Learn with the Plynk app
Gain confidence in your investing knowledge and explore the basics at your own pace.
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What is a 7-day yield?
We explain what a 7-day yield means for money market funds, and how it compares to an annual percentage yield (APY).
Read moreHow to measure investment performance
The Plynk app makes it easy to know how your investments are doing. Learn two simple ways to assess the growth of your investments in the app.
Read moreWhat are dividends?
Dividends are a way you can receive income from your investments without having to sell them.
Read moreLet's keep exploring
How to set up a virtual portfolio
Virtual portfolios let you see how combinations of investments would’ve performed from a certain point in time until now.
Read more about how to set up virtual portfolios.How to set up a watchlist
Build a watchlist in the Plynk app to keep track of stocks and funds you may be interested in.
Read more about WatchlistsChoosing a market order or a limit order
We explain the difference between two ways to trade stocks and funds, plus how to do it in the Plynk app.
Read more about market orders and limit orders3 steps for veterans to prepare for investing
Plan ahead, set your goals, and know your options.
Read more about how veterans prepare to invest.What is dividend yield and what does it mean to reinvest dividends?
We explain dividend yield and dividend reinvestment, plus how you can use the Plynk app to find stocks that pay dividends.
Read more about stocks—what are they and why would I invest in them?The Plynk Investing Dollar Store
To help spread the word that our app provides a refreshingly easy way to invest with as little as $1, we created the Plynk Investing Dollar Store.
Read more about the Plynk Dollar StoreReduce risk with dollar cost averaging
Investing money in a stock or fund systematically instead of all at once can help smooth out your purchase price.
Read more about dollar cost averaging.Is a Roth IRA right for you?
We explain how IRAs work and discuss some of the benefits of a Roth IRA.
Read more Is a Roth IRA right for you?4 money must-knows for 2023
Investing tips to consider with high interest rates, inflation, and an uncertain financial outlook.
Read more 4 money must-knows for 2023How to use expert ratings
The Plynk app provides expert ratings of stocks and funds to help inform your investment choices.
Read more expert ratingsHow to set up recurring deposits
Learn how to automatically deposit funds into your brokerage account each month.
Read more about How to set up recurring deposits3 ways to find money to invest
Looking to uncover extra money in your budget for investing? Try exchanging old gift cards, taking a closer look at your monthly expenses, and putting your tax refunds to use.
Read more about 4 creative ways to find money to investHow to invest based on your interests
The Plynk app lets you search for investments by themes that may appeal to you.
Read more about how to invest based on your interestsBulls, bears, and time in the market vs timing the market
It can be helpful to know what happens when stock prices rise and fall and how to think about investing through it all.
Read more about bear and bull market marketsAll about funds: Comparing ETFs and mutual funds
Exchange-traded funds and mutual funds may sound similar, but they have some key differences.
Read more about 5 steps to invest with PlynkHow to make your money work for you
Take advantage of compound growth by investing your money in the stock market.
Read more about how to make your money work for you3 smart investing habits
Practicing good habits from the get-go will help set you on the right path.
Read more about 3 smart investing habitsHere’s how you could earn more on your cash (without buying stocks)
You can still put your money to work even if you don’t want to invest it in the stock market.
Read more about 4 smart investing habitsGet to know your investing fees
The Plynk app is committed to full transparency about what fees you pay (and better yet, what fees you don’t pay).
Read more investing-feesMaking a plan to sell
Without a plan it can be hard to know when to sell stocks and other investments. Learn how to make an exit strategy.
Read more Making plan to sellBuilding your own investing strategy
An investing strategy is a plan that outlines how you intend to reach your investing goals.
Read more about 5 steps to invest with PlynkStart investing with as little as $1
Now you don’t need to have hundreds of dollars to own a slice of your favorite company.
Read more about how to start investing with as little as $1What are index funds?
Index funds can be a simple and low-cost way to help diversify your investments.
Read more diversifying with index fundsMeet PlynkTM: Karen Harrison, customer experience analyst
Karen tells us why she joined Plynk and shares her favorite customer success story.
Read more about Karen Harrison, customer experience analystPaying taxes on your investments
Learn how capital gains taxes work and why holding onto an investment for more than a year could lower your tax bill.
Read more about paying taxes on your investmentsHow to keep your cool during market uncertainty
Learn how to avoid making emotional decisions when markets get choppy.
Read more about how to keep your cool during market uncertainty3 tips to start investing in 2024
Make this the year you stick with your goal and put your money to work for the future.
Read more about 3 tips to start investing in 2024How to find investment ideas
Not sure where to start looking for investments? Plynk Explore can help you find ideas based on your comfort zone and your interests.
Read more about how to find investment ideas5 steps to make your first investment
How to make a trade in just a few simple steps with the Plynk app.
Read more about 5 steps to invest with PlynkHow to invest for a big goal
Knowing what you’re investing for is the first step. What’s next? Understanding your time horizon and comfort with risk.
Read more about how to invest for a big goalInvest vs trade: What type of investor are you?
