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Domain Money Review 2024: An All-in-one Wealth Management Service

Domain Money is an all-in-one wealth management service that provides investment management and much more.

Quick Summary:

Domain Money is an all-in-one wealth management service that helps you manage your entire financial life with a dedicated Financial Planner. 

Overall Rating:

Tools & Features:

Ease of Use:

Price:

PROS

  • Transparent Pricing
  • No Minimum Investment

CONS

  • Pricey
  • New Company

Price:

$2,500 – $7,500

Features:

Dedicated Financial Planner

External Portfolio Review

Mobile App:

No

Current Promotions:

None listed

What is Domain Money?

Domain Money is an all-in-one wealth management app that helps you manage your entire financial life with a dedicated Certified Financial Planner. 

Founded by industry experts who developed Clarity Money and Marcus by Goldman Sachs, Domain built a set of proprietary technologies and processes that radically streamline the time it takes to deliver its services.

Utilizing a team of specialists behind the scenes who handle specialized tasks, such as Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and investment management specialists, their advisors can focus their time and attention on their clients.

How Does Domain Money Work?

Domain Money’s key offering is its financial Planner service.

When you sign up for Domain Money, they will connect you with an investment advisor investment advisor who is registered as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional (CFP® Professional).

Unlike other platforms, Domain’s Financial Planners are actual company employees, which means customers are treated with the highest standard of care to act in the best interests of their clients.

Domain CFPs are fiduciaries, which means they are legally required to manage your money for your benefit, not theirs.

NOTE: Domain does not use AI to deliver financial advice. Their approach ensures a highly qualified human advisor, who is dedicated to your account and oversees all financial advice.

Domain does not charge fees based on your chosen products, meaning their advice is entirely objective and helps align their interests with their clients.

Your Domain advisor will collaborate with you to recommend the most suitable account type and asset allocation based on various factors, including your objectives, risk tolerance, and future plans.

The investment advisor will help you construct cost-effective portfolios with a high level of diversification, primarily using exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and index funds.

Try DOMAIN Money

Key Features

As an all-in-one wealth management app, Domain Money offers various financial services to keep your money in order.

One Page Plan

The One Page Financial Plan provides a tactical guide for those starting out and wanting to optimize their financial resources. 



This is a 90-minute financial planning session with an actionable One Page Plan to clean-up your current finances and get you on track for your financial goals.

The one-page plan charges a flat fee of $2,500.

Strategic Plan

The Strategic Financial Plan enables clients to choose up to three financial areas on which to focus and receive customized advice and recommendations. 



The most common areas are cash flow, home affordability and retirement. This plan includes two meetings and one month of unlimited phone and email access.

The strategic plan charges a flat fee of $4,500.

Comprehensive Plan

The Comprehensive Plan includes everything in your life with a dollar sign, and while the numbers form the foundation for the plan, it is your goals and values that drive the recommendations. Financial areas include goal setting, cash flow analysis, debt management, investments, tax planning, real estate, education savings, retirement planning, insurance and estate planning. 



The Comprehensive Planning process is a six-month engagement and consists of four meetings to actively help you implement the plan and keep you accountable.

The comprehensive plan charges a flat fee of $7,500.

Pricing & Value

Domain Money’s pricing is transparent and simple.

Is Domain Money Worth It?

Domain Money offers an interesting opportunity to streamline personal finance and wealth management. If you are overwhelmed by managing your finances or don’t want to deal with the details, then Domain Money is worth it.

SIGN UP TODAY

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Domain Money Legit?

Yes, Domain Money is legit. The company was founded and is run by Adam Dell (brother of Dell Computer founder Michael Dell). Before founding Domain Money, Dell was a partner at Goldman Sachs – Marcus.

Our Review Methodology

Investing in the right financial products is crucial for achieving your financial goals. That’s why our review methodology is designed to give you a comprehensive understanding of various investing platforms and tools. Here’s a breakdown of what we focus on:

Tools and Features

We dig deep into the suite of tools that each platform offers. Whether it’s automated investment features, tax optimization, or specialized charting tools, we evaluate how these features contribute to smarter investing decisions. We ask questions like:

  • What is its main offering, and how does it compare to its peers?
  • How effective are the risk assessment tools?
  • Are there any value-added services like educational content?

Price and Value

Price matters, especially when it comes to investing, where every penny counts. We analyze:

  • Subscription fees
  • Hidden Charges
  • Price compared to the overall value received

We’ll let you know if the platform gives you the most bang for your buck.

Ease of Use

User experience can make or break an investment platform. We assess:

  • Interface Design – Is it intuitive and easy to use?
  • Mobile app availability and functionality
  • Customer Support – where applicable.

Nobody wants to navigate a clunky interface when dealing with their hard-earned money.

How We Do It

  1. Hands-On Testing: I signed up for Domain Money to provide real insight. This is how I give my unique perspective. We’re unlike some other sites where they simply rehash marketing materials.
  2. Customer Reviews: What are other users saying? We look at reviews and customer feedback to gauge public opinion.
  3. Comparative Analysis: Finally, we compare each platform against competitors regarding features, pricing, and user experience.
Gold Pie

Fractional Shares: Big Opportunities with Small Investments

Trading fractional shares is an excellent way for beginner and intermediate investors to gain exposure to stocks and ETFs with a small amount of capital.

gold pie

What Are Fractional Shares?

Fractional shares are just what they sound like: fractions of a single share of a stock, mutual fund, or index fund.

Traditionally, if you wanted to invest in a company’s stock, you had to buy at least one whole share. However, some companies’ shares can be quite expensive, which might make it challenging for some people to invest in them. For instance, a single share of companies like Amazon or Google could cost several thousand dollars.

With fractional shares, you can invest in these companies with less money. For example, if a share costs $1,000 and you have only $100 to invest, you could buy 0.1 shares of that stock.

The main advantage of fractional shares is that they democratize investing by making it more accessible to people with less money to invest. They also allow investors to build diversified portfolios with less capital, so if you’re learning how to become an investor, fractional shares are a great place to start.

How does Fractional Share Investing Work?

Generally, you can place orders to buy or sell fractional shares in dollars or share amounts. For example, if XYZ Stock trades for $1000, you could place an order for a fractional share, such as .5 shares, or a dollar amount, such as $500.  

