These 5 Legitimate Companies Will Give You Free Stocks
We’re all about freebies around here. Free gift cards? Heck yeah! Free money? Sign us up! Free stocks? Even better — they could increase in value over time!
And before you ask: Yes, there is a such thing as free stocks. We know, we know. It sounds too good to be true, but you just have to know where to look — and that’s where we can help you.
Collect Free Stocks From These Companies
We researched the best, most legitimate investment companies, apps and trading platforms that offer something for free.
Without further delay, here are our favorite companies giving away free stocks:
1. Robinhood: Varies
Free stock value: Varies
An investing app called Robinhood will give you free stock in well-known companies just for downloading its app and opening a free account.
Robinhood is free and easy to navigate, which is why more than 10 million people use it — including both news junkies looking to outsmart the market and people who want to carefully put a few bucks away in a long-term investment.
Plus — you can buy and trade stocks, options, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and cryptocurrencies commission-free. There are no account minimums and no maintenance fees.
How to claim your free stock: Sign up using this unique referral link. Once you create your account, Robinhood will give you a free share of stock. The share is chosen randomly and can fluctuate with the stock market.
Available via desktop, Apple iOS and Google Android.
2. Stash: $5
Free stock value: $5
Take a look at the Forbes Richest People list, and you’ll notice almost all the billionaires have one thing in common — they own another company.
But if you work for a living and don’t happen to have millions of dollars lying around, that can sound totally out of reach.
That’s why a lot of people use the app Stash. It lets you be a part of something that’s normally exclusive to the richest of the rich — buying pieces of other companies for as little as $1.*
How to claim your free stock: When you sign up for Stash through The Penny Hoarder, you’ll get a $5 bonus.
Available via Apple iOS and Google Android.
3. Acorns: $5
Free stock value: $5
If you’re just entering the world of stock trading, we get it: It can be quite intimidating. Start out slow(er) by investing in ETFs, which are basically fractions of stock.
With the Acorns micro-investing app, for example, you can connect your debit or credit card and choose to round-up your transactions to the nearest dollar. Then, Acorns automatically takes your digital spare change and funnels it into ETFs.
No, you probably won’t get rich investing in ETFs, but it’s a great place to start. Note that Acorns charges a $1 monthly fee for balances under $1 million. However, there are no minimums and no free trades.
How to claim your free stock: When you sign up for Acorns through The Penny Hoarder, you’ll get a $5 bonus. Use that $5 to begin dabbling in ETFs.
Available via Apple iOS and Google Android.
4. Stockpile: $5
Free stock value: $5
Stockpile lets you buy fractional shares of stock and ETFs. It stands out from the other options on this list because you can also gift stocks to family and friends (the perfect graduation present).
Start with a $5 investment. Once you’re in, there are no monthly fees and no account minimums. However, you’ll be charged 99 cents per trade.
How to claim your free stock: Sign up for a Stockpile account with this referral link, and buy your first stock or e-gift of at least $10 in stock.
Available via desktop, Apple iOS and Google Android.
5. M1 Finance
Free stock value: $10
Do you know what the “1” in M1 stands for? One account. The goal of M1 is to simplify your finances, so you can invest, borrow and spend money all from one spot.
Now, let’s focus on the investing part. M1 allows you to build a custom portfolio of stocks and funds. Or, if you’re not feeling as adventurous, you can opt for a pre-built expert portfolio. It also lets you invest in fractional shares of companies (if you don’t want to fork over nearly $2,000 for Amazon stock) and will let you opt into automated investing, which lets M1 take over with free stock trading.
Basically, M1 gives you a ton of options, and they’re all free. You’ll need to deposit at least $100 to get started.
How to claim your free stock: To get this free $10 to put toward stock, you’ll need a friend. Once you’ve funded your account, click “Refer and Earn” to find a unique referral link to send to your friends. Once they’ve funded their accounts, you’ll get $10.
Available via desktop, Apple iOS and Google Android.
Carson Kohler ([email protected]) is a personal finance writer at The Penny Hoarder. She casually dabbles in ETFs.
