The FinTech world has served an important function by showing us the importance of being a lifetime investor.  Having some of your money invested in the stock market is a great way to support your long-term financial goals.  There is a key theme that resonates in all market cycles – the earlier we start to invest the easier it will be to achieve our financial goals.  Some people enjoy investing and others see it as a complicated chore, and that’s OK.  Just know that it doesn’t have to be complicated.  The important thing is to get started.  

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.  He who understands it, earns it…he who doesn’t, pays it”.  This quote is attributed to Abert Einstein, but it seems dubious.  Whether Einstein said it or not, the core message is true that the earlier we start saving for our goals the better off we’ll be. 

If you listen to famous investors like Warren Buffet speak they often talk about the importance of making money work for you. Learning the basics of investing will have benefits, such as giving you more income and building your wealth.  Investing can be intimidating if you have no experience, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming if you focus on some simple themes.  

Importance of Investing

There are some obvious reasons why learning how to invest can help your financial situation. 

For one, investing will help you build your wealth over time, even when you’re sleeping! This phenomenon is known as passive income, which is a big reason why many people begin investing in the first place. Some people have a long-term goal to live solely off of their passive income streams, which means they have complete freedom to spend their time doing whatever they want!

Investing your money is a way of having your money work for you. We all work hard for the money we earn, so it is important to utilize basic methods to ensure our money is working hard for us.   For people who are in debt or simply living paycheck-to-paycheck, learning smart investing for beginners may help you get ahead and break that cycle. By committing to investing a certain percentage of your paycheck, even if it’s just 1%, you can begin to build your wealth and financial security. The most important thing is to get started.  

Before we start investing we need to have a good understanding of how much money we have available to commit.  Most of us don’t like creating a budget, but it is essential if you feel that you “don’t know where your money goes”  each month.  If this is you, take a little time to track your expenses for a month or two, it will pay off in the long term.

How Can I Start Investing?

Does your employer offer a retirement plan, like a 401(k)?  

If so, smart investing for beginners starts here.

You can usually start by investing as little as 1% of your paycheck.  In most cases, the employer typically offers a handful of investment options to choose from.  Some employers also provide a “company match”, which means the company will match some of your contributions into your account, but you have to be contributing to get the match.  Think of this as free money! 

A typical matching arrangement is for an employer to provide a 50% match on the first 6% that you contribute, meaning if you contribute 6% the company will add another 3%.  Effectively this is a way to get an increase in your pay, but you have to be contributing to get it.  If this is available to you it is a very good place to start!  Talk to your supervisor or HR department if you haven’t already.  

Focus On Your Goals

Retirement Plans offer a pre-defined option to save for one very important goal.  

But what about our other financial goals?   

At Marygold & Co, we believe it is helpful to define our specific financial goals.  

Defining our goals, and a timeline to achieve them brings clarity. 

If you are saving up to buy a new car, it’s important to define when you want to buy it.  If you say you want to buy a new car in three years, that helps you to understand whether you’re on track to achieve the goal.  So rather than having one generic account where you put your savings, perhaps start by asking yourself what your financial goals are?  Most of us have numerous goals, so the more specific we can be the more clarity we’ll have.  Ultimately this helps us to stay on track.  Some people may only have 2-3 financial goals, while others will have a dozen.  

There is no right answer here, the important part is understanding specifically why you are saving.

Tips For Beginners

At Marygold & Co., we want to make it as easy as possible to invest money and build your wealth.

If you’re just a beginner and want to learn how to start smart investing for beginners, we’ve compiled a straightforward checklist that will help you start investing. 

Do some basic research

You should do your research before you start investing to know what your options are.

Learn about the different types of investments, and pick out a few that appeal to you.  Keep in mind social media is flooded with people bragging about the money they made trading options or “YOLOing” in one stock or cryptocurrency.  Try to avoid the FOMO factor.  Focus on being a long-term investor.  

Open an account

Open an investing account.

Not long ago it was difficult to invest if you didn’t have a lot of money.  But now there are numerous options to invest with companies that have low or no minimum balance thresholds.  

Transfer money with each paycheck

Inertia is a powerful force, so use it to your advantage! 

Decide how much money you’re able to commit towards investing. There’s no right number here- figure out what you’re able to contribute.  The important thing is to get started.  

Invest – Don’t speculate

Now that you’re transferring money, you need to make sure to actually make your investments. 

Diversification is key.  Know the difference between speculation (e.g. – the YOLO investors) and investment!  We are never going to know more than the large Wall Street firms, so don’t try.  Use products that give you the investment opportunity you want at a reasonable fee (typically called the expense ratio).  Low-fee Exchange Traded Funds are usually a good place to start.  

Think long-term

Over the past 100 years, the stock market has returned about 8% every year.

A prudent way to make money, especially in the stock market, is to employ the “set it and forget it” strategy. If you’re able to invest for multiple decades, that is a strategy that should help you to realize your financial goals.  And don’t try to “time” the market.  Large and sophisticated investment firms are not able to time the market, so we shouldn’t even try.  One of the best ways to make money in the investing world is to be a long-term investor.  

How Marygold & Co. Can Help with Investing

Smart investing for beginners begins with being able to track and budget. 

Marygold & Co. is revolutionizing expense tracking and budgeting, thanks to this incredible feature called Money Pools. 

Money Pools are organized savings pools that allow you to easily divert money into different pools for whatever you’d like to save for.

Additionally, you can easily track your expenses by linking your debit card to your Marygold & Co. account. Marygold & Co. has focused on creating an easy-to-use, helpful interface that makes budgeting and tracking your expenses and investments a piece of cake.