Imagine you're a 55-year-old single woman with grown kids and young grandkids. You're trying to plan for your future, but you don't have any savings or retirement plan. You're thinking "I'm too old to start investing now, and the stock market is too risky." But the truth is, it's never too late to start planning for your future and investing in the stock market can be a great way to do it.
This is really more of a "don't let this happen to you" post.
I recently had a mild panic attack when I realized - I have been so focused on growing my businesses that I haven't given much thought to planning for my future. As a result, I had seriously neglected setting up, let alone GROWING, any kind of savings or retirement plan. Now, in my perfect world I will never "retire". I love what I do and can't imagine a world in which I am not doing it. However, the reality is that I have macular degeneration, arthritis, and stenosis in my neck. The idea that I will still be sitting here "doing my thing" 20 years from now the way I am today may be a tad... ambitious.
The pandemic forced many things for many of us. For me, it was an opportunity to slow down and assess my current status, and my future, provided I was able to outrun and/or survive Covid-19 should it catch me (it did eventually, and I'm still here! That's fodder for another post). It was during this time that I discovered that my "work ethic" was actually a manifestation of neurodivergence called "hyperfixation". The very thing that gave me my superpowers to zero in on and master certain interests quickly and thoroughly was actually a combination of ADHD (I was diagnosed at age 5) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (which I learned in 2020 at age 53. ALAS, I digress. That's a whole 'nother conversation).
The unfortunate side effect of my particular brand of "power-ups" as I've elected to call them was that retirement planning was honestly just too BORING for my brain to entertain, so I just didn't. Certainly I was going to get to it... eventually... after all I lost everything in my divorce, and knew I needed to fend for myself, of course. But there would be plenty of time to address that "in the future". I was still young, healthy, and raising my kiddos, so "retirement" was a looooooooooong way away, right?
Enter "the plague". You can almost hear the universe cackling as it skitters off, taking with it any heightened expectations you may have had about the amount of time you had left on this planet.
So, with active lock-downs engaged all over the planet and everything essentially skidding to a halt, I suddenly had a moment to come up from the internet and ponder my future. And let me tell you, friend... it was bleak. I had been so dedicated to reinvesting in training, tools, and mentoring to build my skills, learn ever-adapting programs and platforms, and help other people achieve their goals and live their dreams that I didn't even notice that the last fifteen years had danced right by and all I had invested in my "retirement" fund wouldn't even pay a full month of rent if necessary. Talk about a wake-up call for a woman in her 50's during a global crisis with no apparent end in sight! I had to DO something, and I had to do it NOW!
Don't panic, help is on the way! Or is it?
I decided to reach out to some of my friends in the financial services industry for help. Imagine having a personalized investment strategy that aligns with your goals and risk tolerance, tailored to your specific needs and situation. I certainly was now. Sounds all fancy and grown-up, right? Well, this is exactly what a financial advisor or professional can help you achieve. They can guide you through the potential risks and benefits of investing in the stock market, and help you create a plan that will secure your financial future for you and your loved ones. There's a caveat though. You have to have somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 available to invest before they can even help you. I didn't.
Now what? How was I going to pull this off if I couldn't even get started? At this point, I did what any self-respecting neuro-divergent entrepreneur with hyper focus tendencies would do... I RESEARCHED, learned, and studied. I refocused my business, listened to people who were smarter than me about this stuff, and took action. Not "massive" action, as I only had $20 to start with, and none of my financial adviser friends would, or could, work with me at that level. I had to figure out how to turn nothing into something on my own, until I could build up enough that a professional would be able to help, and that's when I learned about Sofi.
So, what IS "Sofi", you ask? Sofi is a financial technology platform that makes it easy for anyone to start investing, with as little as $1. Even if (like me) you've never invested a dime before, and don't have a clue where to start, Sofi gives you a way to choose and manage your own investments as you see fit. And, thanks to their user-friendly system, tutorials, and educational resources, you can get all the help you need to understand the basics of investing. And that's exactly what I've been doing for the past two-plus years.
If, like me, you've found yourself lacking a bit in "future-funding", a tool like Sofi and guidance from some trusted authorities can help get your financial poop in a group and well on your way to building wealth. Obviously, unless you are very aggressive and have tons of funds to work with, it won't look like it would have if you had started in your twenties. But that doesn't mean you can't make it count!
Think about it, even in your fifties time is still on your side. You probably have several more years until retirement, and if you start investing now, your money will have time to grow and compound, giving you a better chance to reach your financial goals. And the best part is, the stock market has historically provided higher returns than other types of investments like bonds and savings accounts, which means you have the potential to earn more money for your retirement.
I mean, picture yourself in your golden years, with the financial security and peace of mind that comes with a well-diversified portfolio and savings that have grown to keep pace with inflation. Actually ENJOYING the more relaxed lifestyle that comes with "less work, more play". Investing in the stock market can help make that a reality for you and your loved ones at any age. By taking control of your financial future today, even if you're an (almost) "empty nester" like me and only have a few bucks to start with, you can begin creating your own security. Don't let fear, or uncertainty, or AGE hold you back, it's time to take action!
Want to start investing but don't know where to begin? Sofi has got you covered. They are a financial technology company that makes it easy for anyone to invest, even with as little as $1. With Sofi, you'll be able to invest in a diversified portfolio of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and manage your own investments, thanks to their user-friendly platform and educational resources that help you understand the basics of investing. Don't let a lack of savings or knowledge hold you back, it's time to take control of your financial future and start investing today with Sofi.
*The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. Any investment decisions you make should be based on your own research and consultation with a financial advisor. I am not a financial advisor and the information provided should not be relied upon as such. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investing in the stock market carries risk and investors may lose money.