How to invest $1,000 right now — wherever you are on your financial journey
You have $1,000 saved and you're trying to figure out what to do with it. It would be a significant amount of money to splurge and spend all at once — but is it enough to invest? The truth is, $1,000 is a great place to start investing and can make a difference in your financial health. Below, CNBC Select suggests several ways you can invest $1,000 and explains how to decide which option may work best for you. Some investments might offer greater returns, but they also come with greater risk. If your financial safety net allows for this risk, such investments are worth considering. If not, you can use your $1,000 to correct that.

1. Build an emergency fund

An emergency fund is crucial to your financial health. When you're facing unexpected expenses, such as job loss, medical expenses or surprise home or car repairs, your emergency fund will keep you from straining your budget or going into debt. Experts generally recommend having between three and six months' worth of living expenses in your emergency fund. If you're not quite there, $1,000 can go a long way. A good place to park your emergency fund is a high-yield savings account. This way, you'll get guaranteed returns in the form of compound interest. Some high-yield savings accounts are now offering around a 5% annual percentage yield (APY) — a return we haven't seen since the 1990s. Plus, these accounts are usually FDIC-insured so they are virtually risk-free. Here are a few high-yield savings accounts we recommend:

LendingClub High-Yield Savings Learn More LendingClub Bank, N.A., Member FDIC Annual Percentage Yield (APY) 5.00%

Minimum balance No minimum balance requirement after $100.00 to open the account

Monthly fee None

Maximum transactions None

Excessive transactions fee None

Overdraft fees N/A

Offer checking account? Yes

Offer ATM card? Yes Terms apply.

UFB Secure Savings Learn More UFB Secure Savings is offered by Axos Bank ® , a Member FDIC. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Up to 5.25% APY on any savings balance; add a UFB Freedom Checking and meet checking account qualifications to get an additional up to 0.20% APY on savings

Minimum balance $0, no minimum deposit or balance needed for savings

Fees No monthly maintenance or service fees

Overdraft fee Overdraft fees may be charged, according to the terms; overdraft protection available

ATM access Free ATM card with unlimited withdrawals

Maximum transactions 6 per month; terms apply

Terms apply. Read our UFB Secure Savings review.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings Learn More Goldman Sachs Bank USA is a Member FDIC. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) 4.40% APY

Minimum balance None

Monthly fee None

Maximum transactions At this time, there is no limit to the number of withdrawals or transfers you can make from your online savings account

Excessive transactions fee None

Overdraft fee None

Offer checking account? No

Offer ATM card? No Terms apply.

2. Pay down debt

If you have credit card debt, paying it off should be your priority, especially in a high-rate environment. Let's say you have a $1,000 balance on a credit card with a 20% APR and only make a minimum payment of $25 each month. The balance will take you 67 months to pay off and you'll lose $661 to interest. Or you could pay the whole balance off instead and not worry about interest charges at all. If you owe considerably more, you may feel as though $1,000 would barely make a dent in your card debt. In that case, you may also want to look into a 0% intro APR credit card or debt consolidation loan to save on interest charges. The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card, for example, has a 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then 18.24%, 24.74%, or 29.99% variable APR). Balance transfers made within 120 days from account opening qualify for the intro rate, BT fee of 5%, min $5.

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card Learn More On Wells Fargo's secure site Rewards None

Welcome bonus None

Annual fee $0

Intro APR 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers.

Regular APR 18.24%, 24.74%, or 29.99% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee 5%, min: $5

Foreign transaction fee 3%

Credit needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees. Terms apply.

3. Put it in a retirement plan

Another aspect of your financial life you want to cover is your retirement funds. If your employer offers a 401(k) match, you may be missing out if you're not taking full advantage of it. Further, it's good practice to save 15% of your annual income for retirement (including any contributions by your employer). If that seems like a lofty goal to you at the moment, contributing $1,000 can definitely make a difference. If you don't have an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you can always invest in an individual retirement account (IRA) instead. The IRA contribution limit for 2023 is $6,500, or $7,500 if you're 50 or older. CNBC Select picked Charles Schwab IRA as the best IRA account. If you're just beginning to invest, Fidelity Investments IRA can be an excellent choice.

Fidelity Investments Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. No minimum to open a Fidelity Go® account, but minimum $10 balance according to the investment strategy chosen

Fees Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Zero commission fees for stock, ETF, options trades and some mutual funds; zero transaction fees for over 3,400 mutual funds; $0.65 per options contract. Fidelity Go® has no advisory fees for balances under $25,000 (0.35% per year for balances of $25,000 and over and this includes access to unlimited 1-on-1 coaching calls from a Fidelity advisor)

Bonus Find special offers here

Investment vehicles Robo-advisor: Fidelity Go® IRA: Traditional, Roth and Rollover IRAs Brokerage and trading: Fidelity Investments Trading Other: Fidelity Investments 529 College Savings; Fidelity HSA ®

Investment options Stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, CDs, options and fractional shares

Educational resources Extensive tools and industry-leading, in-depth research from 20-plus independent providers Terms apply.

