Starting your investment journey can be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to figure out how much money you need to begin. I’ve been using Robinhood for years now, and one of the most common questions I hear from friends who wanna get started is about minimum deposit requirements. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about Robinhood’s minimum amounts for different account types.
Robinhood Account Minimums: The Quick Answer
For standard Robinhood accounts, there is no minimum amount required to open an account. You can literally start with whatever spare change you have! But if you’re interested in Robinhood Strategies (their managed account service), you’ll need at least $50 to get started.
Robinhood Standard Account – No Minimums!
One of the things that made me choose Robinhood when I first started investing was their accessible approach. Unlike traditional brokerages that might require hundreds or thousands to open an account, Robinhood lets you:
- Open an account with $0
- Buy fractional shares with as little as $1
- Start trading immediately with whatever amount you’re comfortable with
This makes it perfect for beginners or anyone who doesn’t have a lot of cash to invest right away I literally started with just $20 when I opened my account!
Robinhood Strategies – $50 Minimum Investment
If you’re looking for a more hands-off approach where Robinhood manages your investments for you, their Strategies service has a modest minimum requirement:
- $50 minimum to open a managed account
- Accounts less than $500 will be invested in ETFs only
- Accounts with $500+ may get a mix of ETFs and individual stocks
What’s interesting is that if your balance falls below $50, your account might be closed after 120 days. So it’s important to maintain at least that minimum balance if you want Robinhood Strategies to keep managing your investments
What Happens With Different Account Sizes?
The investment approach for Robinhood Strategies varies depending on how much you have invested
| Account Balance | Investment Approach |
|---|---|
| Less than $50 | Account may be closed after 120 days |
| $50-$499 | Portfolio of ETFs only |
| $500+ | Mix of ETFs and individual stocks |
As you can see, having at least $500 gives you more diversification options with individual stocks in your portfolio. But you can still get started with just $50!
Management Fees for Robinhood Strategies
If you opt for Robinhood Strategies, be aware of the management fees:
- Annual fee: 0.25% of assets under management
- That’s $2.50 per year for every $1,000 invested
- Fee is calculated daily and charged monthly from your account
For Robinhood Gold members (which costs $5/month or $50/year), there’s a nice perk: you only pay management fees on the first $100,000 in each managed account. After that, the management fee drops to 0%.
Account Types You Can Open
With Robinhood Strategies, you can currently have one of each type of supported managed account:
- Individual account
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
Joint accounts are coming soon! You need to keep your self-directed individual investing account open with Robinhood Financial for your managed account to function properly.
How to Fund Your Robinhood Account
Once you’ve decided to get started, you can fund your account in several ways:
- Bank transfers – The most common method
- Wire transfers – For faster processing
- Asset transfers – Move investments from another brokerage
- Internal transfers – Move assets between Robinhood accounts
For retirement accounts, you can also do rollovers or transfers from existing IRAs.
My Experience Starting With Minimal Amounts
When I first opened my Robinhood account, I was super hesitant to put in much money. I started with just $20 to get comfortable with the platform. Within a few months, I had gradually added more as my confidence grew.
What I love about their no-minimum approach is that it removes the intimidation factor. I’ve seen friends put off investing because other platforms required $500 or $1,000 minimums, which seemed like a huge commitment when they weren’t sure what they were doing yet.
Avoiding Account Closure with Robinhood Strategies
If you’re using Robinhood Strategies, here are some things to be aware of to prevent your account from being closed:
- Maintain at least $50 in your account
- Be careful with deposit reversals or cancellations
- If a reversal creates a deficit, Robinhood will sell assets to cover it
- If assets sales don’t fully resolve the deficit, you’ll need to deposit more funds
It’s always a good idea to make sure your bank transfers go through successfully to avoid any issues with your account.
How Your Investments Work with Robinhood Strategies
After you fund your account with the minimum $50 (or more), here’s what happens:
- The team typically starts working on your portfolio within 1-3 business days
- For taxable accounts with transferred assets, they’ll wait for cost basis information before rebalancing
- They purposely avoid trading at market open to avoid higher volatility
- Your portfolio is continuously monitored and updated based on your investor profile, their views, and market conditions
At a minimum, all positions are evaluated monthly through their quantitative process.
Will My Cash Earn Interest in Robinhood?
Yes! Any cash held in your managed account will earn interest through Robinhood’s brokerage cash sweep program. As of November 5, 2025, the annual percentage yield (APY) is 3.5%.
However, keep in mind that cash in managed accounts is generally kept to a minimum – usually around 0.5% of your account balance. This is because Robinhood Strategies aims to keep your money invested rather than sitting in cash.
Can I Withdraw My Money Anytime?
Absolutely! You can withdraw your entire balance minus any:
- Pending transfers
- Pending transactions
- Accrued management fees for the current billing cycle
If a withdrawal requires selling securities, Robinhood Strategies will choose which ones to sell and ensure the remaining assets are properly invested. Once sales are settled, the cash will be transferred to your designated account.
You’ll need to maintain a minimum balance of $50 to keep your account open.
My Thoughts on Robinhood’s Minimum Requirements
I think Robinhood has done a great job of making investing accessible to everyone. Their zero minimum for standard accounts is fantastic for beginners, and even the $50 minimum for managed accounts is very reasonable compared to many competitors that require thousands.
That said, while you can start with virtually nothing, I’ve found that having at least a few hundred dollars makes the experience more meaningful. When I started with just $20, it was hard to see significant growth even with good percentage returns. Once I had $500+ invested, the actual dollar amounts became more noticeable and motivating.
Other Important Features to Know About
Beyond just the minimums, here are some other features of Robinhood Strategies worth knowing:
- You can select up to 3 securities you don’t want to own in your portfolio
- The team provides regular insights about your portfolio in light of market changes
- You can view performance charts with different timelines (day, week, month, etc.)
- Future projection features show potential portfolio value ranges
- No direct crypto investments, but they may invest in crypto ETFs
- No dividend reinvestment (DRIP) enabled – instead, dividends are used for investments aligned with your goals
Is Robinhood Safe for Small Investors?
I’ve often been asked if it’s safe to invest small amounts in Robinhood. The answer is yes – Robinhood offers several protections:
- Member of SIPC, which protects securities customers of member firms for up to $500,000
- Security guarantees and best practices
- Regular monitoring for unusual account activity
Even with small amounts, your investments have the same protections as larger accounts.
Common Questions About Robinhood Minimums
Do I need money to open a Robinhood account?
No, you can open a standard account with $0, but you’ll need money to start investing.
What’s the minimum to buy stocks on Robinhood?
With fractional shares, you can buy many stocks with as little as $1.
Can I start investing on Robinhood with $100?
Absolutely! $100 is more than enough to get started with either a standard self-directed account or a Robinhood Strategies managed account.
Is there a minimum for Robinhood Gold?
Robinhood Gold costs $5/month or $50/year, but there’s no minimum investment amount required beyond the subscription fee.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re starting with $5 or $5,000, Robinhood has made it easier than ever to begin investing. The standard account with no minimum is perfect for dipping your toes in, while the $50 minimum for Robinhood Strategies offers professional management at a fraction of what traditional financial advisors require.
I’d recommend starting with whatever you can comfortably afford – even if it’s just $50 or $100. The most important thing is to begin your investing journey and develop good habits. As your comfort and knowledge grow, you can always add more to your account over time.
Remember, investing is a marathon, not a sprint. Starting small is way better than not starting at all!
