Is It Too Late For Me To Start Investing?

This article is sponsored by moomoo.

Given the state of the economy, it may feel like the boat to start your investing journey has well and truly sailed. Like, it’s halfway-to-Antarctica sailed. 

While some financial gurus may fill your head with doubts over whether now is the right time to invest your hard-earned dosh, we’re here to talk about some options and show you why you may not be late to the party. 

What is investing? 

Let’s go back to basics.

Investing is a term which means you make your money work for you. After a period of time, your aim is to generate positive returns (i.e. you make back more than you put in). 

Basically, rather than your money sitting in a savings account, you can buy stocks and bonds (shares in a company) that you hope will grow in value. Economics 101, baby. 

There are risks when it comes to investing as your results are dependent on the stock market. 

While it can feel intimidating to get started, it’s never been easier to dabble in investing. 

Trading apps like moomoo let you buy stocks from your phone or desktop and invest in ASX, US and HK stocks and exchange-traded funds. (An exchange-traded fund, or ETF, is a basket of stocks or securities, which can be bought or sold like a share.) As well as buying stocks, moomoo users have access to a comprehensive suite of features and tools that can help you navigate the (often volatile) markets. 

These include featured lists to identify where to start depending on if you want income through dividend stocks or to see what’s growing in the market, as well as moomoo’s institutional tracking feature, which looks into the strategies of the world’s top investment firms (think BlackRock Inc. and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway), by showing users exactly what they are buying and selling. Knowledge is power. 

Why is it not too late to start investing? 

The one thing that the stock market loves is time. 

Whether we’re in a bear market (where the market and economy is in a downturn) or in a bull market (when the economy is charting upwards), if you’re investing regularly for an extended period of time, history has shown that those dips in the market will usually level themselves out.

This means, if you’re in your 20s or 30s, your investments will (hopefully) grow for decades until retirement age. If you’re closer to middle age, yes you may have less years in the market but you may be able to invest more due to earning a higher salary.

Considering that Female Invest recommends your investments be in the stock market for a minimum of three to five years to gain a return, if you’re lucky, you’ll still have multiple market cycles to utilise. 

Don’t be afraid to be a beginner 

Some of the biggest reasons people avoid investing are a lack of knowledge and fear of the market. Given the tricky jargon that surrounds investing, this isn’t surprising. 

The latest ASX investor survey also found that many Australians don’t think they have enough money to start investing but often, you don’t need a heap to dive in. Of course, you should always weigh up risks and strategies when investing, but platforms like moomoo let you invest from as little as one share. Not bad. 

If you’re yet to start investing, there are a million resources available for you to learn the terms and research which investments suit your income and lifestyle. And, it’s not too late. 

This article contains information that is general in nature and has been prepared without consideration of your objectives, situations and needs. It should not be construed as financial product advice. Consider the appropriateness of the information considering your own circumstances before making any investment decisions. Readers should obtain independent advice before making any financial decisions.