Base camp · where every route starts
New to investing? Start here.
You don't need to know anything yet, or have an account. Northwend teaches the basics in short steps, lets you practise first, and walks you to your first investment - at your own pace, with nothing to sell you.
An email address.
That's it.
- No brokerage account yet. The route shows you how to choose and open one, when you're ready.
- No money to start. Learning and practice money cost nothing.
- No bank details. Northwend never asks for them, or for a brokerage login.
The route
Two stages, one step at a time
Every step says what it's for. Complete it when you're ready, or skip it and come back later.
Learn
6 steps- About youA few taps about your timeline and how you feel about ups and downs.
- Are you ready to invest?A quick check of what most people take care of first.
- Set a goalYour goal, a monthly amount and a mix, one at a time.
- Learn the basicsSix short reads, a minute or two each.
- An example mixWhat a simple portfolio looks like for someone with your answers.
- Try it with practice moneyA mix on real past prices, before using real money.
Start investing
4 steps- Choose a brokerageWhat to compare, and well-known brokerages side by side.
- Open your accountUsually online in one sitting, then move some money in.
- Your first investmentsWhat a first buy looks like, and the kinds of funds many people start with.
- Bring it inYour plan and your goal then follow the real thing.
The practice range
Feel the ups and downs before using real money
Pick a mix and a monthly amount, choose a date in the past, and see what it would have done on real prices since - the good months and the bad ones. Nothing real is bought, and nothing can be lost.
Practice money
A pretend monthly amount, invested on real past prices. See what you'd have put in, and what it would be worth.
Questions any time
Ask Northwend what a word means or why something dipped. It explains; it never tells you what to buy.
A small amount, often
What a monthly amount could grow to
Investing a little every month adds up, mostly because growth builds on growth. These figures assume it grows 6% every year - a hypothetical rate, not a prediction. Real returns change from year to year, and some years they're negative.
| 10 years | 20 years | 30 years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100 a month | $16,400you put in $12,000 | $46,200you put in $24,000 | $100,500you put in $36,000 |
| $250 a month | $41,000you put in $30,000 | $115,500you put in $60,000 | $251,100you put in $90,000 |
| $500 a month | $81,900you put in $60,000 | $231,000you put in $120,000 | $502,300you put in $180,000 |
The quiet cost
What a fund's yearly fee costs over time
Every fund takes a small yearly fee, its expense ratio. It looks tiny, but it's taken every year from everything you have. Northwend's fee check shows what yours cost in dollars.
| Yearly fund fee | After 30 years | Compared with the lowest |
|---|---|---|
| 0.05% a year | $56,600 | - |
| 0.50% a year | $49,800 | $6,800 less |
| 1.00% a year | $43,200 | $13,400 less |
The trailhead
Choosing a brokerage, without the sales pitch
A brokerage holds your account - where you buy funds and see what you own. When you're ready, Northwend shows what to compare and some well-known brokerages in alphabetical order. We're not paid by any of them, and we don't rank them.
- Fees. Any yearly account fee, and what buying or selling costs.
- Minimums. How much you need to open the account, if anything.
- Fractional shares. Buying in dollar amounts, like $50 of a fund.
- Account types. A Roth IRA for retirement, a regular account for anything else.
- An easy app. One you'll be comfortable opening every month.
- Help. Phone, chat, or an office nearby if you'd like to talk to someone.
I'm not sure what to buy first.
That's very common. Many people start with a broad index fund for each part of their mix - one fund can hold thousands of companies. I can show you examples from a few different providers to compare. They're examples to learn from, not recommendations: the choice is yours.
Your first investment
Not sure what to start with?
Northwend shows the kinds of broad, low-cost index funds many people start with - for each part of your mix, examples from three different providers, side by side. You can watch them, or try them with practice money first.
Examples to learn from, not recommendations. Northwend never tells you what to buy.
Before you start
Common questions
Do I need money to start?
No. Learning and practice money cost nothing and use pretend money. When you're ready to invest for real, many brokerages let you start small - check each one's own site for its minimums.
Do I need a brokerage account first?
No. The Start investing steps walk you through choosing one and opening it, when you're ready. If you already have one, you can skip straight to bringing it in.
Will Northwend tell me what to buy?
No. It explains what different kinds of investments are and shows examples to learn from, but the choice is always yours. Northwend is an educational tool, not financial advice.
Does Northwend hold my money?
No. Your money stays at your brokerage. Northwend never asks for your brokerage login and can't buy or sell anything for you.
What does it cost?
Northwend is free while it's in beta. It doesn't sell investments, takes no commissions, and no brokerage or fund company pays to be mentioned. If it ever charges for anything, it will say so first.
Take the first step today.
A few taps about you, then one short step at a time. Free while in beta.