Tools I Use
These are the exact platforms I use with my own money. Not a list of everything out there — just what I actually opened, funded, and still use, in the order that made sense for our family. If you're starting from zero, you don't need all of them. You need one, and you need to start.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only ever recommend things I genuinely use and believe in.
Buying your first shares
This is where most people should start. You do not need both — pick the one that fits how you already manage money, open it this week, and buy your first share. Starting small beats waiting until you feel ready.
The simplest place to buy your first share. Fractional shares mean you can start with $5 instead of saving up for one whole share — which is exactly how I got over the "I do not have enough to invest" hurdle.
Open Robinhood → Referral linkWhere I hold longer-term retirement money. Strong low-cost index funds and genuinely good Roth IRA support — if you are opening a Roth, this is a solid home for it.
Buying crypto
A small, deliberate slice of what we hold — never money we need soon. Crypto is far more volatile than the stock market and can fall very sharply. Only put in what you could genuinely afford to lose without it changing anything about your month.
The clearest interface if crypto is new to you, and where I hold stablecoins. Fees are higher than Kraken, but the tradeoff is that you are much less likely to fumble your first transaction.
Open Coinbase → Referral linkWhat I moved to once I understood what I was doing. Noticeably cheaper on fees, with a more serious feature set — worth it once buying crypto no longer feels intimidating.
Open Kraken → Referral linkIf you already opened Robinhood for shares, you can buy crypto in the same app. One fewer login, one fewer excuse not to start.
Open Robinhood → Referral linkWhere I keep shorter-term cash
Being honest about what this is: I hold stablecoins on Coinbase. This is not a savings account and it is not FDIC insured. Stablecoins aim to hold a steady value but are not guaranteed to, and have briefly broken that peg before. If you want your emergency fund fully protected, a federally insured high-yield savings account at a bank is the safer choice — and there is no shame in choosing safe for the money you cannot afford to lose.
Where our stablecoins sit. Understand the risk above before you copy this — it is a choice I make with my eyes open, not a recommendation for your emergency fund.
Open Coinbase → Referral linkOne last thing, because it matters more than any platform: investing involves risk, including the possible loss of what you put in. Nothing here is personalized financial advice — it is what one mom actually does, shared openly. Your situation is yours. Start with money you will not need soon, keep going through the boring stretches, and give it years rather than weeks. That patience is the real strategy.