one-time dividends may be paid as cash, stock, or property dividends.
When it comes to mutual funds that invest in dividend-paying companies, they may pay dividends on a more frequent basis, such as monthly or even weekly.
Recommended: Do IPOs Offer Dividends?
When Are Dividends Paid?
Although the answer to the question “How often are dividends paid out?” may vary, there are four essential dates involved in the payment of dividends:
1. Declaration date: This is the day that a company’s board of directors states their intention to pay a dividend.
2. Date of record: This is the date on which a company will review its records to establish who its shareholders are. In order to receive a dividend, an investor must be a “holder of record,” which means they owned shares on or before the ex-dividend date.
3. Ex-dividend date: This is the date by which an investor must have purchased shares of a stock in order to receive an upcoming dividend. If an investor bought shares of Company A on or after the ex-dividend date, the dividend would go to the investor from whom they purchased the shares — they themselves would not receive a dividend.
4. Payment date: This is the date a dividend is paid to company shareholders.
Here’s an example of how these dates work:
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) announced a dividend of $0.46 per share on February 16, 2023. The payment date for the dividend was April 3, 2023 to shareholders of record on March 17, and the ex-dividend date was March 16. That means, to receive the dividend that was paid on April 3, you would have had to buy or have already owned Coca-Cola shares before March 16. (The Coca-Cola Company was chosen as an example only; this is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold KO.)
When are dividends paid?
IMPORTANT DIVIDEND DATES
for 5 Companies in the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index
Company
Dividend Payout
Declaration Date
Ex-Dividend Date
Date of Record
Payment Date
AbbVie Inc. (ABBV)
$1.48
June 22, 2023
July 13, 2023
July 14, 2023
August 15, 2023
Atmos Energy Corp (ATO)
$0.74
May 3, 2023
May 19, 2023
May 22, 2023
June 5, 2023
Chevron Corp (CVX)
$1.51
July 28, 2023
August 17, 2023
August 18, 2023
September 11, 2023
General Dynamics (GD)
$1.32
August 1, 2023
October 5, 2023
October 6, 2023
November 10, 2023
Nucor Corp (NUE)
$0.51
June 8, 2023
June 29, 2023
June 30, 2023
August 11, 2023
Typically, investors wondering, when are dividends paid?, can get information about a company’s dividend dates by visiting its investor relations page. To find this, search for the company’s name and “investor relations” online. Or check a company’s dividend history online. Many investment websites, including Nasdaq.com, track this information.
How Are Dividends Paid Out?
Once a company’s board of directors approves a plan to pay out dividends, the company announces the dividend payment information, including: the amount to be paid out, the date it will be paid, the date of record, and the ex-dividend date.
On the payment date, the dividend is paid to investors who owned the stock before the ex-dividend date.
Different Dividend Payout Methods
These are some of the ways dividends may be paid to investors.
Cash Dividends
Dividends are often paid in cash. Companies typically send cash dividends directly to an investor’s brokerage, where the money is deposited into their account. The company might also mail a check to stockholders.
Company Stock Dividends
In other cases, investors will be paid in company stocks. Some companies and mutual funds offer the option of a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP) that will automatically buy additional shares for an investor with their dividends. This provides the advantages of both simplifying the process (since investors won’t have to receive the cash and buy more shares themselves) and potentially being more cost effective, since many DRIP programs don’t charge commissions.
Additionally, some DRIP programs discount the purchase of additional shares. For this and other reasons, some investors may specifically look to find dividend reinvestment stocks.
Property Dividends
More rarely, a company might award a property dividend instead of cash or stock payouts. This could include company products, shares of a subsidiary company, or physical assets the company owns.
What Is a Dividend Yield?
Calculating the dividend yield of an investment is useful for investors who want to compare companies and the dividends they pay. A dividend yield is essentially a measurement of the cash flow an investor will get back for each dollar they invest in a company. For investors looking for investments to help supplement their cash flow, or even to possibly live off dividend income, a higher dividend yield on a stock would be more attractive than a lower one.
Historically, high dividend yields tend to come from companies in the following fields: banks and financial, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, basic materials, oil and gas, utilities, and REITs. But it’s important to remember that high yields can also come from any company whose stock price is falling—and in those cases, it’s a sign of trouble.
To calculate dividend yield, divide the total dollar value of dividends paid per share in a year by the dollar value of one share of stock. For example, if a company paid out $3 in dividends per share and its stock currently costs $100, the dividend yield would be 3%.
There are generally two ways to find a company’s dividend payout:
• Most recent dividend payout: If a company pays a quarterly dividend, multiply the most recent payment by four to get an annual dividend amount.
• Annual report: A company’s annual report typically contains the annual dividend per share.
