You have a crisp, new one-hundred-dollar bill in your wallet.
While it’s not $1,000,000, $100,000 or $10,000, hey, at least it’s something!
Listen up. Just because you don’t have much money to invest doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest it.
Want to know the most difficult part of investing? Starting.
You read that right!
Just starting is rather difficult, and once you accomplish that challenge, investing going forward is pretty easy.
For those of you who are discouraged because you only have a little bit of money to invest – don’t fret!
One hundred dollars is a great way to get your foot in the door and start a habit of investing that could very well lead to a bountiful harvest down the road.
It’s Not About How Much You Invest, It’s About Actually Getting Started.
I’ll tell you from the start that it isn’t easy to find ways to invest just $100 or even how to invest $1,000 dollars. Many brokers have account minimums.
Additionally, sometimes you might find yourself being charged, for example, a $50 annual fee which can cut your account in half. That makes no sense.
However, there are a few ways you can invest $100 dollars and have it be worth your time and effort. I’ll show you how.
How to invest 100 dollars like a financial expert:
I also invited a plethora of other financial experts to lend their advice for this article. You’ll get a big helping of financial advice along with some unique ideas I didn’t even have in mind.
Really, these guys are smart and creative – pay attention to what they have to say! If you are feeling a bit more ambitious, check out a great read on the best way to invest $20,000 dollars. 🙂 One step at a time!
Investments Worthy of Your One Hundred Bucks
1. Open a Savings Account
Savings accounts are one of the most boring investments around, but they are SUPER safe. The idea isn’t to leave your money here for very long, but to build up your savings until you can get into some higher yielding investments.
While high-interest online savings accounts, like CIT Bank, don’t feel “high-interest” when you compare them to other investments, they do get much better interest than the bricks and mortar bank accounts that you find in your local community.
If you don’t have at least eight months of emergency savings, it’s probably best to start by investing your $100 into a high-yield savings account.
You’re going to want liquidity if an emergency arises and, while many of the other types of ways to invest $100 might allow you to pull out your money quickly, there may be some drawbacks like pulling out of the market too early or needing money in the middle of a loan term. A money market account can even come with limited check writing capabilities to make your money accessible at any time.
Don’t invest it. Period. Keep it in $20 bills in your wallet and have it in reserve in case of emergency or opportunity.
Once you have a fully-funded emergency fund, it’s a better time to do some riskier investing.
If I were starting out right now with just $100 to invest, I would put it in my savings account and build that up about ten times. Once you are able to start with a $1000 investment, a ton of great options will open up to you.
2. Betterment
Betterment, is part of a class of investment adviser that provides portfolio management online without the need for much human interaction, called “robo-advisors”.
Instead of having to sit down with a financial advisor and pay them for their time, or pay them by having fees on your investments, robo-advisors ask you a series of questions and then invest your money automatically, based on your tolerance for risk.
There was a time when you would have to invest $100 per month to start a Betterment account, but they have changed that requirement and you can get started with just your $100 investment.
This opens up diversified investing with a personalized touch to just about anyone. You can learn more about them by looking over this great review of how to use Betterment.
Another company in this category is Acorns, which specializes in micro-investing by rounding up the change on your purchases.
I put my first $100 investment into an Acorns account.
3.Ally Invest
Ally Invest (formerly TradeKing) is an online broker that allows you to trade for only $4.95 a pop. That’s not a lot, folks. E*Trade, TD Ameritrade, Scottrade, Charles Schwab, and Fidelity all have higher trading fees.
And here’s the deal: you can fund an IRA or Roth IRA with as little as $100. That’s right, there’s no minimum at Ally Invest, so you have no excuse not to get started investing.
Another great thing about Scottrade is that there are no monthly or yearly maintenance fees – and no inactivity fees! That means if you decide you want to invest 100 bucks and aren’t sure when you can invest again, you won’t pay any penalties for waiting.
You should keep in mind, however, that certain other types of mutual funds do have a minimum: $2,500. So if you’re looking to invest in mutual funds, this could pose a problem. But hey, there are a lot of other options like ETFs and single stocks that you can invest in without the minimum balance.
The bummer about Ally Invest, like many other discount online brokers, is that they don’t provide investment advice for most accounts. However, they do offer a portfolio manager that will help you find new investments based on your risk tolerance.
4. Lending Club
Lending Club is a peer-to-peer lending service. Peer-to-peer lending is just what it sounds like: it’s lending to someone else. Ordinary folks lend and borrow from each other to make a profit. Lending Club is actually the world’s largest online marketplace for connecting borrowers and investors.
I’d take the $100 and split it in four investment sources on Lending Club and then reinvest the profits. Simple, boring and so not rock star.