Charles Schwab Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. No account minimum for active investing through Schwab One ® Brokerage Account. Automated investing through Schwab Intelligent Portfolios ® requires a $5,000 minimum deposit

Fees Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Schwab One ® Brokerage Account has no account fees, $0 commission fees for stock and ETF trades, $0 transaction fees for over 4,000 mutual funds and a $0.65 fee per options contract

Bonus None

Investment vehicles Robo-advisor: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios ® and Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™ IRA: Charles Schwab Traditional, Roth, Rollover, Inherited and Custodial IRAs; plus, a Personal Choice Retirement Account ® (PCRA) Brokerage and trading: Schwab One ® Brokerage Account, Brokerage Account + Specialized Platforms and Support for Trading, Schwab Global Account™ and Schwab Organization Account

Investment options Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs and ETFs

Educational resources Extensive retirement planning tools Terms apply.

4. Open a certificate of deposit (CD)

Let's say your emergency fund is in good shape, you're on track to contributing to your retirement plan and you have no high-interest debt. Yet, you'd rather not take on risk when it comes to your money. In this case, you might want to look into certificates of deposit (CDs). This type of deposit account earns a fixed interest rate for a specific amount of time on the funds you deposit when you open an account. The term lengths typically range between three months and five years. Longer terms tend to come with higher APYs but with a traditional CD, you can't withdraw your money before the end of the term. Otherwise, you'll generally have to pay an early withdrawal penalty. Interest rates on CDs are often higher than those on regular savings accounts. This means you might get better returns at the trade-off of no easy access to your cash until the maturity date. But if you already have an emergency fund parked in a more accessible account, putting extra money aside in a CD can be a good move. At the time of writing, the following accounts are offering some of the best CD rates:

Synchrony Bank CDs Learn More Synchrony Bank is a Member FDIC. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) From 0.25% to 5.15% APY

Terms From 3 months to 60 months

Minimum balance None

Monthly fee None

Early withdrawal penalty fee There may be an early withdrawal penalty if you withdraw funds from the principal prior to the CD maturity date (the last day of the CD term). The penalty is applied to the amount of principal withdrawn (there's no penalty on interest). For the No-Penalty CD, early withdrawals are not permitted within the first 6 days after account funding. Following that, only withdrawal of the entire balance is allowed. Terms apply. APYs are subject to change at any time without notice. Offers apply to personal accounts only. Fees may reduce earnings. For CD accounts, a penalty may be imposed for early withdrawals. After maturity, if your CD rolls over, you will earn the offered rate of interest for your CD type in effect at that time.

CFG Community Bank CDs Learn More CFG Bank is a Member FDIC. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) From 4.40% to 5.50% APY

Terms From 12 months to 60 months

Minimum balance $500 to open and start earning interest

Monthly fee None

Early withdrawal penalty fee Early withdrawal penalty depends on the term length; withdrawing within six days of account opening will cost you a 7-day interest penalty Terms apply.

Ally Bank® CDs Learn More Ally Bank® is a Member FDIC. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) From 3.00% to 4.50% APY

Terms From 3 months to 5 years

Minimum balance None

Monthly fee None

Early withdrawal penalty fee High Yield CDs and Raise Your Rate CDs have early withdrawal penalties that vary based on your CD term. With the No Penalty CD, withdraw all your money any time after the first 6 days following the date you funded the account and keep the interest earned with no penalty. Terms apply.

5. Invest in money market funds

Kenneth Chavis IV, CFP and senior wealth manager at LourdMurray, suggests money market funds "for those who are not comfortable with investment risk but want to earn some interest on their money." Money market funds (MMFs) invest in lower-risk debt securities, such as U.S. Treasury bills and commercial paper, and are considered some of the safest investments. MMFs pay monthly dividends. The yield is typically close to or a little higher than on bank savings accounts. This is also a highly liquid option — you can withdraw the money you've invested at any time. You can buy money market funds from a bank, fund provider such as Fidelity Investments or Vanguard or by opening a brokerage account.

Fidelity Investments Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. No minimum to open a Fidelity Go® account, but minimum $10 balance according to the investment strategy chosen

Fees Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Zero commission fees for stock, ETF, options trades and some mutual funds; zero transaction fees for over 3,400 mutual funds; $0.65 per options contract. Fidelity Go® has no advisory fees for balances under $25,000 (0.35% per year for balances of $25,000 and over and this includes access to unlimited 1-on-1 coaching calls from a Fidelity advisor)

Bonus Find special offers here

Investment vehicles Robo-advisor: Fidelity Go® IRA: Traditional, Roth and Rollover IRAs Brokerage and trading: Fidelity Investments Trading Other: Fidelity Investments 529 College Savings; Fidelity HSA ®

Investment options Stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, CDs, options and fractional shares

Educational resources Extensive tools and industry-leading, in-depth research from 20-plus independent providers Terms apply.