How you buy and sell fractional shares differs between brokerage firms that provide this service to their customers.

When you purchase fractional shares, you are still entitled to dividends. So, if you buy 1/5th of an Apple share, you will also get 1/5th of the dividend.

PROs of Fractional Share Investing

Accessibility

One of the most significant benefits of fractional share investing is the ability to invest in expensive stocks like Tesla, Apple, or Google that might be otherwise too expensive for your average investor.

Tesla trades at nearly $1,000 a share, which is not cheap. But with M1 Finance, you can gain exposure to Tesla by purchasing a fractional share for as little as $1.00!

Before fractional share investing, expensive stocks were just out of reach for beginner investors. Fractional share investing is democratizing stock market investing for the average investor.

Put Your Extra Cash To Work

If you have extra cash in a savings account, you can put that money to work by investing in fractional shares. Otherwise, you earn close to 0% interest in your savings account.

Dividend & Corporate Actions

When you are a fractional shareholder, you are still entitled to fractional dividends and other corporate actions such as stock splits or reverse stock splits.

For example, If you purchased $100 worth of company X that trades at $1,000 and the company’s dividend is $10 per share, you own 1/10th of that company, so you would receive a dividend of $1.00.

Note: Depending on your broker, if your dividend amount is less than 1 cent, your broker may keep the dividend.

Dollar-Based Investing

With fractional share investing, if you have a specific asset allocation, fractional shares allow you to execute that strategy precisely by buying securities in dollar amounts, not shares. This gives you greater control over your portfolio allocation and creates a more diversified portfolio.

Consistent Investment

Fractional shares are great for consistent, regular investing. Suppose you’re using a strategy like dollar-cost averaging (investing a fixed amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of the share price). In that case, you can continue investing the same amount even when share prices increase.

Not All Securities Are Available For Fractional Share Investing

Depending on your broker, the stocks and ETFs available for fractional share trading may vary. You can purchase most large-cap securities in the S&P 500 via fractional shares, but don’t expect that company that went public via a reverse merger to always be available for trading.

Not All Brokerages Offer Fractional Share Investing

Many more traditional brokerages (think TD Ameritrade) do not offer fractional share investing; however, that is likely to change. Fractional share investing is more prevalent at fintech brokerages like M1 Finance or Robinhood, geared towards a younger generation of investors.

Fractional Shares Cannot Be Transferred To Different Brokerage Accounts

You cannot transfer fractional shares to a different brokerage account. If you decide to change brokers, you may be forced to sell your fractional shares and incur capital gains taxes.

This isn’t likely a huge issue for most investors, but something to be aware of.

Limited Trade Execution

Depending on your broker, some brokerages aggregate fractional share buy and sell orders for clients and only execute once or twice daily instead of in real-time, like full shares. And because of this, you may be unable to execute at the best price of the day.

Furthermore, some companies make fractional share trading available only on their mobile app and only allow market orders.

Again, not a problem for most people, but people should be aware.

Voting Rights

Depending on your broker, you may not have voting rights if you own fractional shares. Some brokerage firms allow it with special procedures, and some do not allow it. Ask your brokerage firm whether you will have any voting rights associated with fractional share purchases.

Liquidity Concerns

Selling fractional shares might be more complicated than selling full shares. Some brokerages may only allow the sale of fractional shares under certain conditions, such as during a full account transfer or closure.

Best Fractional Share Brokers

Some popular fractional share brokers include:

The Bottom Line: Are Fractional Shares Worth It?

Trading fractional shares are an excellent way for beginner to intermediate investors to gain exposure to stocks and ETFs. While this new way of investing offers considerable upside, investing still involves risk, so you should still do your research and invest wisely.

Frequently Asked Questions

RealEstate

5 Best Fundrise Alternatives for Real Estate Investing in 2025

Before opening an account with Fundrise, consider these 5 Fundrise alternatives before investing in real estate crowdfunding.

RealEstate

Fundrise is one of the most popular crowdfunding platforms that allow individuals to invest in real with just $10. However, Fundrise is just one of many real estate platforms out there. Some platforms focus on consistent income, others on capital appreciation, and some are only open to accredited investors.

1. Groundfloor

Minimum Investment: $10
Average Returns: 10%
Fees:
None. Borrower pays
Investment Length:
Accreditation Required: No

Groundfloor

Groundfloor is one of my favorite Fundrise alternatives. Groundfloor is a real estate crowdfunding investment platform that allows non-accredited individuals to invest in short-term real estate debt.

This real estate crowdfunding platform makes short-term loans between 6 – 12 months with interest rates between 7.5% and 14% to real estate “flippers” who fix and flip individual investment properties.

Like Fundrise, Groundfloor has only a $10 minimum investment but does not charge the investor any fees, making it a great alternative to Fundrise. But unlike Fundrise, Groundfloor notes have an average duration of 6 – 12 months, so you don’t need to lock up your money for 5 years as you do with Fundrise.

In addition, Groundfloor notes are collateralized, meaning that the property secures the loan in the case of default.

Before opening a loan to investors on their platform, Groundfloor thoroughly vets a borrower’s experience, creditworthiness, and business plan. Then, they assess the property value on an as-is and as-improved basis.

Read our complete Groundfloor vs. Fundrise comparison

Top 5 Reasons Why Groundfloor Is An Ideal Fundrise Alternative

  • Short-term investment timeline (6 – 12 months). Most other real estate platforms lock up your money for 5 years.
  • Loans are secured by collateral. In case of default, an added level of protection to help recoup investors’ money.
  • No investor fees. The borrower pays the fees.
  • Greater Investment Control. Groundfloor allows you to fund multiple investments at once.
  • Groundfloor prefunds most loans before they are sold on its platform. This shows that Groundfloor has faith in its investment selection process. Because if the loan does not meet investors’ standards, they could be stuck with the loan.

2. RealtyMogul

Minimum Investment: $5,000
Average Returns:
Varies
Fees:
1% for REITs
Investment Length: 5 years
Accreditation Required: No

RealtyMogul

RealtyMogul is a real estate investing platform for accredited and non-accredited investors. RealtyMogul connects individuals who want to invest in commercial real estate and create wealth through income or capital appreciation via REITs and private placements.

