Money Matters

3 Investment Mistakes That Millennials Often Make

Millennials can be forgiven for thinking that investing isn’t for them. With the cost of living so high and wages that don’t match up, finding the excess cash to invest seems impossible. Young people are also a lot less likely to have the tools and knowledge that you need for successful investing. The first thing you need to do is cut back on spending and free up some money for investing. Once you’ve got the money there, you can start investing it. Just make sure that you don’t make these common mistakes that millennials make when they’re investing.

Trying To Make It Exciting

It’s cool if you can invest in an exciting startup and make some good money out of it, or take big risks and get huge payoffs, but that’s not the reality of investing for most people. It’s not like it is in the movies and the sooner you get used to that fact, the sooner you’ll start making money. Don’t go for the companies that you’re personally interested in and don’t be drawn in by high risk investments. Instead, you should go for investments like CFDs (contracts for difference) where you can put in small amounts at a fairly low risk. There are some great learning materials online that can teach you everything you need to know about these sensible investments. If you’re investing in stocks, you need to find companies that are tried and tested and aren’t likely to lose value in a big way.

Getting Scared

While it’s important that you don’t take too many risks, you’ve also got to hold fast sometimes when things aren’t going great. If you’re investing for the long term, the value of your stock is going to go up and down from time to time. Some inexperienced investors will get spooked when the stock drops and cash out before their investment plan really starts to pay off. You need to hold your own a bit and don’t make any sudden moves when the stock starts dropping. Having said that, you do need to learn when value decreases are within a normal range and when you should be worried.

Not Looking To The Long Term

The idea of getting a big payout in the next few months is enticing but it’s not what investing is about. The reason that you’re investing isn’t to get a bit of extra cash in your pocket now, it’s to secure your finances for the future. You might think that investing money for retirement now is premature but the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be when that day eventually comes. That’s why you should start looking into retirement savings plans now. Most employers will make contributions but often, you have to sign up for them yourself. Don’t wait around for them to start offering you money, go to them and ask them about your options.

Avoid these common mistakes and you’ll be able to invest money successfully and secure your finances for the future.  

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