Learn to Invest Money

We chose to learn to invest money when financial freedom became our goal. My wife and I we new something had to change.

It's something our parents never really talked about growing up. They taught us that we should go to school so we can get a safe and secure job with good benefits. A college education would ensure that we would have more than enough money.

Sound familiar? Is that the case today?

Not for many individuals.

Working hard at our jobs alone doesn't mean the cashflow automatically comes in our direction. We had to learn to invest money. So...

What is investing?

Let's start off with what investing isn't.

• Depending on your children. There are a lot of parents who believe their children should fund their needs in their golden years. This used to work in the past but times have changed.
• Depending on the government. Social Security was a bad idea. Don't plan your future on this failing government program.
• Putting your money into a retirement plan and letting it sit, regardless of market fluctuations.
  Advocates of these plans promote the ease of putting your money into a plan and turning away.

The above examples deal with the problem of placing the burden of responsibility on someone else. But no one should be more concerned about your money than you. Thus, your investor education is very important.

---

Educate yourself on investing so you understand where your money is, what it's doing, and if it's really working for you. Discover the drawbacks of the popular:

• 401k Retirement Plans
• Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA)
• 529 Plan

My parents never learned to invest money. That was their choice. They didn't want to risk losing their money. However, I feel that that the lack of financial education is risky.

We continue to learn. We invest in our personal finance eduction. That's the best way to invest money. That is our choice.

What's yours?