A robo-advisor helps you invest in a balanced portfolio of ETFs/index funds using automated algorithms instead of a human advisor as is done traditionally. We recommend starting here if you are a first time investor because it is less risky than buying individual stocks and you can withdraw your money whenever you want.
| Name | Min. Investment | Historical Return | Fee | Risk | Liquidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0 | Free | ||||
WealthfrontFounded in 2008, Raised 129.5M Another large robo-advisor with $5 billion assets under management 10 Comments, 1 Portfolio | $500 | Free if balance <= $5,000 0.25% per yr for balance >= $5,001 | |||
BettermentFounded in 2008, Raised 205.0M Leading robo-advisor with $8 billion of assets under management. 9 Comments, 2 Portfolios | $0 | ||||
AcornsFounded in 2012, Raised 61.96M A robo-advisor that helps you save money by investing your change on purchases 7 Comments, 2 Portfolios | $0 | ||||
Schwab Intelligent PortfoliosFounded in 1971, A public company A free robo-advisor by Schwab 3 Comments | $5,000 | Free | |||
FutureAdvisorFounded in 2010, Acquired by BlackRock in 2015 An online financial advisor that will give you free personalized investing advice or manage your portfolios for a fee 3 Comments | $10,000 | 0.50% per yr | |||
SigFigFounded in 2007, Raised 60.0M Another robo advisor with a free tier including helpful tools but also offers a paid managed account 2 Comments | $2,000 | Free if balance <= $10,000 | |||
| $5 | |||||
| $0 | 0.75% per yr if balance <= $49,999 0.70% per yr if balance $50,000 - $99,999 0.65% per yr if balance $100,000 - $149,999 0.60% per yr if balance $150,000 - $199,999 0.55% per yr if balance $200,000 - $249,999 0.50% per yr if balance $250,000 - $499,999 0.45% per yr if balance $500,000 - $749,999 0.40% per yr if balance $750,000 - $999,999 | ||||
WealthsimpleFounded in 2014, Raised 45.66M A popular Canadian robo-advisor that serves Canadian and US investors 1 Comment, 1 Portfolio | $0 | 0.50% per yr if balance >= $5,001 |
Peer-to-peer lending, sometimes abbreviated P2P lending, is the practice of lending money to individuals or businesses through online services that match lenders directly with borrowers. This is a pretty safe option but you will not be able to withdraw your full investment for 3-5 years. However, you will receive loan repayments on a monthly basis.
| Name | Min. Investment | Historical Return | Fee | Risk | Liquidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LendingClubFounded in 2006, IPO'd in 2014 Lend money on the leading peer to peer lending marketplace in US 8 Comments | $25 | ||||
| $25 | |||||
LendingRobotFounded in 2012, Raised 3.0M Manages your portfolios on LendingClub and Prosper to help you purchase the best loans and optimize performance 2 Comments | $25 | Free if balance <= $5,000 0.45% per yr for balance >= $5,001 | |||
| $100 | Unknown | ||||
UpstartFounded in 2012, Raised 53.15M A P2P lender that uses academic variables such as colleges attended, area of study, GPA, and standardized test scores to develop a statistical model that predicts if loans will default. Requires accreditation | $100 |
Allows you to invest in real estate with less money than is required for a down payment on your own property. You can choose to invest in real estate loans (loan money to property developers) or real estate equity (own a percentage of a property). Loans are lower risk, lower return since your return is just the interest on the loan while equity is higher risk, higher return because your return is tied directly to the value of the property (which can rise or fall). These investments are pretty risky and you will need to keep your money invested for at least 6 months.
| Name | Min. Investment | Historical Return | Fee | Risk | Liquidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FundriseFounded in 2012, Raised 40.0M Allows you to invest in eREITs giving you exposure to a diversified portfolio of real estate. You can choose their Growth eREIT (equity), Income eREIT (debt/loans) or a regional eREITs: West Coast, Heartland and East Coast. 12 Comments | $1,000 | ||||
PeerStreetFounded in 2013, Raised 21.1M Invest in high quality real estate loans. Requires accreditation 2 Comments | $1,000 | ||||
RealtySharesFounded in 2013, Raised 32.7M Invest in real estate loans and equity. Requires accreditation 2 Comments | $5,000 | ||||
RealtyMogulFounded in 2013, Raised 32.7M Invest in multiple properties (equity and debt) through their MogulREIT (does not require accreditation) or invest in single properties of your choosing (requires accreditation). 1 Comment | $1,000 | ||||
| $10,000 | Free | ||||
| $1,000 | |||||
LendingHomeFounded in 2013, Raised 98.0M Invest in high quality real estate loans. Requires accreditation | $5,000 | ||||
| $5,000 | |||||
| $5,000 |
Investors can fund startups or small business in exchange for equity (or ownership in the business). As a business succeeds the value of an investor's equity increases. These investments are very risky and your money will have to remain invested for many years. High risk, high return option.
| Name | Min. Investment | Historical Return | Fee | Risk | Liquidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | |||||
| $1,000 | |||||
SeedInvestFounded in 2012, Raised 10.38M Invest as little as $100 and own a piece of a startup company. | $100 | Free | |||
FundersClubFounded in 2012, Raised 7.5M Diversify your investment portfolio with insider access to highly vetted startups from Silicon Valley and beyond. Requires accreditation | $3,000 |
Motif Impact Portfolios
Socially responsible investing on a flat monthly fee offered by Motif
1 Comment$9.95 per mo
OpenInvest
Only invest in companies that support your causes. Backed by YCombinator
1 CommentSwell Investing
Invest in portfolios that align with your values. Backed by Pacific Life
1 Comment, 1 Portfolio