There are 2 key ways to invest money in the stock market based on how often you do it and what you want to get out of it.
Read more about what type of investor are you?Let’s talk stocks—what are they and why would I invest in them?
Explore what it means to own stock in a company, and how to get started buying it.
Read more about stocks—what are they and why would I invest in them?What are stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds?
Learn the differences between these 3 investment types and what to consider when choosing which to invest in.
Read more about what are stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds?Invest regularly without having to think about it
Automatic investing can help you streamline your financial decision-making and put good money habits on autopilot.
Read more about investing regularly without having to think about itDiversification: Why it matters to you
Spreading out your money across different investments can help you reduce risk.
Read more about diversification: why it matters to youBeating inflation through investing
By investing your money over time, you can increase your “buying power” as inflation drives up prices of everyday items.
Read more about beating inflation through investing3 reasons to start investing with the Plynk® app
The Plynk app will help you explore ways to grow your money—one step and $1 at a time.
Read more about 3 reasons to invest with PlynkInvesting FAQs
Stocks
Stocks are what you hear about most often when people are talking about the “market.” Stock allows you to invest in (or “own a piece of”) a company; each piece of ownership is known as a “share,” and each share is worth a certain dollar amount that changes throughout the day as stocks are bought or sold in real time on stock exchanges. Investing by buying stock in a single company is like “putting all your eggs in one basket,” and may be riskier—but possibly also more rewarding—than investing in a “fund,” like a mutual fund or an ETF.
Learn more: Let’s talk stocks
Mutual fund
Think of a mutual fund as an investment stew. Investments, such as stocks, bonds, and other ingredients are mixed together (some funds may invest only in stocks, or only in bonds) and sold as 1 dish, creating a mutual fund. Mutual funds offer a way to buy different investments packaged together, or served together like a “dish,” and sold together as 1 entity instead of as individual companies. Investments in mutual funds change all the time, as they are managed by a team of professionals who decide which investments to buy and sell. Mutual funds often come with additional fees (some low, some high) that stocks don’t have because professional managers are making the investment selections. The price of a mutual fund is updated at the end of each business day. You can find out more about each fund’s objective and strategies in its prospectus.
Learn more: All about funds
Exchange-traded funds
An ETF (exchange-traded fund) is another sort of investment stew (or for ETFs, more commonly referred to as a “basket”), that mixes together stocks and/or bonds, and sells them for 1 price. ETFs often try to mimic a major stock index, like the S&P 500®, which represents the 500 largest companies in the United States. Since you can’t buy from the S&P 500® directly, and most likely don’t want to buy stock in each individual company, you can buy one ETF “unit” or “share” and invest in all these companies at once, trading real-time like stocks. Doing the same with mutual funds that track indexes is possible, but your mutual fund trade would be executed at the end of the day, and not in real time.
Learn more: Comparing stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds
Bonds
A bond is essentially a loan; money that you give to a company or the government and they pledge to pay you back in the future with more money than you originally gave them. Bonds are usually lower risk than stocks or funds, which means you usually won’t earn as much as with a successful stock or stock fund selection, but you also won’t usually lose as much as with an equally unsuccessful stock or fund. Bonds, however, have their own risks, such as interest rate risk (as interest rates rise, price will fall).
Asset allocation
Asset allocation is putting your money into a combination of investment types—like stocks and bonds—to help spread your risk. An easy way to remember it is, to spread your risk, you may not want to “put all your eggs in 1 basket.”
Diversification
Diversification takes asset allocation 1 step further by spreading your money between investment types with different focuses. There are different companies, industries, and business sizes for each investment option on the market—helping you spread out your risk even more. It's what helps decrease risk within your portfolio when 1 company, industry, or business performs poorly. Of course, diversification does not guarantee a profit or ensure against a loss, but it may help smooth out otherwise dramatic changes in a portfolio.
Learn more: Why diversification matters to you
Rebalancing
Rebalancing is an essential part of managing your portfolio. Your mix of investments will likely change over time depending on how your different investments perform. Therefore, it's important to periodically review your asset allocation to make sure it still aligns with your objectives and timeline. When it doesn’t, that’s the time to rebalance your investments.
Risk tolerance
Risk tolerance is the degree of uncertainty you're willing to take when you invest. It's best determined by considering several factors: how much time you have to reach a goal, your experience investing, how much your goal amount is, your other financial resources, and how much risk (including loss) you’re comfortable taking.
Micro-investing
Micro-investing involves investing small amounts of money (even $1) to buy fractions of a share, making it easier for folks who may not have traditionally had enough money or been ready to invest.
Learn more: Invest with as little as $1 with fractional shares
Dollar-based investing
Dollar-based investing allows you to invest by the dollar rather than by the share and can be a good example of micro-investing. So instead of buying 10 shares of a company, you can buy $50 of a company. This method, otherwise known as buying fractional shares, allows you to match how much you invest with the money available in your account. Through the Plynk app, you can buy fractional shares of stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds through dollar-based investing.