Since its inception, RealtyMogul has only accepted 1.1% of submissions to its platform, providing peace of mind that this platform undergoes a thorough vetting process.

If you want to generate income through real estate, RealtyMogul is a great Fundrise alternative. Their Income REIT has generated 67 consecutive months of returns since its inception in 2016, with annualized distributions ranging between 6% – 8.5%.

Read our complete Realty Mogul Review.

Alternatively, suppose you are more interested in capital appreciation. In that case, RealtyMogul’s Apartment Growth REIT focuses on capital appreciation while maintaining a solid distribution rate of 4.5%, making this REIT an excellent alternative to Fundrise.

However, if you are looking for a wider variety of investment options and strategies, you may be better off with Fundrise. RealtyMogul only offers two REITs for non-accredited investors, limiting your investment options. Furthermore, RealtyMogul has a high minimum investment of $5,000, creating barriers to entry for some individuals.

For a more in-depth comparison of RealtyMogul and Fundrise, Read our full RealtyMogul vs. Fundrise comparison.

3. DiversyFund

Minimum Investment: $500
Average Returns: Targets 10% – 20% IRR
Fees:
2% Asset Management Fee 
Investment Length: 5 years
Accreditation Required: No

DiversyFund is a real estate crowdfunding platform that invests in multifamily real estate through a Non-Traded REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust). This real estate platform is open to non-accredited investors with a minimum investment of $500.

DiversyFund currently offers one investment option open to all investors: The DiversyFund Growth REIT II. The Growth REIT is designed to build wealth over 5 years using a value-add appreciation strategy. However, be prepared to commit as DiversyFund offers no early redemption options.

In addition, all dividends earned with DiversyFund are reinvested, and investors in the fund do not realize any profits until DiversyFund sells the assets.

But a key feature that makes DiversyFund a great Fundrise alternative is they own and manage all their properties. Many real estate crowdfunding platforms serve as a middleman, commonly referred to as the deal’s sponsor, connecting investors with developers. DiversyFund manages the entire process in-house. For some investors, this can provide peace of mind and illustrates the company is well positioned and manages an end-to-end real investing deal.

In addition, the fund managers (DiversyFund) have their own money invested with Diversy, commonly known as skin-in-the-game. This shows an alignment between investors and owners.

4. Streitwise

Minimum Investment: $5,000
Average Returns: 3% upfront, 2% ongoing
Fees: 3% upfront Upfront fee now waived, 2% ongoing
Investment Length: 5 Years
Accreditation Required: No

Streitwise

Streitwise is a real estate investment company that enables accredited and non-accredited investors to invest in commercial real estate through a non-traded equity REIT. Streitwise’s current offering is a professionally-managed, tax-advantaged portfolio of real estate assets.

Since its inception, the company has delivered 21 consecutive quarters of 8% annualized returns.

Below are some of Streitwise’s key features that make it an excellent Fundrise alternative.

  • Over $5 million skin-in-the-game. The founders invested over $5 million in their own money with Streitwise. This means there is a shared alignment between the owners and investors. Fundrise owners do not have much money invested in Fundrise REITs and Funds.
  • Streitwise owns and operates all of its investments. Why does this matter? Most other real estate crowdfunding platforms serve as intermediaries for 3rd party companies, receiving a portion of the profits and costing investors more money.
  • Transparent Fee Structure. Streitwise is upfront about its fee structure. There are no hidden fees buried in its offering documents. While a 3% upfront(upfront fee now waived) and 2% ongoing fee seems steep, Fundrise advertises a 1% management plus many other fees buried in its offering circular.
  • Modest Leverage. Streitwise only borrows 50% to fund its current project. Modest leverage reduces risk and maximizes returns. Especially in the current market environment, modest leverage makes for a safer investment.

To find out more, read our full Streitwise Review.

5. Roofstock

Minimum Investment: $0
Average Returns: Varies by property type
Fees: o 0.5% of the contract price or $500, whichever is higher. 
Investment Length: Varies
Accreditation Required: No

Roofstock

Roofstock operates differently than other real estate platforms. With Roofstock, you can enjoy the benefits of owning a rental home without the traditional hassles of being a landlord.

This innovative real estate platform facilitates the purchases of single-family rental properties. This means you buy a physical rental property, not a share in a REIT like most other platforms. However, Rooftstock differentiates itself by providing property management services, so you don’t have to deal with tenants or other responsibilities associated with being a landlord.

While you aren’t required to be an accredited investor to buy a rental property, the cost is significant, with properties starting at around $50,000. So Roofstock is an excellent alternative if you are interested in purchasing physical real estate without the stress of property management.

Read our complete Roofstock Review

How to Choose the Best Fundrise Alternative?

There are numerous fundrise competitors that make picking the best platform for you challenging. We considered several factors to come up with a list of Fundrise Alternatives.

Below is the list of factors to consider when investigating Fundrise alternatives.

1. Holding Period & Liquidity

Real estate, in general, is considered an illiquid investment, and most real estate platforms have a 3 – 5+ year holding period with limited liquidity options and fees if you want to sell back your shares early. Groundfloor has the shortest holding period with an average duration of 6 -12 months. Meanwhile, DiversyFund has no early redemption options; you are required to invest for 5 years.

Fundrise allows for early redemptions with associated fees and caveats. For example, you are subject to a 1% penalty if the redemption request is within 5 years of your initial investments. In addition, Fundrise does not guarantee liquidity. Under normal market conditions, Fundrise will seek to provide liquidity through its redemption plan, but during a financial crisis or extreme market conditions, Fundrise may temporarily pause redemptions.

Note: Investors in the Fundrise Income Real Estate Fund can redeem their shares quarterly without penalty or cost.

2. Investing Strategy

Fundrise offers a wide range of investment strategies, from fixed income in its Income Real Estate Fund, which is an interval fund, to Opportunistic investments, which have the potential for the greatest total return but often have very low to no quarterly distributions.

If you invest in an eREIT or eFund, the portfolio may consist of some, all, or a combination of the Fundrise investment strategies.

So, when considering some of the other real estate platforms on the list, assess their strategies and your goals to ensure alignment before investing.

3. Minimum Investment

Before picking a real estate investment platform, consider the minimum Investment and if tiered accounts limit your investment options and available features.

