Where can I buy stocks with a small amount of money? Fractional shares?

Yes — fractional shares are exactly what you’re looking for. They let you invest a dollar amount rather than buying a whole share.

For U.S. investors, some options currently include:

• fidelity.com — fractional stocks and ETFs starting at $1, $0 online commissions for U.S. stocks/most ETFs, and no minimum to open a brokerage account. Fidelity says its fractional program covers 7,000+ U.S. stocks and ETFs.Fidelity+1
• schwab.com — fractional shares of most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, with purchases starting at $1 and no online commission.Schwab Brokerage
• robinhood.com — fractional stocks/ETFs starting at $1.Robinhood
• interactivebrokers.com — fractional shares starting at $1, with 10,500+ eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs according to its current information.Interactive Brokers

If you only have $10–$50

You could, for example, put $20 into an ETF or $10 into a particular company without needing enough money to buy one whole share.

One important distinction: fractional shares make expensive stocks affordable, but they don't make individual stocks less risky. For someone starting with a small amount, a diversified ETF can be a way to spread the money across many companies rather than putting the entire amount into one company.

If you tell me whether you're thinking $10, $25, $50, or $100 per month, I can show you a simple example of how I'd structure a beginner portfolio at that amount.

Yes, absolutely! You no longer need hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy stock. Thanks to fractional shares , you can buy a slice of a company (like Apple, Amazon, or NVIDIA) for as little as $1 to $5 , even if a single whole share costs hundreds of dollars.

Top Brokerages for Fractional Shares & Small Budgets

Most major online brokerages offer commission-free trading and fractional shares with no account minimums:[nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)

• Fidelity Investments : Known for robust research, zero account fees, and fractional share trading (called "Stocks by the Slice") starting at just $1.
• Robinhood : Very beginner-friendly with a clean mobile app, zero commissions, and fractional shares starting at $1.
• Charles Schwab : Offers "Schwab Stock Slices," allowing you to buy fractional shares of S&P 500 companies starting at $5.
• SoFi Active Investing : Great if you want an all-in-one app that combines basic investing with banking/savings.
• M1 Finance : Excellent for automated, long-term investing where you build a "pie" of stocks/ETFs and fund it in $1 increments.[nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)

Micro-Investing Alternative

• Acorns : If you don't even want to think about picking stocks, Acorns links to your debit/credit card, rounds up your everyday purchases to the next dollar, and automatically invests that spare change into a diversified portfolio. (Note: Acorns charges a small monthly subscription fee, so it's best utilized if you want a true hands-off, set-it-and-forget-it approach).

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• Are you looking to pick individual stocks (like tech or retail companies) or prefer hands-off index funds/ETFs?
• Do you plan to trade via a mobile app or a desktop website?

Yes. Fractional shares let you invest a fixed dollar amount—like $5, $20, or $50—instead of having to afford one whole share.

For U.S. investors, several major brokerages currently support this:

• Fidelity Investments — Fractional shares of U.S. stocks and ETFs starting at $1; $0 commissions on online U.S. stock and most ETF trades.Fidelity+1
• Charles Schwab — Fractional shares of most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, starting at $1, with no online commissions.Schwab Brokerage
• Robinhood — Fractional stocks and ETFs starting at $1; eligible securities are generally exchange-listed stocks meeting Robinhood's requirements.Robinhood

Simple example

If a stock costs $500/share and you have $25, fractional investing lets you buy:

$25 ÷ $500 = 0.05 shares

You still participate proportionally in price changes and, where applicable, dividends.

If you're starting with a small amount, Fidelity, Schwab, and Robinhood all let you get started around $1, so you don't need hundreds or thousands of dollars.Schwab Brokerage+2

If you tell me whether you're thinking $10, $50, $100, or $500 to start, I can also explain how I'd structure a small portfolio (stocks vs. ETFs, diversification, and how often to add money).

Yes. If you only have a small amount—say $5, $20, or $50—you can buy fractional shares, meaning you buy a portion of a stock instead of needing enough money for one whole share.

