The Value of Investing: Why It's a Smart Choice

6 min read. Updated September 02, 2023.

Are you considering investing the hard-earned money sitting in your bank account? Investing can help set you up with a steady stream of income and pave the way for financial security in the future.

So why invest? What are the real benefits of investing, and how can it positively impact your life? This blog post takes an in-depth look at what investments can do for you, from providing increased financial stability and faster savings growth to reducing the overall risk of your portfolio.

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Why Investing Is Good

Having an investment strategy should be part of everyone's financial plan. Investing to build wealth comes with numerous advantages:

• It offers the promise of financial stability and long-term security. By putting your money to work in assets like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or real estate, you can potentially watch your savings grow faster than traditional savings accounts.

• Investing allows you to diversify your portfolio, spreading risk and minimizing the impact of market fluctuations. This means that even in uncertain times, your financial future remains safeguarded.

• Consider investing for probable capital appreciation. Unlike leaving your money in a savings account where it may barely keep pace with inflation, investments have the potential to grow significantly over time. As the value of your assets increases, your wealth can multiply, allowing you to achieve your financial goals faster and more effectively.

Top 5 Reasons To Start Investing Today

Getting an early start is key in every area of life, including investing. The earlier you begin planning for retirement and other investments, the greater your potential return will be.

Here are a few reasons to invest your money today rather than later if you're still unsure about its advantages.

1) You have more time to take chances

In the realm of investments, it is generally understood that ventures with greater risk tend to yield higher returns. This is primarily because investors have more time to recuperate from any potential setbacks.

As a result, individuals who commence their investment journey later in life often exhibit a more cautious approach to managing their finances, which can be attributed to their understandable desire to safeguard their wealth.

When you begin investing early, you can afford to take calculated risks and explore potentially higher-yield investments, such as stocks or assets with greater return potential.

This willingness to embrace some level of risk is a strategic advantage, as it allows your investments to ride out market fluctuations and recover from any downturns that may occur along the way.

In essence, time becomes your ally, providing you with the luxury to learn from experiences, adjust your investment strategy, and ultimately maximize your returns.

2) The importance of compound interest

Compound interest is essentially the interest that accumulates on top of previously earned interest. By consistently reinvesting your money, you can significantly boost your return on investment.

Here is an illustration to demonstrate how time and compound interest are related:

Marie, 25, invests $2,000 every year for 10 years in her company's 401(k), with an average growth rate of 10%. Her investment would be worth $556,197 when she retires at the age of 65.

Consider John, age 34, who also invests $2,000 each year in his 401(k) for the next 30 years. John, who has invested three times as much as Marie, will only have $328,988 in his retirement account at the age of 65.

In this scenario, Marie, who began investing early and allowed her money to aggregate interest, has $225,000 more to spend during her retirement than John!

This growth potential makes investing an essential tool for building wealth and securing your financial future. 

3) Your financial discipline will increase

By prioritizing your budget and making necessary reductions to expenses, early investing empowers you to cultivate disciplined spending habits. The objective is to generate sufficient wealth through prudent savings.

This is not possible if you have bad spending habits, credit card debt, and frequently make impulsive purchases - consult a financial advisor for help.

Investing early yields long-term benefits, particularly when managing larger sums and exercising financial discipline. Discover more about the value of monthly savings here.

This discipline extends beyond merely budgeting and cutting expenses; it also involves cultivating a mindset of delayed gratification. Investing encourages you to prioritize long-term financial goals over short-term desires, teaching you the invaluable skill of patience when it comes to decision-making and financial planning.

As you watch your investments grow, you'll become increasingly motivated to maintain your disciplined spending habits and continue making careful financial choices. This sense of responsibility can positively impact all aspects of your financial circumstances, from managing debt more effectively to building an emergency fund and planning for significant life milestones.

4) Maintain a competitive edge over others

An adage to live by is ''the early bird gets the worm''. The sooner you begin investing, the better off you'll be financially in the long run. Starting your investment journey at a young age gives you a significant advantage, enabling you to maintain a competitive edge over others as time progresses.

By consistently adding to your investment account over the years, you position yourself to make purchases and reach other financial goals that may be out of reach for those who delay their investment decisions.

Moreover, the financial security you attain through early investments equips you to navigate life's unexpected challenges with greater ease. You'll have a financial cushion to fall back on during difficult times, reducing the stress and anxiety that financial crises can bring.

5) You'll have a better life

Investing can help achieve financial freedom sooner and brings many benefits leading to an improved quality of life.

Participating in retirement programs like a Roth IRA, 401(k), or Thrift Savings Plan can be a game-changer. By taking advantage of these investment opportunities from the outset, together with an emergency fund, you build a solid foundation for a more comfortable and stress-free retirement.

This sense of financial stability transcends retirement planning; it permeates all aspects of life. Early investors can more easily pursue their passions, travel, support their loved ones, and engage in activities that enhance their overall well-being.

Navigating Risk on the Road to Financial Goals

To build wealth, one of the critical first steps on the journey towards achieving your savings and retirement goals is understanding your personal risk tolerance. This concept, often overlooked, is the foundation upon which successful investment decisions are built.

It's a highly personal factor that varies from individual to individual and is influenced by factors such as your financial situation, investment goals, and emotional temperament.

Recognizing how much risk you can handle is crucial because it shapes your investment strategy. Some people invest conservatively, preferring low-risk options like fixed-income bonds or stable assets, while others are willing to take on more investment risk in pursuit of potentially higher returns, often choosing to buy stocks or explore other growth-oriented investments.

Determining where you fall on this spectrum is essential to avoid undue stress and anxiety that can result from investments that don't align with your comfort level.

To truly understand your risk tolerance, consider consulting with an experienced financial professional who can help you assess your financial situation, goals, and risk preferences. They can provide valuable diversification insights to ensure you invest coherently, ultimately positioning you to make informed decisions that can help you grow more money over time.

Introducing eToro

eToro is a multi-asset platform that offers investing in publicly traded companies, precious metals, commodities, bonds, indices, and crypto assets, as well as trading CFDs.

Below are the key takeaways from this full eToro review.

Make your money work for you

The eToro brokerage account offers low fees and minimum deposits, combined with a user-friendly platform.

The Practise Investing mode is useful if you are new to investing in the stock market. It’s effectively a demo trading account that lets you experience all of the features that eToro has to offer. You are ‘given’ virtual money to try out buying and selling; it replicates the same features and market conditions as a real trading account but is used for simulation purposes only. Keep using the virtual account for as long as you like!

Retirement savings for financial independence

Additionally, you can visit eToro’s Online Trading Academy. With free tutorials, courses, stock guides, podcasts, and videos; it is one of the most extensive knowledge bases I have seen on how to start investing.

Once you feel ready to start investing your own money, you could start to invest in fractional shares. With e-Toro, you can invest in stocks commission-free, from as little as $10.

Multiple investment vehicles

eToro has created a multi-asset platform that is built on social collaboration and investor education: a community where users can connect, share, and learn. Get a Free $100,000 Practice Account

 

eToro is a multi-asset platform that offers both investing in stocks and crypto assets, as well as trading CFD assets. In the U.S., eToro’s online platform is offered by eToro USA LLC, which is registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) as a Money Services Business (“MSB”), as well as with applicable state-level regulators.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. You may have to pay tax on profits. Your capital is at risk. Other fees may apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.

No Financial Advice. This article does not provide financial advice and has been prepared without taking account of any person’s investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs.