Is it worth investing if you don't have much money?
While it may feel pointless to start investing if you don't have much money, it can still be incredibly worthwhile. Think of it this way: few, if any, start investing with a large sum of money. For many, growing your wealth happens over years and years and is a slow and steady process.
By investing even a small amount consistently over time, you can potentially see your investments grow through the power of compound interest. Remember to do your research and seek the advice of a financial professional before making any investment decisions.
Investing has the potential to generate much higher returns than savings accounts, but that benefit comes with risk, especially over shorter time frames. If you are saving up for a short-term goal and will need to withdraw the funds in the near future, you're probably better off parking the money in a savings account.
Compounding to Grow Money
This is one of the reasons to start a portfolio despite carrying debt, but not the only one. Your investments may be small, but they will pay off more than investments you would make later in life because these small investments will have more time to mature.
Investing a measly $100 per week can turn into a nest egg topping $1.1M by retirement — but you need to start at age 25.
If there were no money, we would be reduced to a barter economy. Every item someone wanted to purchase would have to be exchanged for something that person could provide. For example, a person who specialized in fixing cars and needed to trade for food would have to find a farmer with a broken car.
If you are looking to put a small amount of money to work, you're better off getting as much diversification as you can. With investing, you have to get started somewhere, and $500 is a great place to begin. The key, however, is to build a foundation for the future with that cash.
Generally, experts recommend investing around 10-20% of your income. But the more realistic answer might be whatever amount you can afford. If you're wondering, “how much should I be investing this year?”, the answer is to invest whatever amount you can afford!
Experts suggest investing 15% of your income each month, and more if you can afford to. However, if 15% is out of your budget right now, you should still invest what you can afford. Look to reduce your expenses to free up more money and invest more when it's feasible.
Why is investing important? Investing is an effective way to put your money to work and potentially build wealth. Smart investing may allow your money to outpace inflation and increase in value.
Is it better to save cash or bank?
For financial security, keep some cash in the bank. Double emphasis on some, because there are good reasons not to keep too much money in cash, too. Inflation decreases the value of any money you hold in cash. Inflation, aka rising prices over time, reduces your purchasing power.
Investing is the act of committing capital to an asset like a stock, with the expectation of generating income or profit. Gambling, on the other hand, is wagering money on an uncertain outcome, that statistically is likely to be negative. A gambler owns nothing, while an investor owns a share of the underlying company.
The Bottom Line
Safe assets such as U.S. Treasury securities, high-yield savings accounts, money market funds, and certain types of bonds and annuities offer a lower risk investment option for those prioritizing capital preservation and steady, albeit generally lower, returns.
The simple rule: If you need the money in the next three years, then save it ideally in a high-yield savings account or CD. If your goal is further out, or you don't have a specific need for the money, then start thinking about investing in something that will grow more, like stocks or bonds.
However, $10,000 can give a helpful jolt to your portfolio, whether you started investing last week or you're close to retirement. There is an abundance of profitable assets you can invest $10,000 in today, depending on your goals. Here are seven common ways to help that money grow.
$5,000 a week is more than enough to live on. It will be enough to cover your basic expenses, as well as some of your more frivolous expenses, and still leave you excess to save or invest. Most people would consider a consistent $5,000 a week a good salary.
Dave Ramsey on X: "$100 a month invested from age 25 to 65 is $1,176,000.
If you can invest $200 each and every month and achieve a 10% annual return, in 20 years you'll have more than $150,000 and, after another 20 years, more than $1.2 million. Your actual rate of return may vary, and you'll also be affected by taxes, fees and other influences.
If you find yourself in this situation, consider the “Rule of Three:” When you have an unexpected windfall, put 1/3 of the windfall towards paying down debt, 1/3 towards long-term saving and investing, and the remaining 1/3 towards something rewarding or fun.
In general, people considered having only $878 available either in cash or a bank account to mean they were bankrupt.
Is it bad to be cash poor?
Finding yourself cash poor is not only stressful, but it carries real financial risks. For example, being cash poor may mean you don't have an emergency fund, which can put you in the position of not being able to financially cover a crisis.
Assuming a 15% annual growth rate (on average), a $50 per-week investment could grow to a value of more than $1.5 million after 30 years.
| Investment Return | Future Value of 500 in 10 Years |
|---|---|
| 0.75% | 539 |
| 1% | 552 |
| 1.25% | 566 |
| 1.5% | 580 |
A good goal to shoot for when it comes to building a nest egg is to save 10%-15% of your pretax income for retirement. If your monthly income is $4,000, for example, then aim to put $400 to $600 a month toward retirement savings.
Start with $1 a day and go up from there
Investing $1 a day not only allows you to start taking advantage of compound interest. It also helps you to get comfortable with investing and develop the habit of putting your money to work for you.
