Alternatives to Moneyfarm

What's Moneyfarm

Moneyfarm is one of the most popular investment apps in Italy. The idea was born in 2011 and having started in the UK, the platform now has over 90,000 customers. It provides you with a personalised investment plan based on a questionnaire you fill out when signing up to their product. It currently offers 7 portfolios which all range in a mix of stocks and bonds.

If you're reading this, it could be that your looking at different alternatives to Moneyfarm so let's dig into the different options for Italian investors.

Alternatives to Moneyfarm

We didn't list alternatives such as investing through your bank where there's a good chance that they will sell you an actively managed funds. It's best to choose a passive strategy by investing in index funds/ETFs and these are the different propositions for Italian investors. We didn't list brokers either. These alternatives are all based on offering you a balanced and managed portfolio based on your goals and time horizon for your investments.

Curvo

Originally launched in Belgium, Curvo has grown to be one of the most accessible apps for investors. It will soon be available for Italian investors.

Portfolio of index funds tailored to you

When opening an account, you are asked a few questions at the start to learn about you and your goals. Based on your answers, you are matched with the best portfolio of index funds for you. No need to choose which ETFs to buy. Each portfolio is built and managed by NNEK, a Dutch investment firm licensed by the Dutch regulator (AFM).

Proven investment strategies

The portfolios are built to stand the test of time. Each portfolio invests only in assets that are widely understood and that, through decades of research and usage, are predicted to earn significant returns over the decades to come. Concretely, this means index funds of stocks and bonds!

Built for monthly investing

We think investing regularly, for instance every month, is the best way to grow your wealth over time. Market timing rarely works, and having a system in place ensures you will actually put savings aside. As such, we built automated monthly investing into the app, where an amount you choose is debited from your bank account every month and invested for you. Over two thirds of Curvo members set up an automated savings plan. Saving becomes easy when it's automated!

Diversification at the core

We firmly believe in the power of diversification to lower risk and seek investment returns. Each portfolio consists of over 7,500 companies, diversified across many sectors and countries.

Invest sustainably

Your investments focus on one guiding principle: don’t invest in companies that are considered destructive to the planet. This means that sectors like non-renewable energy, vice products, weapons and controversial companies are all excluded.

The benefits of Curvo include:

• Start from €50. No need for a large amount to start.
• Best for automated monthly invested. You can set up a savings plan where an amount you choose is automatically debited from your bank account every month and invested  for you. Saving becomes easy when it's automated!
• Rebalancing done for you. No need to worry about keeping your portfolio in balance, this is handled for you.
• Fractional shares. All your money is invested, there’s no cash left sitting on the side that's not working for you.
• Overseen by the financial regulators. Your investments are safe and managed by NNEK, a Dutch investment firm overseen by the Dutch regulator, the AFM.
• Project your savings into the future. Through Curvo you can see how much your portfolio is expected to be worth in the future. You can answer questions like “how will increasing my monthly contribution by €50, €100 or €200 affect my long-term  savings?” to give a concrete idea for the “future you”.
• Withdraw anytime. There’s no long-term contract or exit fees if you wish to stop investing.

Of course, there are some downsides to Curvo (some of which we are working on!):

• You can't choose what to invest in: the asset allocation is set by the investment philosophy.
• Declarative regime: Curvo provides you with an annual tax report but you'll have to do the declarations yourself every year.
• Only one portfolio at a time: you can only save for one goal. However, multiple portfolios are being added to the app soon.

Want to know more? Discover how Curvo works in more detail.

Tinaba

Tinaba was started in 2015 and also offers a lot more than investing as they propose bank account options and offer prepaid cards. It's supported by Banco Profilo which is an independent bank listed on the stock exchange.

They offer 8 portfolios ranging in levels of risk. The minimum to start investing through their ap is €2,000 although once you're on the app, you can set up a monthly saving plan from €50. One feature they like to promote is an option to "freeze risks", which is essentially a "parking function" where you can freeze your portfolio whilst markets drop. We don't think it's something particularly useful considering index investors have a long-term mindset and strategy, sometimes it's better to buy when the market is low!

The fees to use Tinaba start at 1.22% per year. The fees do drop for larger investments, starting from €20,000, that you make through the app.

