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Modern portfolio theory provides the tools for building a well-balanced and less risky portfolio.

There are plenty of reasons people don’t invest their money. Some of them are valid—for example, you probably shouldn’t invest a ton if you don’t have all of your high-interest credit card debt paid off. Or, if you’re planning to make a big purchase next year, you wouldn’t want to take the risk that comes with investing your savings.

But other reasons don’t quite make sense, and they’re often based on misconceptions about investing, or a lack of knowledge about the process. The truth is, if you have long-term financial goals, like buying a home, starting a business, or retiring someday, investing may get you there far more quickly than saving alone.

Here the most common reasons people drag their feet when it comes to investing—and why they might be holding you back.

Common Reasons People Avoid Investing

1. Saving Money in a Savings Account

Savings accounts pay you interest—but not a lot. The average savings account interest rate is only .01%, and the best rates out there hover around 1.7%. But, with the current inflation rate at 0.6%, all that money you’ve socked away in savings is actually losing money.

Yes, having money in savings is recommended for any cash you need to access immediately or don’t want to risk losing in the short-term. But for the rest of it? If you want it to grow, it may be a good idea to put it somewhere else.

2. Investing Later When They Have a Higher Salary

Let’s say you’re 25 years old and you hope to retire when you’re 65. (That may seem like forever, but ask any 65-year-old—it goes by in a flash.) If you save $5,500 a year and average 7% return per year (the average return on the S&P 500 from 1950-2009), you’d have a little over a million dollars.

If you wait until age 30 and do the same thing, you’d only have about $760,000. Start at age 40, and you’d only have about $348,000! If you’re reaching retirement age and want to have a million dollars before you retire, you’ll need to save much more each year to catch up to that goal. Want to see if you are on track? Consult SoFi’s article: Am I On Track For Retirement?

Many people think that it’ll be easier to save more when they’re older and making more money. And even if that is true, know that the earlier you start investing, the more time you have to weather the ups and downs of the market. Which brings us to:

3. Trying to Time the Market

It’s tempting to delay getting started because you think the market is too high, or you want to wait for stock prices to go down. The issue with that is, when the market does take a dip, most people fear it will go down more, so they continue to wait.

Few professional investors even try to time the market, and even fewer succeed. In reality, people who do try to time the market tend to buy at or near market tops and sell at or near market lows.

4. Investing is Too Risky

You might hear about the stock market going up or down by a number of points each day, and therefore assume it fluctuates too much for your taste. Market volatility is a reality, but there are ways to invest for every level of risk tolerance. Diversified retirement accounts, mutual funds, and ETFs, for example, all allow you to invest in a variety of assets in one fund.

Yes, financial crises have happened and chances are, they’ll happen again. But when you take a long-term view of our history, those crises are blips on the timeline.

Consider this: In the time period between 1929 and 2015 (when a whole lot of upswings and downturns happened), a diversified portfolio of 70% stocks and 30% bonds averaged 9.1% per year .

5. Investing is Intimidating

If you’re new to investing, it can be difficult to wrap your head around the concept. But the good news is, you don’t have to go at it alone.

A great place to start is investing for retirement in an employer-sponsored 401(k), an IRA, or (ideally) both.

Once you’re contributing the maximum possible to both of those accounts ($19,500 per year and $6,000 per year in 2020, respectively), you can consider opening a brokerage account, which lets you invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

But you don’t even have to pick those investments yourself. A SoFi Invest® account makes it easy to get started. Our technology helps you set your financial goals and recommends the right investment strategy and level of risk to help you reach them within your desired time frame.

And our SoFi Invest Financial Planners help you plan for your future and answer any questions you have—absolutely free.

The bottom line: Investing is not just for the wealthy; it’s for anyone who wants to work toward achieving financial goals. Sounds like you? Well, it’s time to get started.

Not sure what the right investing account or investment strategy is for you? SoFi Invest financial planners are available to offer you complimentary, personalized advice. Consider working with a SoFi Invest advisor today.

