Key takeaways
Chime Invest™ lets you invest inside the Chime® app, with no account balance minimums and a starting contribution as low as $1.
You can choose a Managed Portfolio built by financial professionals and managed by an automated program, or invest on your own with self-directed trading.
Self-directed trades are commission-free, and Managed Portfolios have advisory fees that vary based on your Chime membership status.
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) protects your securities up to $500,000, though investments aren't FDIC-insured and may lose value.
Investing can feel intimidating. Maybe it seems expensive, complicated, or meant for people with money to spare. Chime Invest is built to change that. It's investing built right into the Chime app you already know. You can start small and learn as you go. There are no account balance minimums, and you can begin with as little as $1.
In this guide, you'll learn what Chime Invest is, how its two paths work, what it costs, how your money is protected, and how to take your first step.
What is Chime Invest?
Chime Invest is investing built into the Chime app, right alongside your spending and saving tools. You don't need a separate account or a big balance to start investing. There are no account balance minimums, and you can get started with as little as $1.
You get two ways to invest, so you can pick the one that fits you best.
Self-directed Investing (the hands-on route) — This is the "I’m in control" option. Browse stocks and ETFs, decide what to buy and when to sell, and manage it all yourself in the app. No commission fees (other fees may apply).
Automated Investing (the hands-off route) — Think of this as the "set it and let it ride" option. You share your goals and how much risk you're comfortable with, and you’ll be recommended a Managed Portfolio (Conservative, Balanced, or Bold), expertly-built and managed for you by our partner, Atomic Invest, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Good fit if you'd rather not pick individual investments yourself.
Investment services are provided by Atomic Invest LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.1 Chime is a financial technology company, not an investment adviser, so it doesn't give investment advice.
Managed Portfolios for a hands-off approach
Prefer to keep things simple? A Managed Portfolio does the choosing for you. You answer a short set of questions about your goals and how much risk you're comfortable with. Based on your answers, you're matched to one of three diversified portfolios. Your options are Conservative, Balanced, or Bold. A diversified portfolio simply means your money is spread across many investments to help manage risk.
These portfolios are built by financial professionals and managed by an automated program at Atomic Invest. Technology handles the routine, time-consuming tasks, which helps keep costs low. It isn't an algorithm acting on its own. Experts set the strategy, and the technology carries it out at scale. This path suits you if you'd rather not track the market yourself.
Self-directed investing for a hands-on approach
Want more control? Self-directed investing gives you full control over your choices. You can buy individual U.S. stocks and ETFs on your own. An ETF, or exchange-traded fund, is a bundle of investments you can buy in a single trade.
Every self-directed trade is commission-free, so you won't pay a commission fee to buy or sell (other fees may apply). This path suits you if you like doing your own research and picking your own investments.
How to invest with Chime, step by step
Getting started takes just a few steps. Here's how it works.
Find Investing in the app. Open the Chime app and look for Investing under Financial Tools. This feature is rolling out to eligible members over the coming weeks, so it may not appear for everyone right away.
Choose your path. Decide how hands-on you want to be. You can jump into self-directed stocks and ETFs, or answer a few questions about your goals and risk comfort to get a Managed Portfolio.
Fund your Investing account. Fund your investments directly from your Chime Checking or Chime Card™ account – no separate transfer is required. You can start with just $1. Transactions you make before 3 p.m. ET are typically invested the same day.
Monitor your progress. Track your portfolio right in the app, alongside your everyday banking. You can check in whenever you like to see how your investments are doing.
What it costs: fees and membership tiers
Here's the honest breakdown. Chime aims to profit with its members, not from them, so the costs are straightforward.
Self-directed trading is commission-free, with no per-trade fee to buy or sell (other fees may apply).
Managed portfolios have no advisory fees for Chime Prime™ members.2
Managed portfolios have a 0.10% annual advisory fee for Chime Plus™ members.
Managed portfolios have a 0.25% annual advisory fee for all other members.
There are no account balance minimums, so you can start with as little as $1.
Is your money safe? Security and protection
Yes, there are protections in place. SIPC protects the securities in your Chime Invest account up to $500,000, which includes up to $250,000 for cash, through Atomic Brokerage LLC.3 SIPC coverage helps if the brokerage firm fails. It doesn't protect against normal market losses.
That's the honest part: investing always carries risk. Your investments aren't FDIC-insured, aren't bank-guaranteed, and may lose value. It's smart to invest money you won't need right away, since the value of your investments can rise and fall over the short term.
Saving vs. investing: which comes first?
Not sure whether to save or invest first? A good rule is to build your savings foundation before you invest. A Chime Savings Account is a great place to set aside money for emergencies, like a surprise car repair or a medical bill. That money stays available and accessible when you need it.
Investing is different. It's meant for those longer-term goals you're working toward years down the road, like retirement.
You don't have to choose between savings and investing. Once you have a cushion for the unexpected, you can start investing your money while you keep saving. Both are real steps forward.
Take your first step
Investing doesn't have to be complicated or out of reach. With Chime Invest, you can start with just $1 and learn as you go, right in the app you already use. Any step forward counts. Get started with Chime today.