I’ve been sharing BONUS, my five-part plan to achieve financial wellness, for the past week. Here’s part four, the U in BONUS: …
Understand investing basics.
Women especially struggle with this. Just 52% say they are confident in their investing knowhow, versus 68% of men. But anyone can lack investing confidence, and it creates problems:
- Feelings of powerlessness about the future
- Inability to build savings
- Fears about running out of money in old age
The solution is obvious – learn about investing – but that’s not happening, and I have an idea why. Year after year, financial services ranks as the least trusted industry in America. Who wants to engage with that?
In reality, though, when you invest your money, you take charge of your future – and you need to learn about stocks, bonds, and other investments to get it right.
Where to look?
- Women’s Worth by Eleanor Blayney is a good book for women
- The Securities and Exchange Commission offers: https://www.investor.gov/introduction
- Morningstar, a company that evaluates mutual funds, has a self-study curriculum. Basic membership is free: https://www.morningstar.com/start-investing/classroom
- For personalized education, please reach out to me!
The thing to remember about investing is that IT NEEDN’T BE COMPLICATED. If you get a grasp on the basics, pick a diverse mix of investments, and avoid tinkering, you’ll be on your way to owning your destiny.
