How to Start a Profitable Blog in 2019 (Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Learning how to start a blog has the potential to drastically change your life.

For some, blogging is a way to blow off steam after a hard day at work.

For others, it’s a fun side hustle. One that allows them to make money on top of their normal day job.

And still, for others, blogging has become a business. One so profitable they’re able to quit their jobs, travel the world, and live life on their terms.

All because they started.

You see, blogging is a low cost, zero risk way to open new doors of opportunity that weren’t previously there before. Doors that don’t involve selling the latest fad toothpaste, LuLaRoe leggings, or Thirty-One bags to your friends and family on Facebook.

No, we’re done with all that. In this article I am going to walk you through, step-by-step, how to start a blog in 15 minutes or less, even if you’re a total beginner.

Before we dive in though, let’s take a quick moment and look at the reasons why people start a blog.

Why do people blog?

People often have very unique reasons for wanting to start a blog. Some are compassionate in nature — perhaps they want to educate others on a rare form of a disease they, or a family member, are struggling with. Others are informative — they want to chronicle a weight loss journey and inspire others to do the same.

And others (reasons) are as straightforward as they get. They’ve seen other people make money blogging about a certain topic and wonder if they can do the same.

No matter your reason for wanting to start, with the right strategies, your blog can:

• Connect you with millions of people.
• Get your ideas out into the world.
• Make you more money than you could ever make at your 9 to 5.

Think it can’t happen to you?

Think again:

Just a few years ago Jeff and I started blogging with absolutely no experience. We had no idea how to start a blog, nor did we really even know what we wanted to write about.

Needless to say, things have changed in a short time.

Learn from other top money making blogs

In our last income report over on BTOP we showed how we made almost $62,000 blogging in just 1 month. It was a total dream come true.

We started at $0 just like everyone else, and now we’re shooting to crack the $100,000/month barrier for the first time. And believe it or not, that’s pennies compared to other successful bloggers.

Take Michelle at Making Sense of Cents for example.

In just 4 years Michelle went from making $672/mo to making over $100,000 per month from her blog.

Take a look:

Or there’s Melyssa, who made over $173,000 recently from her blog and online business:

It takes a lot of hard work to reach the elite ranks of Michelle and Melyssa, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying.

It’s 100% feasible to start making a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars per month within just a few months of starting. We’ve done it with this website, and you can too.

How do bloggers make money?

The cool thing about blogging is that there is a near limitless number of ways to make money.

• Using display ads
• Allowing companies to buy sponsored posts on your website
• Affiliate marketing
• Selling courses, ebooks or trainings
• Consulting
• Providing a service, coaching or mentoring
• The list goes on and on…

But before you start raking in cash from your blog, you first need to start your blog. And that can be a pretty intimidating hurdle for a lot of people, especially the non-tech peeps (like me). That’s why I’m going to walk you through, step-by-step, how to start a blog on WordPress using HostGator (opens another tab).

Why HostGator? Well, in my experience, they are the best all around hosting company for new bloggers in terms of performance and cost. They’ve also got a great infrastructure to accommodate your blog as it grows, which is really important.

And with the 42% off coupon code for you in Step 6, HostGator’s the best bang for your buck, bar none.

Update: the coupon code now gets you 53% off!

Are you ready to get started pursuing something awesome? Open HostGator in another tab and follow along with me.

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How to Start a Blog on WordPress in 10 Simple Steps

Step 1: Choose Your Hosting Plan

By opening the link above you should land on a page that has three hosting options to choose from (Starter, Standard, and Business).

Assuming this is your first website, there’s no need to go with anything other than the Starter Plan. It’s the cheapest plan and has more than enough resources for a brand new website.

This is a Managed WordPress hosting package; meaning it was built and optimized specifically with WordPress in mind. It makes your website faster, secure, and more reliable.

It costs slightly more than a traditional web hosting package, but the extra cost will save you a headache down the road. More on that later.

Step 2: Choose Your Domain Name

Once you hit the “Buy Now!” button, you’ll be directed to the order form. The first item on the list is the most important one: your domain name!

This is the one and only name for your website, so give this some thought.

It can be tricky coming up with a name that isn’t already claimed.

Tips for choosing your domain name:

• Stick to just .com endings.  Don’t bother using .biz, .info, .org, or any other endings.
• Make your domain name simple and easy to remember.
• Leave out numbers, dashes and anything else other than letters.