You can actually make some pretty sweet returns at Lending Club and the good news is you can invest with as little as $25. Check out our review for more information on how this works.
I wouldn’t recommend that you invest all of your dough at Lending Club going forward, but it’s a great way to start investing and you’ll learn the ropes of peer-to-peer lending.
5. Your 401(k)
This is the easiest way to invest your money. You can have money taken directly out of your paycheck and deposited into your 401(k), starting with your first $100. This is so simple to do, yet so many people don’t. And hey, if you have a 401(k) match, why not take advantage of it?
If this were my first $100 ever, earmarked for investing, I’d increase my 401(k) contribution to $100, where it would get matched dollar-for-dollar by my employer. Pretty tough to beat an instantaneous 100% gain. 🙂
Keep in mind, however, that you better know what you’re investing into within the 401(k) – don’t you even think about target date mutual funds!
6. Yourself
Yes, investing in yourself is one of the best ways to enrich your life – financially and otherwise.
Invest in yourself. The ROI on investing in your own earnings potential is radically higher than “just” buy stocks-for-the-long-run in a Roth IRA. It’s not even close! For young people, investing into human capital crushes the return potential for investing into financial capital.
Sophisticated Spender would use that money to take her mentor out to lunch and pick said mentor’s brain on how they invest – and turn that into a brainstorming session!
I absolutely love the idea to pick a mentor’s brain. Sometimes, just talking with like-minded individuals can really help too.
In fact, I happily pay $7,900 a year for Strategic Coach, but believe me, I was once skeptical that going through a coaching program would actually produce results.
When I finally realized that something was missing from my business and life, I talked it over with my wife. She thought I was already pretty motivated in my business and life and didn’t really see a point in coaching so I could become even more motivated. She had a good point.
But amazingly, after a lot of discussion, she gave me her blessing to move forward and be mentored in the coaching program, and I’ve found it to be hugely beneficial.
The bottom line is that you shouldn’t overlook investing in yourself. And if you don’t believe me, just continue reading all the advice below from these financial experts…
I would use the money to learn a new skill. Sites like Lynda or Creative Live can offer you a good return on your investment.
While investing in a Roth IRA is good, it’s only worth it if you keep investing. Instead, I’d rather take $20 and invest in a knowledge course on Udemy. I’d sharpen my skills in a specific area, then take the rest of the money and advertise my new service to my customers and new customers. If all goes well, that $100 could end up earning me $1,000 in a month or more. That new skill could keep me earning more month after month, which is an excellent way to spend $100. Don’t try to learn something from scratch, just sharpen a skill to make you marketable.
The best investment you can do with only $100 is to invest in yourself through some online courses, like Udemy, that will build skills that will take you further in your current job, prepare you for the next job, or help you to start a side hustle. Building these skills will make you more valuable, thus increase your earning capacity, which will result in more money to invest on a regular basis.
I believe that not everyone is in the position to earn a high income consistently over a lifetime but they can find opportunities for stock-market investing, generate unearned income, and build wealth over time. Plus, the earlier you invest, the earlier you’ll learn about investing and develop your own style, whether active or passive.
Notice that by jumping in and doing a little investing, you can learn about investing and “develop your own style.” Very true. Sometimes, we just need to start small. Great idea, Julie!
Buy a book, a bottle of vodka, and take a buddy out for lunch. The book should be a biography so that you study someone who has done what you want to do. Vodka should be a for wild night out on the town. Take a successful friend out for lunch and pick their brain.
Martin, this is a great idea. I mean the taking a successful friend out to lunch, part. 😉
Speaking of buying books, that’s my next tip…
7. Books
Books can change lives – why not invest in them?
Want two on my reading list? The Art of Work by Jeff Goins and People Over Profit by Dale Partridge.
Want a few classics that will improve your finances? Here are my picks:
- The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
- The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
- I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
Another expert recommendation came from Alan Steinborn:
I’d take $10 and buy the book Your Money or Your Life. Then I would take $90 and invest in a fund like Betterment or Acorns.
And if you’re looking for bonus points, check out Soldier of Finance by yours truly, Jeff Rose.
To increase my chances of actually being mentioned in the post, I’d have to say go out and buy Soldier of Finance.
Boom. You made the article Steve. 😉
Steve isn’t alone about my smarts:
@jjeffrose taking smart people out for coffee and ask them questions. 🙂
I’m flattered guys, really.
Okay, Steve Chou’s first recommendation was as follows:
I’d buy a year’s worth of Bluehost and start a website.
But, I’m sure he actually likes my book, too. 😉
Speaking of starting your own business though…
8. Your Own Business
Starting your own business can be one of the best things you ever do. The higher up the ladder you are, the more you get paid, and the more control you have. And you can’t go any higher than owning your own business.
