Coming from someone who thought a 401K was a long distance race, it’s needless to say I was brand spankin’ new to investing. When I was hired for my first full-time job in 2011, I was bombarded with advice on saving money here, putting paychecks there.
So I did what every independent 22 year old does once released into the real world: nothing. While being stagnant with a steady income wasn’t necessarily the best decision, I refused to invest my hard earnings into a system with little background knowledge.
Yet, with waves of concern about the diminishing social security and the urgency to save for retirement, I got my butt into gear and met with a financial adviser to figure out this whole invest-now-to-earn-more later gig. If you’re looking to get a little more informed about IRAs, 401ks and the DOW, these are my top articles to answer your initially questions and provide the best road map to getting started. Stay tuned for more investing advice and personal accounts of whether or not investing is right for you.
How to Invest For the Very First Time from Forbes
These step-by-step guidelines are perfect for those of you who are new graduates looking to start saving wisely. Instead of boring you with foreign terminology, Berger focuses on what you really want to know. Like, how could I end up losing money? Or, how much money is enough?
The Smart Woman’s Guide to Investing from Making Sense of Cents
Although I like to think of investing as gender-neutral, research shows that women are far less likely to risk their savings in the stock market. Schroeder-Gardner speaks specifically to women on the necessity of investing as well as how it compares to actual trading. A great read for when when you want to start planning for your future as an independent lady, whether or not you intend to get married.
How to Invest Your Money Wisely (Infographic) from The Wealth Wisher
Because everything is better as a picture. Although this is centered on finances in India, it’s message is the same worldwide. This read is informative but I especially love the infographic at the end. Print this out and stick it into your financial portfolio a as key reference.
How to Start Investing in Your Twenties from Frugal Rules
Focusing on your needs is the first step to investing. Schmoll breaks down the big questions you need to answer before you open an account. Pay attention to the time you want to invest, the purpose of your investments as wlel as your overall goals. This article will clear up the rest.
How To Get Started Investing for Complete Beginners from Single Mom Income
If you’d rather have another party look over your investing choices, this read is a good overview of Betterment or Loyal3, which define themselves as investment services made simple. Although these options can come with additional costs for the services provided, it adds a layer of comfort that your questions and concerns can be easily answered by a program that knows your financial standing.
5 Easy Ways To Lose Money: Investing Mistakes from Making Sense of Cents
The easiest way to learn is from someone else’s mistakes! Keep an eye out for these common investing missteps when creating your own road map for your finances.
Investing for Beginners: Ideas to Get Started from Cult of Money
If you like options, Mason reviews the various outlets you can seek out for investing. From robo-advisors to small business investments, this will give you the lay of the land to determine which route fits you best.
Financial Course from Money Under 30
This is a bit more of an involved site. If there was one text that truly shaped my investing habits, it’s this one. The free 7-day course form Money Under 30 will teach you the best ways to not only invest, but how to save and when to spend. The daily emails are not intimidating and written in a language that’s easy to understand. However, if you’re not interested in this longer course, check out there brief(er) overview in the article below.
Start Investing with Little Money from Money Under 30
Money Under 30 tells how to make investing accessible to everyone, even those who don’t have a substantial amount saved. Check this article out if you’re just starting out on your own and want to begin healthy financial habits.
How to Make Money Investing in Real Estate from Frugal Mom eh!
If you’re already a 403b expert and index fund pro, this article will be of interest to you. There is a lot of money to be made in the real estate if you take the time to inform yourself. This breaks down the types of property to buy and under what conditions you should consider certain investments. Again, this is for the currently investing folks looking for an additional income that, while challenging, can be rewarding.
How comfortable do you feel investing?
With the current mayhem in the economy, it’s a friendly reminder to be cautious of how you spend your money. While I was initially concerned about losing EVERYTHING, the more I read, the more I knew I could take control of my accounts and make smart choices. I made sure to keep my emergency fund separate (equal to 6 months of expenses if I should, say, lose my job) and then divided the rest of my paycheck into a savings account, 403b and index funds. This balance works best for me! *Knock on wood*
Stay up to date on Juliette’s adventures by following her on Instagram –julietteelise & twitter @JulietteElise_ !
Okay, in all fairness I haven’t read most of these blog posts – so I’m just another blogger who is stopping by to pipe up about investing.
I HATE index fund investing – which an increasing percentage of the investing community advocates – I think nobody has really thought through the larger macro-structural and political implications of the shift towards indexing and quite frankly I don’t think indexing will do enough to preserve wealth in the event of a sustained asset downturn.