Our promise. We provide a buying advantage with verified reviews and unbiased editorial research.
About Acorns Reviews
This profile has not been claimed by the company. See reviews below to learn more or submit your own review.
Acorns is an investment app that lets you easily invest your spare change from purchases made on linked credit or debit cards. This money can go into investment accounts that match your risk tolerance. Acorns only offers managed portfolios of ETFs (exchange-traded funds) for investing, but it also provides checking accounts and bonus investments for shopping with over 12,000 brands.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Automatically invests spare change
- Earn bonus investments for shopping
- Sustainable portfolios available
- Bitcoin-linked ETF available
Cons
- Can only invest in ETFs
- $50 ETF transfer fee
Bottom Line
The Acorns app makes it simple for you to invest automatically. Additional perks, like checking accounts with smart deposits, can help you earn more. However, you might want a more robust platform for serious investing.
What is Acorns?
Acorns strives to make investing more accessible through automatic micro-investing and related services, like providing FDIC-insured checking accounts and bonus investments for shopping at certain stores.
Users can create investment accounts with diversified ETF portfolios, and Acorns offers both traditional and sustainable portfolio options. You can also invest up to 5% of your overall portfolio in a bitcoin-linked ETF or invest your money in one of Acorns’ child- or retirement-focused investment accounts.
If you want to add to your earnings, Acorns partners with ZipRecruiter to help you find a new job, and you can earn bonus investments for shopping from select brands.
You can also learn more about investing through the company’s educational resource library, which covers money and micro-investing basics, and its digital magazine.
How does Acorns work?
At its core, Acorns is essentially a robo-advisor that invests your money into managed portfolios of ETFs that reflect your investment risk tolerance.
One of the company’s main selling points is that you can automatically invest your extra change from purchases on linked cards or your Acorns checking account. However, you can still invest as little as $5 on a recurring or one-time basis into your portfolio of ETFs.
The company then diversifies your investments across over 7,000 stocks and bonds, making sure to keep within your target allocations by automatically rebalancing your portfolio.
You can also set up recurring contributions for your retirement account. The app analyzes your goals, income and employment to recommend your best IRA plan.
Acorns products
Acorns offers a few different products and features to help you manage, save, earn and invest your money.
- Investing
Acorns has several investment programs:
- Acorns Invest provides pre-built ETF portfolios based on your investment style: conservative, moderately conservative, moderate, moderately aggressive or aggressive. Depending on the portfolio, you might be investing in a blend of companies, bonds and markets in traditional or sustainable portfolios. Sustainable funds are chosen based on factors like ESG rating and environmental business practices.
- Acorns Later offers three types of retirement accounts: traditional, Roth and SEP (simplified employee pension) IRAs. You can fund these accounts through recurring or one-time contributions.
- Acorns Early lets you open a UTMA/UGMA account to invest in your child’s future. Because it’s a custodial account, your child can’t access the funds until they’re an adult. The account works the same as Acorns Invest.
It’s not a stand-alone investment program, but Round-Ups is a feature that automatically rounds up purchases in each active account to the nearest dollar, saving the difference each time. When your Round-Ups balance reaches $5, Acorns invests the money into your ETF portfolio.
- Banking
- Acorns checking accounts, provided through Lincoln Savings Bank, function like traditional checking accounts but have Acorns products, like Invest and Later, built in. Other features include a metal debit card, direct deposit and FDIC protection.
- Earning
- With Acorns Earn, shopping with one of Acorns’ retail partners earns you bonus investments that are put into your Acorns Invest account. The amounts can be fixed or a percentage of your purchase. Under Acorns Earn, you can also browse job listings to help you earn more money in a new occupation.
Acorns plans
Acorns offers two membership tiers: Personal and Family.
The Personal tier provides access to an automated investment account with features like Acorns’ signature Round-Ups program for spare change investing as well as recurring investments and bonus investments when you shop with any of over 12,000 brands. You also get access to a retirement account and a checking account with a metal debit card, automatic investing and up to 10% bonus investments. Checking accounts have no low-balance or overdraft fees, plus access to over 55,000 no-fee ATMs in the Allpoint network.
