Investing can be pretty nerve-breaking, especially when you’re young. It can seem so overwhelming and, therefore, repulsive. There is one big disadvantage of the modern education system. Kids do not have any financial education throughout the school. They end up learning so much at school, collecting numerous information, and yet they have a lack of practical knowledge.
Understanding the world of money is very important. It doesn’t matter where do you live and what you do in life. Knowing how to spend money, how to save it, and where to invest it always comes handy. Thinking about the future while you’re still young can be very smart. The majority of teenagers don’t even think about what is going to happen in a year or two. But the ones that do can profit so much just by being responsible. If you have all of the time of the world ahead of you, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?
But yet, there is another problem. Even if you decide you’d like to start with investing as very young, there are some obstacles. Not every platform provides an option for people under 18 to use their services. Luckily, in the 21st century, we have the technology. And that makes everything easier, including financial education. There are many apps out there that can help teenagers understand the money. And when you know stuff, you can make some smarter decisions.
How to Start
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The first important thing is parental education. Teaching your kid about why it is important how to handle money is the big first step. Teenagers are almost grown-ups. And they can understand everything and even make their own decisions. In those young years, it is pretty easy to instill some good habits in their lives, including money ones. On the other hand, it can be challenging to change their bad habits later. So thinking about it on time can be a life-changing decision.
Where to Learn
Source: vivacommunications.com.au
As we mentioned earlier, technology can be useful in this field. Nowadays, the mitigating circumstance is that we don’t have to read a ton of books and die of boredom while learning about money. Just find some motivation and grab your smart device. Having a phone in your hand all day long can finally pay off! You can find many apps that provide investing information for teenagers. And we all know everything looks so interesting when you’re reading it off your phone. Microsaving applications can be a fun and easy way to learn about both saving and investing. Like with everything else, it is best to start with basics. And when you’re learning gradually, everything makes sense, and you start upgrading with time. These apps will provide you exactly that. After you’ve learned the level one stuff, you can move upwards and rise in your investment game.
How to invest
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It can get pretty hard to get in the investing game if you are under 18. Most of the investing platforms do not allow teenagers to use them. On the other hand, many of them do provide custodial accounts. These accounts are made for kids under 18 to start their investing. They are in control of a parent until age 18 or 21, depending on the country. And after that, they are transferred to the real owner’s name. The funds have to be in the child’s best interest and used ethically. It can be a fun, yet practical way to learn something new at a young age. The thing is that most of those platforms have high trade fees. And that can make them unprofitable.
Loved.com makes investing under 18 possible. They provide custodial accounts with zero brokerage or subscription charges. Another plus is that you can start with as much money as you want. 2$ or 2000$, you choose. You can use it with your kid every day on your smart device. Both of you should be included in making investing decisions. Good planning and a little bit of effort can bring a great future to your child.
How to Maintain Discipline
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As a parent, you should be the one who motivates your child to learn and make a progress in this area. Teenagers usually need some support to maintain their discipline in their activities. It can be a good idea to start organizing family financial meetings and discuss your overall progress. Also, we recommend using custodial accounts to invest in something interesting to your teenager. If they are not having fun, they will probably give up. So keep them occupied and make sure they are having fun while learning about money.
Even though in this period of life it is all about learning, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to make some calculated moves. You should also inform yourself about where should your teenager invest. Of course, you can never be 100% sure how good you’re investing. But it has been shown that the stock market is a more appropriate and better choice for people under 18. Also, it can be a smarter move for a teenager to accumulate some more money (at least 50 dollars) and then invest in something he or she likes and finds profitable.
Conclusion
Source: investopedia.com
Stepping into the investment world as a teenager can be a smart move. Thinking about the future in time can get you far away. Technology development made collecting valuable information (as well as others, not so valuable, information) very easy. If you want to understand how money works, and to start investing, you need only your smartphone. In case you like spending long hours on your phone, why wouldn’t you incorporate learning some important stuff, too?
Many platforms offer custodial accounts that can be coordinated by a parent on behalf of a child. And after a teenager becomes a young adult he or she can continue using their account. It can be a fun and efficient way to learn about investing. And it can make life so much easier afterward. With this knowledge, these future adults will know how to act, make better decisions, and provide a great life for themselves.
