How to Start Investing With $100 or Less

The biggest myth in investing is that you need a lot of money to get started. You do not. In 2026, you can start building a real investment portfolio with $100 — or even $1.

Here is exactly how.

Why Starting With $100 Matters More Than You Think

The dollar amount you start with matters far less than starting at all. Here is why:

You learn by doing. Reading about investing and actually watching your money grow — and sometimes temporarily shrink — teaches you things no book can. Starting with $100 gives you skin in the game without significant risk.

The habit is more valuable than the amount. Someone who invests $100/month consistently for 30 years builds far more wealth than someone who waits until they have $10,000 to invest in a lump sum.

Compound interest starts immediately. Every day your money is invested, it is working. A year of delay at age 25 costs you more in long-term returns than you realize.

Where to Open an Account With $100

Fidelity — Best Overall Choice

Fidelity has no account minimum and allows fractional share investing starting at $1. You can open a Roth IRA or taxable brokerage account with literally any amount.

Why Fidelity wins for small investors: Their FZROX and FZILX funds have 0% expense ratios — no annual fees whatsoever. Your $100 works entirely for you.

What to Buy With Your First $100

With $100, simplicity is essential. One or two index funds is the correct answer.

Option 1: Buy one share of VTI VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF) trades around $250-280/share. At Fidelity or Schwab, buy a fractional share — your $100 buys approximately 0.36-0.40 shares. You instantly own a proportional slice of over 3,500 US companies.

Option 2: Buy FZROX at Fidelity FZROX has no minimum purchase and 0% expense ratio. Your full $100 goes to work with zero cost drag.

Option 3: Buy VT VT covers the entire global stock market. One fund, complete diversification, 0.07% expense ratio.

Do not try to pick individual stocks with $100. The diversification of an index fund is essential, especially with small amounts.

The $100 Investment Growth Projection

Starting with $100 and adding $100/month at 7% average annual return:

Year 1: $1,357
Year 5: $7,267
Year 10: $17,409
Year 20: $52,397
Year 30: $121,997

Your total contributions over 30 years: $36,100 Your total wealth: $121,997 Investment returns generated: $85,897

The Investing Principles That Scale From $100 to $1,000,000

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle — The investment strategy in this article — low-cost index funds — is exactly what Bogle spent his life advocating. This book explains why it works at any account size.

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel — Starting small is psychologically difficult. Housel explains why patience and consistency matter more than starting amount.

Prefer audiobooks? All of these are available on Audible — try it free for 30 days and get your first audiobook included.

Charles Schwab

Zero minimum, zero commissions, fractional shares through Schwab Stock Slices starting at $5. Strong educational resources.

Robinhood

Zero minimum, zero commissions, fractional shares from $1. The cleanest interface in the industry.

The market more than doubles your money beyond your contributions over 30 years. This is compound interest — your returns generate their own returns, which generate more returns.

The Most Important Step After Your First $100

Set up an automatic monthly contribution immediately after your first investment.

Even $50/month makes a dramatic difference. Even $25/month is significantly better than zero.

The psychological shift from "I will invest when I have more" to "I am an investor who contributes every month" is more valuable than any specific dollar amount.

What to Do if $100 Is All You Have Right Now

If $100 is a stretch, invest it and then focus on finding the next $100.

Ways to find an extra $100:

Cancel two subscriptions: $20-40/month
Skip restaurant meals twice: $30-60
Sell one unused item: $20-100
One extra delivery shift: $50-100

This is not about deprivation. It is about redirecting money that is currently disappearing into spending that does not build wealth.

Common Mistakes First-Time Investors Make

Checking the account daily. Your $100 will fluctuate — sometimes up 3%, sometimes down 5%. This is normal and irrelevant to your long-term outcome. Check monthly at most.

Waiting to invest more before starting. Every month you wait costs you compound interest. A $100 investment today is worth more than a $500 investment in four months.

Selling when the market drops. Your first market downturn will feel alarming. Do not sell. A market decline is a sale on shares — your regular contributions now buy more shares at lower prices.

Putting it all in one stock. The point of starting with an index fund is diversification. One company can go bankrupt. The total US market cannot.