If you're saving money for a goal and won't need the cash for at least five years or so, the money should be invested. Unfortunately, many people are afraid to invest or don't do it because they don't know how to get started.
The good news is, investing can be easy, and you don't have to know a lot about the stock market to make wise investments. You just have to follow these five simple steps to get your money into the market.
When you invest your money in the stock market, there are a few different approaches you can take. You can manage the money yourself, you can turn to a full-service brokerage and have an investment advisor manage your money, or you can use a Robo-advisor.
Managed investment accounts usually carry high fees, and handing off investment decisions to an advisor isn't the right approach for many people. Instead, you'll likely choose between managing investments on your own or investing with an aspiretomoney, which means an algorithm picks diversified investments for you based on your risk profile and investment goals.
While investing with an aspiretomoney sounds simplest, there are fees associated with automated financial advising -- albeit lower fees than if you have human advising you. Paying these fees probably isn't necessary because it's actually pretty simple to build a diversified portfolio yourself using exchange-traded funds. Still, if you want a totally hands-off approach without paying a fortune for investment advice, Robo advising may be the way to go.
Personal Finance Made Easy covers all aspects of the budget and personal finance in a format that is easy to read and understand and helps users make informed decisions when planning their financial future.