Financial Investment Glow Up Starter Kit
If you're Gen Z or Alpha and you're not sure how to start investing, this guide is your vibe check. Whether you're starting with $0, side hustle cash, or your first job paycheck, here’s how to create an investment plan that actually works for you—with no gatekeeping, no jargon overload, and no pressure to pick the next Tesla.
Step 1: Understand Why Investing Early Matters
The earlier you start, the more time your money has to grow. Even $25 a month now is worth way more than $250 a month ten years from now. That’s because of compound growth (aka interest on your interest—basically your money working overtime).
Step 2: Choose Your Account Type
- Roth IRA: Best for long-term investing (tax-free gains!)
- HSA: Health-related + retirement tax hack
- Brokerage account: No rules, just vibes (and taxes)
Open your Roth IRA with Fidelity in like 5 minutes and start stacking.
Step 3: Know Your Risk Tolerance
This is just fancy talk for “how much are you okay with your investments going up and down?” If you panic-sell every time your portfolio dips, you might need more bonds. If you’re in it for the long game, stocks and ETFs will carry you further.
Step 4: Learn the Investment Lingo
- Stocks: Pieces of companies
- ETFs: Baskets of stocks (easy, low-fee)
- Index Funds: ETFs that track the market (like the S&P 500)
- Mutual Funds: Old-school version with higher fees (pass)
Step 5: Create Your Asset Mix
You want a blend of different asset types (called diversification). Here’s a simple starting breakdown:
| Age | Stocks | Bonds | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20s | 90% | 10% | Crypto/REITs/etc. |
| 30s | 80% | 20% | Same |
Step 6: Automate It
Set it. Forget it. Grow. The best investment plan is one you don’t have to micromanage. Most apps and brokerages let you set up auto-investing. Even $20 a week makes a huge difference over time.
Step 7: Track + Adjust
Use a tool like YNAB to track your cash flow and see how much you can invest monthly. Rebalance your assets yearly to keep things aligned with your goals.
Bonus: Where to Invest $100 or Less
- Fidelity: For Roth IRAs, zero-fee index funds
- Robinhood: For buying stocks + ETFs with no commission
- How to Invest with $100 →
TL;DR
- Start early, even with small amounts
- Use a Roth IRA or brokerage account
- Pick a mix of stocks and ETFs (index funds = easy wins)
- Set up automatic contributions and rebalance yearly
Coming next: A printable planner and Notion tracker to help you build your glow-up portfolio.