Some U.S. brokerages that support this include:

• Fidelity — fractional shares of eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs, with investments starting at $1. No account minimums and $0 online commissions for U.S. stocks/ETFs.Fidelity+1
• Robinhood — fractional shares of eligible stocks and ETFs starting at $1.Robinhood
• Charles Schwab — offers fractional shares, with a $5 minimum transaction according to Fidelity's current comparison. Schwab has no minimum to open a standard brokerage account.Fidelity+1

Simple example

Suppose a stock costs $500 per share.

If you have $25, with fractional shares you could buy:

$25 ÷ $500 = 0.05 shares

If the stock subsequently rose 10%, your $25 investment would become about $27.50 (before taxes/fees).

If you're starting with a small amount, Fidelity is worth looking at because its $1 minimum makes it practical even for very small recurring investments.Fidelity

If you tell me roughly how much you want to start with ($10, $50, $100, etc.) and whether you're investing for the long term or trying to trade, I can explain what type of account and investments would fit that amount.

Yes, you can absolutely buy stocks with a small amount of money using fractional shares . Instead of buying a whole share (which might cost hundreds or thousands of dollars for top companies like Apple, Microsoft, or Nvidia), you can buy a "slice" of a share by specifying a dollar amount (e.g., investing just $5 or $10 into a high-priced stock).[nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)

Most major online brokerages offer commission-free trading and support fractional shares with $0 account minimums.[nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)

Best Brokerages for Fractional Shares

1. Fidelity Investments – Allows you to trade fractional shares (referred to as "Stocks by the Slice") starting at just $1, with $0 commission on U.S. stocks and ETFs.[nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)
2. Robinhood – Pioneered mainstream fractional trading with zero account minimums, allowing you to buy tiny fractions of stocks and ETFs down to 1/1,000,000th of a share.[nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)
3. Charles Schwab – Offers "Schwab Stock Slices," allowing you to buy fractional shares of S&P 500 companies starting at $5 with no commission fees.[nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)
4. Webull – Supports fractional share investing for as little as $5 on most U.S. stocks and ETFs with no account minimums.
5. Interactive Brokers (IBKR) – Offers robust global market access and fractional share capabilities for U.S. and European stocks.[nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)
6. M1 Finance – Great for automated, pie-chart-style portfolio building using fractional shares, though it has a standard $100 account minimum.

Tips for Investing Small Amounts

• Watch out for transfer limitations: If you ever decide to transfer your fractional-share portfolio to a different brokerage, most firms cannot transfer the fractional pieces electronically; they will automatically liquidate those fractions into cash.
• Consider ETFs: If you have very little to start with (like $10 or $20), buying an Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) like an S&P 500 index fund gives you instant diversification across hundreds of companies instead of risking it all on a single stock.

Are you looking for a platform that focuses on automated/hands-off investing (robo-advising) , or do you want to manually pick your own individual stocks?

Yes. Fractional shares let you invest a fixed dollar amount—say $5, $20, or $50—even if one whole share costs hundreds or thousands of dollars.

For a U.S. investor, good options include:

• Fidelity — fractional stocks and ETFs starting at $1; $0 online commissions on U.S. stocks and most ETFs.Fidelity+1
• Charles Schwab — fractional shares of most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, now starting at $1.Schwab Brokerage+1
• Robinhood — fractional stocks and ETFs starting at $1.Robinhood+1
• Interactive Brokers — particularly attractive if you want a very broad selection; its fractional minimum is reportedly as low as $0.01.Kiplinger

What I'd choose

If you're just starting with $10–$100, I'd lean toward Fidelity. It gives you fractional shares, a broad selection of stocks/ETFs, and a more traditional brokerage platform.

For example, with $25, you could buy:

• $10 of an S&P 500 ETF
• $5 of one company you like
• $5 of another company
• Keep $5 as cash

You don't need to wait until you can afford a whole share.

If you tell me roughly how much you want to start with (e.g. $10, $50, $100/month), I can suggest a simple beginner portfolio and which broker I'd use.

