Invstr is a financial education app that teaches you about investing. If you’re a US citizen then you can trade trade stocks and shares with Invstr, but in the UK, it’s more of an educational tool. US citizens can start trading with just $5.
Invstr is a micro-investing app which allows users to invest and learn about financial markets in a fun and safe way. It aims to democratise access to financial information and wants to empower its users to take charge of their finances by learning about the resources and opportunities available for investment.
The company was founded by Kerim Derhalli, a former managing director at Deutsche Bank, who founded Invstr to provide ordinary people a fun way to try their hand at the market in a low-risk environment.
There are three aspects of Invstr:
Play.
Learn.
Invest.
Designed to make learning about investing fun, you can play Fantasy Finance and the 100k challenge.
Invstr users can play in the app’s “fantasy league” games against other users. Like fantasy sports leagues, you can pick stocks, build your investment portfolio, climb the leaderboard and claim prizes.
By playing in the fantasy league, you can win different prizes by ranking in the top 10 of the monthly fantasy league game, such as cash vouchers to make real trades through the Invstr brokerage platform.
You can also create your own “private leagues” which you can invite your friends and colleagues to join. You can also join others’ private leagues, but through invitation only.
Every month, Invstr chooses one of its users to manage a $100,000 portfolio. Invstr fronts the cash and you can invest it as you wish. Once the portfolio is liquidated, either you keep the profits or Invstr manages the losses.
How to take part in the 100k challenge:
Invstr Learn has resources that are specifically designed to helping you learn how to invest. It includes the Invstr Academy, market blogs, podcasts, polls and stats.
Invstr Academy helps you improve your financial and investment literacy. It covers more than 2,000 instruments around the world including equities, commodities, cryptocurrencies and bonds. The different modules were written by financial experts and use simple language rather than over-complicated explanations.
Some benefits of the Invstr Academy include:
Invstr’s invest feature is only available for US citizens. If you’re in the UK then you can only use the Play and Learn features on the app.
If you’re in the UK and want to trade on stocks commission-free then you might want to consider another trading app like Freetrade or Trading 212.
Invstr users can also make real-life investments through the app’s brokerage platform, DriveWealth.
With its partnership with brokers, users can invest in US stocks and buy full or fractional shares in US-listed securities. Though it is limited to US markets at the moment, the app is working to expand to other markets.
Invstr converts the value of your trade into US dollars. So even if you trade in non-dollar denominations, Invstr uses the latest exchange rate to convert your trade. By normalising all trades to a single currency, the app makes it easier to keep track of users’ profits and losses.
The Invstr app is free to download and use. The standard free version of the app comes with all the features you need to start investing.
There is a premium service with additional features that come at an additional cost.
If you want to make real trades then you have to register with Invstr broker DriveWealth, which carries a $5 fee. Trades have a minimum commission of $2.99 per full trade and $0.99 per fractional trade.
You can invest as little as $1 with Invstr.
Invstr users can buy full and fractional shares through its partnership with broker-dealer DriveWealth. It is a FINRA-registered UK broker and a member of SIPC, which protects securities of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 cash). Plus, as a technology platform, Invstr is not a registered broker-dealer or investment adviser, so it doesn’t offer its own recommendations of any security.
Besides this, it must be acknowledged that investing comes with risks and users’ investments may lose value.
Invstr is a great app for those looking to learn more about trades and investments, without the high risks that can come with investing. It allows users to learn about investing through its Academy. It’s a shame that you can’t make real-life trades in the UK, which would set it apart from many trading platforms on the market.
All investing should be regarded as longer term. The value of your investments can go up and down, and you may get back less than you invest. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please seek out a financial adviser. Capital at risk.
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