Acorns review 2023

Our verdict

Our verdict

Consider Acorns if you want a beginner-friendly platform for investing passively in stocks and ETFs. Look elsewhere if you want a robo-advisor that offers tax-loss harvesting.

Best for: Beginner and hands-off investors.

Pros

• Automated stock and ETF investing
• Multiple investment account options
• Beginner-friendly app with educational resources
• Customize your portfolio with individual stocks with Acorns Premium

Cons

• No tax-loss harvesting
• Limited investment options

4

★★★★★

Finder rating

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Stock trade fee

$0

Minimum deposit

$0

Complete signup bonus

Get a $20 bonus when you set up an account and make your first recurring investment (min. $5)

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Acorns

Learn more and sign up on Acorns's secure site

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How we rated Acorns’ features

To learn how our star ratings are calculated, read our methodology at the bottom of the page.

Acorns is best for beginners and hands-off investors

Acorns is best for new investors looking for guidance or those who prefer the ease and convenience of automated portfolio management. With a simple and easy-to-navigate app, features that help you automatically save and a straightforward investment strategy, Acorns removes the guesswork that impedes many potential investors.

Is Acorns legit?

Yes. Acorns Advisers is a registered investment advisor with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Acorns Securities, an SEC-registered broker-dealer, offers its brokerage services and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). And as members of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), the securities in your account are insured up to $500,000.

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Where Acorns shines

Acorns champions micro-investing, a strategy that facilitates wealth building through small incremental investments. This is primarily done through its Round-Ups feature, which lets customers automatically save and invest spare change from everyday purchases made with the Acorns debit card. Customers can also use the Acorns browser extension to earn bonus investments on their purchases — similar to earning cash back with Rakuten or Honey — when they shop at over 15,000 partner brands.

Passive micro-investing, coupled with Acorns’ portfolio of curated exchange-traded funds (ETFs), makes it a suitable option for hands-off investors looking for a low-cost robo-advisor. Meanwhile, its account options and bundled online banking provide a convenient all-in-one service for customers. Subscribers to Acorns’ Premium plan also have access to Custom Portfolios, a new feature that lets you add individual securities to your portfolio.

Signing up with the platform also gives you access to Acorns Later , which offers a Traditional IRA, Roth IRA and SEP IRA, along with the ability to set up automatic recurring investments.

Where Acorns falls short

While Acorns takes the reins in terms of portfolio management and rebalancing, it lacks automatic tax optimization processes that minimize the tax impact on customers — a feature several other robo-advisors offer. An optional tax-loss harvesting feature could give customers more value from their investments, allowing them to realize losses to offset capital gains without unbalancing their portfolio allocation.

Acorns’ plans

Acorns’ fees

*You must have funds in your account to start investing, either through Round-Ups or a one-time investment of at least $5.

Acorns’ platform is easy to use

As a set-it-and-forget-it investing app, the Acorns platform is by no means overwhelming. No stock charts or news feed. No watchlists or company metrics. Just a simple platform that lets you save, invest and focus on the growth of your portfolio.

Acorns’ app

Investors will find their portfolio values front and center, as well as a snapshot of their different accounts. Additional tabs include banking, an education center and access to Acorns Earn, where you can earn bonus investments when shopping.

Acorns’ app store reviews

Acorns’ customer support

Connect with Acorns support in three ways:

How to open an account with Acorns

1. Click the “Sign up now” button below.
2. Enter your email and password and select Create Account.
3. Provide your name, date of birth, citizenship, address and phone number. Then, enter the one-time passcode sent to your phone and select Confirm.
4. Enter your Social Security number, answer regulatory questions and link your bank account.
5. Choose a plan and a portfolio theme.
6. Deposit funds or sign up for automatic investing.

Eligibility and required information

Sign up now

How safe is Acorns?

The Acorns app is considered safe and secure. Bank login information isn’t stored on its servers and it employs two-factor authentication for additional account security. Securities in customers’ investment accounts are protected up to $500,000 with the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).

Compare Acorns to other platforms

Acorns

★★★★★

Finder rating 4 / 5

Go to site

---

Available asset types

Stocks, ETFs

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Stock trade fee

$0

---

Minimum deposit

$0

---

Complete signup bonus

Get a $20 bonus when you set up an account and make your first recurring investment (min. $5)

SoFi Invest

★★★★★

Finder rating 4.6 / 5

Go to site

---

Available asset types

Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency

---

Stock trade fee

$0

---

Minimum deposit

$0

---

Complete signup bonus

Get up to $1,000 in stock when you fund a new account within 30 days.

eToro

★★★★★

Finder rating 4.2 / 5

Go to site

---

Available asset types

Stocks, Options, ETFs, Cryptocurrency

---

Stock trade fee

$0

---

Minimum deposit

$0

---

Complete signup bonus

Frequently asked questions about Acorns

• Where is my money invested?

  Money invested with Acorns is invested in curated portfolios of ETFs. Acorns offers five different core portfolios and four different ESG portfolios. Customers with early access to Custom Portfolios can invest up to 50% of the value of their investment account into a custom portfolio.

• How do I choose an investment portfolio?

  Acorns will recommend an investment portfolio based on your age, time horizon, income, investing goals and risk tolerance.

• When will Acorns' Custom Portfolio be available?

  Acorns is continuing its phased rollout of its Custom Portfolio and plans to implement an upcoming premium subscription tier for users interested in this feature. There is currently no date for when Custom Portfolio will be available to all Acorn users.

• What is the Acorns Round-Ups feature?

  Acorns users who make purchases with the Acorns debit card can opt to have their transactions rounded up to the nearest dollar and the change invested in their investment account.