Seen At 11: Jump Into The Investment Game For The Price Of A Cappuccino
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New apps can help users get into the market for about the price of a cappuccino.
As CBS2's Dick Brennan reported, it's a changing world for people wanting to cash in on the investment game, and it's happening right on their smartphones.
New apps like "Stash" and "Robinhood" allow for an easy, low-cost opportunity to buy in the stock market.
"I'm learning what $5 can do, what $10 can do," Jessica Lordet said.
Lordet signed up about 7 months ago with just $5. Now she invests about $10 a week, sometimes more, and has over $700 in her account.
"A big thing when you're starting to invest is that you never put what you can't afford to lose. So I guess I followed that rule," she said.
The apps fall under SEC and other regulatory guidelines. Stash is also a registered investment adviser.
"They were helping guide which stocks or funds or however you say that," she said.
Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson are co-founders.
"It's not like you're picking something and then you're off on your own in the ether. We're with you 100 percent of the way," Krieg said.
Robinhood is another mobile investment app that's aimed at users willing to trade in their latte and invest that money weekly in the stock market. Vlad Tenev is the co-founder.
"There are definitely people that don't have access to a 401k, or don't have student loans and it makes sense for them to start investing with small amounts of money. Not just for their retirement, but also to start building," he said.
But CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger warned users from jumping to invest in a volatile market.
"How would you feel if the market went down 30 percent, and all of a sudden $10,000 it went from 10 to $7,500 like in the financial crisis, how would you feel then," she said.
She also said it's crucial to pay down student loans and credit cards, and to start saving in an IRA.
"It's just as easy to do it in a retirement account than in a non-retirement account, and retirement accounts afford you amazing tax advantages," she said.
It's free to trade on Robinhood. Stash charges a dollar a month. Schlesinger said to focus on maxing out your IRA investment.
