Stock gift cards help beginners invest

Stockpile sells digital, plastic gift cards

SAN ANTONIO – Nick Irons' nephew, Jacob, loves Six Flags Great Adventure. So two years ago, he bought the boy stock as a gift.

"When I told him this is worth X number of dollars and it's going to grow every year, he was pretty happy," Irons said.

Now buying stock can be as simple as buying a gift card, either online or off the rack at the store.

Stockpile is a company that offers hundreds of choices of gift cards on its website or at stores like Office Depot and Toys-R-Us. They cost the face value of the gift you want to give, from $1 to $100, plus a nominal fee.

For kid appeal, there are stocks available from such companies as Disney and Harley Davidson.

For kids, it’s like an easy-to- digest economics lesson. By following how a company is doing over time, young people learn about savings and investing. 

Children can own stock, but until they’re 18 an adult has to responsible for opening and managing a custodial account for them. Minors can log in with their own credentials to see how their holdings are doing and even trade with the adult’s approval.
 


About the Author:

Marilyn Moritz is an award-winning journalist dedicated to digging up information that can make people’s lives a little bit better. As KSAT’S 12 On Your Side Consumer reporter, she focuses on exposing scams and dangerous products and helping people save money.