Is now a good time to invest?Expert weighing

This is a provocative question: Is now a good time to invest in stocks?

This is also a good question. After all, this year’s stock market is up and down like a roller coaster. Has been very unstable. unpredictable. wilderness. If you feel reluctant before wading, we can understand.

Therefore, we seek advice from a certified financial planner. Robin Hartill, a CFP, editor and financial advice columnist of The Penny Hoarder, participated in the discussion.

Her suggestion is: take a long-term view. Over time, the stock market will increase your money, so you’d better start early.

Hartill said: “The timing of investment is far less important than the amount of time that must be invested.” “The S&P 500 has provided an average annual inflation-adjusted return of about 7% for the past 50 years. The cost of waiting for the best investment opportunity is high. You Long-term growth is missed.”

Again, you must take a long-term view here. This is the meaning of investment.

“If you want to profit quickly from the stock market, now may not be a good time,” she said. “We are still in a recession, but the stock market has recovered. But the real investment is not about making quick money. It’s about increasing your money over time.”

How to start investing-and CFP’s recommended strategy

Don’t know how to start? You can start small.

Investing does not require you to start investing thousands of dollars in all stocks.In fact, there is an application called Tibetan, You can start using it for only $1. *

Stash lets you choose from hundreds of stocks and funds to build your own investment portfolio. By dividing them into categories based on your personal goals, it makes things simple.

In addition, you are investing in some stocks, which means that you can invest in stocks that you cannot normally afford.

For example, Amazon stock has been performing well, but the price of a share of Amazon stock exceeds $3,000. With Stash, if you can’t afford the entire share, you can easily buy part of Amazon.

Hartill suggested that, in any case, a certain amount of funds should be budgeted for investment every month.

Hartill said: “For most investors, the best way to accumulate wealth is to average dollar costs, rather than trying to determine the timing of investment based on market trends.” “Budget a certain number of stocks every month and invest automatically, regardless of The market is up or down.

“Some people may not like this method because they want to determine the exact time when the market bottoms, but this method rarely works. Instead, people miss the best days after the stock market crash and often buy at high prices. The stock ends. Consistency is a better strategy than market timing.”

If you Register now for Stash (It takes two minutes). After adding 5 dollars to your investment account, Stash will give you 5 dollars. Subscription plans start at $1 per month. **

*For securities with a price of more than $1,000, the starting price to purchase fractional stocks is $0.05.

**You will also bear the standard fees and expenses reflected in the ETF pricing in your account, as well as various ancillary service fees charged by Stash and the custodian.