If I Started Investing In 2025, This Is What I Would Do

About this Video

• Video Title: If I Started Investing In 2025, This Is What I Would Do
• Channel: Steve | Call to Leap
• Speakers: Steve
• Duration: 00:16:35

Introduction

This video serves as a beginner's guide to investing, structured in five parts. It addresses why investing is preferable to simply saving, what to invest in (index funds), how much and when to invest, and offers a step-by-step guide to making a stock purchase and long-term investing strategies.

Key Takeaways

1. Investing vs. Saving: Investing allows your money to grow and combat inflation, unlike savings accounts which lose value over time due to inflation.
2. Index Funds: Investing in index funds (like ETFs tracking the S&P 500 or NASDAQ 100) diversifies your portfolio, reducing risk compared to individual stock picking. The speaker recommends ETFs with expense ratios below 0.5%.
3. When to Invest: Pay off high-interest debt (over 7-12%) before investing, and establish a 3-6 month emergency fund.
4. How Much to Invest: Invest only money you won't need for several years. Begin with even small amounts; larger investments yield proportionally larger returns.
5. Long-Term Investing: For beginners, a long-term (3-5 years or more) investment strategy is recommended, emphasizing patience over reacting to short-term market fluctuations ("panic selling"). Missing the best few days of market performance can significantly reduce overall returns.