Stash Review 2024: Pros, Cons and How It Compares

Stash simplifies the process of selecting investments with an app suited for beginners. But fees are higher than those of some competitors.
Alana Benson
Chris Davis
By Chris Davis and  Alana Benson 
Edited by Arielle O'Shea

Paid non-client promotion. NerdWallet doesn’t invest its money with this provider, but they are our referral partner – so we get paid only if you click through and take a qualifying action (such as open an account with or provide your contact information to the provider). Most importantly, our reviews and ratings are objective and are never impacted by our partnerships. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.


The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

Our Take

4.3

NerdWallet rating 

Reviewed in: Oct. 2023

Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2023

The bottom line:

Stash aims to make investing approachable for beginners. The service has a $0 account minimum (though managed Smart Portfolios require $5 to get started) and charges $3 or $9 a month, depending on what services and account types you are looking for. If you’re looking for a little hand-holding while you build a portfolio of stocks and ETFs, Stash may be a good fit. If you just want automated management, it may be best to look elsewhere.

Stash
Fees
$3 or $9
per month, depending on selected plan
Account minimum
$0
Promotion
Get $25
when you open a personal brokerage account and deposit at least $5. Subject to T&Cs.
Learn more

on Stash's website

AD

Paid non-client promotion

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Both DIY and automated investing.

  • Fractional shares.

  • Values-based investment offerings.

Cons

  • Smart Portfolios don't offer tax-loss harvesting.

  • No automated IRA management.

Compare to Other Advisors

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Fees 

$3 or $9

per month, depending on selected plan

Fees 

Varies by Advisor (free initial consultation)

Fees 

0.25%

management fee

Fees 

0.25%

with a balance over $20K or qualifying recurring deposit. Otherwise, $4/month.

Account minimum 

$0

Account minimum 

$150,000

Account minimum 

$500

Account minimum 

$0

$10 to start

Promotion 

Get $25

when you open a personal brokerage account and deposit at least $5. Subject to T&Cs.

Promotion 

3-Month Satisfaction Guarantee

Promotion 

Get a $50 customer bonus

when you fund your first taxable investment account

Promotion 

None

no promotion available at this time

Learn more

on Stash's website

Learn more

on Zoe Financial's website

Learn more

on Wealthfront's website

Learn more

on Betterment's website

AD

Paid non-client promotion

AD

Paid non-client promotion

AD

Paid non-client promotion

AD

Paid non-client promotion

NerdWallet doesn’t invest its money with this provider, but they are our referral partner – so we get paid only if you click through and take a qualifying action (such as open an account with or provide your contact information to the provider). Most importantly, our reviews and ratings are objective and are never impacted by our partnerships. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here’s how we make money.

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Full Review

Where Stash shines

DIY and automated investing: Stash marries the idea of DIY investing and an automated portfolio, giving clients the option to choose how involved they want to be. Often, robo-advisors are fully hands off, meaning you can’t pick any of your own investments.

Stock round-ups: If you like the idea of investing without too much effort on your part, Stash can round-up your purchases to the nearest dollar and send that money to your investment account.

Stock-Back® Card: Stash's Stock-Back® Card lets you earn stocks as rewards when you shop.

Where Stash falls short

No managed IRAs: Stash does not offer automated management for IRAs.

No tax-loss harvesting: Smart Portfolios don't offer tax-loss harvesting.

No human advice: Stash's offering of personalized advice refers to guides and how-to articles, as well as automated portfolio management available through Smart Portfolios.


Stash is best for:

  • Beginners who want to learn how to invest.

  • Investors who want to buy fractional shares.

  • Investors who want to choose their own investments and get automated portfolios.

Stash at a glance

Reviewed: Oct. 2023

Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2023

Account minimum

$0 ($5 for Smart Portfolios).

Account management fee

$3 per month for automated investing.

$9-a-month tier available with access to Kids Portfolios (custodial accounts) and higher Stock-Back® rewards.

