If you’re new to investing, the steps to do this are pretty simple. You do the following:
• Open an account at at website like fidelity.com, vanguard.com, or schwab.com
• Choose “Roth IRA” as the account type
• Link your bank account and transfer money in
• Click “trade”, then click buy, then choose an index fund like VT (the global total stock index fund). Make sure to invest ALL your money so you don’t have cash sitting in your account doing nothing!
You don’t need to start with $7,000. Most brokerages let you start with any amount of money these days, so starting with even $100 is a good way to get your feet wet. Getting started with just a few bucks is a great way to break the static inertia of continuing to do nothing.
If you ARE already investing, let this be your reminder to stay consistent! Maybe even set up or ramp up your monthly contributions. At the beginning of your investing journey HOW MUCH YOU PUT IN is way more important that fine tuning your investing strategy. You gotta throw some logs on that fire before you can watch it burn.
As always, reminding you to build wealth by following the two PFC rules: 1.) Live below your means and 2.) Invest early and often.
-Jeremy