Simple Ways to
Start Investing ...
You’re at the point in your life when you feel confident in your budgeting skills and are ready to consider setting some money aside for the future. That’s great.
However, you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed and unsure about how to get started. That’s okay. The process can be confusing.
The best plan may be to start simply, gain some confidence, do some research over time and then think about getting into some more complicated investments.
Read the information below to learn about the importance of investing and to discover some simple ways to start investing and get your feet wet.
Why Invest?
Investing as soon as you’re able in life can be beneficial for a number of reasons. It can give you peace of mind for retirement, as it’s likely social security may not be enough to sustain your lifestyle. Investment for other goals such as buying a house or financing a child’s education is also a good idea because they pay a better return than a regular savings account.
Types of Investment
There are various types of investments. Which one is right for you depends upon your financial goal and how comfortable you are with taking risks.
Let’s start with an IRA, which stands for individual retirement account. There are different forms of these like the Roth IRA or the rollover IRA. Basically, these accounts let you save for retirement without penalty.
You may also wish to set up a 401(k), which is an employer-sponsored retirement plan in which your company will match a certain percentage of what you put away.
Then there are stocks. This term simply refers to an investment that gives you a percentage of company ownership. Stock ownership helps companies with certain costs that are essential to growth. The price and return on stocks depend upon how investors perceive a company’s level of success.
Bonds are like loans you make to a company. The business makes a pledge to pay you back in a pre-determined amount of time, and you earn interest during that period. There’s less risk with bonds than with stocks.
One other common type of investment to know about is the mutual fund. Mutual funds are managed by a company that chooses a mix of investments on your behalf. Because these investments are so diverse, they tend to carry little risk.
Choosing an Investment Strategy ...
What you decide to invest in will depend upon factors like how much you have to contribute each month and how far away your goal is. Long-term investments like retirement should be concentrated in things like stocks. Allowing 20 years or more for the ups and downs of the market to balance out minimizes risk and usually ends up in a greater payout than less risky bonds or mutual funds. Money market or bond funds are better for shorter-term goals like saving up for a down payment on a house. It may be worth hiring a professional advisor to get you started on your investment journey.
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