GiveStake is the product. Stake is the recipient's financial home inside GiveStake — the total of everything they've received. Growing is the portion of a Stake set aside to be invested for the long run.
Stake and Growing
What is Stake?
Stake holds a person's total value in GiveStake: money, plus the photos, videos, and messages that came with each gift. It's theirs for life. Most of every gift is Available — usable when they're ready. A portion is set aside as Growing.
How is a gift split?
By default, 80% of each gift is Available and 20% is set aside as Growing. Recipients (or their guardian, for a minor) can also move Available money into Growing at any time.
Where the money is held
Who holds the money?
GiveStake is not a bank, broker-dealer, or investment advisor. Payments are processed by our payment processor, and funds are held with a regulated financial partner in accounts established for that purpose. We maintain an internal, append-only ledger recording every cent moving in and out of every Stake.
Is my money FDIC or SIPC insured?
Cash balances held at a partner bank may be eligible for FDIC insurance through that bank, subject to its terms and applicable limits. Invested balances are not FDIC insured; where held at a partner broker-dealer, SIPC protection covers the failure of the brokerage firm, not investment losses. Insurance coverage is provided by the partner institution, never by GiveStake, and specific coverage is disclosed at account setup.
What happens before account setup is complete?
Until a Stake's account setup and identity verification are complete, the Growing portion is reserved, not invested. Nothing is placed in the market before that point, and the Stake shows that status plainly. Money is never invested silently.
Investing
What is the Growing portion invested in?
Growing is intended to be invested in a low-cost, diversified index fund — broad market exposure rather than individual stock picking. GiveStake does not provide investment advice or recommendations.
Can the Growing portion lose value?
Yes. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Any growth figures shown on GiveStake are illustrations based on assumed rates of return, not promises or projections of actual performance.
Children and guardians
Can a child receive a gift?
Yes. When a recipient is a minor, their Stake is custodial. A parent or legal guardian is invited to review the gift, verify their identity, and complete setup before money can move.
Who owns a minor's money?
The child. A minor's Stake is set up as a custodial account under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA), depending on the state. Assets legally belong to the child and are managed by the custodian until the child reaches the age of transfer under state law. Transfers to a custodial account are irrevocable.
What can a guardian do?
A guardian approves the Stake, completes identity verification, and manages Available and Growing balances on the child's behalf, consistent with custodial account rules.
Getting money out
How do withdrawals work?
Available balances can be transferred to a verified bank account owned by the recipient or, for a minor, by the custodian on the child's behalf. Bank transfers typically settle in a few business days. Growing money must first be moved back to Available; if it has been invested, that requires selling, which can take additional days to settle.
Are there restrictions on custodial withdrawals?
Yes. Money in a custodial account must be used for the benefit of the child, and it becomes theirs outright at the age of transfer set by state law.
Fees
What does it cost?
The sender pays a flat $9.99 fee per gift at checkout. That fee is shown before payment and is never taken out of the recipient's Stake — the full gift amount lands in their Stake. Partner funds may carry their own expense ratios, disclosed at account setup.
Sending and receiving
Does the recipient need an app?
No app required. A gift arrives as a text message with a link. They open it, see the photos, video, and message, and the gift lands in their Stake.
What happens to the memories?
Photos, videos, notes, occasions, and milestones stay in the Stake timeline for life. That timeline is private to the Stake owner and their guardian, if they have one.
Questions we haven't answered? Email hello@givestake.com.