SoFi Invest®
The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . The umbrella term “SoFi Invest” refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, LLC and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below.
Fund Fees
If you invest in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) through SoFi Invest (either by buying them yourself or via investing in SoFi Invest’s automated investments, formerly SoFi Wealth), these funds will have their own management fees. These fees are not paid directly by you, but rather by the fund itself. these fees do reduce the fund’s returns. Check out each fund’s prospectus for details. SoFi Invest does not receive sales commissions, 12b-1 fees, or other fees from ETFs for investing such funds on behalf of advisory clients, though if SoFi Invest creates its own funds, it could earn management fees there.
SoFi Invest may waive all, or part of any of these fees, permanently or for a period of time, at its sole discretion for any reason. Fees are subject to change at any time. The current fee schedule will always be available in your Account Documents section of SoFi Invest.

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Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

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Investing can be intimidating, especially if you’re a beginner. There are lots of terms, concepts to understand, and a variety of regulations that oversee the industry.

As a novice investor, navigating the intricacies of the investing world can be overwhelming. But investing can be part of a financial plan to help you grow your wealth in the long term.

One way to make something less intimidating? Educating yourself on the subject. Taking the time to learn a few investing basics can make the entire concept seem less frightening.

Here are some basic investing definitions and ideas to help make investing more approachable.

How Saving and Investing Are Different

You may think if you’re saving money you don’t need to invest, but in reality the two concepts are different. Saving is when you incrementally set aside money for emergencies or the future.

Your savings are typically kept in a savings account or another cash equivalent where the money can be easily accessed when you need it.

When you invest, you use your money to buy stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or real estate. The hope is that those investments will earn a return. This strategy can be used to reach long-term goals.

Setting Your Financial Goals

One way to start is by understanding your financial goals. The goal you are saving for can inform how you invest and the types of assets you invest in. If you’re in your 20s and you’re investing toward your retirement, your strategy might be different than someone who is in their mid-40s and investing toward the same goal.

People sometimes have multiple goals they are working toward simultaneously, like saving for retirement, buying a house, or putting their children through college in the future.

Understanding Risk v. Return

In finance, risk refers to the degree of uncertainty about the rate of return on an asset and the acknowledgment that there is the potential for the financial returns to be less than you expected.

For example, an asset could perform incredibly well and make a great return for the investor. But there’s also the chance that the asset could underperform, leading to a financial loss for the investor. Generally, as investment risks rise, investors seek a higher rate of return to compensate them for taking on additional risk.

Each of your investing goals will have a different time horizon, which is the amount of time an asset is held until it is liquidated. Typically, the longer the time horizon, the more risk you can stand to take on.

For example, in your 20s you’re likely able to build a riskier retirement portfolio. As you age and get closer to retirement, you may want to adjust your investment strategy so that it is more conservative.

Diversification Can Minimize Risk

There’s really no way around risk when you’re investing, but there are strategies that can help investors minimize risk. Having a diversified portfolio is one way to reduce risk.

Portfolio diversification is spreading your investments over many different asset classes, business sectors, companies, industries, or countries.

Typically risks don’t impact all asset classes in the same way so diversifying your assets is generally less risky than concentrating your money in one asset or one asset class. A diversified portfolio can’t eliminate risk, but it can help minimize risk, especially in the long-term.

Active Investing v. Passive Investing

Active investing is a hands-on approach to investing. It’s what portfolio managers do every day. Essentially they analyze and then select investments based on worth. Typically active investing comes at a cost since you’ll usually need to rely on a team of professionals to actively manage the investments.

Passive investing is a lower-maintenance approach to investing. Instead of assessing individual assets one at a time, your goal is to match the performance of certain market indexes that already exist. Passive investing typically has lower fees than active investing.

Passive funds have been growing in popularity. There are pros and cons to investing using each approach. The markets are changing constantly, so one aspect of smart investing is staying informed.

In some cases, having a financial professional on your side to help you proactively manage your funds can help alleviate stress.

When you invest with SoFi Invest®, you’ll have the option to choose between active or automated investing options as well as the opportunity to consult with certified financial advisors who can help you develop your investment strategy and navigate the ins and outs of investing.

How Can I Start Investing?

There are a variety of options when you’re ready to get started. If your employer offers a 401(k), that can be one of the easiest ways to start investing.

A 401(k) is an employee-sponsored plan designed to help you save for retirement. It allows both you and your employer to make contributions. Another option for retirement is an IRA or individual retirement account.

