Investing! This is consistently given as one of the most confusing topics individuals face. Before we begin, you need to assess what investments you currently have. You might be saying, “Joe, I don’t have any investments.” My question to you would be: do you contribute to some type of retirement plan at work, own a home, or own a business? Investing is much more than owning stocks. To start, let’s make a list of all your investments.
Step 1: Evaluate & Diversify
Now that you have all your investments listed, let's evaluate to make sure they are diversified. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. This directly relates to investing! A key step when investing is to diversify your investments. For example, you should not put all your money into one company’s stock, instead spread your investments out. By spreading out your investments you greatly lower the risk of your investment.
An easy way for you to diversify is to invest in mutual funds. A mutual fund allows you to purchase a portion of many stocks and bonds with a single share purchase. This purchase automatically diversifies your investments, even though you’ve only bought one share! Also, don’t just think stocks. Invest in a new business or a home that can be rented out. Investing is much more then the stock market. You have a world of things to invest in – real estate, land, new businesses, or even your own business!
Step 2: Automate Your Investments
Make your investments automatic! Your bank account can be set up to auto-draft money into different investment plans (401k or a child’s 529 college savings plan).
When your investments are automated, it prevents you from forgetting to transfer money each month. It also eliminates the possibility of using that money for splurge purchases. This is awesome for those of us who are highly susceptible to spend any and all extra money! You’ll also see your net worth increase every single month!
Step 3: Get the Free Money
Yes, I said FREE money. Many employers will match a portion of your contributions into a self-directed retirement plan! I encourage you to go to your human resource department and sign up for the retirement plan. Start investing money into it immediately! Contribute enough money to obtain the entire employer match. Remember, this is really just FREE money!
Step 4: Unleash the Power of Compound Interest
Have you ever heard the saying, “My money is working for me”? This is exactly what compound interest does for you! When you utilize the power of compound interest, you’re allowing the interest you’re making to also earn interest.
For example, let’s say we have $100 in an investment account that grew to $105 in one year. This is the equivalent of 5% interest. Now suppose the $105 is left alone for another year and continues to grow at a rate of 5%. Will it be paid another $5 interest when the second year is up? No! It will be paid $5.25 because interest was received on $105 – not just $100. Interest earning interest!
Remember, you are only investing $100 each month! After 40 years, you’ve only invested $48,000 BUT your account balance is $1,176,477! This means that $1,128,477 is the interest you have gained!
Now do you see the POWER of compound interest?
Step 5: Continue to Learn about Practical Investing Opportunities
There are so many different types of investment opportunities, so I’ve broken down a few of them.
Stocks – When you own stock in a company, you technically become a part owner of that company. You have some claim to the assets and earnings of the company. Stocks are foundational to most investment portfolios. They are known to be very volatile in the short term but have historically outperformed other investments in the long run.
Bonds – A bond is a large debt owed by a company, government, or even a school, where the borrowing institution has agreed to repay an established amount of interest payments for a set period of time. When this time expires, the borrower then returns all of the principal back to the lender(s). Bonds can vary in maturity times anywhere from 1 year to 30 years. I like to think of my personal residence as a bond investment. A bond is generally less risky.
Mutual Funds & Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) – Mutual funds and ETFs let you accumulate a wide variety of investments that couldn’t normally obtain without consuming large amounts of time and money. Mutual funds and ETFs are funded “mutually” by you, me and millions of our closest friends. Our money is pooled together and then used by the “mutual fund managers” to invest in hundreds of other company stocks, bonds, and other sorts of investments. Usually, mutual funds and ETFs have specific charters that direct their investments. Our mutual fund might only focus on established companies in the USA while another could focus on investing in up-and-coming companies in third world countries.
Other Investing Opportunities – People so often hold themselves to these common types of investing and never branch out. Investing opportunities are all around you! You can invest in a small home and rent it out. You could invest in small businesses in your community. When you are investing, you can think outside the box. Some of the greatest returns can be found when investing in unorthodox ventures.
Next Steps
Review your investments and know what you are invested in
Start to think OUTSIDE of the stock market when you’re investing
Start investing!