Young Investors: Follow These 5 Steps To Start Building Wealth

Confused on how to start growing your net worth? This roadmap should help.

My biggest regret today at age 26 was not finding a clear-cut, defined path to building wealth and growing my net worth as a new investor. I made a lot of mistakes when I was 20 (weed stocks, penny stocks, expensive mutual funds, etc) that set me back a bit.

Fortunately, I had time on my side and was able to recover by age 22 back on the path to financial freedom. However, I still would have loved some sort of a short, clear guide on how to get there. Today, I’ll be writing that guide, so you can follow it and start investing today.

Step 1: Build an emergency fund

You should only invest what you can afford to have locked up and unable to spend for a long time. This means you should have six months’ worth of cash tucked away for a rainy day. Doing so will prevent you from taking on high-interest debt or cashing out investments to stay afloat during a crisis.

Step 2: Pay off high interest debt

It makes no sense to invest when the return on your investments hardly pays off the interest rate on your debt. Things like credit card debt can have annual interest rates of 19.99% or more. When the average stock market return is only 10%, it becomes absolutely important to eliminate this debt before you invest.

Step 3: Pick a broker and open a TFSA

Canada has a variety of self-serve online brokerages. Compare them side-by-side, taking note of their fees and features. When you’ve found the right one, open up a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). Depending on the year you turned 18, you’ll probably have a decent amount of contribution room. Max it out!

Step 4: Choose your asset allocation

Your asset allocation defines the ratio of stocks vs bonds in your portfolio. As a general rule, stocks return more, but bonds are less volatile and drop less during a crash. The proportion will depend on your desired return, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Common allocations include 90/10, 80/20, and 60/40 stocks vs bonds.

Step 5: Choose your assets

For most DIY investors, I recommend using exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track a broad stock or bond index. Stock picking is time-consuming, exhausting, and prone to under-performing passive investing over a long time. Most people cannot consistently beat the market. So pick a globally diversified, low-fee ETF portfolio and call it a day!

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.

More on Personal Finance

woman retiree on computer
Investing

Retirees: Here’s How to Boost Your CPP Pension

Retirement planning is best done when considering not only your CPP pension, but also your investments in income-producing stocks like…

Read more »

Female hand holding piggy bank. Save money and financial investment
Personal Finance

Here’s Why a Big Emergency Fund Is a Terrible, Terrible Idea

Here's why saving more than six months' worth of expenses can be disadvantageous to your household.

Read more »

cup of cappuccino with a sad face
Personal Finance

5 Super-Simple Ways to Completely Ruin Your Credit Score

Building your credit score takes time, dedication, and smart decisions. Tearing your credit score apart — well, you could do…

Read more »

Young woman sat at laptop by a window
Personal Finance

5 High-Paying Side Hustles That Could Help You Save for Retirement in 2022

If you're struggling to save for retirement, here are five side gigs that could give your retirement fund a boost.

Read more »

Hour glass and calendar concept for time slipping away for important appointment date, schedule and deadline
Personal Finance

The Tax Deadline Is Almost Here! Here Are 5 Things You Need to Know if You Haven’t Filed Yet

The deadline to file your taxes is May 2. If you haven't started yet, here's what you should know.

Read more »

consider the options
Personal Finance

New to Investing? Be Sure You Avoid These 5 Newbie Mistakes

If you're new to investing, here are five big mistakes you should watch out for.

Read more »

Couple relaxing on a beach in front of a sunset
Personal Finance

Lazy Canadians: Here’s How You Can Make $200 Per Week in Passive Income

To earn $200 a week, invest money in high-quality stocks or ETFs.

Read more »

gas station, convenience store, gas pumps
Personal Finance

Costco vs. Canadian Tire: Which Rewards Card Will Save You More on Gas in 2022?

The CIBC Costco Mastercard earns 3% back at Costco Gas, and the Canadian Tire Mastercard earns 10 cents per litre.…

Read more »