There are countless good reasons to invest money. Who wouldn’t want to grow the money they already have? You could reach your financial goals faster, save for retirement, or start your own business just to name a few possibilities. So what’s stopping most people? It’s the idea that you need to have a lot of money in order to start investing. That simply isn’t true. There are so many options for investing that practically anyone can do it, and they don’t need to be expensive. These are just a few of the ways you can work towards an investment portfolio with relatively little money.
Improve your saving habits
It may not sound significant, but if you can set just a few dollars a week aside, you can actually start investing in a fairly short amount of time. In fact, there are strategies to invest as little as $50 a month to make a big difference in the long run. Just passing on a snack at the gas station or on a trip to the movies once in a while and put that money in an envelope. A single instance like this can put you well on your way toward your monthly goal.
If you don’t want to keep cash around, you could always opt for an online savings account. This money won’t be linked to your debit card, so you won’t be in danger of spending it, and once it’s accumulated enough you can withdraw the money for investment.
Treasury securities
This is possibly the ultimate “safe bet” when it comes to investments. These are securities issued by the US Treasury to fund the national debt. As such, they are protected and they have maturity dates ranging from 30 days to 30 years. They can be purchased for as low as $100 from the Treasury Direct site and will earn a small amount of interest. There’s really no way to make it big off of these investments, but these securities can be a good choice for storing your money until you’re ready to move on to bigger opportunities.
Employee retirement plan
For those on a strict budget, enrolling in an employer’s retirement plan may seem like a difficult proposition. However, it is possible to start investing in a 401(k) plan with as little as one percent of your salary. It’s unlikely that you’ll miss a contribution this small, and you can start increasing it at any time once you’re comfortable to do so. This is even better if your employer offers a plan to match your contributions.
Robo advisors
These days, you have plenty of options for online investment platforms that offer professional advice and management of your investment profile for a small fee. These platforms are often called “robo advisors” because of the minimal requirement for human intervention. Many investors consider Betterment to be the overall best platform. Simply complete a questionnaire that asks why you are interested in investing and what your accepted tolerances for risks are, and the platform can create and manage a portfolio for you. With low minimum fees to start, this can be a great way to start investing with little responsibility.
Personal loans
It certainly isn’t a risk-free idea, but it’s always possible to take out a personal loan from a company like Eastern Loans and use the money to invest. This can be useful for investments like stocks, which can result in fast profits for those who are familiar with the market. Of course, you’ll want to carefully study the loan terms, since it won’t matter if you can turn the loan into a quick profit if you have to pay back most of your earnings. You’ll also want to be sure you’re receiving money in some form, either from a return on investment or a paycheck, to pay back the loan on time. This is the trickiest idea to pull off on this list, but it may prove useful in specific situations.
Ultimately, there are very few ways to invest that are completely safe, but there are many ways to try your hand at investing without risking large amounts of money.
