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Stash is an online investment platform founded in 2015. The company has grown rapidly since then, winning numerous accolades—including FinTech Breakthrough’s Best Personal Finance App Award for 2023—along the way. It currently boasts six million customers.
Stash offers two service tiers, Stash Growth and Stash+, each designed to suit different customer needs and budgets. Both come with an attached bank account and a debit card.
Stash was created by Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson, both former Wall Street employees. As stated on its website, the company’s mission is to help everyday Americans invest and build wealth. You can start investing in stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with as little as $1.
Unlike many investment platforms that provide either a do-it-yourself (DIY) service or an automated investing service, Stash offers both. That is, you can pick and manage your own investments or let Stash’s robo-advisor do it for you.
Stash is a solid option for newbie investors. It provides a wealth of educational materials and content to help beginners learn the ropes and make more informed decisions. Additionally, the broker offers personalized investing advice based on your goals and risk level. Subscribers in the premium (Stash+) tier also receive a monthly market insight report.
Stash is also suitable for investors who enjoy having the choice of self-directed (i.e., DIY) investing and automated investing. The self-directed option lets you pick your own investments and create your own portfolios.
Conversely, the automated investing option, Smart Portfolios, is essentially a robo-advisor that automatically builds a custom, diversified portfolio based on your goals, preferences, and risk tolerance. It then actively monitors and manages the portfolio for you. This includes regularly rebalancing it to make sure your investments remain on track.
The robo-advisor comes as part of your monthly Stash subscription, so there are no extra management fees. It’s available for both tiers.
Lastly, Stash is also a great option for investors who like the idea of earning stock whenever they shop. The company has a Stock-Back program that allows you to earn rewards in the form of stocks each time you make eligible purchases using the debit card that comes with your account.
On the Stash Growth plan, you’ll get 0.125% back in stock for every eligible purchase, with up to 2% back on a few select purchases.
With the Stash+ plan, you’ll earn 1% on all purchases (up to 3% on select purchases) on the first $1,000 spent, then 0.125% back on all purchases after that.
Stash offers another unique feature called Stash Round-Ups. Every time you spend on your debit card, the provider will round up your purchase to the nearest dollar. It’ll then automatically invest the spare change into a matching stock or another stock of your choice.
Available assets | - Stocks - ETFs |
Available accounts | - Standard brokerage accounts - Traditional IRAs - Roth IRAs - Custodial investment accounts for children |
Monthly fee | - Stash Growth: $3 per month - Stash+: $9 per month |
Account minimum | $1 for self-directed investing accounts $5 for automated investing accounts (Smart Portfolios) |
Account opening fee | $0 |
Trading commissions | $0 |
Stash offers two primary pricing tiers: Stash Growth and Stash+.
Stash Growth is the entry-level tier and costs $3 per month. Stash+ is the premium option and offers extra features and benefits but comes at a higher price of $9 per month.
This price structure suits investors who plan on keeping large portfolios. The flat monthly subscription fee means you can invest as much as you want without incurring additional charges.
For small portfolios, however, your fee rate could be much higher than that of Stash’s rivals that use a flat fee percentage.
For example, your total annual fees with a Stash Growth account would be $36 ($3 x 12). Say you invest $2,000 in this account over the year. Your fees would comprise 1.8% of your investment—significantly higher than the industry standard of 0.25% for platforms that charge a fixed percentage.
On the other hand, if you invest a higher amount, like $20,000, your fee rate becomes 0.18%, which is below the industry standard.
For both plans, you can choose between a standard brokerage account or a tax-advantaged individual retirement account (IRA). Both traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs are available.
The premium Stash+ tier also lets you open up to two custodial investment accounts for children under 18.
Additionally, both plans come with a Stash online bank account as standard, plus a complimentary debit card—the Stock-Back Card—that offers rewards in the form of stocks.
To open an account with Stash, you'll need the following:
A minimum of $4 ($3 for your monthly subscription and $1 to put into your Stash investment account)
A bank account (to fund your Stash account)
Social Security Number
United States citizenship, a resident visa, or a Green Card
To be 18 years and above
You can sign up by going to the Stash website or downloading the Stash mobile app. The account opening process is seamless and only takes a few minutes.
First, you’ll provide an email address and create a password to set up your account. Next, you’ll share some information, including your name, date of birth, and citizenship status.
Once you’ve provided these details, Stash will ask you to pick from its two main plans, Stash Growth and Stash+.
Then, you’ll complete a questionnaire. The answers you provide allow Stash to determine your risk tolerance and give you personalized investment advice. Stash categorizes investors into three primary risk levels: conservative, moderate, and aggressive. After Stash has assigned you a level, it’ll present you with a list of recommended investments.
