5 F I N T E C H C O M P A N I E SW O R T H P A Y I N GA T T E N T I O N T O

Adam Kuettel

S O F I

SoFi takes its name from social finance. Its original mission was to help recentcollege graduates refinance their studentloans, but today it also offers mortgagesand personal loans. The company also offers an UnemploymentProtection program to members who losetheir jobs.

B I L L G U A R D

Billguard helps users track their monthlyspending via an app on their phone. It also monitors your credit report for identitytheft and sends you notifications about databreaches. Most of the app’s services are free, but usersalso have the option of paying a monthly feeto access even more useful services.

W E A L T H F R O N T

Wealthfront is a “robo-advisor.” A robo-adviser is just what it sounds like: it’s awealth management tool that offersportfolio advice without the involvement ofhumans. Wealthfront uses algorithms to offer advice,and it's one of the most popular robo-advisers on the market.

S Q U A R E

Square has made it much easier forbusinesses to accept credit and debit cards.The company was founded by Jack Dorsey,the founder of Twitter. Small businesses that may have onlyaccepted cash in the past can now acceptcredit cards due to Square's technology.

R O B I N H O O D

Robinhood gives customers the ability totrade stocks and without fees. The first question people usually ask is “Howdoes the company make money?” In September Robinhood introducedRobinhood Gold which costs $10 a month. The Gold program gives users the ability toinstantly deposit their money, and it lets themborrow money as well.