Minimum Investment: What You Need to Start Investing with Little Cash

When people talk about minimum investment, the smallest amount of money required to open or participate in an investment account or fund. Also known as entry point, it’s the gatekeeper that used to keep most people out of investing—but not anymore. Ten years ago, you needed $3,000 just to buy a single mutual fund. Today, you can start with $10 and still get a diversified portfolio. That shift changed everything. The real question isn’t whether you have enough money—it’s whether you know where to put it.

Low minimum investment isn’t just about affordability. It’s about access. Platforms like Fidelity Go and Vanguard now let beginners skip the high fees and complex forms that used to scare people away. These aren’t gimmicks—they’re built on automated investing tools called robo-advisors, digital platforms that build and manage portfolios using algorithms with little to no human input. Also known as automated investment services, they’ve made professional-grade asset allocation available to anyone with a smartphone. And they don’t just lower the barrier—they lower the stress. You don’t need to pick stocks or time the market. You just need to start.

But here’s what most guides miss: the right low-cost investing, an approach focused on minimizing fees, taxes, and unnecessary trading to maximize long-term returns. Also known as passive investing, it’s the backbone of modern small-budget portfolios. A $25 monthly deposit into a low-fee ETF portfolio can grow faster than a lump sum stuck in a savings account earning 0.1%. It’s not magic. It’s compound growth meeting consistency. And it works whether you’re 22 or 52. You don’t need a bonus or inheritance. You just need to show up.

What you’ll find in these posts isn’t theory. It’s real-world data. We looked at every platform that lets you start under $100—and dug into their fees, tax handling, and how they actually manage your money. You’ll see which ones hide costs in fine print, which ones automate rebalancing without charging extra, and which ones let you reinvest dividends without a single transaction fee. We even checked how these platforms handle market dips—because the real test isn’t how they perform when everything’s up. It’s how they hold up when you’re nervous and your account dips 5%.

There’s no perfect starting point. But there’s a clear path. You don’t need to wait for the right moment. You don’t need to save for months. You just need to pick one platform, set up a small automatic deposit, and forget about it for a year. That’s it. The rest? That’s what the next few posts will show you—step by step, no fluff, no jargon.