Step 3: Enter Your Hosting Plan Information

This step determines your approximate initial cost to start your blog. It should be noted that HostGator offers a 45-day money back guarantee.

No matter how much you spend, if you end up deciding that blogging isn’t for you within the first 45 days, you can get your money back, no questions asked. (Hence why blogging is an amazing opportunity to start your own business at a relatively low cost, with zero risk involved).

In order to lock in the biggest discount, I recommend taking advantage of one of HostGator’s 36-month hosting plans.

It greatly reduces the overall cost of your blog, and you can typically get prices lower than $5.00/month (even lower when they’re running special promotions).

I mean what other business can you honestly start for less than that? None.

You’ll also need to set up your HostGator Security PIN which you’ll use to access the back end of your site. Write this down somewhere safe.

Step 4: Enter Your Billing Information

A pretty straightforward step. If you can’t figure this part out, maybe this whole online business thing isn’t for you. ?

Step 5: Choose Add-ons That You Want

Fortunately, most of the add-ons that HostGator offers are already included in the price of the package. The only question is whether or not you need to tack on a SSL certificate (click here if you want to learn more about SSL certificates).

That being said, the answer to that question is yes (you should add one).

Browsers are now displaying a small warning to users, when they first visit a site, if it is not secured with a SSL certificate.

There’s no better way to scare someone away from your site than a browser telling them they’ve landed somewhere unsafe.

If money’s tight, you can forego this option till a later time, but I do recommend adding it now (there are also technical headaches that can be avoided down the road by getting one now).

Step 6: Enter Your Coupon Code

Having been around the blogging circle for some time now, we’re privy to insider information about when blogging platforms will be offering sales, discounts, or new coupon codes.

As such, we’ve negotiated a special discount for our readers that will never expire. By using BTOP42 at checkout you’ll save 42% off any hosting package, no matter the length.

That being said, we want you to save the most money. If we see (or you know of a HostGator coupon code) that could potentially beat our deal, we’ll add it to the list below.

Some confirmed HostGator coupon codes to try are:

rsosaveaw2new – up to 53% off.

SNAPPYW579 – up to 56% off.

Step 7: Review Order Details and Submit

Once you’ve completed all the steps above, go through and make sure everything is the way you want it.

I won’t include a screenshot since everyone’s checkout page will look slightly different based on their choices.

Note: Depending on the length of the package you selected, your checkout price can vary greatly from what you may have expected. If you’re on a budget and you can’t afford the longest package (to get the full discount), that’s totally okay.

Here are some other options:

• Use coupon code BTOP42 for 1 month and forego the SSL certificate (not recommended). The total cost will be $8.67.
• Use coupon code BTOP42 for 1 month and choose the SSL add-on. Your total will be $28.62.
• Use coupon code rsosaveaw2new for 36 months with the SSL add-on (to get the full discount). Your total will be $186.76.

You’ll inevitably pay more out of pocket for the lengthiest hosting plan, but you’ll save 53% off the total cost of 3 years worth of blogging. There’s no incentive for us to recommend one length of time over the other, you’ll simply save the most by choosing the longer plans (plus you can always get a full refund, no questions asked).

You’ll also notice that there are a few other free perks: 24/7/365 Phone, LiveChat, Email Support and, again, the 45-day money back guarantee if you decide blogging isn’t for you.

Once you’re all set, go ahead and hit “Checkout Now!” and let’s get rolling.

Step 8: Install WordPress

Oh wait, you don’t actually have to. That’s one of the perks of purchasing a Managed WordPress plan.

As far as blogging platforms go, WordPress is in rare company. In fact, WordPress sites now comprise more than 30% of the entire Internet. You could go with a smaller platform like Tumblr or Blogger…or you can go with the content management system (CMS) chosen by:

• New York Post
• USA Today
• CNN
• Fortune
• Time
• Spotify
• TechCrunch
• CBS
• NBC

If those sites use WordPress, I think its safe to say you’re choosing the right blogging platform.

Note: It’s important to know that it may take several minutes for your website to “go live”. Typically this process takes less than 30 minutes but it could take several hours (your domain is “propagating” so that visitors all over the world can see it).

Basically, if your website does not appear right away, don’t be alarmed, it just takes a few minutes for HostGator to create something awesome.

In the meantime, take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the HostGator Customer Portal.

Click around from tab to tab and learn where everything is.

Although you won’t need to check in here frequently, it does contain important information about when products may expire, allows you to setup email accounts, and is the go-to spot if you need to upgrade your hosting as your blog grows!

It’s also a good spot to get technical support if necessary.

Step 9: Log Into Your WordPress Admin Dashboard

Once your WordPress site goes live, you’ll get an email confirmation message from HostGator giving you the info for where to access your WordPress login, your username, and a randomly generated password to sign in (you can change this later).

Your WordPress Admin Dashboard can be found at http://yourwebsitename.com/wp-admin/ (Hint: You’ll need to place your domain in the URL).

And that’s it!  You’re all set up and ready to go with your new site.

Step 10: Monetize Your Blog

As you may have suspected, this is the hardest part. And to be perfectly honest with you, it’s going to take time.

If you just got done with the steps above, your initial focus should be on customizing your blog, creating content, and growing your audience, all before you start thinking about making money. To get you started I’ve put together the exact blueprint for you to follow to make your first $1,000 blogging.

Furthermore, here are a few parting tips I have on how to start a successful blog:

• Start learning about the different ways to monetize your blog. Choose the ones that sound interesting to you and start digging deeper into those topics.

• Make sure you’re writing in a way that’s easy to read. What do I mean by that? Be conversational, use short paragraphs, and use short sentences. Oddly enough, this is way harder than it sounds, especially for new bloggers. The way you learned to write in high school and college is not the way you want to write for your blog. I can’t stress that enough.

• Your content needs to help people solve a problem. If it doesn’t do that, then it better be entertaining. If you aren’t doing either of these things, you’re going to have a hard time getting readers to stick around.

• Use social media to promote your blog posts. I recommend starting with Pinterest.

How to Invest: A Beginner’s Guide to Investing in the Stock Market

How to Invest: A Beginner’s Guide to Investing in the Stock Market

This ‘Investing for Beginners’ Guide will walk you through, step by step, how to start investing without feeling completely overwhelmed.

Do you want your money to earn you more money? Well, it can’t do its work hiding in a bank account.

Whether you want to save for your child’s college or prepare for retirement, you’ll reach your goal faster by investing.

Here’s everything you need to know to get started today.

What is Investing?

When you invest, you purchase something with the expectation of profiting off of it in the future.

In the 90s, some people thought they were making smart “investments” in Beanie Babies and McDonald’s toys. But traditional investments include things like ownership in a business, real estate assets, or lending money to a person or company in exchange for interest payments.

Related: 7 Investment Strategies for 30 Year Olds and Tips to Get Started

Why Should I Invest?

Merely saving money isn’t enough to build wealth. A bank will keep your money safe. But, each year, inflation makes every dollar you’ve tucked away slightly less valuable. So, a dollar you put in the bank today is worth just a little less tomorrow.

Comparatively, when you invest, your dollars are working to earn you more dollars. And those new dollars work to earn you even more dollars. Which then work to earn you even more. The snowballing force of growth is known as compound growth.

Over the long term, investing allows your assets to grow over and above the rate of inflation. You past savings build on themselves, instead of declining in value as the years pass. This makes it significantly easier to save for long-term goals like retirement.

When Should I Start Investing?

Yesterday. But if you haven’t started yet, today is a great second choice.

In general, you want to start investing as soon as you have a solid financial base in place. This includes having no high-interest debt, an emergency fund in place, and a goal for your investments in mind. Doing so allows you to leave your money invested for the long-term – key for maximum growth – and be confident in your investment choices through the natural ups and downs of the market.

Benefits of Starting Young

Summary: Compound growth requires time. The earlier you start investing, the more wealth you can create with fewer dollars.

When it comes to investing, time is your most powerful tool. The longer your money is invested, the longer it has to work to create more money and take advantage of compound growth. It also makes it far less likely that one harsh market downturn will negatively impact your wealth as you’ll have time to leave the money invested and recover its value.

Let’s look at an example:

Since 1928, the average return of the S&P 500 (a set of 500 of the largest public companies in the U.S. that is often used to approximate the stock market) is about 10%.

So, let’s say you’re 25 and put $5,000 in the S&P 500. You see a 10% increase in value each year, letting your money continue to grow. When you turn 65, you open your account to find you have over $226,000. An excellent retirement gift to yourself!

However, if you waited until you were 35 to start investing, your value at 65 would only be $87,000. Still impressive. But less than half of what you would have had if you started a decade earlier.

Pay Off High-Interest Debt First

Summary: View paying down high-interest debt as investing until you no longer have those debts. Every dollar towards principal earns you an instant return by eliminating future interest cost.