For example, while Fundrise advertises a low minimum investment of $10, you are limited to investing in their eFunds with this investment amount. It’s not until you invest at least $5,000 that you will have access to most Fundrise features.

Groundfloor also has a $10 investment minimum, but there are no tiered accounts, and all non-accredited have access to the same investments.

Fundrise Alternatives for Accredited Investors Only

If you meet the qualifications, there are a couple of high-quality real estate platforms for accredited investors.

Fund That Flip

Minimum Investment: $5,000
Average Returns: Varies
Fees:  1 – 3%
Investment Length:
Accreditation Required: Yes

Fund that Flip

Fund That Flip is similar to Groundfloor because this platform focuses on crowdfunding pre-vetted investments in fix-and-flip, new construction, and rental properties with increments of $5,000. Less than 8% of applicants are approved, and 93% are repeat customers on the platform.

In addition, the company offers the ability to invest in pre-funding and bridge notes with increments of $1,000.

Read our complete Fund That Flip Review

EquityMultiple

Minimum Investment: $10,000
Average Returns: Varies
Fees:  0.5% to 1.5% AUM + 10% Profits
Investment Length: Varies
Accreditation Required: Yes

EquityMultiple

EquityMultiple offers  3 types of investment options for your portfolio. Options include fund investing, direct investing, and a savings alternative.

EquityMultiple offers a diverse mix of direct, fund, and tax-deferred commercial real estate investments from different property types and locations. The company focuses on the mid-market, commercial real estate space, with investments reflecting a diverse array of multi-tenant properties.

Their offerings span the entire capital stack and a variety of risk/return profiles. All investments are managed by experienced companies and overseen by EquityMultiple’s in-house Asset Management Team.

Given the wide range of strategies and investments, EquityMultiple is probably the most diverse regarding Fundrise alternatives for accredited investors.

SPY vs. VOO: Is There Actually A Difference Between These ETFs?

SPY vs. VOO: The Ultimate Showdown of Two Heavyweight ETFs. Which One Deserves a Spot in Your Investment Portfolio?

Features
SPY
VOO
Inception Date
  • January 1993
  • September 2010
Issuer
  • State Street Global Advisors
  • Vanguard
Gross Expense Ratio
  • 0.09%
  • 0.03%
10 Year Returns
  • +14.55%
  • +14.47%
Total Assets
  • $362 Billion
  • $739 Billion
Average Daily Volume
  • 74,076,818
  • 3,957,740

If you want to learn how to invest in index funds, two great options are SPY and VOO, exchange-traded funds that track the S&P 500.

In this blog post, we’ll explain the similarities and differences between these two investments.

Let’s get into it.

What is VOO?

VOO is the ticker symbol for the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF. Similar to SPY, it’s an exchange-traded fund that aims to track the performance of the S&P 500 Index. The index comprises 500 of the largest U.S. publicly traded companies, covering a broad swath of the American economy.

Vanguard is known for its low-cost investment products, and VOO is no exception. Its expense ratio is lower than that of other S&P 500 ETFs like SPY, making it a popular choice for cost-conscious investors.

Both retail and institutional investors often include VOO in their portfolios for diversified exposure to the U.S. stock market. It’s a straightforward way to invest in a broad range of companies without picking individual stocks.

VOO can be a core holding in a long-term investment strategy due to its diversification and low cost. It’s also useful for those looking to implement strategies like dollar-cost averaging or passive investing.

You can visit Vanguard’s official page for the VOO ETF: Vanguard S&P 500 ETF for more details.

What is SPY?

SPY is the ticker symbol for the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust. This exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracks the S&P 500 index.

The S&P 500 index includes 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S. The SPY ETF aims to mimic its performance. It’s one of the most popular and highly traded ETFs in the market.

Investors often use SPY as a quick way to get exposure to the U.S. stock market. It’s considered a relatively low-cost and efficient way to diversify your portfolio.

For more in-depth information, visit SPDR’s official page on SPY: SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust.

How Are They Different?

While SPY and VOO both track the returns of the S&P 500, there are some key differences between these two funds.

Structure

The main difference between SPY and VOO is how the two funds are structured.

VOO is an ETF managed by Vanguard, known for its passive index-tracking investment approach. State Street Global Advisors manage SPY, and the fund is structured as a unit investment trust (UIT), which has certain tax advantages but can also result in tracking errors compared to its benchmark index.

Expense Ratio

The expense ratio is the annual fee charged by the fund to cover operating expenses like management fees, administrative expenses, and other costs. It is expressed as a percentage of the fund’s assets under management.

As of this writing, the expense ratios for VOO and SPY are as follows:

  • VOO Expense Ratio: 0.03%. This means that for every $10,000 invested in VOO, the annual management fee would be $3.
  • SPY Expense Ratio: 0.09%. This means that for every $10,000 invested in SPY, the annual management fee would be $9.

So, VOO has a lower expense ratio than SPY, making it a more cost-effective option for investors who want to track the S&P 500 index. It’s not a huge difference, but it can lead to a substantial investment amount of investment profit you are leaving on the table over time.

However, it is important to note that the performance of VOO and SPY may differ due to differences in their tracking methodology and other factors, such as trading volume and liquidity.

Liquidity

Another key difference between VOO and SPY is liquidity. Liquidity is how much trading volume there is for a particular stock, ETF, or option.

SPY has historically had higher trading volumes and greater liquidity than VOO due to its longer history as the first ETF tracking the S&P 500 index.

As of this writing, the average daily trading volume for SPY is approximately 60 million shares, while the average daily trading volume for VOO is around 3.5 million shares. This means that there are more shares of SPY changing hands on the stock exchange each day, indicating greater liquidity for the fund

For your average investor, liquidity is not a huge concern. Still, if you are an active trader, it could impact your ability to easily buy and sell securities without impacting the price, which brings me to my next point…

Bid-Ask Spread

The bid/ask spread is the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay for a security (the bid price) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for the same security (the asking price).

The bid/ask spread represents the cost of trading security and is expressed in terms of “pips” (percentage in point) or “cents” for stocks and ETFs.

The main driver behind ask/spread is liquidity. Because VOO has less liquidity(trading volume), the price between what someone will buy/sell VOO is much wider compared to SPY.