I’m gonna take that $100, invest it in a leaf blower and a rake, and start a side business that will make me beaucoup bucks!
True, you can build a business from scratch! Looks like Greg isn’t afraid of hard work!
I would spend it on something that I could sell for more, then continue the process. For instance, buying something at an estate sale that you can turn and flip on eBay or Craigslist.
I can’t tell you how many things I’ve purchased at garage sales for $10 and turned a $100 profit. I ended up buying a piece of property for $8k with all my profits by the end of the year.
I’d totally invest in entrepreneurship. Lawn mower –> five neighbors as customers –> at $5 / month each –> $300 for 1st year. 300% return on first year.
The entrepreneurially-minded have much greater chances of financial success. Even if you think you’re not the entrepreneurial type, give it a shot. You don’t know how you’ll do until you try. You could even try with something as easy as to become and Uber driver. Pick up that side hustle and make extra cash in your free time to put towards your new business!
9. Prosper
Prosper is another peer-to-peer lending service worth checking out. Like Lending Club, you can make some pretty nice returns.
In fact, a couple years ago I put Lending Club and Prosper head-to-head in an experiment. Take a look at this article to see the results: The Prosper Vs. Lending Club Experiment.
Again, like Lending Club, you can invest as little as $25 and there’s no account minimum.
10. Stash
Stash is an investing platform that makes it easy to start with as little as $5. You’ll learn the basics so you can do it yourself.
“Whoa, $5?”
Yes, only $5!
And here’s the best part: If you sign up for their free appthey’ll give you $5 to sign up!
However, they do charge you $1 per month maintenance fee and 0.25% fee for accounts less than $5,000. Either way, that’s super cheap for allowing you to get started for as little as $5.
So, if you are in love with a particular company and you’d like to place your bets on them, Stash just might be the ticket.
11. Travel
If you travel a lot, spending your Benjamin on making your trips more efficient can help you save a bundle of money and time.
Buy something today that will save you money or time over the long run. If you fly a lot, maybe it’s the Recheck program ($85) so you can breeze through airport security much faster, which will save you time and money (and stress).
That’s a good tip, but make sure your airlines will honor that if you’re flying internationally – we had to learn that the hard way on a recent trip.
I would show my kids that I was investing that money for a family chosen purpose. They will keep you accountable and depositing into that account, especially if it is for something like a vacation.
One last tip on traveling by air: invest in some blankets. Coming home from a trip we had to sleep on nasty airport carpet because our flight was canceled. Maybe invest in some small pillows too.
12. Index Funds, Baby!
Index funds are a pretty popular choice for investment managers, and for good reason. Hey, even Warren Buffett chimed in on the glories of index funds in one of his recent letters:
My advice to the trustee could not be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund (I suggest Vanguard’s). I believe the trust’s long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors – whether pension funds, institutions or individuals – who employ high-fee managers.
Many of the financial experts I found had the same advice…
Open a Roth IRA and invest in a low fee S&P 500 index fund. Watch it grow.
Index fund FTW.
Invest the money only in what you understand. Take the time to understand the different account types and different investment options. For a beginner, index funds are a great way to go because they offer built-in diversification since you are buying into hundreds if not thousands of companies.
There’s a life cycle to building wealth, and having just $100 to invest says you’re right at the beginning. That means the most important thing is to figure out how to increase your savings rate because your savings rate as a percent of the amount you spend will determine how long it takes to achieve financial security. It is only late in that cycle once your savings are firmly established that investment return becomes important. For that reason, simply invest it in cash or low cost, passive index asset allocation approaches (many already mentioned here) so you don’t waste critical time focusing on unessential issues. Also, place it in an IRA or other tax-deferred legal legal structure so that you put a fence around it so that you face a penalty if you feel tempted to spend it. The 80/20 rule says focus on saving in the early stage of your wealth curve, and focus on return on investment in the latter stages once savings and essential personal finance habits (like saving) are firmly established.
Speaking of saving…
13. Your Debt
Having debt is like having an investment that goes poorly every moment you hold onto it. If you want a guaranteed return on investment, paying off your debt is a great idea.
Put it on the highest interest rate debt you owe.
14. Charity
Why not invest in others and what it does in their lives? I’d argue there’s nothing quite as rewarding as investing in people.
$100 isn’t going to be effective at all unless you plan on following up with additional investments. I think that money would be better spent while mentoring a child or teenager who needs a good role model.
Long Pham also knows me all too well and also suggested investing in something I love:
In-N-Out gift card? : )
You could always send me some of those gift cards – I’d say that’s pretty charitable. 😉
15. Your Thrift Savings Plan
Military version: contribute your $100 windfall to the military’s Thrift Savings Plan, and try to save even more there!
