RISE & Shine!

It’s Another Great Day To Learn About Investing

Did you know that women are 80% more likely to be impoverished in retirement than men? Women's hesitancy to begin investing is certainly one contributor to this shocking disparity, and we want your help in breaking this statistic!

For anyone hesitant to begin their investing journey, starting with an option that is easily accessible and has a low financial entry point, like index funds, is a great first investment. It can help you gain the confidence to branch into more hands-on and risk-oriented investing opportunities down the road.

Last week, we looked at the different ways you can start investing in index funds, so now it's time to get started! Like any new investment strategy, the first steps involve research, education, and setting your personal goals. From there, you'll be able to make moves with your money and watch your net worth grow.

Only 29% of women identify themselves as investors.
Here at R.I.S.E., we are on a mission to grow this number!

6 Steps To Start Investing In Index Funds

Step 1: Educate Yourself

Before you start investing, educate yourself with resources like the RISE The Movement Masterclass and other reputable financial sources. Continue to expand your knowledge and connections through webinars, forums, and stay updated with financial news to make well-informed investment decisions.

Step 2: Discover Your ‘Why’

Ask yourself: “Why am I investing?" What are your passions? Do you want to support eco-friendly initiatives, your local community, or women's empowerment? Or is your goal solely to get a larger Return On Investment (ROI)? The great news is there are index funds that cater to all of these goals!

Step 3: Invest Beyond Your Returns

Picking an Index Fund requires more than just looking at numbers. Investigate how specific index funds resonate with your purpose. Platforms like Charles Schwab, Vanguard, and Fidelity provide a robust history and track record of each fund. This information can also be found with a quick Google search. Look for funds with low fees that also share your personal vision. Your money can work to drive change while growing!

Step 4: Open an Investment Account

After selecting a fund that suits you best, open an investment account with a reputable brokerage firm or financial institution. Look for online platforms that provide user-friendly interfaces, educational resources, and low-cost investment options tailored to individual investors. It's as simple as typing on the website and creating a new account!

Step 5: Start Investing

Transfer funds into your investment account and make your first investment! The costs to get started in these funds are low, so you can begin investing right away. Take note of any minimum investment requirements or transaction fees. You will have the option to set up automatic contributions to gradually grow your wealth.

Step 6: Monitor and Rebalance

In order to see the 1, 5, and 10 year returns on your Index Fund, do a quick Google search of the year, index fund name, and “Vanguard” or “Charles Schwab” so you can see the expected ROI of your money. Stay up to date on market trends and track your fund in the news to help you make the most informed investment decisions.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Empowering Women's Wealth:
Transforming Money Mindset And Granting Permission To Learn Investing

Join RISE The Movement with Audrey Faust, a Financial Coach & CFO in this webinar. Are you ready to take control of your financial destiny to make an impact? This groundbreaking webinar is designed exclusively for women who want to break free from financial limitations and embrace a prosperous future!

SUPERWOMAN SPOTLIGHT

In 2019, at only 25 years old, Tiffany James made an investment of $10,000 in Tesla, an investment that eventually grew to over $2 million.

She noticed her success was drawing more Black women into the investing conversation. This realization led Tiffany to establish the online community, Modern Blk Girl. This platform, boasting over 100,000 followers, aims to empower women of color to navigate the stock market successfully.

By last year, her company had garnered over $3.5 million in revenue. Now, Tiffany is exploring expanding her investments into new business endeavors, including a full-scale AI-operated restaurant in Los Angeles!

FINANCE IN THE NEWS

Cheapest & Most Expensive Places To Live In America

As the current cost of living continues to rise due to inflation, rising interest rates, and a looming recession, many individuals living in expensive cities or states are opting to move elsewhere. This is not an unreasonable decision, considering that in some places, renting may be more financially sound than owning property in today's market.

If you reside in one of America's 10 most expensive states, here's a side-by-side comparison of what your average monthly expenses might look like in comparison to those in the 10 least expensive states. These figures are valuable to consider when deciding how, and where, you want to invest your money.

The Cost of Consumer Debt

New data from Bankrate reveals that the average credit card rate for Americans remains at an all-time high, with 47% of borrowers carrying over a credit card balance. Of those who continue to carry over a balance, i.e., 54 million people, many have been in credit card debt for at least a year!

Your journey as a smart investor begins with cutting consumer debt and making your money work for you, not hold you back. Two options for tackling high-interest credit card debt include taking advantage of 0% balance transfer credit cards, and choosing a repayment strategy that works for you and sticking with it!

Next Week’s Sneak Peek:

Next week, we will introduce you to the concept of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs. Highlighting our recent event with Denise Piazza from One Street Capital, we will summarize the key lessons on how to grow tax-free wealth through passive investment in real estate.

Glossary:

Active management: Active management refers to a strategy used by investment professionals who actively buy and sell securities in an attempt to outperform the overall market and achieve higher returns.

Mutual fund: A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that pools money from multiple investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other securities. It is managed by professional fund managers who make investment decisions on behalf of the investors.

Exchange-traded fund (ETF): An exchange-traded fund is a type of investment fund that is traded on stock exchanges, similar to individual stocks. ETFs typically aim to track the performance of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500, and provide investors with easy access to a diversified portfolio of assets.

Index Fund: An index fund is a type of mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that aims to replicate the performance of a specific market index. Instead of actively choosing and managing individual investments, an index fund invests in all (or a representative sample) of the securities in a particular index, such as the S&P 500.

Market index: A market index is a measure of the performance of a specific group of stocks or securities that represents a particular market or sector. Examples include the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) or the Nasdaq Composite Index.

Market fluctuations: Market fluctuations refer to the ups and downs in the prices of stocks, bonds, commodities, or other financial instruments in response to various factors such as economic conditions, investor sentiment, and market events.

Risk profile: A risk profile is an evaluation of an individual's or an investment's tolerance for and exposure to risk.

Rebalancing: Rebalancing is the process of adjusting the allocation of assets in an investment portfolio to maintain the desired risk and return characteristics.

ROI: ROI, or Return on Investment, is a financial metric that is widely used to measure the probability of gaining a return from an investment. It is a ratio that compares the gain or loss from an investment relative to its cost. ROI = (Current Value of Investment - Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment x 100%

@risethemovement

www.risethemovement.com

Regardless of whether you are scared to take the first step or you are ready to dive right in, there's an Investment strategy perfectly suited for you.

At R.I.S.E we are committed to guiding and supporting women investors at every stage of their investment journey because we believe the key to success lies in education and informed decision-making

^{_{R.I.S.E. the Movement is an educational platform designed to provide informative resources and foster discussions related to personal finance and investing. We are not registered financial advisors, and the content presented on our platform should not be construed as investment advice. Any information shared or discussed on this platform is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for professional financial advice. It is important to conduct thorough research and consult with a qualified financial advisor or professional before making any investment decisions. R.I.S.E. the Movement does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided, and shall not be held responsible for any actions taken based on the content presented. By engaging with R.I.S.E. the Movement, you acknowledge and agree to release the platform, its creators, and contributors from any liability arising from your use of the information provided.}}