FAQs

Questions we get asked so often, we thought we'd write them down.

Teen girl dancing

Getting Started with Bumper

How does Bumper work?
How is Bumper different from a traditional investing app?
Are there any fees or account minimums?
Is my money safe and secure?
If Bumper is free, how do you make money?
Is Bumper limited to U.S. users?

Opening an Account

How old do I have to be to join Bumper?
Why do I need to provide my phone number?
What is Alpaca Securities?
Why do I need to provide my Social Security Number (SSN)?
Do you check my credit history?

Sponsorship

Why do I need a sponsor to unlock live investing?
Does my sponsor have to be my parent?
How do I invite a sponsor?
Can I create an account without a sponsor?
Can I have 2 sponsors?
I sent my sponsor an invite. Why can’t I access live investing?
Can I sponsor multiple teens?

Depositing and Withdrawing Money

How do I add money to my Bumper Account?
What is Plaid and is it secure?
Can I add a bank account as a teen?
How do I link a bank account?
Are there other ways to fund the account?
How long does it take for a deposit to reach the account?
How many days do withdrawals take?
I can’t find my bank account in Plaid. What do I do?
Can I set up recurring transfers to my teen?

Investing

How much money do I need to invest?
What control do I have as a sponsor?
What can I invest in?
Why is my order not going through?
What are the risks of investing?
What are the tax consequences of investing?

Safety and Security

Is my investing account secure?
What is SIPC insurance?
How do you protect my data?
How can I protect my account?

Account Maintenance

How do I disconnect from my sponsor?
I no longer want to invest. How do I close my investment account?
When and how do I receive my tax forms?
Equip Solutions, Inc. ("Bumper") and Alpaca Securities LLC ("Alpaca") are not affiliated and neither are responsible for the liabilities of the other.

Technology is offered by Equip Solutions, Inc.

Brokerage services are provided by Alpaca Securities LLC ("Alpaca”), member FINRA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AlpacaDB, Inc. Clearing services are provided by Velox Clearing LLC (Velox) and Vision Financial Markets LLC (Vision). All three are members of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects securities customers of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash) per customer. Explanatory brochure available upon request or at www.sipc.org.

This is not an offer, solicitation of an offer, or advice to buy or sell securities, or open a brokerage account in any jurisdiction where Alpaca is not registered (Alpaca is registered only in the United States).

View Alpaca's disclosures at: https://alpaca.markets/disclosures

Alpaca does not make recommendations with regard to fractional share trading, whether to use fractional shares at all, or whether to invest in any specific security. A security’s eligibility on the list of fractional shares available for trading is not an endorsement of any of the securities, nor is it intended to convey that such stocks have low risk. Fractional share transactions are executed either on a principal or riskless principal basis, and can only be bought or sold with market orders during normal market hours.

The content on this website is for illustrative and informational purposes only and any historical returns, expected returns or projections are hypothetical in nature. Investing involves risk & investments may lose value, including the loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future returns or results. Before investing, carefully consider your investment objectives, time horizon, and overall risk tolerance as well as the information stated in the product offering prospectuses.