Investors can also check online for the dividend yield. For instance, the NASDAQ’s dividend history page on individual stocks also lists a company’s dividend yield.
Dividend amounts tend to be consistent from quarter to quarter, though they may vary slightly from payment to payment. Special one-time dividends may be of varying amounts, however, and typically aren’t included in dividend yield calculations. 💡 Quick Tip: How to manage potential risk factors in a self-directed investment account? Doing your research and employing strategies like dollar-cost averaging and diversification may help mitigate financial risk when trading stocks.
Are Dividends Taxable?
Dividend income is always taxable, but tax treatment will depend on how long an investor has held the investment and what kind of account they’re holding it in.
For instance, if an investor is holding the investment in a retirement account such as a 401(k) or IRA, the dividend isn’t taxable at the time of distribution. (Though depending on the account, the income may be taxed upon withdrawal during retirement.)
If the investment is held in a taxable account, then a dividend is considered income, and the tax rate will depend on whether it’s a qualified dividend or nonqualified (ordinary) dividend.
Tax Rate for Qualified Dividends
These are dividends paid by a U.S. corporation or a qualified foreign corporation on stock that an investor has held for a certain period of time—generally more than 60 days during the 121-day period that starts 60 days before the ex-dividend date.
For some preferred stock, the investor must have held it for 91 days out of the 181-day period starting 90 days before the ex-dividend date. Taxes on qualified dividends are paid at long-term capital gains rates, which range from 0% to 20% based on an individual’s modified adjusted gross income.
In other words, the taxes investors pay on qualified dividends are based on their overall income tax bracket, and they could pay 0%, depending on their income. Because the long-term capital gains tax rate is lower than ordinary income tax rate, qualified dividends are preferable to nonqualified dividends.
Tax Rates for Long-Term Capital Gains
Tax Rates for Long-Term Capital Gains
Filing Status
0% Rate
15% Rate
20% Rate
Single
Up to $44,675
$44,676 to $492,300
Over $492,300
Head of household
Up to $59,750
$59,751 to $523,050
Over $523,050
Married filing jointly
Up to $89,250
$89,251 to $553,850
Over $553,850
Married filing separately
Up to $44,675
$44,676 to $276,900
Over $276,900
Tax Rate for Nonqualified Dividends
The more common type of dividend is a nonqualified — or ordinary — dividend. When companies pay ordinary dividends, they’re considered ordinary income, so an investor will be taxed at ordinary income tax rates.
In general, investors should assume that any dividend they receive is an ordinary dividend unless told otherwise. (The payer of the dividend is required to identify the type of dividend when they report them on Form 1099-DIV at tax time.)
Can You Live on Dividends?
In general, retirees should plan to live off a combination of Social Security, interest income from bonds, and selling a small portion of their investments each year. The 4% retirement rule maintains that if one withdraws no more than 4% of their portfolio each year, they’ll be able to make their nest egg last — although some financial professionals believe this formula is too conservative.
Investments that pay regular dividends may shift an individual’s retirement equation by providing steady income over time that may allow them to sell fewer investments — or no investments at all. The amount of dividends a stock pays often grows over time as companies get larger and continue to increase their profits.
Investing with an eye toward dividend income may allow an investor to create an income stream that could successfully supplement their Social Security and other income in retirement.
Investing With SoFi
Dividends — cash or stock rewards from a company to its shareholders—are typically paid quarterly to qualifying shareholders. These financial “bonuses” can be attractive to investors, who may seek out dividend-paying companies specifically in hopes of boosting their bottom line. Some investors look specifically for investments that pay dividends as a way to generate income and savings for retirement.
Dividends may provide a source of consistent and predictable income, which may be a helpful addition to an individual’s portfolio, depending on their investing goals. Investors may choose to use dividend income to supplement other income or to reinvest in their portfolio.
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FAQ
How long do you have to hold a stock to get a dividend?
In order to get a dividend, an investor needs to be a “holder of record.” That means they need to buy, or already own, shares of the stock before what’s known as the ex-dividend date, which is the business day before the date of record. The date of record is when the company reviews its records to determine who its shareholders are. The date of record is generally announced when the dividend is announced.
Are dividends taxed if they are reinvested?
Yes. Dividends that are reinvested are considered income, just like cash dividends, and must be reported on your tax return. The way you are taxed on dividends depends on whether your dividends are qualified or nonqualified. The more common type of dividend is nonqualified, and these dividends are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. Qualified dividends are taxed at long-term capital gains rates.
What happens if you take more dividends than profit?
Typically, a portion of a company’s earnings should go to paying out dividends. This is known as the dividend payout ratio. Investors typically look for payout ratios that are 80% or less — meaning that the company is not paying all of its earnings in dividends.
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