#2 Get a roboadvisor

A roboadvisor is a digital platform that provides financial planning services without any human supervision. It is purely automated, using specific algorithms to determine the best options for investing your money. They were created to make your life as easy as possible—you don't need any prior investment experience to use them.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of using a roboadvisor is to avoid making bad investment decisions. Because the human factor is taken out, you don't have to worry about making emotional decisions during market highs and lows. Typically, it's those gut feelings that can get you in trouble. A roboadvisor does not make those kinds of mistakes.

iCharts

#3 Join your company's retirement plan

Another quick way to start investing is to join your company's retirement plan. If you don't have a flexible budget, this may seem out of reach, but don't be discouraged—even investing as little as 1 percent of your salary is good enough. That should be a small enough amount that you won't even notice it. The tax deduction will end up being smaller, too. After committing to a 1 percent contribution, you can then increase that every year, which would then coincide with your annual pay raise.

Piston Clasico

#4 Low-initial-investment mutual funds

If you're a new investor, you should consider putting your money into a mutual fund, which allows you to invest your money in a portfolio of stocks and bonds with a single transaction. The one catch is that most mutual funds require a minimum investment between $500 and $5,000; however, some may waive those minimums if you opt for automatic monthly investments of around $50 or $100.

The automatic arrangement is perfect for those on the payroll since you could just set up the direct deposits. Over time, you'll get used to the direct deposits and won't even feel that money being taken out of your account. If this is something you're interested in, talk to your company's human resources department to get it all worked out.

Cursor

#5 Consider treasury securities

Treasury securities are saving bonds issued by the U.S. government. Through the Treasury Direct, you can buy fixed-income securities that have maturities between 30 days to 30 years, in denominations as low as $100. The nice thing about them is that they are viewed in the market as having virtually no credit risk, which means your interest and principal will very likely be paid fully and on time.

Most first-time investors don't choose this option, to begin with, but it's still an option nonetheless. While you may never get rich with these securities, it's a great place to start. Put your money behind them, earn some interest, and then eventually move your money to higher risk, higher return investments when you're ready.

AARP

Source