If you still have high-interest debt, such as credit cards or personal loans, you should hold off on investing. Your money works harder for you by eliminating that pesky interest expense than it does in the market. This is because paying off $1 of debt balance saves you 12%, 14%, or more in future interest expense. More than traditional investments can be expected to return.

Focus on getting out of debt (insert link) as fast as you can, then dive into investing.

Have an Emergency Fund in Place

Summary: To reduce the risk of having to pull money out of your investments early, have an emergency fund to protect from life’s unexpected twists and turns.

Remember how we said time is the most powerful tool? To start investing, you have to be set up to let that money stay invested. Otherwise, you limit your time horizon and could force yourself to withdraw your money at the wrong time.

To protect yourself from unexpected expenses or job layoffs, save a sufficient emergency fund for your needs. (do you have a link for setting up an emergency fund?) Do not plan for your investment accounts to be a regular source of cash.

Starting Small is Okay

Summary: Even if you start small, those early invested dollars can have a tremendous impact over time. Get invested as soon as possible.

Sometimes people think they can’t start investing until they have a significant amount of money. But this means many people give up years of compound growth waiting until they feel rich enough. No matter how small, get your money working for you as soon as possible.

Consider our previous example of the $5,000 invested at 25- or 35-years-old. Pretend for a moment the 35-year-old didn’t have $5,000 to invest at age 25. But she did have $500. And she thought, maybe, she could scrape together $50 a month to add to her $500 investment.

If she invested $500 at age 25, and then $50 a month until she had put away a total of $5,000, she would have almost $174,000 at retirement age. Double what she would have had if she waited until she had $5,000 at age 35!

Starting small makes a significant difference, especially if it means you get in the market sooner.

Investing 101: Basic Investing Terms

The number one thing that scares off new investors is the jargon. The investment market has a ton of jargon. So, we’re going to give you the inside scoop to make it less intimidating.

What is a Stock?

A stock, also known as a “share,” is a tiny ownership stake in a business. Public companies allow anyone to buy or sell ownership shares of their business on exchanges.

If you own a stock, you are actually a part owner of the company. Go you! While owning a share of Walmart won’t give you the power to fire the slow cashier at your local store, you do have some rights. You can, for instance, vote on members of the Board of Directors.

What is a Bond?

A bond is debt of a corporation, municipality, or country.

By purchasing a bond, you are loaning money to one of these entities. For companies, bonds are typically segmented into $1,000 increments that pay interest every six months, with the full value paid back at “maturity,” i.e., the date the debt is due. Government bonds are typically known as “treasuries.”

What is a Portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of all your investments held by a particular broker or investment provider. You may own some individual stocks, bonds, or ETFs. Everything in your account would be your portfolio.

However, your portfolio can also mean all your investments across all account types, as this gives a better picture of your entire exposure.

What Does Diversification Mean?

Just like you wouldn’t invest all your money in your friend’s idea for a pumpkin-spiced toothpaste business, you don’t want to only invest in one stock or bond. Diversification means owning a variety of different investments, so your success or failure isn’t dependent on just one thing.

To be properly diversified, you want to make sure your investments actually have variety. Owning three different clothing companies still means you’re facing all the same risks. An import tax on cotton products, for example, could crush the value of all three companies at once.

What is Asset Allocation?

There are three main asset classes for most investors: stocks, bonds, and cash. Asset allocation is how you split your investments across those three buckets.

Stocks offer greater long-term returns, but significantly greater swings in value. These swings, sometimes north of 20% up or down in a given year, can be a lot to stomach. Bonds are safer but provide lower returns in exchange for that security.

You determine your asset allocation by considering the length of time until you need your money, your risk tolerance, and goals.

What are ETFs?

ETFs, or exchange-traded funds, allow you to buy small pieces of many investments in one security.

An ETF is a fund that holds numerous stocks, bonds, or commodities. The fund is then divided into shares which are sold to investors in the public market.

ETFs are an attractive investment option because they offer low fees, instant diversification, and have the liquidity of a stock (they are easy to buy and sell fast). Buying a stock or bond ETF gives you access to numerous investments, all held withinthat ETF.

Stock Funds

A stock ETF often tracks an index, such as the S&P 500. When you buy a stock ETF, you are purchasing a full portfolio of tiny pieces of all the stocks in the index, weighted for their size in that index.

For instance, if you purchased an S&P 500 ETF, you are only buying one “thing”. However, that ETF owns stock of all 500 companies in the S&P, meaning you effectively own small pieces of all 500 companies. Your investment would grow, or decline, with the S&P, and you would earn dividends based on your share of the dividend payouts from all 500 companies.

