Invest in Your Wealth

Almost a year and a half ago, I received a correspondence from a company named VALIC. I had no idea who they were or what they wanted. I assumed that it was another advertisement. My first thought was to just toss it, but my spirit advised me to open it. I’m so glad I listened. Inside the envelope was my account statement explaining the value of my investment. Imagine my surprise. I didn’t even remember starting this account. I called the number listed on the statement to make sure this wasn’t some type of mistake. I found out that this was an investment that I had with a previous employer. This account was over 15 years old. Fifteen (15) years……. Because I was no longer employed with the company, I was unable to make additional contributions, so I decided to roll it over into a self-directed IRA. Not bad for a ‘secret’ 15 year investment account, right?

This little surprise got me to thinking more about my investment strategies. I soon realized that I didn’t even have a strategy. I was using the old “save some spend more than I saved” strategy. And that was NOT working. I was under the impression that in order to really invest I was going to need a large sum of money. Not true, so not true.

There are ways to invest with the amount of money most people spend on a cup of coffee every month….especially if you’re a Starbucks kind of person. One easy way to get started is through direct investing, a method of buying stock directly from the company without going through a broker. One of the companies I use is Sharebuilder.com. Sharebuilder.com also gives you information on over 5000 companies to help in your decision on which stock to buy. You can invest any amount you want.

If you are employed with a company that offers investment options, you can enroll in programs to have a fixed amount deducted from your paycheck and automatically invested in the stock of your choice. Most companies will even match your contribution. This is a great way to begin building your investment portfolio. Of course there are several other investment options such as real estate, but this is probably one of the easiest ways to get started.

I was recently reminded that the amount of money that you save or invest is not nearly as important as developing the habit of investing and saving.

To your financial wealth,

J-licious