Yes, you can absolutely buy stocks with a small amount of money using fractional shares ! Instead of needing hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy a single full share of high-priced companies (like tech giants), fractional investing lets you buy a sliver of a share—sometimes starting with as little as $1 or $5.nerdwallet.com [nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)[[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEpc0g3I4XU&vl=en&t=124)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEpc0g3I4XU&vl=en&t=124)[[3](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/trading/fractional-trading.php)](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/trading/fractional-trading.php)

Top Brokerages Offering Fractional Shares

Major online brokers have made fractional trading widely available with $0 account minimums and zero commissions. Some of the best platforms include:nerdwallet.com [nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)

• Fidelity Investments : Offers fractional shares (called "Stocks by the Slice") for U.S. stocks and ETFs starting at just $1, backed by robust research tools.
• Charles Schwab : Offers "Schwab Stock Slices," allowing you to buy fractional shares of S&P 500 companies starting at $5.
• Robinhood : Known for pioneering ultra-accessible investing, letting you buy fractional shares of eligible stocks and ETFs starting at $1.
• Interactive Brokers : Offers extensive global fractional share trading starting from $1.interactivebrokers.com [nerdwallet.com](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/trading/fractional-trading.php)
• Active Investing : Great for beginners with a $5 minimum for fractional trades and user-friendly automated tools. []()

How Fractional Shares Work

1. Dollar-Based Investing: Instead of setting an order for "5 shares," you set an order for a dollar amount (e.g., "I want to invest $10 in Company X").
2. Owning a Slice: If a stock costs $500 per share, your $10 purchase gives you 0.02 of a share.interactivebrokers.com [nerdwallet.com](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/trading/fractional-trading.php)
3. Proportional Returns: If the stock goes up by 10%, your $10 investment also grows by 10% (minus any market fluctuations). You also receive proportional dividend payments.

Would you like help deciding which broker fits your goals, or do you want to know more about how dividends work with fractional shares?

Yes, you can absolutely buy stocks with a small amount of money using fractional shares.nerdwallet.com [nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)

Instead of needing hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy a single share of expensive companies like Apple, Microsoft, or Amazon, fractional shares allow you to buy a "slice" of a share (even as little as $1). If a stock costs $500 and you only have $50, you can buy 0.1 of a share. You will get proportional returns and proportional dividends based on the fraction you own.stockbrokers.com [nerdwallet.com](https://www.stockbrokers.com/guides/fractional-shares-brokers)[[2](https://www.stockbrokers.com/guides/fractional-shares-brokers)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_yaJPRcZVA)

The top online brokerages and apps that offer commission-free fractional share investing include:

• Fidelity Investments : Allows dollar-based investing starting at $1 for over 7,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs. It’s widely regarded as one of the best overall choices for beginners and long-term investors alike.nerdwallet.com [nerdwallet.com](https://www.nerdwallet.com/investing/best/best-brokers-for-fractional-shares)
• Charles Schwab : Offers "Stock Slices" which let you buy fractional portions of S&P 500 stocks starting at $5.youtube.com [nerdwallet.com](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_yaJPRcZVA)[[2]()]()

Would you prefer an automated, hands-off investing app (like a robo-advisor) or a self-directed brokerage where you pick the individual stocks yourself? Let me know and I can help you pick the right platform.

Yes. Fractional shares let you invest a fixed dollar amount—say $5, $25, or $50—even when one whole share costs hundreds or thousands of dollars.

For U.S. investors, some good options are:

• Fidelity Investments — Fractional shares of eligible U.S. stocks and ETFs starting at $1. No account minimum, and $0 commissions on online U.S. stock and most ETF trades.Fidelity+1
• Charles Schwab — Fractional shares of most U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, starting at $1, with no online commissions.Schwab Brokerage
• Robinhood — Fractional shares of eligible stocks and ETFs starting at $1.Robinhood

What I'd pick

If you're starting with a small amount and want something straightforward, Fidelity is probably my first choice. You can put, for example, $20 into an ETF rather than needing enough to buy a whole share.

One important point: you don't necessarily want to buy individual stocks just because you can buy them cheaply. With $20–$100, a diversified ETF can be a much simpler way to get exposure to many companies at once.

If you tell me roughly how much you want to start with (e.g. $10, $50, or $100) and whether this is for long-term investing or trying to grow the money quickly, I can suggest a few specific ways to allocate it.