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The complete money app for families—debit cards, chores, savings, and investing for kids with full parental controls and approval on every trade.
Greenlight's investing feature puts parents in full control. Kids research stocks, request trades, and submit them for approval. Nothing executes without a parent saying yes.
This supervised approach lets children learn real investing with real consequences while maintaining guardrails. Kids make decisions; parents have final say.
The approval flow happens entirely in the app—kids request, parents get notified, and approve or deny with context for the decision.
Kids can invest in real stocks and ETFs starting with just $1. Fractional shares make it possible to own pieces of expensive companies like Amazon or Google.
The interface is designed for children—simple, visual, and educational. Kids can research companies they know and care about.
There are no trading fees on stock and ETF purchases, so kids can invest small amounts without fees eating their returns.
Unlike true custodial accounts (UTMA/UGMA), Greenlight investments are registered to the parent, not the child. Kids don't legally own the stocks.
This means the account doesn't automatically transfer to the child when they reach age of majority. The parent retains control indefinitely.
For true ownership that transfers to children, consider Fidelity's custodial accounts or Stockpile's UTMA accounts instead.
Greenlight ($4.99/month): Debit card, chore management, savings goals, financial education. No investing.
Greenlight + Invest ($5.99/month): Everything above plus investing in stocks and ETFs with parental approval.
Greenlight Max ($9.99/month): Everything above plus 1% cash back on purchases, up to 3% on savings (Max adds 1%), and priority support.
Greenlight is more than investing—it's a complete financial education platform. The debit card teaches spending. Chores teach earning. Savings goals teach delayed gratification.
Financial literacy modules cover budgeting, saving, investing, and more through articles, videos, and quizzes. Learning is gamified to keep kids engaged.
The holistic approach means kids learn the full picture of money management, not just stock picking.
Since investments are in the parent's name, any earnings (dividends, capital gains) are taxed under the parent's Social Security number.
With true custodial accounts, earnings are taxed under the child's SSN, which often results in lower taxes due to the 'kiddie tax' rules.
This tax treatment is a trade-off for the parental control and simplicity Greenlight provides.
Transparent breakdown of all fees you might encounter.
| Fee Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Greenlight (no investing) | $4.99/month |
| Greenlight + Invest | $5.99/month |
| Greenlight Max | $9.99/month |
| Kids Covered | Up to 5 |
| Trading Fees | $0 |
| Minimum Investment | $1 |
| Cash Back (Max) | 1% |
| Savings Reward (Max) | Up to 3% (on $5K max) |
Complete financial education from earning (chores) to spending (debit card) to investing.
Approve every trade and spending decision—nothing happens without parental permission.
One subscription covers up to 5 children with individual accounts.
Greenlight is the most comprehensive family money app available, combining debit cards, chores, savings, and investing with full parental control. Kids learn real investing with real money while parents approve every trade. The financial education content is excellent. However, the investments aren't truly owned by children (they're in the parent's name), which is a significant difference from custodial accounts. For pure investing education with parental oversight, Greenlight excels. For true ownership that transfers to kids, consider Fidelity's Youth Account or UTMA accounts elsewhere.
Compare All PlatformsSee how Greenlight stacks up against the competition
True custodial accounts with stock gift cards, less robust debit features.
Read Review →Free Youth Account for teens 13-17 with full brokerage features.
Read Review →Acorns Early offers custodial accounts but less parental control.
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