Financial Self-Care: This Social App Is Making Investing So Much Better

You practice self-care in so many facets of your life—your skincare routine? Down pat. Your therapy appointments? On the books. That workout app and new espresso machine? Downloaded and percolating as we speak. So, what’s your excuse when it comes to personal finance?

 Actually, don’t tell us—we can already guess that it’s because the world of finance, especially traditional investing, makes you feel a bit “other,” right? If you’re a woman or a person of color (or both) then you know that historically, the investment culture has been an unwelcoming, unfriendly place. A miss, given that McKinsey predicts a massive wealth transfer from men to women over the next decade due to life expectancy among male baby boomers. That $30 trillion in financial assets that American boomers will possess? The majority of the control of that figure will be in the hands of the younger, longer-lived female spouses by 2030.

But if you had, say, an accessible investment network that was social in nature with an emphasis on education, would that change things? Public.com believes so, which is why they’re doubling down on a new culture of investing that relies on responsibility, transparency and social education to get women and POC on a healthier financial routine. The way we see it, they’re cornering the last frontier of self-care. 

Public.com is the social investing app where you can buy any stock for any amount money and share ideas with a community of investors. It’s backed by big names, too, like Sophia Amoruso, Iska Lawrence, Angela Lee, Will Smith, Scott Galloway and some of the original investors in Venmo. The app is free to use and there are $0 commission fees on standard trades…there are no account minimums to get started.

Arguably the best component of the platform, though, is the emphasis on learning. Public doesn’t expect you to come to them as a pro, or even as someone who has dabbled in investing before. They combine the ease of factional investing (buying stocks in small slices vs. shares—a great way to play around with small amounts of money while you learn) with an educational community that’ll help build your confidence. You can share or read ideas in a social feed, start or join chat groups, discover new investment opportunities based on things you care about and follow notable investors in the app.

To sum it up, it’s a whole different vibe than the investing world you’re used to. In fact, right now, Public’s user base is 40 percent women and 45 percent POC. And conversations in the app aren’t just “stock talk.” Members share personal finance and budget tips, have conversations about broad business trends and generally demystify things like what happens when a company IPOs. It’s not a day-trader forum, it’s for people like you who want to make good, long-term financial wellness decisions in a safe space that doesn’t reek of boys’ clubs. They don’t sell your trades to third-parties and they don’t use Payment for Order Flow as a revenue generator. Instead, they add safety labels on potentially risky stocks and have in-app explanations so you can learn by doing.

See for yourself by signing up for an account, and start off on the right foot with a free slice of stock. Because your finances deserve as much self-care as the rest of your life, don’t you think?

_{Offer valid for U.S. residents 18+ and subject to account approval. There may be other fees associated with trading. See Public.com/disclosures/.}