  • The Bid/Ask is 20 basis points wide for VOO.
  • The Bid/Ask for SPY is 6 basis points wide.

Again, this does not mean much for the buy-and-hold investor and can largely be ignored. However, active investors should always consider the bid/ask spread when trading securities, as it can impact the overall cost of the trade. It is recommended to use limit orders when trading to help ensure that the trade is executed at a desired price, rather than paying the spread.

Dividend Yield

Both VOO and SPY are ETFs that track the S&P 500 index, which is comprised of 500 large-cap US companies. As such, they both offer dividend yields based on the dividends paid by the underlying companies in the index.

As of this writing, the dividend yield for VOO is approximately 1.36%, while the dividend yield for SPY is approximately 1.35%. This means that for every $10,000 invested in VOO or SPY, investors can expect to receive an annual dividend payment of approximately $136 or $135, respectively.

  • VOO Dividend Yield: 1.36%
  • SPY Dividend Yield: 1.35%

The slight difference in dividend yield between VOO and SPY is likely due to differences in the fund’s holdings, such as differences in the timing and amount of dividends paid by individual companies in the index. However, overall, the dividend yields for both funds are relatively low compared to some other asset classes, such as high-yield bonds or dividend-paying stocks.

It is important to note that dividends are not guaranteed and can be affected by various factors, such as changes in company earnings, economic conditions, and government policies. As such, investors should not solely rely on dividends for income and should consider other factors, such as capital appreciation and diversification, when making investment decisions.

Returns

10-year returns show VOO outperformed SPY by .08%.

Not surprising given the fact that VOO has a lower expense ratio.

ReturnsVOO
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
SPY
SPDR® S&P 500 ETF Trust
1-Month-2.98%-2.95%
3-Month-3.88%-3.81%
5-Year+15.14%+15.08%
10-Year+14.55%+14.47%
Source: TD Ameritrade as of March 27th, 2022

How Are They The Same?

While there are several differences between SPY and VOO, there are also some similarities.

Tracking

SPY and VOO seek to track the performance of the Standard & Poor‘s 500 Index, which measures the investment return of large-capitalization stocks.

Both ETFs seek to achieve their investment objective by holding a portfolio of the common stocks included in the index, with the weight of each stock in the Portfolio substantially corresponding to the weight of such stock in the index.

VOO and SPY are both designed to track returns, including dividends of the S&P 500, which is a composite of the 500 largest publicly traded companies by market capitalization. Both VOO and SPY Top 10 Holdings are the same companies with almost identical weighting with minor differences, likely due to tracking error.

SPY and VOO Top 10 Holdings

VOOSPY
AAPL 6.9%
MSFT 6.0%
AMZN 3.6%
GOOGL 2.2%
GOOG 2.0%
TSLA 1.9%
NVDA 1.6%
BRK.B 1.6%
FB 1.3%
UNH 1.2%
AAPL 6.9%
MSFT 6.1%
AMZN 3.6%
GOOGL 2.2%
GOOG 2.0%
TSLA 1.9%
NVDA 1.6%
BRK.B 1.6%
FB 1.3%
UNH 1.2%

Other S&P 500 ETFs

While VOO and SPY are the most popular S&P 500 funds, a handful of other companies also have S&P 500 Tracking Funds.

All 4 ETFs seek to track the performance of the Standard & Poor‘s 500 Index, which measures the investment return of large-capitalization stocks, with very little difference.

The one outlier is SPLG. This index fund generally invests substantially all, but at least 80%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index, so you might see some discrepancies in returns and price compared to SPY and VOO.

FeatureSPY
SPDR® S&P 500 ETF Trust
VOO
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
IVV
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
SPLG
SPDR® Portfolio S&P 500 ETF
Expense Ratio09%.03%.03%.03%
IssuerState Street Global AdvisorsVanguardBlackRockState Street Global Advisors
Average Market Cap$207.1B$207.4B$207.1B$207.2
Inception Date01/22/199309/07/201005/15/20001/08/2005
Sales Load?No-loadNo-loadNo-loadNo-load
Source: TD Ameritrade

The Bottom Line

If you are a buy-and-hold investor, VOO is the better option.

If you want to become an investor, is critical to educate yourself about various investment options, and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

That said, VOO has a lower expense ratio, higher dividend yield, and slightly higher returns than SPY. But, if you are an active trader, specifically an options trader, SPY is the far superior option. The SPY ETF has far tighter bid/ask spreads in its ETF and underlying options market due to its much higher daily trading volume.

401K vs. 403B

What’s The Difference Between a 403(b) and a 401(k)

Key Takeaways

403(b) and 401(k) both have the same contribution limits. Tax-deferred contributions up to $20,500 in 2022 ( A $1,000 limit increase from 2021)

403(b) plans are for public schools, universities, churches, and other 501(c)(3) exempt organizations

401(k) plans are commonly offered by for-profit companies and are subject to ERISA

403(b) plans tend to have higher fees and less diverse investment options.

What Is A 401(k)?

In 1978 Congress passed the Revenue Act, which included a provision to the internal revenue code – Section 401(k), that made it permissible for employees to defer taxes on investment contributions. However, it wasn’t until 1980 when benefits consultant Ted Hanna discovered the provision and created the first 401(k) plan at his employer Johnson Companies.

Fast forward to 2022, the 401(k) is the most ubiquitous type of employer-sponsored retirement plan, with assets totaling over $6 trillion.

401(k) Explained

A 401(k) is a qualified plan that allows an employee to elect to have a portion of their wages directed to their 401(k) plan on a tax-deferred basis. Commonly known as elective deferrals, contributions are not reported on an employee’s individual income tax return. They are not subject to federal tax withholding.

There are multiple types of 401(k) plans: a traditional 401(k) plan, SIMPLE 401(k) plan, Safe Harbor 401(k) plan, and Solo 401(k) plans.

Furthermore, many 401(k) plans allow employees to designate a portion of their elective deferrals as “Roth elective deferrals.” This means if you specify a portion of your contribution as a Roth contribution, the contributions are made on an after-tax basis but are not subject to taxation upon withdrawal.

What Is A 403(b)?

In 1961, 403(b) plans were made available to public education employers. Investment options were limited to annuities at first, and in 1974 mutual funds became an investment option.

