The secret to building wealth is to make your money work for you. Savings are great but investing so your money creates your wealth is even better. But you aren’t sure where to start. You’ve poked around a little, but the financial markets are so volatile that you’re kind of scared.
Is investing such a good idea? And how can you invest safely? The short answer is “yes.” Investing is the smartest way to build wealth, and the following seven tips will help you do it the right way.
Don’t Go in Blind
Never invest in something you don’t understand. Just because you received a tip that a company or sector is “the investment of the century,” don’t go in blind.
Investing is all about knowledge. So, instead of treating it like a casino game and just throwing your “chips” on any number that looks good, do your due diligence and research to learn from others’ experiences on objective reviews platforms like Investimonials.
Find reviews and feedback from real investors, so you’ll have an accurate picture of what you’re actually looking for when investing. The more you understand about your investments, the more power you will have to make sure they work for you and not against you.
Don’t Wait
If you’re waiting for the perfect moment to invest, you’ll be waiting a long time. The ideal moment to invest is now because the longer you delay, the less wealth you accumulate.
You also don’t need a specific amount. You can start investing with $100 or less, so you have no reason to wait. If you start with $100 and add $30 per month to your investment, in 20 years at an average 10% ROI, you’ll have accumulated a little over $21,000.
On the other hand, if you delay so you can start with an initial investment of $1,000, you’ll have less time for compound interest to accumulate.
In this case, you might only be able to invest for ten years. Then, despite your higher initial capital, with all the same conditions, you’ll only end up with $8,300.
No matter how little capital you have, you should invest right away to maximize your wealth-building potential.
Keep Adding to the Pot
As you can see from the previous example, it pays to keep adding to your investment. To make it even more apparent, let’s compare the figures. Adding $30 per month to your initial $100 investment would net you over $21,000 at the end of the 20 years. However, if you didn’t add anything, you’d only have $670.
What if you made a little more effort? Maybe you gave up your daily Starbucks and invested that money instead. If you spend $3 per day on coffee, that’s about $90 per month. If you invested that money, after 20 years, you’d have $62,500. Giving up Starbucks doesn’t seem like such a bad idea anymore, does it?
Choose the Right Strategy for You
No matter what advice you get, always choose an investment strategy that works for you.
If you’re conservative and don’t like risk, then you’d probably be happier with an investment strategy that focuses on low-risk investments. The returns might not be as spectacular as with higher-risk investments but being safe is more important for you.
Conversely, you might be more interested in making more money somewhat faster. In that case, you might allocate more of your investment portfolio to high-risk investments with higher returns.
Diversify Your Investment Portfolio
Any experienced investor will tell you that diversification is critical. Diversifying your portfolio means investing in a variety of assets. That way, if something unfortunate happens to one investment, you won’t lose your entire wealth.
So, invest across various asset types, such as bonds, shares, currencies, and properties, and across geographies. Then, if something happens in one region, you’ll be protected because your other investments will ensure you’re still making decent returns.
Choose the Right Investment Firm to Work With
Investment firms vary in their wealth-building approach. Some focus on funds, others on real estate, and others offer higher-risk investment strategies.
Furthermore, some investment firms have a better track record than others. Therefore, choosing the right firm to work with is critical for long-term success. You need to do your due diligence and find a firm with an excellent track record and investment strategies that align with your risk tolerance.
Don’t Let Your Emotions Control You
When investing, it’s tempting to let your emotions control you and panic over short-term movements. However, remember that you’re in it for the long term.
Instead of sweating the small stuff, focus on the bigger picture. Look at how that asset performs over the long term (months or years) instead of the short term (minutes or days).
Otherwise, to save a few dollars, you might end up losing hundreds or thousands in potential profits.
Conclusion
Investing is the best way to build wealth by making your money work for you. It can be daunting to take the plunge but don’t wait. The quicker you get started, the more you’ll accumulate, thanks to compound interest.