Full details about each option below.

Investment expense ratios

0.08% to 0.14%.

Account fees (annual, transfer, closing)

$0 standard transfer fee, or 1% fee for instant transfers.

Outgoing ACAT full transfer fee: $75.

Portfolio mix

Smart Portfolio mix is well-diversified but lacks exposure to non-market correlated assets like REITs and commodities. Smart Portfolio has a small amount of exposure to cryptocurrency. Over 4,000 individual stocks and ETFs are available in the DIY individual brokerage account.

Socially responsible portfolio option

No automated socially responsible portfolio.

Themed ETFs, including socially responsible ETFs, are available in the DIY individual brokerage account.

Accounts supported

  • Individual brokerage accounts

  • ROTH and Traditional IRAs

  • UGMA/UTMA accounts

Note: Only individual brokerage accounts are available to be managed with Smart Portfolios. IRA and UTMA/UMGA accounts are available for DIY management only.

Tax strategy

Not available.

Automatic rebalancing

Smart Portfolios option features automatic rebalancing upon withdrawals or contributions, plus quarterly rebalancing.

Human advisor option

Not available.

Bank account/cash management account

Stash offers access to an online banking account with a stock-back rewards debit card, but the account doesn't pay interest.

Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website)

Phone and email support Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

More details about Stash's ratings

Stash is quite different from other robo-advisors we review. Instead of do-it-yourself or robo-advisor management, Stash offers clients the ability to do both.

Account minimum: 5 out of 5 stars

It takes only $5 to start investing with Stash's Smart Portfolios, which makes it easy for all investors to access. Some robo-advisors have $0 minimums, but others have minimums as high as $500 or even $5,000.

Account management fee: 5 out of 5 stars

Stash offers two levels of its subscription service. Here's what each tier offers:

Stash Growth ($3/month)

Stash+ ($9/month)

Everything you get in Stash Growth plus:

Investing

  • Personal Portfolio: A standard brokerage account where you can trade stocks and ETFs on your own.

  • Smart Portfolio: An investment portfolio managed by a robo-advisor.

  • Retirement Portfolio: A traditional or Roth IRA investment account you manage yourself.

  • Two Kids Portfolios you manage yourself (custodial UGMA / UTMA accounts).

Banking

Bank account and Stock-Back® Card which earns 0.125% back in stock.

Bank account and Stock-Back® Card with 1% back in stock (subject to terms and conditions).

Insurance

$1,000 life insurance policy.

$10,000 life insurance policy.

Other robo-advisors charge a fee based on the amount of money they are managing for you. For example, Betterment and Wealthfront have a 0.25% management fee — if you have $1,000 under management, the annual cost will be $2.50. These services will also build your portfolio, rebalance it and apply tax-loss harvesting on taxable accounts.

Keep in mind, if you opt for Stash Growth ($3 a month) or Stash+ ($9 a month), you’ll have the opportunity to pick your own investments through an individual brokerage account. This DIY-and-automated approach is rare among robo-advisors.

One other bonus feature Stash offers is life insurance access through Avibra, but the benefit amounts are hardly meaningful: At the $3-a-month tier, the benefit amount is $1,000, and it rises to $10,000 at the Stash+ $9-a-month level.

» Want to compare more providers? Check out our top picks for best robo-advisors.

Investment expense ratios: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The ETFs available through Stash have an average expense ratio — the annual fee charged to investors — of 0.08% to 0.14% for all Smart Portfolios. That’s fairly standard compared with Stash’s competitors.

Account fees: 4 out of 5 stars

Stash charges no standard transfer fee, but there is a 1% fee for instant transfers. A $75 ACAT fee is charged if an investor chooses to move assets to another brokerage firm. Stash customers can withdraw from their Smart Portfolio at no cost, and there are no fees for selling investments.

Portfolio mix: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Stash’s automated portfolios are made up of ETFs that include exposure to U.S. stocks, international stocks (in both developed and emerging markets) and U.S. and international bonds. Stash uses fractional shares so that all of your money is invested.

