Early Bird Special: Why You Should Invest as Soon as You Can

Photo by maitree rimthong

Learning to start investing for the right reasons and knowing when to invest as soon as you can is a critical step to attaining financial freedom and stability.

The Moses of Wall Street may sound like a corny title for a book about investing, but it truly taught me why I should be investing for the right reasons. The book is replete with brilliant advice and tips, especially the vaunted Triple Tank System, for investing properly—all with the wisdom and experience of a seasoned investor, one that fully acknowledges that his success is the result of a lifetime of learning and a devotion to God. 

Why Should Young People Invest Early?

There are plenty of reasons why you should invest as soon as you can, but the most critical factor is perhaps learning that investing is a lot like eating at a buffet. It’s the early bird that gets the worm. 

If we were to go back in time, anything that surrounded investing would always be met with the idea of old men in fancy suits trying to make “deals” with one another, exchanging news on the stock market, and always with briefcases and a whole lot of reams of white paper, with numbers and charts and all of that. 

If we had to talk about the investment market in the past, it would have been extremely odd to have young people involved. That was because they weren’t just interested and keen on the fact of putting away their money and keeping it for later. Especially when, at the time, the economy was booming, and everything seemed like it was only going on the up and up: paychecks were consistent and rewarding, technology was novel and interesting, etcetera, etc. For a lot of young folks in the 90s and onwards, the world seemed like an abundant oyster, and everything was simply waiting on the horizon.

Now, though, everyone, from old to young, knows the value of a good investment. It’s safe to say that we have entirely different views on investment before and now. I would say it’s the safest bet to say that. And that’s because the societal view on financial stability has matured compared to what it was before, especially with the advent of technology, which has only made it easier to follow up on market trends and bubbles. 

We are simply now more aware of the importance of building long-term wealth—the recent global pandemic has only made it more significant.

Everyone has plans to invest now, and I definitely believe that no one is ever too young to put their money away for the future, regardless if you want to take on stocks or invest in startups.

Reasons You Should Invest as Soon as You Can

While the financial shares of most millennials and Zoomers haven’t reached their heights, they are in an ideal demographic to start investing now and yesterday. 

Firstly, the longer you invest, the better your returns. This means that, while early investors will definitely get the best deal, young people, who still have their years ahead of them, are also in an equally valuable position to invest whenever. It is not an exaggeration to say that to the youth, time is their greatest asset. 

Young people often have more time and resources to better research appropriate investment opportunities and a better understanding of current market trends. Remember, investing is a lot like growing a tree—the longer you work on it, the better the bounty will be when it comes time to start harvesting. So, why not begin now and enjoy the fruits of your investment at a later date?

Investing at a young age is also a good lesson in filing away the more pernicious impulses that youth are associated with, particularly their recklessness and frivolity when it comes to spending. By investing early and setting about expectations for future returns, you can learn the importance of being thrifty and resourceful with your current wealth.

Secondly, young people have the best opportunity to map out their future outcomes with early investments. The worst experience for an investor is always looking back on an investment opportunity they encountered when young and ignoring it because they were not knowledgeable enough about its importance.

Being a young individual also makes investing a lot safer and more secure since you are in a better position to bounce back from bad investments. You are also much more likely to recover quicker compared to your older peers. And if you score big and make a great early investment when young, think of the possibilities you will have when you’re older, with a spouse, children, and more obligations. If you’re smart about things, you could be creating a brilliant retirement plan in your twenties!