You could also open a brokerage account for financial goals outside of retirement. It’s an investment account that allows you to buy and sell investments like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

When you’re ready to start investing you may want to speak with a qualified financial advisor who can help you establish your savings goals and risk tolerance and help you develop a personalized investment strategy.

If you choose to go this route, there will likely be a cost associated. One option to consider is SoFi Invest.

When you open an account with SoFi Invest, you’ll receive a complimentary consultation with a certified financial advisor who can help you make a plan to tackle your goals. Plus, we’ve eliminated pesky management fees.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

SoFi Invest®
The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . The umbrella term “SoFi Invest” refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, LLC and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below.
Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“SoFi Securities”).
Advisory services are offered through SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Information about SoFi Wealth’s advisory operations, services, and fees is set forth in SoFi Wealth’s current Form ADV Part 2 (Brochure), a copy of which is available upon request and at adviserinfo.sec.gov .

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When it comes to investing, most people start with What. What should I invest in? What should my portfolio strategy be? What stock should I invest in?

But there’s actually a more important place to start: Why. Why do you want to invest in the first place? Why are you building a portfolio?

Selecting an investment strategy largely depends on your financial goals. This is sometimes an overlooked first step in building a sound investment strategy.

You can’t plan the right portfolio unless you know what you want to save for, how much you want to save, and when you’d like to use that money.

You might think of building an investment strategy as a top-down approach. Start with the big picture idea of what you want to accomplish. Then, hone in on the strategy that makes the most sense given those goals. Should you even be in stocks, or in bonds? Or should your money be held in cash? Or, should you do something else entirely?

Setting Your Financial Goals

First, you may want to consider these two recommended goals: Creating an emergency fund and saving for retirement. These are sometimes referred to as “bookend goals, because they are your primary short-term and primary long-term financial goals. From there, how you prioritize your other goals is entirely up to you.

Creating an Emergency Fund

Your emergency fund is a lump sum that you can easily access should an emergency arise—for example, if you get laid off or face unexpected health costs. It is common knowledge that this fund be three to six times your monthly spend, depending on how risk-averse and well-insured you are.

Consider Asking Yourself:
•   How much do I spend each month?
•   How much of that is necessary spending, and how much is discretionary?
•   How many months’ expenses would I like to have saved?
•   Do I have dependents or others that live off my income?
•   What’s my target emergency fund?

Creating a Retirement Fund

Retirement may be your largest long-term financial goal, and even if it feels very far away, it’s helpful to start saving early. Why? The earlier you start saving, the more time your money has to work for you.

Consider Asking Yourself:
•   At what age do you want to retire? For those born after 1960, full Social Security full Social Security retirement age is 67 .
•   How much money do you need to live on each year (in today’s dollars)?
•   How long do you expect to live? Statistically, those born in the 1980s have a life expectancy of about 79 years, but to be safe (and optimistic), you may want to plan for (much) longer.
•   What do you currently have saved for this goal? You may want to use a retirement calculator to see if you are on track.

Your In-Between Goals: Houses, Families, Businesses, and More

How you prioritize everything in-between your emergency fund and retirement depends entirely on you. For example, do you want to buy a home? Start a family? Launch a business? Go on an epic month-long vacation? Many of the above?

Any goal you can think of is on the table. You may want to be specific—exactly how much money you need to achieve each goal, and by when. Why? If you’re specific, you’ll have a much higher likelihood of reaching that target, when the time comes to use that money, you’ll have already given yourself permission and can enjoy it.

Consider Asking Yourself:
•   What is your goal?
•   When do you need the money?
•   How much do you need?
•   How much can you save each month?
•   What may be some obstacles that could come up?

Starting Your Investment Strategy

As you’ve seen in the exercises above, each of your goals has a specific time horizon. This leads to an underlying investment strategy: Generally speaking, the longer the time horizon, the more risk you can afford to take, because you can weather market volatility.

When making a decision about how to build a portfolio, you may want to keep in mind that risk and reward are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other.

There is no such thing as an investment that is high reward with no risk. (If someone promises such an arrangement to you, you may want to run for the hills—it’s probably a scam.)

Oftentimes, risk comes in the form of volatility, which is how much the price of an investment type fluctuates. Although these fluctuations are often temporary, it can take months or even years for returns to even back out to their historical averages.