Bond Funds

A bond ETF owns a basket of bonds, often tracking an index, just like the stock ETFs.

These funds could own a mixture of government bonds, high-rated corporate bonds, and foreign bonds. The most significant difference between holding an individual bond and a bond ETF is when you are paid interest. Bonds only make interest payments every six months. But bond ETFs make payments every month, as all the bonds the fund owns may pay interest at different times of the year.

Types of Investment Accounts

If you’re ready to buy stocks, bonds, or ETFs, you may be wondering where these types of investments are held.

There are a few different types of accounts in which you can hold investments. But they can’t live in your standard bank account. Here are your options.

Retirement Accounts

Saving for retirement is most people’s biggest long-term goal. With the average person retiring at 62, either by choice or due to layoffs and health issues, most Americans face 20 years or more of retirement in which they need assets to support themselves.

To help you prepare for this massive goal, the government offers tax incentives. However, if you invest in these accounts, your access to your funds is limited until 59 ½. In some cases, there are penalties for withdrawing your money earlier.

Here are the type of accounts that offer tax savings.

Employer-Sponsored Accounts

Employer-sponsored retirement accounts such as 401(K)s, 403(B)s, 457s, and more, allow employees to save for retirement directly from their paycheck. Some employers offer contribution matches as a perk to double-down on your retirement preparation.

Typically, you put “pre-tax” money into these accounts, which means you don’t pay income tax on those dollars. Any money invested grows without tax until you ultimately withdraw it for living expenses in retirement. As you withdraw funds, you will pay income tax on the withdrawals. However, most people are in a lower tax bracket in retirement so pay lower rates.

As of 2019, you can contribute up to $19,000 in a given year to one of these accounts, not including any employer contribution. If you are 50 years or older, you can contribute up to $24,500 a year.

Traditional vs. Roth IRA

If you don’t have access to an employer-sponsored retirement account or have already maxed out your contribution, you can also open an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) to invest.

There are two types of IRAs: Traditional and Roth.

A Traditional IRA works the same way as employer-sponsored plans when it comes to taxes. Any money contributed will be treated as “pre-tax” and reduce your taxable income for that year.

A Roth IRA, on the other hand, is funded with post-tax dollars. This means you’ve already paid your income tax, so when you withdraw it in retirement, you don’t pay income or capital gains tax. The money is all yours. Roth IRAs offer excellent tax benefits but are only available to certain income levels. If you make more than $135,000 a year as a single filer or over $199,000 as a married filer, you aren’t eligible for a Roth IRA.

As of 2019, you can contribute up to $6,000 per year to an IRA. If you are 50 years or older, you can contribute up to $6,500 a year.

529 College Savings Plans

These accounts, offered by each state, provide tax benefits for parents saving for college. Operating like a Roth IRA, contributions are made post-tax, but all withdrawals are tax-free as long as the funds are used for higher-education expenses.

Your state may offer tax benefits or contribution matches for investing in your local 529 plan, but you can utilize any state’s 529. Since each state has different fees and investment options, be sure to find the best 529 for your money.

Brokerage Accounts

Brokerage accounts offer no tax benefits for investing but operate more like a standard bank account to hold your investments. There are no limits on annual contributions to these accounts, and you can access your money at any time.

Cash or Cash Equivalents

Since investing should only be undertaken for the long-term, you may need to hold onto cash while saving for shorter-term goals. In that case, a traditional bank account might not do the trick. Checking and savings accounts offer incredibly low interest rates, if any at all, which means you are entirely at the mercy of inflation.

Luckily, there are cash accounts that pay higher interest:

A CD, or Certificate of Deposit, is a savings account that restricts access to your cash for a specified period (6 months, 12 months, 24 months, etc.). There is a small penalty if you want to withdraw your money before the term is up, but these accounts typically offer a higher interest rate in exchange for the lack of access.

High yield savings accounts are the middle ground between CDs and traditional savings accounts. They pay higher interest than a conventional savings account but still allow a few transactions a month so you can access your cash if you need it. Many online high yield savings accounts have no deposit minimums or fees.

Money market accounts are very similar to high yield savings accounts, but with slightly higher interest rates and higher deposit requirements. For instance, CIT Bank’s money market account offers a 1.85% interest rate but requires a $100 minimum deposit.

