Start small and keep growing.
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Looking for a logical way to get started with investing? If you only have a few dollars to spare, then you may be interested in micro-investing. With lots of options for automation, plus user-friendly trading platforms, micro-investing can feel like a no-brainerâand the magnitude of the financial benefits might surprise you.
Investing isnât just for rich folks and professionals, especially now that technology enables so many micro-investing apps.
Key Points
- Micro-investing means investing small amounts of money, usually on a recurring basis.
- Many apps exist to facilitate micro-investing.
- Your micro-investing strategy should support your most important financial goals.
Micro-investing means investing small amounts of money, often on a recurring basis, and typically using an app to automate the process. If your budget is tight or youâre feeling especially risk averse, micro-investing may serve as a viable entry point to building personal wealth. And itâs possible to accumulate invested capital gradually if you start with micro-investing. Here are a few key features of micro-investing.
1. Low minimum investment requirements
Micro-investing is defined by making contributions in small dollar amounts. Investments as low as $1 or even just the spare change from everyday purchases can be applied toward micro-investing. Buying fractional shares of stocks may also be classified as micro-investing.
Micro-investing platforms typically charge a fee, which can take many forms:
- Fixed monthly fee. Some platforms charge a flat monthly rate, which may vary depending on the subscription tier.
- Management fee. Automated investing advisory platformsâaka ârobo-advisorsââmay assess a fee based on the value of your assets under management.
- Transaction fees. You may be assessed a fee for every micro-investing transaction, although per-transaction fees are becoming less common.
3. Automated investing
A core feature of many micro-investing apps is the ability to automate your investments. Recurring investmentsâperhaps using a dollar cost averaging strategyâmay be automatically funded by your bank account, or you can use a roundup feature that automatically âkeeps the changeâ from your credit or debit card purchases. That change from every purchase is applied to your micro-investing strategy.
In an up-and-down market, dollar cost averaging actually lowers your average entry price.
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4. Diversified investment options
Micro-investing can provide you with access to a diverse range of investment types, including stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and real estate investment trusts (REITs). There are also other ways to diversify your micro-investing approach:
Micro-investing is strongly linked with socially responsible or impact investing. Thatâs because everyone can benefit from low investing thresholds and increased access to capital. Some platforms enable you to direct your micro-investments; for example, you might support low-income entrepreneurs who require little capital to start their microbusinesses.
6. Plenty of educational tools
Many micro-investing apps are loaded with learning tools and information. These educational resources can increase your financial literacy while youâre gaining practical investing experience.
7. User-friendly experiences
Micro-investing without the support of an app or other platform would be tedious or impossible. You can expect micro-investing apps to provide a user experience thatâs friendly and perhaps even educational and fun.
Risks of micro-investing
Micro-investing can be a way to minimize your investing risksâbut that doesnât make it risk free. Your portfolio diversification may be limited, micro-investing platforms can fail, and the ease of micro-investing can encourage impulsive investment decisions.
How to get started with micro-investing
The process of micro-investing has much in common with investing larger sums. Thatâs because no matter the dollar amount, your investing activities should align with your financial goals.
You can get started with micro-investing using these six steps:
- Consider your investing goals. Why are you interested in micro-investing? What are your motivations for getting started? Your first step is to consider and define your objectives.
- Research micro-investing apps. You have lots of choices for micro-investing platforms, and you donât have to pick just one. Aim to align your choice of platform(s) with your micro-investing goals and broader money objectives.
- Choose a platform. Your next move is to choose a micro-investing app and install the software. Youâll need to create an account and provide identifying information. Youâll also need to link a funding source, such as your bank account, to get started using a micro-investing platform.
- Specify your investment preferences. Now you get to put your investment plan into action. Use the app to make investment choices and set up any automations that make micro-investing easier for you.
- Start micro-investing. After youâve confirmed that your investment settings are correct, youâre ready to officially begin micro-investing. If youâve enabled roundups, for example, then you can expect that your next electronic purchase will be rounded up to fund your first micro-investment.
- Monitor and adjust as needed. Micro-investing may be automated, but itâs not something you should set and forget. Youâre responsible for continuing to monitor your micro-investments, because if youâre not paying attention, you wonât be making key adjustments when theyâre needed.
A partial list of micro-investing apps
Many micro-investing apps are developed by financial technology (fintech) companies. But traditional brokerage firms and robo-advisors also support micro-investing.
Some of the platforms* that make micro-investing possible include:
- Acorns. This platform, best known for its automated roundups, invests on your behalf in $5 increments.
- Betterment. As a robo-advisor, Betterment enables automated investing and doesnât require a minimum balance. You can open an account with $10.
- Charles Schwab. A traditional financial institution, Schwab supports fractional share investing through Schwab Stock Slices. One investment âsliceâ is $5.
- Fidelity. You can get access to fractional shares with the financial institution Fidelity, which enables you to invest with only $1. Investors can build their portfolios through Fidelity Go, the platformâs robo-advisor, starting with $10.
- Robinhood. The retail brokerage app that was a pioneer in commission-free trading also supports fractional share investing, facilitating investments as small as $1.
The bottom line
Any financial innovation that makes investing accessible to more people is progress. And using your limited funds to invest in social impactâshould you choose that pathâcan help you align your financial and social objectives. But however you invest, make sure to approach micro-investing responsibly by first defining your money priorities and then looking through fund prospectuses and/or company fundamentals. Even small investments can produce outsize returns over time if you start with micro-investing and eventually scale up.
If you want your money to grow, youâll need to invest.
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*Specific companies and funds are mentioned in this article for educational purposes only and not as an endorsement.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Allie Grace GarnettThis article was most recently revised and updated by Doug Ashburn
