How to Open an Acorns Account
In this article, we’ll cover:
- Acorns offers several different account types.
- Acorns requires a valid U.S. address and other personal details to open an account.
- You can open an Acorns account on the company’s website or through its mobile app.
Opening an investment account at Acorns is pretty straightforward, although there are a few important things you should know first.
Requirements
Anyone who wants to open an account with Acorns must meet these basic requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old (minors on custodial accounts can be under 18)
- Have a valid ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) or SSN (Social Security Number)
- Legally live in the United States
For Acorns accounts, the U.S. includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. U.S. citizenship is not required, but Acorns does not open accounts for people who live in foreign countries. There is one exception: members of the U.S. military can open Acorns accounts while stationed overseas.
How to Open an Investment Account
Opening an Acorns account is very easy; just
go to its website, type in your email address, and click the green button to claim the $20 bonus. That’s correct: if you sign up for Acorns now and set up recurring investments of at least $5, Acorns will give you $20. That’s a pretty good deal.
When you open an investment account at Acorns, you must choose a subscription plan. The plan you pick determines which accounts and features you can use. The Bronze plan, which is the entry-level plan (at $3 per month), includes:
- Individual taxable investment account
- Checking account
- IRA (Roth, Traditional, and SEP)
Acorns does not offer joint accounts. The firm does offer custodial accounts, but a UTMA or UGMA account is only available with the Gold plan (at $12 per month). Naturally, if you want a custodial account, you need to choose Gold. Otherwise, the Bronze plan will provide the accounts you need. Still, you may want to pick the Silver or Gold plan to get some of Acorns’ more advanced features, such as life insurance and IRA contribution matches.
In addition to the website, you can also use Acorns’ mobile app to open a new account. Download the app and look for the link to start a new application.
Acorns does not offer a traditional self-directed or full-service brokerage account at this time, although it does let customers customize part of a robo portfolio with individual stocks and ETFs. Accounts are managed on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. There are no accounts for cryptocurrencies, futures, or other investment vehicles.
Acorns Sign Up Promo
Get $20 when you open an Acorns account with this referral link.
How to Open an Acorns IRA
No matter which plan you select, you’ll initially be set up with only the individual taxable robo account. To open the IRA, you’ll need to log into the website or mobile app and turn on the retirement option. On the dashboard in either platform, web or mobile, you should see a purple button labeled “Set up” or “Activate.” Tap or click that button, and you’ll reach a page where you can choose the IRA you want (SEP, Traditional, or Roth). Complete the online questionnaire, and Acorns’ software will help match you with the right account.
How to Open a Checking Account
The same goes for the checking account; it is not opened automatically. Log into the same dashboard and find the purple button that turns it on.
One more thing to keep in mind: to open the checking feature, you do need to connect an external bank account to your Acorns account. You can do that during the checking application if you haven’t already linked one. Fill out the remaining fields and provide all requested information.
Acorns’ checking account includes some useful perks, such as early payday, real-time round ups, paycheck splitting, FDIC insurance, and a Visa debit card. Gold customers get a metal card with a laser-engraved signature. In all cases, Acorns offers fee-free ATM withdrawals at more than 55,000 Allpoint machines.
How to Open a Custodial Account
The custodial account also has to be added after the initial application. Acorns calls its custodial accounts Early Invest. Look for this icon on the dashboard or in the Investing section of the site. Remember that you must subscribe to the Gold plan to open this account; if you didn’t choose Gold at first, the Early Invest application will give you that option.
Pricing
There are no account minimums at Acorns, although to qualify for the $20 bonus mentioned above you do need to set up a recurring investment of $5. The plans have the following monthly fees:
A Gold subscription does include a broad set of benefits, so it could be worth the cost.
Updated on 4/8/2026.
Chad Morris is a financial writer with more than 20 years experience
as both an English teacher and an avid trader. When he isn’t writing
expert content for Brokerage-Review.com, Chad can usually be found
managing his portfolio or building a new home computer.
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