Related: CIT Bank Review: Premier High Yield Savings Account

Online High Yield Savings Account Comparison Chart:

Savings Account	Opening Balance	Monthly Fees	APY
Open Account	$100	$0	2.45%
Open Account	$0	$0	2.10%
Open Account	$0	$0	2.20%
Open Account	$0	$0	2.20%

In any of these accounts, your cash deposited is not at risk. FDIC insurance guarantees you your money back, even if the bank that holds your account goes bankrupt.

Where to Focus First

When first starting to invest, it can be hard to choose between the multiple types of investment accounts. As you begin, remember to focus where you see the most value.

First, contribute enough to your employer-sponsored retirement plan to get the full value of any match the company offers. This is free money and an instant return on your investment. If you aren’t sure if your employer offers a contribution match, reach out to HR for the most up-to-date policies.

Second, max out contribution limits on your tax-advantaged accounts – if you are primarily saving for retirement or a child’s college. The tax benefits in these accounts save you money that you don’t want to turn over to Uncle Sam unnecessarily.

Finally, invest any excess capital in brokerage accounts. This will help you save for long-term goals like buying that vacation house in ten years.

Note: The above assumes that you have paid off all high-interest credit card debtand have a solid budget in place. If you haven’t done those things yet, get them squared away before you start investing.

Related: Start Managing Your Money Like an Adult [5 Practical Tips]

7 Golden Rules for Investing Money

You may be a rookie investor, but that doesn’t mean you need to make costly rookie mistakes. Follow these seven golden rules and you’ll be on the path to success.

Click here to see the whole infographic.

1. Play the Long Game

Never invest for the short-term. The market moves up and down in natural cycles that can’t be timed. Investing for less than three to five years doesn’t give you enough time to rebuild asset value if you hit a downturn at the wrong time.

2. Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

Don’t put too much of your money in any one stock or bond where one issue could destroy your wealth. Diversify with low-cost, index ETFs and avoid stock picking.

3. Make Investing a Monthly Habit

Despite headlines continually calling a market top or bottom, no one can accurately determine where we are in the cycle at any given time. The best way to guarantee that you buy at the right times is to make investing a monthly habit. Invest each and every month, regardless of headlines or market performance.

4. Invest Only What You Can Afford to Lose

Investing is risky. While the long-term trend has historically been upwards, there are also years of deep declines. If you need money in the near-term, or the thought of seeing your account balance drop 20% makes you sick to your stomach, don’t invest those funds.

5. Don’t Check Your Portfolio Everyday

Investing is the one place where a “head in the sand” strategy might be the smartest method. Set up auto deposits into your investment accounts each month and only look at your portfolio once every three to six months. This reduces the likelihood of panic selling when the market falls or piling in more money when everything seems like rainbows and butterflies.

6. Keep Your Fees Low

Mutual funds and ETFs have expense ratios. Many brokerages charge trading fees. And investment providers from financial advisors to roboadvisors charge management fees. All these fees eat away at your wealth over time.

Sticking to index funds and ETFs keeps your fees low while guaranteeing you see the performance of the market so that you can keep more money in your pocket.

7. Listen to Warren Buffet’s Investing Advice

Warren Buffett is possibly the most famous investor in history. He’s created a multi-billion-dollar net worth in just one generation. Learn from his advice to invest for your own future!

“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

“I never invest in anything I don’t understand.”

“If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.”

“The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient.”

“It is not necessary to do extraordinary things to get extraordinary results.”

How to Start Investing Today

An easy way to start investing today from your phone or laptop is by opening an account with Acorns.

Acorns is a micro-investing app ideal for beginner investors. The basic plan, Acorns Core, starts at just $1/month with a free $5 sign-up bonus for new users.

When you make a purchase with a linked debit or credit card, Acorns rounds up to the nearest dollar and invests your spare change. You can boost your Round-Ups by 2x, 5x, or 10x.

In addition to Round-Ups, you can set up recurring daily, weekly, or monthly investments to your Acorns portfolio. Their Found Money service will also find cashback opportunities from 200+ partners and automatically invest your savings when you make a purchase.

It only takes a few minutes to set up an account. Once you complete your profile, Acorns suggests one of their five portfolio options based on the information you provided. However, you have the option to override their suggestion if you prefer a portfolio with more or less risk.

The platform automatically rebalances your portfolio and reinvests all dividend payments to continue growing your investments.

Acorns is a smart option for hands-off investors and those just getting started. As your account grows, the $1-3 monthly fee stays the same, effectively making the service cheaper over time.

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