The Family tier provides all the benefits of the Personal tier, plus investment accounts for kids with automatic recurring investments, no added cost for multiple children, exclusive bonus investments, family financial advice and potential tax savings.
Acorns fees
Acorns charges $3 per month for its Personal membership tier and $5 per month for its Family membership tier.
While Acorns’ monthly fees are reasonable, they may actually be a better deal for investors with larger balances. If you don’t have much to invest initially, you may pay less with other investment platforms that charge a percentage of your assets. Acorns only starts charging fees based on assets when your accounts total over $1 million.
Acorns also charges relatively steep fees to transfer investments when closing your account — $50 per ETF. If you have four ETFs, that’s a $200 fee. Other platforms may charge lower flat rates to transfer out all your investments.
Acorns FAQ
What does Acorns invest in?
Acorns lets you invest in diversified ETF portfolios it puts together. You can choose from various portfolio types based on your risk tolerance and see breakdowns of each portfolio type on Acorns’ website.
Has anyone made money on Acorns?
Acorns doesn’t specify any dollar amounts or averages its members have made by investing through its platform. However, the company has been around since 2012 and claims it has had over 9 million people sign up. So, while no investment platform can guarantee you’ll make money, Acorns’ growth and popularity signal that there are likely some users who have benefited financially.
Does Acorns cost money?
Acorns’ monthly membership fees are either $3 or $5 per month, depending on your chosen tier. There’s no minimum to open an Acorns account, but you need at least $5 to start investing.
Is Acorns FDIC-insured?
Acorns’ checking accounts and debit cards are FDIC-insured for at least $250,000 since they’re issued by Lincoln Savings Bank, but this doesn’t apply to investment accounts.
Is Acorns investing safe?
It depends on what you mean. Acorns has several features that make its products safer from unauthorized access, including FDIC-insured bank accounts, SIPC-protected investment accounts, SSL encryption, account alerts, bank-level physical security and account safeguards. However, all investments have some risk, depending on the market.
Is Acorns worth it?
Acorns’ robo-advising platform makes automatic investing simpler, even if you don't have large sums of money, advanced investment knowledge or a personal broker to act as a go-between. However, its monthly fees can be pricey for smaller account balances, and its ETF transfer fee is pretty high. Regardless, Acorns can still be a worthwhile option if you want hands-off investing for yourself or your family.
Acorns Reviews
ConsumerAffairs has collected 26 reviews and 129 ratings.
A link has directed you to this review. Its location on this page may change next time you visit.
- 4,313,342 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
- We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2023
I lost money when I opened my account. I deposited $500 and between their maintenance fees and the market, I kept losing and losing money. When I decided to close the account, they still charged me the maintenance fee. Even though I processed the closing of the account on the 25th, they said that technically the closing was completed on their end on the 28th and therefore I had to pay the maintenance fee due on the 27th. They refused to give me a refund and safe to say I will not be recommending them to anyone.
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2023
I opened a account in August 2022. I made a transfer into the account. It then was locked. I called several times to get it unlocked. I was told to send in a PDF showing my name and account number so the account could be verified. I sent it. After sending that they said a 3way call to the linked bank needed to be done. We did the 3 way call. The bank refused to release Acorns the information they need. Then again after that call I was told to send in a bank statement again, a copy of my driver's license and a reason why the account was opened. I also did that. Now they are saying they need another PDF bank statement showing all my transactions (NOT GOING TO HAPPEN). That is personal when I was told they only needed a statement showing my NAME and ACCOUNT NUMBER. I think it's time to take legal representation because now I feel as if they are stealing money locking accounts and refusing to close them or unlock them.
Thanks for subscribing.
You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter! Enjoy reading our tips and recommendations.
Reviewed May 12, 2023
I've noticed that I can't find a statement of what charges are deducted from my savings. That concerns me. I have to take screenshots to keep up with what is going on. Sadly, we can't trust these institutions anymore.
