Nerdy Takeaways
- Now you can see your money — and make money moves — all in one app.
- You can open investment and cash accounts, offered by Atomic via NerdWallet.
- Our partner, Atomic, helps simplify wealth-building and is subject to regulatory standards designed to protect your money and your data.
For years, people have turned to NerdWallet to make sense of personal finance and get a clear picture of their money in one easy-to-find spot.
Now, we’re making it easier than ever for you to act on that knowledge. In 2024, we partnered with Atomic, a provider of personalized investment and cash management services, to bring new financial tools directly into your NerdWallet account. That means you can see your money and make money moves — all in one place.
It’s just one more way that we’re simplifying personal finance for you.
Get to know Atomic
AtomicVest might not be a household name yet, but its tech is quietly powering a new way to help you build wealth. Its subsidiaries, Atomic Invest and Atomic Brokerage, work behind the scenes to help run investment and cash management accounts available through your NerdWallet account.
Atomic Invest is an investment adviser registered with the SEC and Atomic Brokerage is a registered broker-dealer and a member of FINRA and SIPC. As regulated firms, they are subject to regulatory standards designed to protect investors.
Financial accounts for NerdWallet users
As a NerdWallet user, you have access to saving and investing tools to help you build your financial future, including:
- Cash Account offered by Atomic Brokerage — Deposits your cash into one or more FDIC-insured cash sweep program banks to offer a competitive interest rate and provide higher-than-standard federal deposit insurance. *
- Treasury account offered and managed by Atomic Invest — Invests in low-risk, 4-week U.S. Treasury Bills so you earn steady returns and pay zero state and local taxes on those returns. **
- Automated Investing account offered and managed by Atomic Invest — Invests in stocks and ETFs you own directly as part of a personalized portfolio and managed to reduce taxes through tax loss harvesting. ***
Why Atomic?
Atomic offers technology that fits our mission to simplify wealth building for you.
What’s more, they bring you:
- No minimums — so it’s easy to get started at the level that’s comfortable for you.
- Low management fees — so it helps you keep more of your money as you work toward your financial goals. Atomic Invest charges 0.25% of assets under management annually, with NerdWallet+ members unlocking a lower rate of 0.18%.
- Data security — they implement reasonable measures designed to protect the security and confidentiality of your personal information, including the use of AES-256 encryption to protect your data.
How do I set up an account?
Setting up a financial account can be easy and should take just a few minutes.
- Navigate to the Home section of the app and look for the account you’re interested in.
- Treasury and Automated Investing accounts are in the Investments section.
- The Cash account is in the Cash section.
- Answer some questions to set up your account. It’s all online and should take just a few minutes. Atomic will let you know when your account is ready.
- Link your bank account to your new Treasury, Automated Investing, or Cash account, and add funds. You can add whatever amount feels right. No minimums here.
- Let your money start working for you.
We believe in transparency
Transparency is important to us, so you should know that we earn money when someone opens and uses an account through NerdWallet. For Treasury and Automated Investing accounts, we receive between 0% to 0.85% of assets under management annualized, paid monthly, and a percentage of free cash interest earned. For Cash accounts, we receive a portion of the fees Atomic Brokerage receives from the cash sweep program banks.
Disclosures
*Funds in your Atomic Cash Account are deposited into one or more cash sweep program banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). While in transit to or from these program banks—or temporarily held in your Cash Account before transfer—funds are not FDIC insured. Once deposited at the program banks, your funds are eligible for FDIC insurance coverage up to $2,500,000, based on the standard limit of $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per account ownership category (subject to applicable coverage limits and eligibility). Please note that funds held in your Atomic Cash Account are not protected by SIPC because they are not used to purchase securities.
** The value of T-Bills fluctuates and you may receive more or less than your original investment if sold prior to maturity. T-bills are subject to price change, yield change and availability. Although T-bills are considered safer than many other financial instruments, you could lose all or a part of your investment. T-Bills carry a variety of risks, including credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity risk. Income earned on Treasuries is exempt from state and local taxes, but taxable by the federal government.
*** Tax-loss harvesting is applied at the discretion of the portfolio manager, Atomic Invest LLC, primarily with respect to determining when assets in a client's account should be bought or sold. Assets may be sold for a taxable gain or loss at any time. There are no guarantees as to the effectiveness of the tax-loss harvesting strategy applied in serving to reduce or minimize a client's overall tax liabilities, or as to the tax results that may be generated by a given transaction. Neither the tax-loss harvesting strategy, nor any discussion herein, is intended as tax advice and Atomic Invest LLC does not represent that any particular tax consequences will be obtained. Tax-loss harvesting involves certain risks including unintended tax implications. Clients should consult with their tax advisors and refer to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website at www.irs.gov about the consequences of tax-loss harvesting.
NerdWallet has engaged Atomic Invest LLC (“Atomic”), an SEC-registered investment adviser, to bring you the opportunity to open investment advisory accounts (Automated Investing Account and/or Treasury Account) with Atomic. NerdWallet receives compensation of up to 0.85% of assets under management annualized, payable monthly, for each referred client who opens an Atomic account and a percentage of free cash interest earned by clients, which creates a conflict of interest. Brokerage services for Atomic are provided by Atomic Brokerage LLC ("Atomic Brokerage"), member of FINRA/SIPC and an affiliate of Atomic, which creates a conflict of interest. See details about Atomic, in their Form CRS, Form ADV Part 2A and Privacy Policy. See details about Atomic Brokerage in their Form CRS, General Disclosures, fee schedule, and FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
You also can open a Cash Account offered by Atomic Brokerage which allows you to earn interest on your cash through a cash sweep program. See important Cash Account disclosures here.
Neither Atomic Invest nor Atomic Brokerage, nor any of their affiliates is a bank. Investments in securities: Not FDIC Insured, Not Bank Guaranteed, May Lose Value. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Before investing, consider your investment objectives and the fees and expenses charged.