Develop the habit of investing as a student – The Ultimate Guide
College life is a prime time for every student. Where most of their time drives into learning and acquiring knowledge, but one more thing you should incorporate as a student, developing the habit of saving and investing.
This small step as a student can lead to a big difference in the future. Also, it gives you financial freedom and security too early in life. There is a great misconception that college students are too young to start investing. Investing is inversely proportional to age. When you invest at an early age, you learn the difference and the pattern of investment and saving.
So, let’s dive a little deeper into the topic of investing as a student
Importance of the investing
Investing is an act of putting money into an asset, business, and many more with the expectation of making a profit or generating income.
It is one of the foremost steps in the journey of financial freedom. So to build sustainable wealth over time, investing is said to be the most convenient way. The earlier you start investing as a student, the better benefits you can get.
Start investing with small finances
Yes, you heard that right. Investment doesn’t need a lot of money. You only need $5 to $10 per month to start your investment journey, and that’s it. Once you settle enough with investing pattern, you can increase the amount.
Start saving
As a student, we often spend unnecessary money on unwanted stuff. So, as a student, if you want to start with financial independence, saving is the fundamental key factor.
Tracking your daily expenses and cutting them down can be a promising move. Moreover, it is significant to save before you invest. So, make a move, and stick to it.
Start your investing journey with the following options
Invest in Stock
In simple words, stock means sharing in the ownership of a company. Stock is also known as equity. So when you invest in the stock market means buying a small part of the ownership in a company. Investing in stocks can be a superb way to start your investment journey as a student. To invest in the stock market, you have to put money into an online account.
Invest in mutual funds
Investing in mutual funds is relatively considered a low-risk option. In a general way, it is a company that holds the capital from several investors and invests it in stocks, bonds, assets, etc.
Invest in ETFs
ETFs are exchange-traded funds and one of the worthwhile investment options created for solo investors. You can invest in ETFs and can achieve your investment goal. In brief, ETFs are the collection of securities that tracks an index, bonds, commodities, and the index fund.
Invest in Bonds
A bond is a fixed income instrument. That means when you invest in bonds, you can expect a fixed amount on return. A bond is a debt offered by the investors to corporate companies.
Invest in FD
If you have enough balance in your savings account, you must put that amount in bank FDs for a particular time to earn some extra on the principal amount. FD means a fixed deposit that provides interest on the principal amount. The interest rate may vary from bank to bank.
Invest in gold
Gold is one of the popular investment options amongst investors. Investing in gold doesn’t mean buying jewelry. You can invest in pure gold, such as a gold bar. It is a luxurious good, and the value keeps growing over time.
Other investment options
You can try many other investment options, such as investing binary options with Olymp Trade and investing in bitcoin (Cryptocurrency).
Steps to follow to start your investing journey
Pick an option for investing
We have already discussed several ways of investing. You know options and now choose one. Don’t forget to research it properly before you make any decision.
Deposit funds
Add money into your investment account to start investing.
Set up reminder
Once you complete both steps, you have to add funds to your account every month and track your graph regularly.
Keep patience
Investment is a long-term process, and it’s not easy to learn all tactics of investing in one day. Everyone has a different strategy to become successful in this field. And you can make your own with practice consistently and experience.
Mistakes to avoid while investing
- Don’t delay your investing journey for too long. Starting it as early as possible benefits you more. Moreover, you can get financial freedom and security early in life. And when you delay your investing, you are actually missing the chance to grow your wealth.
- Always do proper research while investing in any option. You must know that any financial option contains a risk of loss. So, when you do your homework, it reduces the chances of financial loss.
- If you are having any trouble, seek the help of professionals. They can help you better.
- Spend some time and educate yourself on the basics of investment.
- Estimate the risk you can endure and then proceed with investing.
- Try to invest only 1 to 2 percent of your income or savings.
Bottom line
The world of investing looks scary, but it’s not. Most people don’t know where to start and achieve an investing goal. There is a lot more to acquire in investing if you want to become an expert investor. Luckily, you don’t need to know everything to start off with it. So, even if you are a student, you can get started with somewhat little money to spare!
We are not financial professionals, and we are only providing the basics of investing for a beginner. So, to succeed in this field, you need to conduct continuous research and practice. You can even seek the advice of an expert who can guide you on your present economic condition.
It is a fact that starting with investing allows you to live a quality life. But education is vital.
