11 pieces of investment advice from experts for beginners

Nowadays, it’s not just your get-rich-quick uncle sharing his investment insights. Even platforms such as tiktok have their own caliber of “gurus.” Investing is serious business, though, and should be treated with the respect it is due. While there might be some off-the-wall chance the tip Uncle Fastcash gave you pays off, you would be better off doing your research and getting expert investment advice.

And when I say investment advice, I mean any type of guidance or suggestions with the purpose of teaching you or leading you to specific investments or investment strategies.

This guide contains investment advice from experts and other resources to help you on your journey. But wait, there’s more! Not only did we ask these experts to provide their best advice but also the worst investment advice they have ever received. By showcasing both good and bad investment advice, this guide should help clarify what to practice and what to avoid.

5 pieces of good investment advice from experts

1. Start putting money towards a Roth IRA early
“By trying to maximize your Roth IRA every year, it can be a huge stepping stone in creating a financially stable future for yourself when you decide to retire. One of the worst pieces of investing advice that my friend told me was to follow the movement of people going to specific stocks. Personally, I believe FOMO (fear of missing out) can be a great danger when it comes to investing, and the stock market should not be treated like a casino. It’s wise to do your own due diligence and invest in companies that you see having a long-term stay within that industry.”

Jacob Dayan, CEO and Co-founder of Community Tax and Finance Pal

2. Be meticulous in your approach to investing
“Many beginner investors don’t realize it, but investing doesn’t just consist of betting where to put your money and waiting for it to sort itself out and hopefully make you rich. When done right, investing is a full-time job. Even (or, as some might say, especially) if you have a financial advisor, you shouldn’t grow idle. It requires meticulous homework, and nobody can make a better call than you – assuming you’re informed enough.”

Adam Garcia, Founder of The Stock Dork

3. Go slow and steady
“Responsible investing is a long-term, conservative game, relying on inevitable upward trends over time. Anything else is simply gambling. The very best market analysts have proven time and again that predicting market movement with significant precision is virtually impossible. Investors rarely win at it. Maintaining a proper asset allocation and sticking with it is almost always successful.”

Rob Drury, Executive Director, Association of Christian Financial Advisors

4. Invest early and invest often
“Have a long-term plan and then don’t deviate from that and don’t try to time the market. There are never going to be good times or bad times; there will just be different markets at different times.”

Kelan Kline, Co-Founder, The Savvy Couple

5. Take calculated risk
“If you really like a stock, allocate 10% or more of your portfolio to it. Make your suggestion count. Good investment ideas should not be diluted into oblivion by diversification. Diversification, or not putting all of your money in one place, is a universal idea that most new investors are aware of. Diversification is a good rule of thumb, but it can reduce your returns if one of your options performs well while others do not.

Making money in the stock market sometimes entails taking calculated risks based on a thorough study. Always have some cash on hand for those changes that require a little extra funding, and don’t be reluctant to act when your research points to a potential winner.”

Adam Wood, Co-Founder of RevenueGeeks

6 pieces of bad investment advice experts have heard

6. Invest once you’ve achieved a debt-free life
“Each dollar counts when placed in sound investments! When that dollar starts to count for you, enjoy the ride of compound interest.”

Angelica F Prescod, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones

7. Just follow the leader
“Investing, particularly at the early stages, often has waves of momentum. This momentum can lead to poor judgment or losing the discipline needed to succeed. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t follow trends or market leaders, it just means that you must have your own perspective on why their perspective could work and could not work and conceive your own thesis for success.”

Robert (Rob) Pahlavan, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrated Medication Management

8. Focus on income first and treat risk as collateral
“Doubling risk can lead to failure twice as fast. Risk control is the way to survive and to be able to capture opportunities tomorrow and the day after tomorrow; it’s not a simple parameter to tweak in order to boost performance.”

Andrea Unger, President of The Unger Academy

9. Only invest in options
“Options are a good part of any portfolio, but at the same time, it should not be the only thing you invest in. They can be much riskier than some traditional investments, so I wouldn’t recommend putting all your eggs in the options basket.”

Cliff Auerswald, President of All Reverse Mortgage, Inc.

10. You need a financial advisor
“Anyone can make money in stocks as long as they take the time to study. Of course, profits are never guaranteed, but one doesn’t have to be too smart to learn stocks. Although having a financial advisor would help, those who say things like “you won’t make any money in stocks unless you are smart enough or have a financial advisor to do it for you” might want to gain from rather than help their client.”

Paul Sundin, CPA and Tax Strategist, Estatecpa

11. Treat cryptocurrency like your retirement savings account
“Cryptocurrency is a volatile market with many novices and experienced traders. Investing in crypto is risky, so if you’re going to do it, then don’t treat it like your retirement savings account because it could all be gone in a snap. You need to adopt sensible financial practices such as limiting your exposure, diversifying holdings, and closely monitoring trades.”

Michael Knight, Growth Hacker/Founder, Incorporation Insight

Bad financial advice that is acted on will yield a financial loss. You should be vigilant and critical when consuming any type of investment advice and when choosing or keeping a financial advisor. Your pockets will definitely thank you.

A special thank you to all of the experts who shared their insights with us. Please look up their companies and Linkedin pages to learn more about them. Happy Investing!

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Written by

Allan Givens

Author

Allan Givens is a Search Engine Optimization Manager at L'Oréal and former PR Manager at Finder.com. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut where he majored in sociology and women studies. His previous experience in finance includes brokering loans for small business and optimizing finance content for top sites. Allan now focuses on researching financial trends occurring in the US to better disseminate more informed financial advice. See full bio