Are micro-investment apps really worth it?
Are you investing in shares? Diversifying your assets? How about alternative investments? All of these concepts may seem rather daunting if you’ve never invested in anything before, which is why the fintech industry is experiencing significant growth, particularly, with a millennial audience. With the introduction of easy to use micro-investment options like Raiz (formerly Acorns), BrickX and Spaceship Voyager there’s now an easy, low entry point for just about anyone.
In this article, we take a look at some of the most popular apps of the moment.
Raiz
Formerly known as Acorns, Raiz is a micro-investing app that automatically invests your spare change into a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with 6 portfolios to choose from. This app targets millennials who may not have large amounts of disposable income to invest, but they are still interested in getting into the market, particularly when it’s so easy to create an account.
Raiz enables you to connect your debit or credit card to your Raiz account, the app automatically rounds each purchase up to the nearest dollar and deposits this into your portfolio. For example, if you were to purchase a coffee for $4.60, this would result in a $0.40 investment into your Raiz account.
Raiz's funds under management have grown 72 per cent over the past year, and 41 per cent of accounts have less than $5000 invested suggesting the user base is not the traditional investing class.
BrickX
BrickX is an award-winning platform that provides a simple and low-cost way to access the property market. Essentially, you purchase a ‘brick’ which represents a fraction of a property.
BrickX hand picks quality properties and divides them into 10,000 bricks for people to purchase. You can choose which bricks you want to buy, or you can use their Smart Invest feature. With this set up you can invest regular amounts each month and BrickX will do the work for you by investing on your behalf.
In December, it was estimated that BrickX had 70,000 users who were signed up to their service.
Spaceship Voyager
Like Raiz, Spaceship Voyager is an Australian app designed to aid simple investment. There’s no minimum to start and there are two portfolios to choose from. Launched in 2018, there are more than 39,000 users currently using this app.
Spaceship Index Portfolio and Spaceship Universe Portfolio. The Index Portfolio invests in 200 of the world's largest companies comprising the most popular household brands. The Universe Portfolio invests in 100 companies around the world with a strong focus on high-growth technology stocks.
If you’re wondering what the difference between Raiz and Spaceship Voyager are, ultimately, it’s best to research all of your options and determine what suits your individual needs the best. However, according to Finder "Raiz Invest offers more portfolio options to choose from, including an ethical investment option that isn't offered with Spaceship Voyager. Also, if you're uncomfortable taking on too much risk, Raiz Invest might be better as it offers low-risk and moderate-risk portfolios as well as a high-risk option. However, the fees are a lot lower with Spaceship Voyager, so if keeping your costs low is your main priority, then this is a good option."
“These micro-financing apps are often introducing people to a world of investing. They’re making it easier for people who have never invested to start thinking about investments and it can be a gateway to more profitable future investments,” says Inovayt Wealth Director Tony Stewart.
“Determining whether or not they are worth it is down to the individual, their experience and their financial situation. It’s a good starting point and it’s so easy to implement, however, if you have a bit of money to invest, it’s probably worth seeking independent financial advice. If you plan on using Raiz simply for the round up function it is worth checking with your bank as a lot of the major banks including ING have now introduced this feature.”
Are you looking to begin investing and interested in micro-investment?
If you’re interested in investment advice or want to discuss the pro's and con's on micro-investment apps, speak with an Inovayt financial advisor to discuss what options may best suit your personal circumstances.