403(b) Plan Explained

A 403(b), also known as a tax-sheltered annuity, is a retirement plan generally administered by public schools, colleges, universities, and qualifying 501(c)(3) plans. 403(b) plans allow its employees to designate a portion of their salary to their plan on a tax-deferred basis, and taxes are only paid upon distribution from the plan.

Similarities Between 401(k) and 403(b) Plans

  • Tax-Deferred Retirement Investments. Both 401(k) plans and 403(b) plan for contributions on a pre-tax basis and are only subject to income taxes when you start taking withdrawals.
  • Maximum Contribution. In 2022, the maximum contribution amount for both types of plans is $20,500. Over $26,000 if you are 50 or older.

    In 2022, the maximum contribution limit for 403(b) and 401(k) plans increased to $20,500
  • Roth Contributions. Both 403(b) and 401(k) plans allow plan participants to make contributions on an after-tax basis. Commonly known as Roth elective deferrals, these contributions and earnings are not subject to taxes at distribution because the taxes were paid upfront.
  • Loan Provisions. You may borrow up to 50% of your vested balance, up to a maximum amount of $50,000. The loan must be repaid within 5 years unless the money is used to buy your main home.
  • Tax On Early Distributions. If you take a distribution before age 59 1/2, you may have to pay a 10% additional tax on the distribution.
  • Required Minimum Distributions. Both 401(k) and 403(b) and the majority of retirement accounts will require you to start taking withdraws if you reach age 70 1/2 before July 1st, 2019. However, as part of a provision of the SECURE act passed into law in 2019, if your 70th birthday is after July 1st, 2019, you do not have to start taking withdraws until age 72. You can withdraw more than the minimum amount, which will be included as taxable income.
  • Vesting. Employee salary deferrals are always 100% invested.

    In other words, the money the employee contributed to either their 401(k) or 403(b) cannot be forfeited. So, when employees leave their place of employment, they are entitled to those contributions inclusive of any investment gains or losses.

Differences Between 401k and 403(B) Plans

  • Type of Employer. A 401(k) is usually offered by a for-profit company, like Apple or Google. Whereas 403(b) plans are offered by public schools, colleges, universities, churches, and some 501(c) tax-exempt organizations (think American Red Cross), and government employees.
  • 403(b) plans are not subject to ERISA. ERISA stands for Employee Retirement Income Security Act. ERISA is a 1974 federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to protect individuals in these plans. In layman’s terms, if your employer-sponsored retirement plan is subject to ERISA, this means they are subject to more regulations and required to act in the employee’s best interest.
  • Investment Options. 403(b) plans only offer mutual funds and annuities. On the other hand, 401(k) plans may offer ETFs, Stocks, Bonds, Stock Funds, and mutual funds.
  • Employer Match. Sponsors of 403(b) plans are not prohibited from providing an employer match, although it is uncommon for 403(b) sponsors to provide employer matches.
  • Service Catch-Up Contributions. Suppose your employer includes the provision in their 403(b) plan that permits catch-up contributions. In that case, the limit of elective deferrals may be increased by $3,000 in any taxable year. The employee must have 15 years of service with the same employer, and there is a $ 15,000-lifetime cap. This provision does not exist in 401(k) plans.
  • Higher Fees. Because 403(b) plans are not subject to ERISA, they tend to have higher fees.
    The fees include administrative costs and investment fees. It’s not uncommon for fees in these plans to range between 1% – 2.25%, whereas 401(k) fees usually do not exceed 1%.

New Legislation Related To 403(b) And 401(k) Plans

In 2019 Congress passed the SECURE Act [Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement].

Significant changes are as follows:

The minimum age for Required Minimum Distributions increased from 70 1/2 to 72 for those turning 70 after July 1st, 2019.

Individuals can withdraw up to $10,000 from 529 plans to repay student loans.

Making it easier for 401(k) plans to offer annuities in their investment options

Parents can withdraw $5,000 tax-free within a year of birth or adoption to pay for qualified expenses.

Which Plan Is Better?

Unfortunately, most employers either only offer a 403b or 401k, but not both. That said, 401(k) plans tend to have much lower fees in addition to a wider variety of investment options.

A 401(k) plan is better for most people.

However, since both plans generally have the same contribution limits, it is still advantageous for individuals with only a 403(b) plan to fully take advantage of the tax-deferred contributions.

Tax-deferred retirement plans are still one of the most sure-fire ways to succeed financially.

Titan Invest

Titan Invest Review 2024: Invest Like Wall Street Elite With Just $100

Quick Summary:

Titan Invest is a premier investment management firm that offers everyday investors a hedgefund-like experience with investment amounts starting at $100.

Overall Rating:

Stock Analysis:

Tools & Features:

Ease of Use:

Price:

Best For:

Buy and hold investors

Capital appreciation-oriented investors

PROS

  • SIPC Insurance Up To $500,00
  • Lower management fee than typical hedge funds
  • Personalized hedge

CONS

  • Higher fees than a mutual fund or index fund
  • Concentrated portfolios (15 -25)

Price:

1% management fee over investments $10,000, otherwise $5 per month

Features:

2 new stock picks per month

Exclusive investing articles

Nearly real-time trade alerts

Mobile App?

Yes, through the Seeking Alpha App

Current Promotions:

None listed

TRY ALPHA PICKS

At A Glance:

  • Minimum investments start at $100
  • 4 Investment Strategies
    • Flagship
    • Opportunities
    • Offshore
    • Crypto
  • Offers individuals brokerage accounts & IRA(s)
  • No performance fees
  • No lock-up period
  • Unique referral program
  • Personalized hedge based on an individual’s risk tolerance.

Who Should Invest With Titan?

Titan Is A Good Option For…

  • Titan is best suited for individuals who want a low-cost actively-managed portfolio with the ability to mitigate losses during market downturns based on your risk tolerance.

Titan Is Not A Good For

  • Day traders
  • Investors who want control over their portfolio composition
  • Individuals looking for low-cost investment options.

What Is Titan Invest?

Titan is a premier investment management firm built for everyday investors like you and me.

The company adopted a mobile-first investment platform on the premise that Wall Street only catered to the ultra-wealthy, and they’re here to change that.

