Public.com – A great way for artists to get into investing

I’ve been looking for ways in which artists and creatives can learn about investing while actually doing it in an affordable way. Today I came across Public, an app that allows you to invest in fractional shares (e.g. If a Tesla share is worth $654.87 as it is right now, you could invest just $5 and get 0.7635% of a share).

Now, there are several places that offer fractional investing, but none have a way of making it social so you can see what others are investing in, learn from them, copy them, etc (There’s a crypto trading app that allows you to do this – but it just skipped my mind. I will share it here when I remember).

You can follow investors like Sahquel O’Neil, Michael Bolton, invite friends, message people who follow you. It’s a great way to dip into the world of investing and stocks.

I believe artists, creatives and activists of all kinds should have an understanding of the stock market as it affects EVERYTHING. We should have whole groups of artists and creatives and non-profit workers out studying the stock market and deciphering it for everyone, not just for investment purposes, but for gaining understanding. If we are to really make a change in the world, if we are to not always be begging, we need to have people at the table.

A few highlights:

• Buy any stock with any amount of money, commission-free
• Low barrier to entry; You can invest with as little as $5
• Invest in popular ETFs from Vanguard, BlackRock and others by the slice, and do it without commission fees.
• Start or join group chats to talk about companies and trends. Or, just use them to get your friends together.
• Investments insured for up to %500,000
• No complex jargon
• No account minimums
• Currently only open for American citizens, permanent residents or holders of valid visas.

Here’s an interesting review of Public, including pros and cons. Do check it out.