How to Invest
Now that you're ready to move from saving to investing, Schwab can help you learn how to invest money, stay on track—and reach your long-term goals.
Investing Basics
Learn how to invest money to fit your investing time frame and comfort level.
Types of Investments
See how investment types differ and decide which might work for you.
Find an Account That Fits
Compare accounts and find the one that matches your goals.
Help Finding Investments
Learn about the investment options available to meet your needs and goals.
Why Waiting Can Be Costly
When you're investing for the long term, see why it's better to have time on your side.
Top Questions on How to Invest Money
To get started, let your goals be your guide. First you must ask yourself key questions: What is my purpose for investing? What do I plan to do with the money I earn? When will I need it? Get help setting your goals now.
Generally, sooner is better. History has shown that the longer you've been invested, the less impact short-term ups and downs of the market will have had on your overall return. So the earlier you invest, the longer your money has time to gain from market upturns, recover from downturns—and build on market returns through compounding.
Savings accounts are often seen as the ultimate "safe" place to put your money. But keep in mind that they can be affected by economic and market forces. When interest rates go down, your rate of savings generally does too. In fact, these days some savings rates haven't even kept up with the rate of inflation, which means that if you put all your cash in savings alone, you could end up losing purchasing power over time.
To manage investment risk, we recommend including a mix of different types of investments, spreading your money across various investments helps balance your exposure to risk for the long term. Learn about planning your mix.
To manage investment risk, we recommend including a mix of different types of investments, spreading your money across various investments helps balance your exposure to risk for the long term. Learn about planning your mix.
We believe that asset allocation is the key to a long-term investment strategy. Over time, the markets will go up and down, and different investments may react differently. So it's important that you spread your money (and risk) across different types of investments, such as stocks, bonds, and cash. By including a mix of investments from across asset classes, market segments, and industries, you can potentially gain greater opportunities with less downside risk.