"Investing as a beginner can be both exciting and discouraging," says Darlene Hernandez, a 17-year-old business owner who struggled to put money into something she enjoyed. She had been interested in starting a business for a while but needed to start “investing,” which is a way to take risks with your money to try to earn more with it. Hernandez shares her experiences with starting the investment process by pointing out the importance of patience, knowing that profit was only going to come over time, and not only educating but also preparing yourself mentally and financially to learn about the risks and strategies of investing. One of the most important steps in investing is to set clear goals because “your goals will influence your investment choices and risk tolerance," says Darlene.

You must plan out and decide how much you can afford to invest in something. Look for low-cost investment options that you predict will be able to sell for a higher profit in the long term. The most important part about investing is that even experienced investors make mistakes, so “don’t be scared to navigate the investing world,” says Darlene. Embrace the learning process, and be willing to learn from both successes and failures. Stay humble and continue to educate yourself to improve your investment plans.

The benefit of investing is that, in the future, you will have money accumulated from your investments if you can beat inflation by maintaining or increasing your purchase value over time. Also, investing early can help you start saving up for retirement, and you might not have to wait for a certain age to be able to retire. If you can beat inflation and keep your money increasing, then you might be able to retire at an earlier age than recommended because you’ll have more money than what is suggested or needed.

Investing is a smart way to grow your wealth. By carefully staying aware of market trends and things you think might increase in value over time, you can also increase your chances of financial success. “Remember, patience is key to becoming financially successful,” she says. “It’s never too late to invest, but at an older age, it might be too late to take advantage of the profit.” 

If you would like to start investing, here is an article suggested by our resident investment expert, Darlene, that takes you step-by-step on how to get started.