Titan aims to introduce radical transparency by eliminating the Blackbox – professional investors with little insight into their investment process. They aim to change this by providing detailed analysis and updates to help you become the best investor.

Co-founded by Clayton Gardner, Joe Percoco, and Max Bernardy. All three have legit pedigrees graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford and experience working at elite hedge funds, consulting, and technology companies.

The company manages over $750 million across 50,000+ clients.



Titan Investment Strategies Explained

With Titan Invest, you can become an investor with just $100. Titan aims to grow your capital faster than the market.

To achieve its goal, they seek to do that through 2 main strategies: its Titan Flagship (Large Cap Growth Strategy) and Titan Opportunities (Small, fast-growing under the radar stocks). Both approaches have the same underlying philosophy, high-quality, long-term growth.

Titan Flagship

Titan Flagship is the firm’s large-cap investment strategy. The Flagship strategy is long-term focused with low turnover, meaning that only a few stocks change each quarter. On the short side, clients have personalized downside protection via a market index hedge.

  • Minimum Investment: $100
  • Management Fee: 1%
  • Lockup Commitment: None
  • Objective: Outperform the S&P 500 over a 3 -5 year time horizon. The portfolio is updated as needed when the Portfolio Manager identifies a better risk/reward opportunity than the current holdings.
  • Portfolio Composition: The strategy invests in 15-25 large-cap stocks.
  • Returns: Since inception & net of fees as of Feb 2022, Titan Flagship returned an annualized return of 14.0% vs. 14.6% in the S&P 500. 
  • Personalized Hedge: A personalized hedge using an inverse S&P 500 ETF is dynamically applied depending on the individual’s risk tolerance.
Titan Flagship Returns

Titan Opportunities

Titan Opportunities focuses on small/mid-cap companies in the US. It seeks to invest in equities of market-leading U.S.-based companies under $10B in market capitalization.

  • Minimum Investment: $10,000
  • Management Fee: 1%
  • Lockup Commitmment: None
  • Objective: Outperform the Russell 2000 over a 3 -5 year time horizon.
  • Portfolio Composition: 15-25 long positions compromise the portfolio, plus a personalized hedge based on each client’s risk tolerance. The hedge aims to reduce market exposure during downturns.
  • Returns: Since inception and net of fees as of February 2022, the opportunities fund returned 25.0% vs 19.4% compared to the Russell 2000.
  • Personalized Hedge: A personalized hedge using an Inverse Russell 2000 ETF is dynamically applied based on the individual’s risk tolerance to protect against market downturns.
Titan Opportunities returns

Titan Offshore

Titan Offshore is the firm’s international growth strategy. The Titan Offshore portfolio seeks to invest in the world’s best non-us companies, from China to Latin America.

  • Minimum Investment: $10,000
  • Management Fee: 1%
  • Lockup Commitment: None
  • Objective: Outperform the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index over a 3-5 year horizon.
  • Portfolio Composition: Invest in 15 – 25 stocks with an average market cap of $157 billion.
  • Returns: Since Inception and net of fees, returns as of Feb 2022 are -29.9% annualized vs. -3.3% for MSCI ACWI ex USA index.
  • Personalized Hedge: A personalized hedge using an Inverse MSCI Emerging Markets ETF is dynamically applied based on the individual’s risk tolerance to protect against market downturns.
Titan Offshore returns

Titan Crypto

  • Minimum Investment: $100
  • Management Fee: 1%
  • Lockup Commitment: None
  • Objective: Outperform the Bitwise 10 Large Cap Crypto Index over a 3-5 year horizon
  • Portfolio Composition: 5 – 10 large cap crypto assets.
  • Returns: Since Inception and net of fees, returns as of Feb 2022 are 9.8% vs. -17.4% for the Bitwise Large Cap
  • Personalized Hedge: None available
Titan Crypto returns

Titan Investment Process

Titan applies a rigorous quantitative and qualitative investment approach to identify investments that meet its criteria.

Let’s take a glance:

1. Long-term “economic moats.” In other words, they look for companies with long-term competitive advantages that allow them to earn above-average returns. Economies of scale(a business is profitable due to its scale, switching costs (think your cable company) are examples of economic moats.

2Identifying companies that can grow sustainability faster than average. For example, they look for “secular industry tailwinds.” such as shifting from brick-and-mortar retail to eCommerce.

3. Large Returns on Capital. As shareholders, when Titan invests money into a company,y they consider how much money can expect in return.

4. Identifying companies trading at a discount to their long-term intrinsic value. This means they look for companies whose valuations are at a significant discount to their intrinsic value and have little to no permanent risk of capital impairment.

Personalized Hedge Explained

Titan’s personalized hedge can help you mitigate losses in a market downturn.

The hedge increases in value when the specific index it is linked to decreases in value. I like the fact that the hedge is applied dynamically based on the investment teams’ research and an individual’s risk tolerance.

  • The hedge is applied dynamically based on when the Titan investment team believes their strategies are undergoing or have a high risk of undergoing an extended downturn.
  • The degree of hedge increases during a downturn and decreases when the downturn ceases, as determined by Titan’s investment team.
  • The Inverse ETF acts as a hedge by reducing your portfolio’s overall exposure (“beta”) to the market. Beta is the volatility of the portfolio of securities relative to its benchmark.
Fund TypeHedge
Titan FlagshipInverse S&P 500 ETF
Titan OpportunitiesInverse Russell 2000 ETF
Titan OffshoreInverse MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
Risk ToleranceMarket Downturn % of Portfolio HedgedNo Downturn % of Portfolio Hedged
Aggressive5%0%
Moderate10%5%
Conservative20%10%

How To Start Investing With Titan

Step 1) Create an account and transfer as little as $100

It takes roughly 2 minutes to open a Titan Invest Account. You can choose either a taxable account or a retirement account. Then link a bank account or send a wire transfer. This money goes into your own separately managed account.

Step 2) Titan goes to work and starts investing.

Titan starts investing on your behalf in one of their Investment strategies (Flagship, Opportunities, Offshore, and Crypto).

Step 3) Titan provides investors with real-time updates to help you better understand what’s moving your portfolio.

Titan Referral Program

Titan offers a unique referral program. When you refer someone, and they invest in their first fund account (retirement or non-retirement) with a minimum deposit of $100, provided the referred account remains open and funded, and your account is open and funded too.

