There are many, many differences between the top 10% of the tax bracket and the bottom 90%. As the past ten years in politics have shown us, it’s like a whole different world. But perhaps it’s not as foreign as it seems, or at least it shouldn’t be. Because all of the greatest tricks the rich use are right under our noses. Anyone can invest, but according to studies, almost half of all Americans don’t do any investments, as opposed to the countless investments done by the elite class.
“When asked where they are currently investing or saving their money, over 47% of respondents said they weren’t taking advantage of any of the following investments: Stocks… Bonds… Mutual funds… Exchange-traded funds, aka ETFs… Cryptocurrency, Real estate… 401(k), Deposit accounts (savings, checking, etc.)”
-Yahoo Finance
What a sad thought. The average American breaks their back in labor, day in and out, with the expectation that wealth is an intrinsic reward of work. In a better world that would be true, but it’s not. Instead, the only way to find extreme wealth is to plug yourself into the right systems. It may be difficult, but anyone can do it. If you’re not convinced, don’t be alarmed. We’re here to show you the first steps.
Learning how to invest is necessary to increase your passive income down the line. It seems absolutely daunting and confusing to get into. However, once you start investing, you can rest easy knowing that you’re making essential money moves for the comfort of your future self. Here are some tips on how you can start investing money in your future:
Money Amounts
Yes, all the most successful investments are in the five to seven figure range. But the truth is, most of us cannot make such an investment. And that’s fine. You don’t need to put away a thousand dollars right now. All you need to get into the investment game is some spare change. Plenty of the largest financial wizards know this, and they’re here to help.
Throughout this article, we’re offering methods that tend to deal with smaller amounts of investment money. So you can rest easy knowing that you can invest without pulling out a crazy amount of money right now.
The Key
The secret to being an investor isn’t really having a considerable amount of money upfront. It’s all in your money habits. Because any moron can inherit a million dollars, just to blow it all in a few years. But a talented investor can turn mincemeat into a solid rock. Here are the rules that you should start implementing into your life to get ready to be a successful investor:
Look for ways that you can save money here and there. (For example, maybe you can make coffee at home for a fourth of the price that you’d get it for if you bought it at Starbucks.)
And while you’re at it, start putting a set amount of money aside every month. This will add up over time. (If you put around $10 aside every week, you’ll have about $500 by the end of the year. Then you can invest it.)
Download the App “Acorns”
Investing is confusing. Luckily, there are micro-investment apps like Acorns that help to make this process so much easier. With no additional fees, this app does something that requires basically no effort on your part:
It rounds up any purchases you make on your card to the nearest dollar. And it automatically invests that spare change that it rounds up into things.
While this is by no means a huge investment, this is a great way to dip your toe in the water. Because of Acorns, investing does not have to be a scary and mysterious process. As the name suggests, all you’re doing is planting the seed for a brighter future.
“We believe your money should work for you. That’s why we’re committed to providing everyday Americans with easy access to some of the best investing and money tools around.”
-the Acorns mission statement
If Acorns isn’t your style, you can also try the Robinhood investing app. It’s another fabulous service for trading and investing in stocks and cryptocurrency. As their motto goes, “let the people trade.”
Robo-Advisors
Acorns is a Robo-Advisor app in that it makes the investment decisions for you. But Acorns doesn’t require you to put any money towards investing upfront. Instead, it automatically rounds up and takes change to invest. This is a great first step, though later on you’ll want something that offers you with a bit more autonomy.
For example, other Robo-Advisors invest money for you, with the requirement of you putting in a bit more money to start with. For example, Ally Invest involves a minimum of $100 upfront to begin investing. But there are no additional fees.
Consensus
It’s certainly worth your time to do more research into different options for Robo-advisors if you want to dive into investment a bit further than Acorns allows for. Other Robo-advisors may require more initial money or even take additional fees. Doing your research is essential. But investment applications are a great option to start out with. Especially so if you’re feeling stressed about investing.
So we recommend saving and investing yourself, with these tips and services. They’re the official best way to find some mild success in the field. And once you’re ready, you can hire an official financial adviser. All of the most successful people have this service for life. Also, pick up this must-read for young adults trying to figure out their finances. It’s going to teach you how to buy all the lattes you want and still get rich.
And more of all, have some confidence. You can’t expect to get anywhere without it. You have to put all impostor’s syndrome away, and invest in yourself first. Because you can do this. Take care of yourself, keep on trying, and be willing to take a leap of faith. Confidence more of all is the secret to success.
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