Invest Your First $100 in Stocks
Learn how to make your first stock investment using Ape AI's guided approach.
⏱️ Time: 15-20 minutes 💰 Investment: $100 📱 Platform: iOS & Web 👤 Best for: Complete beginners ready to invest 🦍 Recommended Companion: Money Monty (balanced approach)
What You'll Learn
How to choose your first stock investments
How to evaluate stocks for beginners
How to place your first stock order
How to start building a diversified portfolio
Before You Start
Prerequisites
✅ Account Setup
Ape AI account created
Brokerage account connected (or paper trading account)
At least $100 available to invest
✅ Knowledge
Basic understanding of what stocks are
Awareness of investment risk
Long-term investment mindset
What You Need
15-20 minutes of focused time
$100 to invest (or use paper trading)
Clear financial goals
Step 1: Set Your Investment Goals
Open Chat with Money Monty
Go to Chat tab
Make sure you have Money companion selected (good for balanced beginners)
If not, tap your companion avatar → Select Money
Ask About Your First $100
Type this prompt:
What Money Will Ask You
Money Monty will help you think through:
Time horizon: How long until you need this money?
1-3 years = Short-term
3-5 years = Medium-term
5+ years = Long-term
Risk tolerance: How comfortable are you with ups and downs?
Conservative = Stable, slow growth
Moderate = Balanced growth and stability
Aggressive = Higher growth potential, more volatility
Preferences:
Individual stocks vs ETFs
Industries you understand
Companies you believe in
💡 Tip: Be honest about your risk tolerance. It's okay to be conservative as a beginner!
Step 2: Get Stock Recommendations
Money Monty's Typical Recommendations for $100
For Conservative Beginners: Money might suggest:
Large-cap tech stocks (AAPL, MSFT, GOOGL)
Dividend-paying blue chips (KO, JNJ, PG)
Index ETFs (SPY, VOO, VTI)
For $100 Split Strategy: Money often recommends splitting your $100:
$50 in a solid large-cap stock (e.g., Apple)
$50 in a broad market ETF (e.g., SPY)
Review the Analysis
For each recommendation, Money provides:
Why This Stock: Company strengths and growth potential
Risks: What could go wrong
Entry Price: Suggested buy range
Time Horizon: How long to hold
Example Response:
Step 3: Research the Recommendations
Deep Dive on Each Stock
For each stock Money suggests, tap the ticker link (e.g., $AAPL) to see:
1. Ticker Page Overview
Current price and chart
52-week range
Market cap
Snapshot grades (Fundamental, Technical, Sentiment, Risk)
2. Check "Pricey or Cheap"
Scroll to "Tesla's Story" section
Tap "Pricey or Cheap"
Review valuation analysis:
P/E ratio vs history
Price vs sector average
Fair value estimate
3. Check "Bagholder Risks"
Tap "Bagholder Risks"
Review 3 biggest risks
Understand counter-signals
Assess likelihood ratings
4. Review "Why Pop or Drop"
Tap "Why It Could Pop or Drop"
Read upside catalysts
Read downside risks
Check "What to watch next"
💡 Tip: Don't skip the risk analysis! Understanding what could go wrong is just as important as knowing what could go right.
Step 4: Make Your Decision
Decision Checklist
Before buying, answer these questions:
✅ Do I understand what this company does?
If no → Do more research or ask Money to explain
✅ Am I comfortable with the risks?
If no → Ask Money Monty for more conservative options
✅ Can I hold this for 5+ years?
If no → Stocks might not be right for your timeframe
✅ Am I okay if this drops 20-30% temporarily?
If no → Consider more conservative investments
✅ Is this money I can afford to lose?
If no → Don't invest it in stocks
Adjust Your Plan
If you're not comfortable with the recommendations:
Ask Money Monty to adjust:
Or:
Step 5: Place Your First Trade
Execute the Trade
Once you've decided, Money Monty will show Trade Setup Cards:
For Stock Orders:
Ticker: e.g., AAPL
Side: Buy
Type: Market or Limit
Quantity: Shares to buy (fractional okay)
Estimated Cost: Total $ amount
Choose Order Type
Market Order (Recommended for Beginners)
Executes immediately at current price
Guaranteed to fill
Price might vary slightly
Limit Order (More Control)
You set maximum price you'll pay
Only executes if price reaches your limit
Might not fill if stock doesn't hit your price
💡 For your first $100: Use Market orders. The small price difference won't matter much, and you'll learn faster by getting filled immediately.
Review Before Submitting
Check:
✅ Correct ticker symbol
✅ Correct number of shares
✅ Buy (not sell!)
✅ Total cost fits your budget
Submit the Order
Tap "Execute trade"
Review one final time
Confirm the order
Wait for fill confirmation (usually seconds for market orders)
🎉 Congratulations! You're now a stock owner!
Step 6: Track Your Investment
Monitor Your Portfolio
Where to Find It:
Go to Portfolio tab
See your new position under "Positions"
View:
Current value
Gain/Loss $ and %
Entry price
Set Check-In Reminders
Don't obsess over daily changes!
Recommended check-in frequency:
First week: Daily (get comfortable with volatility)
First month: Every few days
After that: Weekly or monthly
💡 Tip: Price will go up and down. That's normal! Your time horizon is 5+ years, not 5 days.
What to Watch
Quarterly (Every 3 Months):
Company earnings reports
Any major news about your stocks
Overall portfolio performance
Annually:
Review if stocks still match your goals
Consider rebalancing if needed
Assess if you want to add more
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don't Do This
1. Panic selling when price drops
Stocks go up AND down
Short-term volatility is normal
Selling locks in losses
2. Checking price every hour
Creates unnecessary stress
Leads to emotional decisions
Long-term investing requires patience
3. Buying because "everyone's talking about it"
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is dangerous
Hype doesn't equal good investment
Stick to your research
4. Investing money you need soon
Stocks are for long-term (5+ years)
Don't invest rent money
Keep emergency fund separate
5. Trying to time the market
Nobody can predict short-term moves
Time IN the market beats timing the market
Focus on long-term holding
What's Next?
Continue Building Your Portfolio
Next $100:
Wait 1-2 weeks to see how you handle volatility
Add to your existing positions, or
Diversify with a new stock
Long-term Strategy:
Aim to invest regularly (e.g., $100/month)
Dollar-cost averaging reduces risk
Build diverse portfolio over time
Keep Learning
Ask Money Monty:
Related Workflows
Next Steps:
Invest Your First $100 in ETFs → - Diversification strategy
Research a Stock's Valuation → - Deep analysis skills
Set Up Paper Trading → - Practice before investing more
Related Skills:
Troubleshooting
"I don't have enough money for whole shares"
Solution: Use fractional shares!
Most brokers support fractional shares
You can buy $50 of Apple even if shares cost $175
You'll own 0.28 shares (perfectly fine!)
"The trade didn't fill"
For Limit Orders:
Price might not have reached your limit
Change to market order, or
Adjust your limit price
For Market Orders:
Check your buying power
Verify brokerage connection
Contact support if issue persists
"I'm scared after my first day"
This is normal!
Stock prices fluctuate daily
Down days happen to everyone
Your time horizon is years, not days
Consider not checking daily price
Ask Money Monty:
Money Monty will help put it in perspective!
Success Checklist
✅ I understand what I invested in
✅ I'm comfortable with the risks
✅ I can hold this for 5+ years
✅ This is money I can afford to tie up
✅ I have a plan for regular investing
✅ I won't panic sell on down days
✅ I'll review quarterly, not daily
Remember: Every successful investor started with their first $100. The important thing is that you started! 🎉
Your journey to financial independence begins with this first step.
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