Reviewed April 8, 2023
I've had an Acorns portfolio for over 3 years, it had a little over 3 thousand in it. Last year, I had to cancel a bank account due to unrelated fraudulent charges. Now I can't link a bank, customer service just wants a bunch of PDFs that I'm not even sure how to get from my old bank to transfer funds out. I'm trying to close and cancel everything, but they refuse to send me a check. So I guess I just give up on that three grand?
Reviewed April 3, 2023
They are promoting there that they are giving big promotions. If you are referring other people, you will never get this money and they’re also charging for a monthly subscription fee, which they never disclose with you.
Reviewed Jan. 15, 2023
If you wouldn't believe I am pushing a decade of trying to get them to cancel my account, I wouldn't blame you. Every time they tell me it is canceled they simply stop charging me for a couple months and then begin again. It takes a couple years for me to notice the $3 charge. AND HERE WE GO AGAIN. I can not explain in words how terrible this company is. I have already told them I would rather them throw every dollar I have in that account into a fire than have to continue trying to cancel it. Still fighting this battle. Maybe my great great grandkids will get the account cancelled.
Reviewed Jan. 11, 2023
I have made numerous attempts to close this account. The customer service representatives make promises but don’t follow through on their word. I’ve been told no less than three times that my account is closed. I have proof in emails. They give instructions how to close the account yourself, I follow through the prompts. Their site gets glitchy and doesn’t allow you to fully close it so then you have to call customer service who tells you not to worry that they’ve got it all taken care of and then your account get debit again the three dollar fee for subscription, and then they take out the investments - to go towards a closed account. I am livid! Guess I have to go to my bank to put a stop payment so that they stop this once and for all, and I have lost faith that I will get these subscription bogus fees refunded. Look at all the other reviews here and on Better Business Bureau. Wish I did in advance.
Reviewed Jan. 4, 2023
Even if you have used the service for years and have paid the monthly $3 fee that goes to who knows what, if you try to move money into your Acorns account for the first time in a while, your account will get locked. It's not as simple as calling them up to unlock it. They want you to EMAIL them a bank statement from your checking account and a screenshot of your checking account showing the transaction to Acorns.
Until then, you cannot access your money or close the Acorns account or cancel the transaction. You would think they would have a more secure way to send this information or a better method than this. The service has gone to trash ever since it went public, and I plan to close it once I can get my account unlocked. Google "Acorns locked account" to see the nightmare others have had to deal with. When you call customer service, they tell you the same thing. When you ask for a supervisor, they refuse, and repeat the same information. Avoid, if possible, cancel if not.
Reviewed Dec. 30, 2022
Absolutely no control over investment funds, can't find my account number anywhere, and can't download statements, I contacted customer service for help and they could not help me with anything at all! While this was happening I started looking on the site for the company contact information and they don't have an address, phone number, or email listed on the site at all! Very Fishy! Beware!
Reviewed Oct. 17, 2022
I have been using Acorns investing for my kids for about 4 years, and also the debit card feature. I have always used the same account to transfer money into account. Acorns recently locked my account because I transferred money into it. Their reasoning was because it was too large of a transfer (it was not that large). They sent me an email to send in a pdf of my bank statement of the account I was transferring the money out of, and a screenshot of the money leaving my account.
I have never heard of this type of security before and thought it was a scam! What business locks an account because you transferred money into it. Nevertheless I did as they asked and still have not gotten my account unlocked. This has been going on for over 2 weeks with multiple calls, chats and emails to Acorns. I feel like they have the upper hand and there is nothing I can do. This is the worst feeling when they have a chunk of your money and will not provide service to resolve the issue. I would really consider going with a different company so hopefully this does not happen to anyone else. Hopefully I can get this issue resolved because I plan on closing ALL of my Acorns accounts.
Acorns Company Information
- Company Name:
- Acorns
- Website:
- www.acorns.com
You’re signed up
We’ll start sending you the news you need delivered straight to you. We value your privacy. Unsubscribe easily.