You might have missed some opportunities to invest in your 20s, but there are plenty of ways you can catch up in your 30s. Investing can take many forms. As it requires a long-term commitment, choose the option that feels interesting and manageable and that carries a risk that you think is acceptable. Remember that all investment comes with risk, so don’t let that put you off altogether. Weigh up the options, take advice where necessary and make a decision that’s right for you. Some examples of investments include before- or after-tax investing, investing in start-ups, stocks and bonds, real estate or buying and selling commodities, like precious metals.
Why Should You Invest in Your 30s?
The ultimate aim of investing in your 30s is to build a nest egg that will see you through retirement and increase your overall personal wealth. By the time you reach your 30s, you are probably established in a professional role, have paid off your student loan and can comfortably put money aside for investments. With many decades of work ahead of you, you still have plenty of time to build up your investment portfolio and benefit from compound interest. Compound interest allows your investments to grow over time, beyond the amount of money you put in. Your investments make money, which is then reinvested to make more money, and so on and so on. The snowball effect means that it grows over time, increases your capital and results in a better return on your money.
How to Invest in Your 30s
Investment is a long game. It’s not about short-term payoffs but about reaching long-term financial goals that will see you comfortably into retirement. The way you approach investing in your 30s depends on whether you already have investments or are starting from scratch.
If You Already Have Investments
If you already have investments by your 30s, you’re off to a great start. There are ways you can strategically build upon existing investments or take new opportunities to increase your capital further and spread the risk. However, if you already have other investments, it can be reassuring to have a safety net of money if you ever have an emergency or lose your job. It is generally recommended that you have enough savings to live off for six months or so, then any capital above this amount can be invested. Over time, revisit your investments to see what’s working and what isn’t, moving money around accordingly. Spreading the risk across multiple investments also protects you from severe losses if one investment goes wrong. The Roth individual retirement account, or IRA, is a good way of saving additional money on top of your 401(k) or as an alternative if you don’t have a 401(k). Tax benefits of the Roth IRA mean you won’t be liable for tax payments when you withdraw funds after you retire. Your 30s can throw up expensive life events – buying a home, getting married and having a baby are all significant (expensive) events that typically happen in your 30s. Planning for these life events means that when they arise, you won’t be set back in your investment goals.
Step 2: Open a Retirement Plan
Retirement plans have the significant advantage that your contributions and interest earned are exempt from tax. Many employers match your contributions too, so if you put in as much as you can afford, they’re basically giving you free money of the same amount. There is usually a cap on the amount they will match, so beyond this, it can be worth opening a Roth IRA plan, an alternative retirement plan that allows for tax-free saving.
Step 3: Create a Savings Plan
One of the easiest ways to get your finances in order is to create a basic savings plan. Decide how much you want to save and how you plan to do so, and look around for savings accounts with generous interest rates.
Step 4: Develop Financial Discipline
By your 30s, you have hopefully paid off debts, climbed the ladder in your career and worked out how to manage cash flow. If you wish to invest, it’s essential to have a handle on your finances and have good discipline around spending and saving. If this is an area in which you struggle, get your basic financial habits in order before risking money on investments.
Step 5: Decide Where to Put Your Money
Research and investigate all the options available to you. Your decision will be influenced by how much you have to invest, what the financial markets are doing, whether you plan to manage it yourself or pay a financial advisor and the level of risk you are willing to take.
What Should You Invest in When in Your 30s?
Multiple Retirement Plans
Make the most of your employer matching your 401(k) contributions and pay in as much as you can up to the maximum allowance. It’s also wise to invest in an IRA. With traditional IRAs, you make pre-tax contributions but then pay tax upon withdrawal when you retire. Roth IRAs are a better option in most cases, as although you make contributions on after-tax income, you don’t pay tax upon withdrawal. Be aware of the cap on Roth IRAs – if you earn over $140,000 per year, you are not eligible for a Roth IRA.
Invest in Stocks or Bonds Through Index Funds or ETFs
Index funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) both involve bundling together investments such as stocks, bonds and commodities into one asset that can be traded in financial markets. They both tend to give good long-term return on investment, which makes them ideal options for starting to invest in your 30s when you have decades of investing ahead of you. This option gives better returns than savings, but you might need a professional to manage them on your behalf.