Benefits of using Tinaba

• Monthly plan: you can set up a monthly savings plan from €50 per month.

Downsides of Tinaba

• Price: the management fee to use Tinaba doesn't include VAT which has to be added on so the cost is 1.22% per year.
• Complicated offer: they offer far more than just the investing side of things. This makes their entire offer quite complicated with all of the additional banking options.

Gimme5

Gimme5 works like a "digital piggy bank" where it pushes you to save money smartly. Everything is run through a mobile app and the starting sums are really small. You can start investing from €5 and they boast over 590,000 users in Italy.

Your money is invested through 9 different funds managed by AcomeA SGR which is an independent active investment management firm. The ESG funds are run in partnership with Vanguard.

What's neat about Gimme5 is their "goal setting" within the app. For example, if you want to save for a holiday, you can set a goal within the app and it will provide you with guidance and help you reach that goal. The flexibility with setting and activating "rules" for saving will motivate you to reach your targets.

However, the costs are high if you use their app. Each of their funds have significant annual management fees (capped at 1.60%). Unfortunately you also have to pay "performance fees". They have a complicated method of calculating it which adds complexity to understanding exactly how much you'll be paying. You also have to pay for refunds (€1) and switches in strategy (€1). These fees add up and especially when we are talking about small amounts!

Benefits of using Gimme5

• Setting saving goals: this is a neat feature and quite unique in comparison to using Moneyfarm as you can be smarter with your choices.
• Start from €5: this is the lowest amount you can start investing in from Italy. It's great if you don't have a significant amount to put to work.

Downsides of Gimme5

• Expensive: the fees add up especially when you're investing small amounts.
• Performance fees: it's not something you should pay for especially if you have a long-term investing goal through a "buy and hold" philosophy.

Euclidea

Euclidea has been around since 2016 offering an easy to use way to put your money to work. It works similarly to Moneyfarm in asking you a questionnaire to begin with in order to better understand you and your goals with investing. It then builds an investment plan for you and the money is managed by them.

They offer 11 portfolios and their pricing varies between the service you choose. You can opt for a "smart service" which is 0.60% per year or else the "wealth service" which costs 1.20% per year.

Benefits of using Euclidea

• Handles taxes: operates under a declarative regime meaning that all your taxes are handled automatically for you.
• Index funds instead of ETFs: the total expense ratio (TER) means the fund costs are lower than some ETFs

Downsides of Euclidea

• Web-based: not as user friendly or easy to use as the other options listed which are more app based.
• High starting investment: it starts from a minimum of €5,000 which is on par with Moneyfarm.
• Long-time to start an account: takes roughly 20 minutes to create an account through their website.

Summary

The investment landscape in Italy has diversified significantly over the past years, offering investors a host of choices, each with its unique strengths and shortcomings. Moneyfarm has undoubtedly been a front-runner, but as we've explored, there are several other platforms providing distinct offerings tailored to the varying needs of Italian investors. Curvo, for instance, appeals with its sustainable ethos and low-entry point. Tinaba, with its banking and investing combo, may intrigue those wanting an all-in-one solution, while Gimme5's goal setting and tiny starting investment might resonate with beginners.

As with all investment decisions, the best platform largely depends on individual preferences, risk appetite, and financial goals. It's essential to weigh the pros and cons, understanding the fees, features, and the flexibility each platform offers.

Questions you may have

How to withdraw funds from Moneyfarm?

It can take a while. To request a withdrawal from Moneyfarm, head to “Request  for transfer” in the “Transfers” section of the Moneyfarm personal area. It takes roughly 10 working days from sales (3-4 working days in case of selling a part of your portfolio).

Once your positions have been sold, you'll need to then issue a withdrawal back to your bank account that you linked up to when signing up.

What happens if Moneyfarm fails?

Your assets would be safe and secure. Moneyfarm is regulated in Italy by Consob and the Bank of Italy and England by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In any case, even if Moneyfarm were to fail or declare bankruptcy, customer savings would not suffer and would return to the owners as they not owned by Moneyfarm.

You are also protected by the European Investor Protection Scheme up to €20,000 if there's any fraud or embezzlement but the platform is safe and secure.