New, easy ways to save money and invest right from your smartphone



MILWAUKEE -- Saving money isn’t always easy, but new apps are trying to make the process painless.

Digit is easy to use. Just connect your checking account and the system monitors your spending. When it thinks you won't need a couple extra dollars, it will take that and put it in savings. You have ultimate control of the money and the site will pay the fees if they overdraft your account.

Stash is an app that will let you become an investor for as little at $5.  The app lets you purchase fractional shares of over 30 exchange traded funds. Stash charges $1 per month, or a little more if you keep a lot of money in your account. The built in glossary also helps you learn the lingo. Right now Stash is available for iOS ibn the App Store.

Acorns lets anyone invest, but is fee-free if you're a student of under 24 years old. The app automatically rounds up your everyday transactions to the nearest dollar and invests the rest. You can download Acorns from the App Store or Google Play.