Invest in Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies are still relatively new investment options, and they can fluctuate and change quickly. The benefit of investing in your 30s is that you can ride out the lows and grow your investment over time. Investing in cryptocurrencies can be a high-risk option, but high risk means the potential for high reward, so it can be a good asset in your portfolio.
Use Robo Advisors
Robo advisors are digital financial advisory platforms that guide how to invest your money. There is little human interaction involved; instead, an algorithm takes your financial information and works out the best investment options, building and managing your portfolio and retirement plan. Robo advisors are less expensive than human financial advisors, and they are available to investors with a small amount of capital. However, they do come with drawbacks. As an automated service, they cannot respond to complex situations or sudden changes in a person’s financial position. If you have a large amount of capital to invest, you are arguably better off seeking help from a human who can give you a personalized service rather than a robo advisor.
Buy Your Own Home
Real estate tends to be a solid investment that actually gives you a tangible benefit – a beautiful home to raise your family. If you are renting, figure out a way of purchasing your own home so you can pay off your own mortgage instead of someone else’s. Over time, your equity will grow, and you’ll have the option to sell up in retirement to downsize and release your money.
Invest in a REIT
A real estate investment trust, or REIT, owns or manages commercial real estate, such as shopping malls or hotels. You can invest in a REIT by becoming a shareholder and receiving dividends on profits. Before investing in a REIT, research the industry of their tenants (hospitality, retail, etc.) to gauge how strong it is and investigate the reputation and past performance of the company that manages the REIT. This type of investment typically has high yield dividends.
Invest in Real Estate (Rental Properties)
Whereas a REIT deals with large-scale commercial property, you could also build your own real estate portfolio of residential properties. You can use leverage to put down a small deposit on a house you wish to rent out, then pay off the balance over time, using your tenant’s rent. Be prepared for covering the costs of vacant properties and for general upkeep and maintenance. Overall, real estate can be a lucrative and relatively low-risk investment option.
Best Brokers for Investing
Pepperstone requires no minimum deposit and offers low trading fees. It offers fantastic market analysis and trading ideas. While the educational tools are adequate, the news flow is basic. Customer service is available via phone, email and live chat, and all queries are answered promptly. It is regulated by the FCA, ASIC, CySEC, BaFin, DFSA, CMA, SCB. Pepperstone uses TradingView, MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and cTrader platforms. MetaTrader is considered one of the best CFD platforms. It provides access to 25 major stock indices, more than 900 shares CFDs, 21 cryptocurrencies, over 100 ETFs and 17 top commodities. All these assets are offered in the form of CFDs. Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 78.8% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. XTB is a trusted all-around broker, established in 2002. It is regulated by the FCA and listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. There is no minimum deposit for opening an account. XTB uses its xStation 5 platform, which offers good customisation, search functions and modern design. As a platform, it has all the standard educational resources and research tools. It has over 2,000 stocks, though all cryptocurrency trading is paused on weekends. Overall, the only negatives of XTB are that its fundamental data is limited, and there are high fees for some CFD trades. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. With Tradex, you choose and buy your stocks, guided by your Investment Manager. These will sit in your portfolio, which is then managed by the Tradex team based on your financial goals, with a strategy devised to help you achieve them. Their smart strategies and sophisticated technology give you broad exposure to different market sectors so you can diversify easily and have more chances to build a strong portfolio. The membership plan can be paid monthly (25 Euros) or annually (250 Euros). The membership includes:
Personal portfolio manager Client Portal Recurring membership Portfolio management Personal investment portfolio Stock recommendations Weekly appointments with an advisor Stock trade ideas Investment set up
Aside from the membership plan, the Tradex blog has a vast range of educational articles about everything from investment basics to things like NFTs and cryptocurrency so you can improve your knowledge and learn more about different investment opportunities.
Once you have some cash savings and have planned for significant life events, there are plenty of options for investment that can spread out risk and make your money work hard for you. You need to take the time to explore your options, taking advice from a financial advisor if necessary. As you build up a portfolio of investments, you can review it over time, moving your money around depending upon where you’re achieving the best returns. WikiJob does not provide tax, investment, or financial services and advice. The information is being presented without consideration of the investment objectives, risk tolerance, or financial circumstances of any specific investor and might not be suitable for all investors. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal.