For each Qualified New Client, Titan Invest reserves the right to reduce our Advisory Fee by 25 basis points (or our Wrap Program Fee by 25%) for both you and the Qualified New Client for 1) your Titan accounts and 2) the accounts of the Qualified New Client.

You can reduce your Advisory Fee on your accounts by referring Qualifying New Clients until you reach an Advisory Fee of 0% on your accounts or pay $0 in Wrap Program fees.

Furthermore, you can refer new clients after you reach a 0% advisory fee. Still, it will not impact your fees any further – only for those who were referred.

Alternatives To Titan Invest

Titan’s closest competitor is a new(ish) crypto and stock platform called Domain Money

The most significant difference between the platforms is that Domain Money offers self-directed investing and professional investment strategies. Titan only gives investors access to an investment platform that contains four equity and one crypto fund with no self-directed investment options. However, Titan allows customers to invest via an IRA, a feature not available at Domain Money.

Also, in a market downturn, Titan provides a dynamic market hedge for its equity strategies to mitigate downside risk, a feature not available at Domain Money.

Feature
Domain Money
Titan Invest
Actively Managed Portfolios
Number of Crypto Portfolios41
Self-directed Investing
Retirement Account Investing
Fees1%1%

Frequently Asked Questions

Bullish vs Bearish

Bullish vs Bearish: What’s The Difference? Finance History 101

Bullish vs Bearish

Bullish and Bearish are standard terms used in the investing lexicon. If you want to become an investor, you must understand basic investment terms. You may have heard these terms used while listening to CNBC or reading the Wall Street Journal.

But what exactly does being “bullish” and “bearish” mean, and where did those terms come from?

Let’s look at the definition of bullish vs. bearish and the history of the two terms.

What Does It Mean To Be Bullish?

When someone says they are Bullish, they believe an individual stock, industry sector, or the overall market will go up in value.

When one refers to the stock market, they most likely refer to the S&P 500, a weighted average of the 500 largest publicly traded companies by market capitalization.

You can be Bullish on a stock or the overall market for several reasons including, but not limited to:

  • Strong earnings of the individual company, industry, sector, or overall stock market
  • An excellent business strategy that will put the company in a competitive advantage
  • Advantageous economic data (low unemployment, inflation, increased Gross Domestic Product, increased retail sales, increased durable goods orders)
  • Introduction of new technology
  • Increased production capacity
  • Decreased production costs

Someone might say “I am Bullish about Tesla because they are releasing a new car this year.”

What Does It Mean To Be Bearish?

When someone says they are Bearish, they believe an individual stock, industry sector, or the stock market, in general, will go down in value. A bear market occurs when the stock market drops 20% or more.

The reasons for being bearish can include, but are not limited to:

  • Weak earnings of the individual company or overall market
  • A poor business strategy that will put the company in a competitive advantage
  • Unfavorable economic data (high unemployment, inflation, decreased Gross Domestic Product, decreased retail sales, reduced durable goods orders)
  • Decreased production capacity
  • Increased production costs

A person might say “I Bearish on the market because unmployment and inflation are abnormally high.”

Where Did The Term Bullish Come From?

The etymology of the term bullish is unclear. However, most people lend meaning to the way a bull attacks.

  • The term Bullish comes from a bull’s method of attack. When a bull attacks, it moves its horns upward, analogous to the stock market going up in value.

Analysts often consider it a bull market if there is a 20% or more rise from the stock market’s most recent low.

Did you know?

The longest bull market in history lasted 11 years, began in March 2009, and ended in March 2020, when the S&P 500 rose nearly 460%.

Where Did The Term Bearish Come From?

Bullish vs Bearish
The longest Bear Market in history lasted 5 years and ended in 1942, after the S&P 500 lost 50% of its value

There are two theories regarding the genesis of the usage of the term Bearish.

  • Like a bull, the term bearish is derived from a bear’s method of attack. When a bear attacks, it paws down, analogous to the stock market moving downward or losing value.
  • The second theory is that the term comes from a proverbial expression “selling the bear’s skin before one has caught the bear.” Meaning if everyone is selling, the prices will go down in value.

Conversely, analysts consider it a bear market if there is a 20% or more decrease from the most recent stock market high.

The longest bear market in history lasted about 5 years and ended in March 1942, when the S&P 500 lost about 50% of its value.

In 2008, many investors were bearish on the housing market as the economy teetered on the brink of financial disaster.

Is It Better To Be Bullish or Bearish?

Most investors are bullish over the long term, meaning they want the stock market to increase value.

There are sophisticated investors such as hedge funds and institutional investors that made fortunes by taking advantage of bear markets through short selling.

For example, hedge-funder John Paulson bet against the housing market during the 2008 financial crisis by shorting mortgage-backed securities.

Paulson’s strategy netted $15 billion and made him a hedge fund superstar.

There are numerous strategies to take advantage of bull and bear markets. However, trying to time the market is often incredibly difficult for individual investors and is best left to professional investors.

How To Make Money In Each Type of Market

It is certainly possible to make money in both bullish and bearish markets. While no strategy guarantees success, below are some common strategies deployed for each kind of market.

Strategies deployed in a Bear Market

  • Shorting Stocks or Market Indexes
  • Selling Covered Call Options to generate income
  • Buying Put Options to hedge downside risk
  • Buying stocks that are on sale

Strategies deployed in a Bull Market

  • Selling Put Options for income generation
  • Buying Call Options to take advantage of increasing stock prices

If you are unfamiliar with the financial markets, it may be best to stick to a long-term investing strategy and ignore the ups and downs.

The Bottom Line

Gaining a better understanding of the difference between bullish vs. bearish and familiarizing yourself with investing lexicon, in general, will allow you to digest financial news more quickly.

There have been bull markets and bear markets caused by different economic, social, and medical-related factors throughout history.

The most recent Bear Market occurred in March 2020 when the S&P 500 dropped about 35% as the COVID outbreak took hold and sent fear rippling through the stock market and world.

Those fears quickly resided, and stock markets are now reaching record levels.

That said, as an individual investor, it’s best not to panic buy or sell. Individual investors should maintain a well-diversified portfolio to be prepared to weather all market conditions.