Ellevest
Wall Street veteran Sallie Krawcheck's bet that investing designed around women's pay curves and lifespans closes the gender money gap.
Women-first investing platform with banking roots.
- Who holds it
- A sponsor bank behind the brand — not the app you signed up with — SEC-registered investment adviser; Partner bank (Coastal Community Bank) for cash accounts.
- The ledger
- Split between a program manager and the sponsor bank — the modular setup that broke in Synapse.
- If it fails
- Any claim runs through the sponsor bank, and only works if the two ledgers reconcile.
Derived from Ellevest’s regulation type and custody — a class of protection, not a guarantee. Limits and eligibility vary by scheme, balance and jurisdiction; confirm before you rely on it. What happens if a neobank shuts down →
The facts
| Category | traditional · women |
| HQ | New York, US |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Custody | Custodial |
| Regulation type | Partner-bank model |
| License detail | SEC-registered investment adviser; Partner bank (Coastal Community Bank) for cash accounts |
| Card | No card |
| Stablecoins | No |
| KYC | Yes |
| Active regions | North America |
| Countries | United States |
| Founders | Sallie Krawcheck, Charlie Kroll |
| Funding | ~$150M raised |
Verified links: official site ↗ · terms ↗ · @Ellevest ↗
Common questions about Ellevest
What is Ellevest?
Ellevest is a fiat neobank built for women, headquartered in New York, US and founded in 2014. Your money is held custodially, so Ellevest or its partner bank holds the balance and you hold a claim on it. It operates on a partner-bank model (SEC-registered investment adviser; Partner bank (Coastal Community Bank) for cash accounts).
Does Ellevest have a card, and where can you use it?
It issues no card of its own. It is available in North America.
Does Ellevest require KYC?
Yes. Ellevest requires identity verification (KYC) to open an account, as a partner-bank model.
Head-to-head
Ellevest vs First Women's Bank
Peers
Chime · Wise · Varo · Current · SoFi · Ally Bank
Ellevest appears in
Neobanks running on someone else’s banking license (81) · Neobanks available in North America (126) · Neobanks with no card of their own (67) · Neobanks in United States (66)
Figures compiled from public sources, for comparison only — not financial advice. "Up to" rates change constantly; always confirm with the issuer. Spotted an error? Suggest a fix.