Investing Money Wisely Is Easier Than You Think
You can start investing at any age with some knowledge, the right strategies, and a disciplined approach.
The sooner you start, the better to put time for compounding returns on your side. The process of investing may seem overwhelming, but it’s not.
To help you on your investment journey, this guide will discuss the best practices and considerations for getting started.
Let’s go.
How To Start Investing
Disclosure: At no cost to you, I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
1. Set A Budget And Start Saving Money Now
Remember the old saying, “It takes money to make money?” The same is true for investing. So, start saving money because you need extra cash to feed your investment portfolio regularly.
Dig deeper – Tips for sticking to your budget and saving money
2. Learn As Much As You Can About Investing
The more you know about investing, the better investor you will become. Thus, learn as much as you can.
Be smart. Know what you are doing and understand where you are putting your money.
Below is a link to my favorite investing course. Check it out. I learned a ton from this course, and you can too.
The Financial Freedom Investing Course
Books and financial newsletters are also good options for learning about investing.
3. Think Long Term
Typically speaking, investing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. However, a combination of dividends, rents, and capital gains can deliver annual investment returns of roughly 10% over the long run.
But remember this point: Investment values can decrease, sometimes by a lot in the short term. For example, I’ve been invested and stayed invested during the following times of economic turmoil:
- 20% stock market drop on black Monday in 1987
- The bursting of the Internet bubble in 2000
- 2007-2008 banking, real estate, and financial crisis
- The pandemic-induced collapse of 2020
So, having a long-term mindset is critical to staying invested through difficult times. Successful investors make the most money during challenging times by investing precisely when there is panic among the masses.
Finally, what is long-term? I suggest at least five years. However, in the best case, it’s a lifetime of making long-term investments.
Related reading: 7 Smart Financial Goals to Make the Most of Your Money
4. Determine Your Investment Objectives
Knowing why you desire to invest is essential to cultivating a long-term mindset and sticking with your investment goals. Thus, you must understand your investment objectives.
Some possible objectives for investing money include the following:
- Long-term wealth accumulation
- Participating in the stock market
- Financial freedom at a young age
- Supplementing cash flow with dividends
- Financial planning for retirement
Thus, determine what your why is as a beginning investor.
You might like – The Financial Habits of People Who Always Have Money.
5. Adopt An Investing Strategy
Understanding your investment objectives makes selecting an investment strategy easier since not all investing strategies are created equally.
You can pursue many different strategies. However, I classify investment strategies into three different buckets as follows:
1. Higher income but lower growth potential for conservative investors.
2. Higher growth but lower income for more aggressive investors
3. Growth and income for investors seeking a balanced portfolio.
Next, I offer the types of investments that fit these investment approaches. So, let’s keep moving. And be sure to save this Pinterest pin so you can return to this post later.
6. Choose Your Investments Wisely
Having a preferred investment strategy makes choosing investments easy. Are you conservative, aggressive, or somewhere in between?
Conservative investors should focus on certificates of deposits, money market funds, and bonds.
Aggressive investors should primarily invest in stocks.
Real estate is an excellent addition to any investment portfolio through your primary residence or a rental property.
Furthermore, stock investing is simplified by choosing index, exchange-traded, or mutual funds.
Finally, I prefer dividend stocks because they offer growth and income. So, I want to highlight my favorite investing course again because of its focus on dividends.
The Financial Freedom Investing Course
7. Invest Regularly
As mentioned earlier, a long-term investment horizon is vital. However, short-term thinking also plays a role.
Specifically, invest regularly from the savings you generate from point #1. Thus, I recommend allocating money monthly for investments.
8. Diversify Your Investment Portfolio
I often get this question: what is the optimal number of investments to own?
My answer is: Hold enough investments to provide adequate investment diversification. But not more than you can effectively monitor and manage.
Thus, the correct number of investments will be different for each investor. For example, one stock market exchange-traded fund and one rental property may provide enough diversification.
Furthermore, a good rule of thumb for anyone interested in investing in individual stocks is to hold between 20 and 30 high-quality companies.
Must read: Best Investments for Beginners
9. Stay Committed and Be Patient
No matter when you start investing, the process is a long-term endeavor that requires commitment and patience. The earlier you start investing, the more time your money has to grow through the power of compounding.
Fortunately, it’s never too late to start investing! However, avoid knee-jerk emotional decisions.
Market fluctuations are normal. Avoid making impulsive decisions based on short-term market movements. Stick to your investment plan and remain focused on your long-term goals. Refrain from checking your account balances too often.
10. Review Your Investment Regularly
At least once a year, review your investments and your portfolio as a whole.
Ensure each investment meets your original objectives and your portfolio is adequately diversified.
10 Tips To Start Investing Now – Wrap-Up
Investing is not just about making money. It’s about making investments that align with your objectives and strategy.
By getting started, taking a proactive approach, and educating yourself, you can set yourself on a path to financial security through tried and true investing practices.
As you embark on this journey, stay curious, committed, and, above all, patient.
Good luck with your investments, and before you go, PIN IT:
Author Bio: Tom Scott founded the consulting and coaching firm Dividends Diversify, LLC. He leverages his expertise and decades of experience in goal setting, relocation assistance, and investing for long-term wealth to help clients reach their full potential.