Lux Investing

What are some easy ways to invest money?

I just landed a good job and i want to start saving money and investing it for things like an engagement ring and a place to live what are some easy ways to do this?

Public Comments

1. stop spending money in the first place, step 1
2. if u don't have a savings account yet that is the place to start. my second suggestion would be a money market.
3. start from investing in reccuring deposit,
4. A Roth IRA and Certificates of Deposit are both easy and safe investing. ☺
5. you can go to your bank and invest in CD's. It's not quick, nor is it the most profitable but it is safe and getting something back in return is guaranteed. Also Real estate is a great way to invest money. Buying a house and then renting it is a great way to earn money, you see more and more people doing that today.
6. stocks
7. find a local broker with Edward Jones or some company like that. A good broker should have no problem meeting with you personally for at least a half hour. Typically an IRA or a ROTH IRA is a good place to start (assuming your saving for retirement). under the IRA buying mutual funds is a good idea. Mutual funds are like having a little bit of stock in litterally thousands of companies, they are steady but lower risk than stocks. with an IRA you should be able to set up automatic monthy deposites of as little as $25 per month.
8. Open a savings account at the same bank you have your checking account. Have the bank automatically transfer a set amount from your checking account to savings account once or twice a month. You won't earn much interest but it will get you started down the right path. Once you have enough money saved up (can be as low as $1,000) open a money market account from a mutual fund company. This pays much better interest than the bank savings account, it is just as secure as the bank and you can have access to it any time you want by writing checks against the account (usually a $500.00 minimum). Have the money you were transferring to the savings account now transferred to the money market account. Keep this up and as the account grows you can diversify into other types of investments. Oh yea, get some basic books or magazines (I recommend Money Magazine) on investing and money management so you can have a handle on what it is you are trying to do. Best of luck on your efforts.
9. One thing to keep in mind is how soon you will need the money. If you are planning on buying that engagement ring in a year or so, go with a CD rather than stocks. Stocks generally return more than a CD or a bond, but are more unpredictable - they can drop in value for a few years, and so you should only invest money you will not need for 5 years or more in stocks - retirement money rather than engagement ring money.
10. This will sound really boring - but it is the best advice I was ever given. Every month, put as much money away as you can as follows: Keep 1 month's worth of income in your checking account at all times. Then, open a standard savings account and keep 1 to 2 month's worth of income in that account at all times, plus the 1 month's worth in checking. I actually recommend ING direct - they have waaaaay better rates than most banks. After you've done those two things (you have 3 month's of income saved ), open a total of 3 CDs with staggered maturity dates (so that every month one of them matures) each with 1 month's income in it. Now you have 5 to 6 months of income to protect you from most small emergencies. This will keep you from having to cash out your mutual funds, T-bills, stocks, etc... because the car's engine needs to be replaced or the water hearter broke or whatever. At this point, you are ready to take the money you been building your safety net with and can invest with the money you been setting aside each month. If you have not learned about investing tools by that time, go see a financial advisor.
11. Saving for an engagement ring and a place to live is short term saving, which is for money you can't really afford to lose. Don't risk the money in the stock markets, where you could lose some of it quickly. Keep it in a money market fund, an online bank account, or a money market account at a credit union or bank. The first webpage listed below gives you more information about short term investing. However, now that you've got a good job, don't forget to open a retirement account (like a 401(k) or a Roth IRA). Doing some long term savings now will make you a lot happier later in life. Everyone has long term financial needs and the sooner you begin to save for retirement, the more golden it will be. See the second webpage listed below. Whether you're saving for the short term or long term, try to automate the process through payroll deductions or automatic monthly transfers from your checking account. That will make the process easier. See the third webpage listed below.
12. Your time horizon will determine the level of risk you should take. Generally, for goals that are less than 2 years away, stick with a low-cost money market account from Vanguard. For goals that are 2 - 7 years away, stick with a good mutual bond fund. For retirement: http://www.invest-for-retirement.com