How Anyone Can Start Investing, No Matter How Much Money You Have
Are you interested in investing, but don't know where to start?
Or maybe you've thought that only people with a lot of money can do so.
If you thought of any of those things, you're not alone. A lot of people think that investing is only for the wealthy, and that's just not true!
In fact, you can actually start investing no matter how much money you have. In this blog post, I'll share my story of how I started investing and why it's important to start as soon as possible. You'll also learn some concepts like compounding interest and index funds, and a program that I took that helped me learn about investing.
And finally, you'll see how the course has helped me go beyond just investing to improve other aspects of my life that have helped me achieve my financial goals.
So, if you're interested in investing, keep reading!
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This article contains an affiliate link. This simply is that if you click on them, I may get a little commission at no additional cost to you. I hope you find the information in this post useful! All opinions are my own.
Why I Wish I Started Investing Sooner
When I first started investing, I started putting down 10% of my income into investing. Sometimes I do 20% (or even more), if I have less expenses that particular month. I found that the earlier you start, the more time your money has to grow. So if you're waiting to start investing until you have "enough" money, you're really missing out on a lot of growth potential.
Think about it - anything can happen in 10, 20, 30 years. You could lose your job, get sick, get divorced, there can be another pandemic - life happens. And if you don't have your finances in order, it can be a lot harder to weather those storms.
Investing is one way to help ensure that you're prepared for whatever life throws your way. And the sooner you start, the better off you'll be.
How Anyone Can Start Investing, No Matter How Much Money You Have
I thought that investing was only for the wealthy, but I found I was totally wrong.
Shocked? I was too!
It wasn't until later on that I found out that you can actually start investing no matter how much money you have.
In fact, there are a lot of options available to people with limited resources. Here are a few ways that you can get started!
If you have a 401k at work, start contributing to it. Many employers will match your contributions, so just make sure you're taking advantage of that.
If you don't have a 401k, or if your employer doesn't offer one, you can open up an IRA account. You can do this through a broker like Vanguard or Fidelity.
Another option is that if you want to go the DIY route, you can always start investing in stocks on your own. Just remember to do your research first so that you know what you're doing.
If you're not sure where to start, there are a lot of resources available online to help you get started. One program that I took to help me learn about investing is Maggie Gomez's Course (I'll cover more later!).
The Importance of Compounding Interest & Index Funds
Imagine if you could earn money while you slept. That's what compounding interest is - it's when you earn interest on your investment, and then the next year you earn interest on both your original investment plus the interest that you earned the year before.
Compounding interest is one of the most powerful things in investing because it allows your money to grow exponentially. And the best part is, it's free! All you need is time.
Index funds are a type of investment that track a group of stocks, and they're one of the simplest ways to get started with investing. When you invest in an index fund, you're essentially investing in all of the stocks in that particular index.
For example, the S&P 500 index contains 500 of the largest companies in the US. So, when you invest in an S&P 500 index fund, you're buying a piece of all 500 companies.
Index funds are a great way to diversify your portfolio and reduce risk. And since they're so simple to understand and invest in, they're a great place to start for beginners.
My Experience Taking The Investing Course
I get it - investing can be confusing and overwhelming. I was in the same boat when I first started out. But once I took Maggie Gomez's course, everything clicked.
In the program, Maggie breaks down all of the jargon and makes investing easy to understand. In the beginning, I thought I had to hire an expert to do it all for me, but doing the course helped me understand everything step-by-step!
She even gives you actionable steps that you can take to make sure you're on the right track. For example, I thought I had to constantly be on top of my investments and check them every day, but Maggie taught me how to do it in a way that's sustainable - kind of like a "set it & forget it" in a way that's more automated.
Also, referencing back to "Index Funds" - this is one of the most valuable takeaways I got from the course! I didn't even understand what they were before, but after taking the program, they're key in anyone's investing journey (especially if you're starting out or you're not an expert)!
The program also includes:
Live calls with Maggie to answer everyone's questions covering the week's material and any other investing questions we may have had
How to create your own investment portfolio
Bonus lessons on increasing your income and rolling over your 401K
...and much more!
If you're interested in learning more about Maggie's program, you can check it out HERE.
How the Course Helped Me Beyond Just Investing
Investing not only helped me reach my financial goals sooner, but it also taught me a lot about money in general.
The course included other really valuable things around financial planning not directly related to investing like:
Helping me achieve a healthy emergency fund
Saving for some important life events
Manage/track my spending -- with a worksheet that I use monthly to track my spending, earnings, budget & net worth
And I loved Maggie so much during the course that I actually hired her to become my financial planner! I have video calls with her to help me manage my money and use it more wisely.
Conclusion
All in all, I'm really glad I took Maggie's course and started investing sooner. I'm now on track to reach my financial goals, and I have a better understanding of money in all areas of my life.
If you’re wanting to get your dinero straight, you should check out Maggie's course so you can start investing and learn more about money. It's a great starting point, and you can always take it from there.
It's never too late to start investing, and when you do, you'll be glad you did too. All you need is some guidance, the proper resources and tools, and you'll be on your way!
So what are your thoughts on investing? Do you have any questions? Leave a comment below!
Disclaimer: The above is not financial advice. Andrea Valeria and ItsaTravelOD are not financial advisors and are opinions from the author. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be taken as financial advice. Always do your own research and make sure any decisions you make are right for you. Please consult with a financial advisor before making any major financial decisions.