Vanguard Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. No minimum to open a Vanguard account, but minimum $1,000 deposit to invest in many retirement funds; robo-advisor Vanguard Digital Advisor® requires minimum $3,000 to enroll

Fees Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Zero commission fees for stock and ETF trades; zero transaction fees for over 3,000 mutual funds; $20 annual service fee for IRAs and brokerage accounts unless you opt into paperless statements; robo-advisor Vanguard Digital Advisor® charges up to 0.20% in advisory fees (after 90 days)

Bonus None

Investment vehicles Robo-advisor: Vanguard Digital Advisor® IRA: Vanguard Traditional, Roth, Rollover, Spousal and SEP IRAs Brokerage and trading: Vanguard Trading Other: Vanguard 529 Plan

Investment options Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, ETFs and options

Educational resources Retirement planning tools Terms apply.

6. Buy treasury bills

Speaking of Treasury bills, they're also a low-risk investment since they're backed by the government and give you a guaranteed return over a set period of time. "You will get a nice guaranteed rate dependent on how long the maturity is (assuming you hold until maturity) and you will not owe state income tax on the interest," Chavis says. Since there's a maturity period, this option provides less liquidity than money market funds. At the same time, the term can be very short — from just a few days to a year. You can buy Treasury bills directly from the TreasuryDirect website or go through a broker like Charles Schwab or Fidelity.

Charles Schwab Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. No account minimum for active investing through Schwab One ® Brokerage Account. Automated investing through Schwab Intelligent Portfolios ® requires a $5,000 minimum deposit

Fees Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Schwab One ® Brokerage Account has no account fees, $0 commission fees for stock and ETF trades, $0 transaction fees for over 4,000 mutual funds and a $0.65 fee per options contract

Bonus None

Investment vehicles Robo-advisor: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios ® and Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™ IRA: Charles Schwab Traditional, Roth, Rollover, Inherited and Custodial IRAs; plus, a Personal Choice Retirement Account ® (PCRA) Brokerage and trading: Schwab One ® Brokerage Account, Brokerage Account + Specialized Platforms and Support for Trading, Schwab Global Account™ and Schwab Organization Account

Investment options Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs and ETFs

Educational resources Extensive retirement planning tools Terms apply.

7. Invest in stocks

Robinhood Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. No minimum required to open an account or to start investing

Fees Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Commission-free trading; regulatory transaction fees and trading activity fees may apply

Bonus Robinhood will add 1 share of free stock to your brokerage account when you link your bank account and fulfill the conditions in your promotion (you'll be able to keep the stock or sell it after 2 trading days)

Investment vehicles Brokerage account: Robinhood Financial commission-free investing

Investment options Stocks, ETFs, options trading, fractional shares, IPOs, plus certain cryptocurrencies through Robinhood Crypto (depending on where you live)

Educational resources "Investing basics" blog, an online library of content and Robinhood Snacks daily newsletter Terms apply.

Webull Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. No minimum required to open an account or to start investing

Fees Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Commission-free trading; regulatory transaction fees and trading activity fees may apply

Bonus Get 5 free stocks when you open and fund a new account: Sign up with Webull to get your 2 free stocks, each valued up to $300, and deposit any amount to receive 3 free stocks, each valued up to $3,000

Investment vehicles Brokerage account: Webull commission-free investing IRA: Traditional, Roth, Rollover IRAs

Investment options Stocks, ETFs, options trading, fractional shares, IPOs, ADRs, plus certain cryptocurrencies through Webull Crypto

Educational resources Webull blog Terms apply.

8. Use a robo-advisor

If you're interested in investing but want a more hands-off approach, you can use a robo-advisor which will automatically invest in several index funds and ETFs based on your goals and risk tolerance. These accounts typically have low or no minimum opening deposits and have much more affordable management advisory fees than traditional financial advisors. CNBC Select suggests Betterment and Wealthfront as our top picks for the best robo-advisors.

Betterment Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. For example, Betterment doesn't require clients to maintain a minimum investment account balance, but there is a ACH deposit minimum of $10. Premium Investing requires a $100,000 minimum balance.

Fees Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected, account balances, etc. Click here for details.

Investment vehicles Robo-advisor: Betterment Digital Investing IRA: Betterment Traditional, Roth and SEP IRAs 401(k): Betterment 401(k) for employers

Investment options Stocks, bonds, ETFs and cash

Educational resources Betterment offers retirement and other education materials Terms apply. Does not apply to crypto asset portfolios.

Wealthfront Learn More Minimum deposit and balance Minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. $500 minimum deposit for investment accounts

Fees Fees may vary depending on the investment vehicle selected. Zero account, transfer, trading or commission fees (fund ratios may apply). Wealthfront annual management advisory fee is 0.25% of your account balance

Bonus None

Investment vehicles Robo-advisor: Wealthfront Automated Investing IRA: Wealthfront Traditional, Roth, SEP and Rollover IRAs Other: Wealthfront 529 College Savings

Investment options Stocks, bonds, ETFs and cash. Additional asset classes to your portfolio include real estate, natural resources and dividend stocks

Educational resources Offers free financial planning for college planning, retirement and homebuying Terms apply.

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Bottom line

You don't need to wait to have thousands of dollars to start investing. Even just $1,000 can go a long way if you make it benefit your financial well-being. Whether you're at the very beginning of your financial journey, paying off debt and adding to your emergency fund or you're ready to start investing in stocks, even a small initial contribution can help you lay the foundation for a prosperous future.

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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.