Short Term (Less Than Three Years)

For goals like: Setting up an emergency fund, travel, buying a new car.

A good rule of thumb is to keep any money you need within the next three years “liquid,” or available to access as soon as you need it. For example, the whole point of having emergency cash is to have access to that money without worry.

Additionally, it is unlikely that you will want to subject money designated for the short term to the volatility of investments like the stock market. The biggest risk you take with short-term money is losing any of it at all, so you’ll probably want to keep it in cash.

If you have a higher risk tolerance, you can consider investing some money for short-term goals in a conservative portfolio that will pay a higher interest than a savings account, but that still has a low risk of losing money. If you go this route, you may want to remain flexible about when and how you tap into those investments.

Your cash can be held in a savings account of your choosing. You may elect to keep this cash in an interest-bearing savings account where you can earn interest on your cash savings. You may even find it helpful to open multiple savings accounts, giving them distinct names, in order to keep track of your various goals.

Medium Term (Five to 10 Years)

For goals like: Home purchase, starting a family.

With a time horizon of five to 10 years, you may be able to afford taking some risk with your money and give it a greater chance to grow. For these types of goals, you could potentially choose a moderate or moderately conservative portfolio.

Depending on your comfort level, this portfolio may hold a combination of cash, other fixed-income investments, like bonds, and some stocks.

More than likely, you’ll hold these investments in an investment account, which is sometimes also called a brokerage account.

For goals where you’re investing money for the mid-term, it generally does not make sense to use a retirement account like a 401(k) or Traditional IRA. You could be penalized for pulling the money out before retirement.

Medium to Long Term (10-20 Years)

For goals like: Child’s college savings, second home

With a time horizon of 10-20 years, you may be able to afford taking more risk with your money in order to take advantage of the power of compounding.

Depending on your comfort level, you may want to consider a moderate to moderately aggressive portfolio. Generally, the longer your investing timeline, the more risk you can take. This may mean building in a higher allocation to stocks and bonds.

Investments for goals with a pre-retirement timeline should be held in an investment or brokerage account. For a child’s college, consider using a 529 Plan which provides some tax benefits to those that are saving for the purpose of higher education.

Long Term (20+ Years)

For goals like: Retirement, financial independence

For long-term goals, time may be on your side. Having several decades or more gives a portfolio time to weather the ups and downs of the market and economic cycles. This allows an investor to take on more risk with the hope of more reward.

With this in mind, you may want to focus on aggressive growth while you are young, and then shift to a more conservative investment allocation over time. Depending on your comfort with the stock market, this may mean allocating a majority of your portfolio to the stock market or other high-risk, high-reward investments.

To save for retirement, you may want to consider investing in an online IRA, a 401(k) plan, or some other retirement-specific account. Retirement accounts have benefits when it comes to taxes, such as deferment on paying taxes until you withdraw from your 401k, or the ability to withdraw contributions from your Roth IRA early without penalties.

What’s Next?

Once you’ve outlined your goals, you’ve completed the first step of investing.

A good second step? Learning more about the investment options that are available to you. This will aid you in building a portfolio that will help you achieve your goals.

A good place to start is learning the different asset classes and their respective risk and reward profiles. If you are going to be invested in something, it’s helpful to know what to expect. Proper expectations may make you a more successful long-term investor.

Another option is to set up a complimentary appointment with a SoFi financial planner, who can help you define and quantify your goals and discuss the potential investment strategies to reach them. With SoFi Invest, this service is complimentary.

Depending on how involved you would like to be, SoFi has options for building your own investing portfolio or having an automated portfolio built for you, with your goals in mind. There are no associated costs or fees with utilizing either investing option.

Investing isn’t just for the wealthy; it’s for anyone who wants to achieve financial goals. There are low-cost, simple, and effective investing options that are accessible to investors of all sizes. You could get started today with a few clicks.

But before you do, you may want to spend some time thinking about what you’re investing for. Naming your goals will help guide you towards an appropriate investment portfolio. As a bonus, thinking deeply about goals may just help you to find the motivation to stick with them.

Interested in investing, now that you know where to start? Check out SoFi Invest® today.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

SoFi Invest®
The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . The umbrella term “SoFi Invest” refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, LLC and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below.

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