Beware of geeks bearing symbols and formulas.
Figure 1: Starting to Invest While You
Are Young is Important (Source).
My working-class upbringing did not provide me with any exposure to investing in my youth, so I really did not start actively investing until I was in my 30s. While I never look back, I do tell my sons that one thing I would do differently is starting investing right after I graduated from university. Nowadays there is a shift in how people invest, there are way more options that can be done digitally either personally or through a broker. Because of this, people are able to check on their investments using Stock signals to see what else they can invest in to help build upon the money they already have. It is a major change from what wall street used to be back in the day.
At this point, I really enjoy managing my own investments, and investing has become a family activity that I share with my adult sons. I also collect stories of amateur investors who have been successful at investing and use these stories to provide me with inspiration.
I recently saw the following answer on Quora to the question "What is the best way to make a million dollars?" This answer does a nice job of focusing on what I call "getting rich slowly" by using the power of compound interest.
I am now a multi-millionaire, and I have never had my own business, invented anything or inherited one red cent. What I have always done is paid myself first. Especially in your twenties, max out your retirement deductions, or at the minimum put in an amount that maxes out your company match. The money I contributed in my twenties now accounts for ⅔ of my net worth, even though I contributed much more each year in my thirties and later. Such is the power of compound interest!I never spent much on items that depreciate, such as cars, boats, RV's, etc. Now I am at a point where I can drive what I want. Keeping up with your family, friends and neighbors in terms of what they buy, and where they vacation is a sure way to an empty bank account. Keep in mind that many of them live beyond their means, and paycheck to paycheck. I know this is boring, however not everyone is special in their earnings potential. But anyone can end up wealthy if they follow my advice.