Stash also has a tool to educate users about the power of investing. Users can quickly adjust a slider to indicate their monthly deposit and growth potential, or anticipated investment return, and the app will show how much the user could have after one year, five years and 10 years.

Stash also offers access to cryptocurrency through its Smart Portfolio (the automated robo-advisor offering). Stash allows investors to invest in a Delaware statutory trust, or DST. This way investors can get crypto exposure without having to trade, store or safeguard actual coins.

Socially responsible portfolio options: 2 out of 5 stars

Stash does not offer an automated socially responsible portfolio, but within the DIY portfolio (available at any price tier) Stash offers access to thematic ETFs, including clean energy and women’s empowerment.

Looking for sustainable portfolios? Check out the best socially responsible robo-advisors.

Accounts supported: 1 out of 5 stars

For a managed Smart Portfolio, clients only have access to an individual brokerage account. Pretty much every other robo-advisor NerdWallet reviews gives users the ability to have a managed portfolio with an IRA.

This is one of the clear instances where Stash Smart Portfolios fall behind its competitors. If you’d like to invest in an IRA or custodial account, you can, but you’ll need to pick the investments for it yourself.

Tax strategy: 1 out of 5 stars

Stash does not offer any form of tax strategy. Many other robo-advisors offer some form of tax mitigation. Tax-loss harvesting, which is an investment strategy that can reduce the amount of tax you may have to pay after you sell your investments, is offered by several robo-advisors.

» Want to check out other providers? Here are our top picks for best robo-advisors.

Automatic rebalancing: 5 out of 5 stars

Stash Smart Portfolios offer quarterly automatic rebalancing if your portfolio drifts 5% away from your target allocation. For example, if your portfolio has an 80% stock allocation, and it jumps to 85% stocks, Stash will rebalance it for you.

Human advisor option: 1 out of 5 stars

Stash’s website states that all clients receive “advice” for beginning investors, personal finances, family finances and market insights. The fine print clarifies that it refers to “Financial Counseling Advice, which is investment advice in the form of guides and educational materials.”

The “personalization” comes from the information users input when their accounts are being set up, similar to quizzes other robo-advisors employ to gauge an appropriate asset allocation. It does not mean that you receive tailored advice from a financial professional. If you have specific questions you’d like to ask a financial professional, you may want to look elsewhere.

Banking account/cash management options: 4 out of 5 stars

Stash offers access to a banking account with no overdraft fees or minimum balance through Stride Bank. It lets you save automatically using roundups and auto-invest, and it also lets you set goals by separating your cash into spaces for specific purposes. This tool can help with budgeting, and your goals can be customized for what you’re saving for. Also, Stash’s banking account does not pay interest.

Stash's Stock-Back® Card rewards users with a percentage of their purchases back in stock. So when you shop at Walmart or Amazon, you’ll earn stock in those companies. When you spend at a local business, you’ll earn a stock or ETF from a preselected list. Stash Growth ($3 per month) customers earn 0.125% stock on all everyday purchases. Stash+ ($9 per month) customers earn 1% back in stock on all purchases up to $1,000 each month (subject to terms and conditions).

Customer support options: 4 out of 5 stars

Stash offers phone and email support Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

» Eager to pick your own investments? See our best online stock brokers.

Is Stash right for you?

If you’re looking for access to both a managed portfolio and an individual brokerage account where you can dabble in picking your own investments, Stash may be a good fit. Stash also provides access to fractional shares, allowing you to diversify with very little money.

But if you’re just looking for automated investment management, you can get similar services for less elsewhere. Other robo-advisors will also allow you to have an IRA managed.

How do we review robo-advisors?

NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks the largest U.S. robo-advisors. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.

We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across 16 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).

For more details about the categories considered when rating robo-advisors and our process, read our full methodology.

Learn more

on Stash's website