Next, you’ll need to verify your identity by sharing your social security number, phone number, and home address. From there, you’ll link your bank account and deposit funds. Once your account is funded, you can officially start investing.
Stash offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices.
The iOS version is highly rated by users, with a score of 4.7 out of five stars on the App Store. Many reviews say it’s intuitive and user-friendly—which I agree with after testing the app myself.
The Android version, on the other hand, has a lower score of 3.8 out of five stars on the Google Play Store. Users cite its slow performance and tricky navigation as areas for improvement.
Despite these differences in user experience, both versions of the app offer the same features and functionalities as Stash’s online platform. These include account creation and closure, fund deposit and withdrawal, investment management, and access to educational content and investment advice.
Every Stash account is held by its custodian, Apex Clearing, a registered broker-dealer regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
Through this partnership with Apex, your investments are protected up to $500,000, including up to $250,000 for cash claims via the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). This coverage doesn’t cover investing-related losses.
As for uninvested funds, Stash enrolls your account in the Apex FDIC-insured Sweep Program. This program provides FDIC insurance for your cash up to $250,000. The company’s bank accounts are issued through Stride Bank and are FDIC-insured.
Stash is also registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Membership in the SEC means that the firm must follow federal regulations to protect investors. This means providing investment advice that’s in your best interest.
Security-wise, Stash goes above and beyond to protect your funds and keep your information and data safe. Here are the security features you’ll enjoy when you open an account with Stash:
256-bit encryption and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to protect your personal and financial information and ensure any communication between you and the company is safe
Multifactor authentication
Biometric account login (fingerprint and face ID)
Session-end timers and log-in thresholds
Continuous fraud monitoring
On Trustpilot, Stash has a score of 1.4 stars out of five based on 718 reviews.
Stash has a Better Business Bureau (BBB) profile, but it’s not accredited. As of September 2023, it has a B- rating on the platform and a 1.1/5 customer review rating, though this is only out of 145 reviews.
Stash has received 978 complaints on the BBB in the last three years. Common grievances include problems closing accounts, unexplained account freezes, or members being locked out of their accounts for unclear reasons.
However, Stash seems to have taken a proactive approach in responding to recent customer complaints—which could explain why its BBB rating jumped from an F in 2022 to its current B-.
All 978 complaints on the platform are now closed. Some users who previously left negative reviews returned to report their satisfaction with the resolution they received.
Stash offers multiple channels for customer support.
You can speak directly with an agent by calling 800-205-5164. This service is available Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm ET, and Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6:30pm ET.
Unfortunately, Stash doesn’t guarantee a specific response time, and online feedback is mixed. Some users report reaching customer service relatively quickly and having their issue solved promptly, while others report long wait times or being unable to reach the team at all.
Email support is available as well. You can direct your queries to support@stash.com. Again, there’s no promised response time for email inquiries.
Stash also provides an automated assistance service that’s available 24/7. All you need to do is type in what you’re looking for, and the service will search its database for resources that could help.
Additionally, the company’s website has a comprehensive FAQs section called Ask Stash. It contains various questions and answers about the company’s products and services.
Finally, Stash has a learning center that houses an array of educational materials, including articles and guides aimed at helping you improve your investing knowledge.
Overall, I believe Stash is a solid investing platform that could be worth a look—especially for beginner investors interested in getting personalized investing advice and those who value the flexibility of choosing between DIY and automated investing. Opening an account is easy, and the minimum investment amount is just $1.
However, for those intending to maintain a smaller portfolio, Stash's monthly fee structure might not be the most cost-effective. Also, Stash doesn’t offer the ability to invest in options, futures, or mutual funds.
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Can you actually make money on Stash?
Stash allows you to invest in various assets, including stocks and ETFs, all of which hold the potential for positive returns over the long term. However, all investments come with risks, and profit is not guaranteed. Always do your due diligence and consider your risk tolerance before investing.
Is Stash legitimate?
Stash is a legitimate investment platform regulated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). The company must follow the rules and regulations set by these bodies to protect investors and their funds. Additionally, Stash employs several advanced security measures to protect user data.
What are the cons of stash?
One of Stash’s main drawbacks is its monthly subscription fee structure, which can disproportionally affect users with smaller portfolios. Also, the platform’s range of investment options isn’t as extensive as its competitors. For example, those keen on investing in options, futures, or mutual funds will have to look elsewhere. Furthermore, if you’re an experienced investor searching for advanced research tools, you may find Stash’s offerings lacking.
