Stash

Stash: financial advice and automated investing in one app

Stash is a financial technology company that integrates the advice of a traditional financial advisor into an application. Its offering is built around a low monthly fee, compared to advisors who charge a flat fee, which according to the company typically cost around $2,500 per year or more, not including commissions and other additional expenses. The company cites Nerdwallet.com (2026) as the source for that comparison.

The firm presents itself as an SEC-registered investment advisor, a status from which a fiduciary duty derives: the legal obligation to act in the client's best interest. Stash maintains that when it recommends a course of action, it does so for the user's benefit and not its own.

Investment plan and support

The service is organized into four main components:

• An investment plan built to measure according to each user's goals, time horizon, and risk tolerance.
• Concrete, actionable recommendations, designed so that the user does not have to guess the next steps.
• Automation of investing and guidance to stay consistent over time.
• Answers to user questions through Money Coach, an AI-powered financial advising tool that offers real-time guidance.

Money Coach and StashWorks

Money Coach is the company's AI-based financial advising tool. Its launch was led by Brandon Krieg, co-CEO and co-founder, who also drove StashWorks. Krieg also serves as CEO of Stash Capital, the company's broker-dealer.

Origins and founding team

Stash was founded in 2015 by Brandon Krieg and Ed Robinson, both from Wall Street. According to the company's own account, during their time in the industry they both concluded that wealth creation systems, and particularly investing, were stacked against everyday Americans. They left their jobs with the goal of making investing easy and affordable for everyone.

Before Stash, Brandon Krieg co-founded Edge Trade, one of the first and largest trade execution and software firms, later acquired by Knight Capital Group, and was head of electronic execution at Macquarie Securities Group. Ed Robinson, for his part, dedicated his career to democratizing financial services through simple, affordable, and accessible products; early in his career he advised high-net-worth families on asset allocation and spent nearly a decade on equity trading desks in London and New York with Macquarie, where he met Krieg.

Company size

The data the company provides about itself indicates that Stash launched its activity in 2015, has 1.2 million active subscribers, manages close to $5 billion in assets, and employs more than 125 people. The company states that its community has set aside more than $5 billion and that it helps more than 6 million people build a more secure financial future, with contributions starting at $5. The company notes that the client figure is defined by the number of those who have e-signed and that it does not constitute an endorsement or a statement of satisfaction by any client.

Awards

The company lists several awards and distinctions received: finalist in the Banking Tech Awards 2024 in the best contribution to economic mobility category; best no-nonsense investing app according to PopSugar in 2024; best personal finance app in the FinTech Breakthrough 2023; inclusion among USA Today and Statista's top 500 best financial advisory firms in 2023; and, also in 2023, Comparably's recognitions for best engineering team, best places to work, and best company outlook. Stash warns that receiving an award does not guarantee any level of skill on the part of the investment advisor.

User profile

The company targets its service at investors of all levels, including beginners. The testimonials featured on the site mention using the platform to learn how to invest, diversify, stay consistent over the long term, pay bills with stock back, and build generational wealth. The company notes that these testimonials have not been compensated, do not represent all clients, and do not constitute any guarantee.