Motley Fool-backed Rubicoin launches simplified brokerage app

Rubicoin has launched an app for iOS designed to strip down stock trading and make it simple for new investors to invest in brands they love. Initially targeting retail investors, the app, which recommends shares, divides stocks into six novel categories: bedrock, the innovator, megatrend, insider, the money machine and the idolized brand. Backed by The Motley Fool, the app offers trading through Robinhood as well as more traditional brokerage firms such as Fidelity, Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade.

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When it comes to investing in stocks, it can be a daunting experience and perhaps overwhelming for some. Rubicoin has entered the marketplace to try to make it easier for new investors to ease into the process with its jargon-free product. Today the company has publicly launched an iOS app called Invest that gives people the ability to purchase stocks in brands they appreciate.

“It’s time for the stock market to be democratized,” said company founder and chief executive Emmet Savage. “There’s no reason why new or inexperienced investors can’t be guided and coached to buy stocks in the brands they believe in — and create wealth over time.”

Instead of a complex user interface filled with tons of bells and whistles that’s as friendly as filling out a tax form, Invest by Rubicoin presents a simple experience. Within the app are several screens that you can navigate through. The first is the showroom, which is a list of 37 companies Rubicoin recommends you invest in to build a portfolio for long-term gains.

Tapping on any of these listed companies will display Rubicoin’s explanation of why that brand is worth investing in. It displays the latest data, a description of the company, its stock performance over time, and its history, all of which is provided by Xignite. You can mark any company as a favorite or opt to invest in it right away.

Another part of Invest is the Best Buy area, where Rubicoin will name one stock it strongly believes in each day. This is only available to those who opt to pay $1.99 a week for access.

The third screen is where it lists stocks in your portfolio and also those you’ve placed on a watchlist (the ones you’ve marked as favorite).

The portfolio is divided into six different areas, including the bedrock, a beloved company that Rubicoin feels will solve the harshest of downturns; the innovator, which is a disruptor in its industry; and a megatrend, a company that’s leading the way in tomorrow’s technology.

There’s also the idolized brand, which is highly respected and looked up to; an insider, a company whose executives own at least five percent of the shares; and finally the money machine, which is raking in the money and reinvesting profits back into the business.

The above six designations are determined by Rubicoin. If you’re interested in seeing the list of companies that fit into these categories, Invest offers a search feature in the showroom that will provide more information. As of right now, it appears that you can only invest in up to six companies within the app, which makes sense because Invest is aimed at amateur investors who just want to make financial decisions in the stock market, so why have them jump right into the deep end? This way, they can make less complex investments.

Rubicoin said that another version of Invest will be released in 2016 that’s geared towards more professional investors.

When you find brands you want to invest in, you can do so right from the app through integrations with brokerage firms like E-Trade, Fidelity, OptionsHouse, Charles Schwab, Scottrade, TD Ameritrade, TradeStation, and Tradier Brokerage. If you don’t have an account with any of these firms, Rubicoin supports Robinhood, which will facilitate trading without any added commissions.

If you’re worried at all about taking investment advice from just Rubicoin, the company wants to let you know that it has the backing of The Motley Fool, a top financial publication. In fact, Rubicoin has received $2.2 million in investments from not only The Motley Fool, but also Enterprise Ireland and other unnamed investors.

As the app’s target user, I find the information provided by Invest helpful and the experience refreshing. It’s not busy and filled with lots of options and language that I don’t really understand. But one thing that makes me wary is the fact that the advice is from one company that I’ve just come to know. It would be nice to have some other sources cited to help assuage these concerns.

Another thought is that the recommendations come from Rubicoin, so when you search, you’re limited to the 37 companies listed in the showroom, mostly well-known brands like Chipotle, Walt Disney Pictures, Google, Whole Foods, Nike, Facebook, Tesla, Amazon, PayPal, FedEx, Under Armour, Zillow, GoPro, and Lululemon. On the other hand, considering Rubicoin’s philosophy of helping you invest in brands you love, it would make sense to include household names that are doing well — if you’re interested in developing fields, Invest is probably not your app.

Invest by Rubicoin is only available for iOS devices right now. No word on when an Android version will be released, but it could be soon.