Investing
This is how we're all going to retire rich, pals—and it's not as intimidating or hard as you think.Investing is something we all need to do.
Once you’ve got a solid financial foundation—an income, an emergency fund, and you’re able to cover your bills and save a bit every month—investing is one of the most important things to tackle on your financial to-do list. It’s the best move you can make for your long-term savings, like the money you’re stashing away for retirement, because it’s the only way you’ll be able to outpace inflation and retire comfortably someday.
Think about this: to save up a million dollars without investing it, you’d need to put $2380 aside every month between the ages of 30 and 65.
If you invested your money starting at 30, and earned a 5% return after fees, you could end up with a million dollars by only putting away $900 every month. Sure, that’s still $900 a month, but it’s $1480 less than you’d need to stash away without investing your money.
That said, investing is a complex topic, and people spend entire university degrees and careers studying it. Luckily, you don’t need to get that deep to set up an investing approach that works for you—and it’s so much easier than you think it’s going to be.
Learn the basics with a free, five-day course
If you’re starting from square one when it comes to investing, this is the best place to start. It’s a free, five-day course delivered straight to your inbox, and walks you through the absolute basics—with Harry Potter references and all. By the end of the course, you’ll be confident about which beginner-friendly option is the best fit for you to use to invest and how to get started.
Let the tools do the heavy lifting
For most investors, you want a few things. Your investments should be easy to manage, low cost, and try to match the market—not beat it. While achieving this used to mean going out and buying a few low-cost ETFs, there are now tools that can do all that for you: robo-advisors. Here are three of the best ones, and who they’re a great fit for.
A perfect fit for beginners, with a gorgeous interface, easy-to-use app, socially-responsible portfolio options you can choose with the click of a button, and you can get a $50 bonus when you sign up through Half Banked and invest your first $500.
A stellar option for higher-net-worth investors who want the ease of a roboadvisor with the lowest cost for large portfolios. Flat fees capped at $80 a month, personalized portfolios, and more make it a great fit for those who have more assets.
A great roboadvisor for people who want more choices in the same easy-to-use format. JustWealth offers over 60 portfolios, including target-date options, so you can be sure your portfolio is aligned with your goals.
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