Doug has a great idea here, but it’s also important to make sure the Thrift Savings Plan is the right choice for you.
16. Roth IRA
There’s only one thing better than free money: tax-free money!
And that’s why opening a Roth IRA should be a priority.
Given that a beginner likely has a 401(k) already set up and going, I would recommend the newbie investor use it to start a Roth IRA with either Vanguard or Betterment. For Vanguard, just go into a cash fund until you reach the minimum required to get into their index funds. Take the extra time you would use looking for a good stock and use it to learn about diversification and asset allocation. Good luck!
With $100 you can open an online investing account and watch that money grow and then take it out tax-free at retirment.
The most you can contribute is $5,000, so that’s a bummer when you’re really rolling in the dough. But for now it’s a great place to get started!
17. Start a Blog
If there’s one thing in my life that would be considered “The Game Changer” it would be starting this blog. Not only have I impacted millions of lives with the content I’ve published, but I’ve also made some serious extra money.
The one thing I love about starting a blog is that it doesn’t take a lot of money to get started. In fact, for less than $100 you can have your blog live in less than 20 minutes. Now that’s efficient!
This action guide will show you the steps you need to get your blog started and make your first $1,000. Interested in getting a 10x return on your money? 🙂
18. Online Courses
We’ve already discussed why reading books is huge investment in your future. Another way that is much more convenient (and cheaper) than getting your master’s degree are online courses.
There are thousands of different online courses you can take for less than $100 that will expand your knowledge in any area you want. Maybe you want to learn how to be a better writer. Or how to get paid to be a speaker. Maybe you just want to learn how to use Photoshop or a DSLR camera. The options are endless!
I’d invest $100 in improving my skills through online courses on sites like Coursera, Udemy, Lynda, or Code Academy. A more diverse skill set will offer returns for life.
Sites like Udemy.com and Lynda.com host a variety of different courses you can literally start today. If you’ve been procrastinating on learning a new skill, you don’t have any more excuses.
19. Your Marriage
Okay, if you’re not worried or engaged, you can disregard this one. If you are, however, you better listen up! $100 can go a long way to lifting your marriage up.
Before you spend $100 one way to make your marriage more is to check out our Marriage More podcast. My wife and I share our real life successes and struggles attempting to encourage couples to stay committed to their spouse. You can either go for a long walk or hop in the car and turn on the podcast for some quality time together.
For $100 you can buy a nice flower arrangement, go on a hot date, treat each other to massages. It doesn’t really matter what it is so as long as you are intentional about doing it together.
Investments You Should Avoid
Now, here are a few investments you shouldn’t put your money into – they’re sneaky and dangerous! Once you are ready to move forward with more investing, check out some of our great reviews such as our Lending Club Review to help you know what will work best for you.
Cement these bad investments in your mind now. Seriously.
These investments either have a high probability of you losing your money or probably won’t yield much of a return.
1. Penny Stocks
Penny stocks – also known as over-the-counter stocks – are dangerous. In other words, you can lose your money in a hurry – and that’s what I did.
Yep, your very own Jeff Rose made a mistake by getting caught up in penny stocks.
Think of penny stocks as the “wild, wild west” of trading. Just because the stock trading is at $0.80 doesn’t mean you can buy at $0.80. When you put in your order to buy at market, the price can jump up much higher before the order takes place. That’s a problem.
2. Get-Rich-Quick Schemes
If it sounds too good to be true . . . .
You know it usually is!
Be careful anytime anyone says there’s a “secret” way to get rich that hardly anyone knows about. Be careful when the sales pitch offers returns that are astronomically high. Be careful when everyone around you is saying it’s a get-rich-quick scheme!
Follow that advice, and you should be okay.
3. Anything from a Late-Night Infomercial
“Buy now, and you’ll get our investor’s guide worth $1,000,000!”
Yeah, right.
Infomercials are super long commercials that claim to give you valuable information. Many times, these infomercials are pretty cheesy and so are the products. What they are great at is sucking you in. The people who pitch infomercials are trained and experienced at putting something in front of you that you would never pick up off the shelf in a super store and then convincing you that you cannot live without that product. They are the modern day equivalent of the pet rock sales man. Beware.
4. Gambling
Gambling is the ugly sister of investing. Don’t do it people!
But if you’re going to do it, you might as well have some fun…
If you only have $100, put it on red in Vegas. If you’re right, you’ll double your money. If you’re wrong, you’re only out 100 bucks.
Risky? Yeah. Fun? Could be. 😉
5. Investments You Don’t Understand
Only invest in something you know. Don’t throw money at something that you don’t understand or haven’t done before. Most of the time it’ll be throwing it into the garbage.
He could say that again. Have you read how one woman paid over $3,500 in variable annuity fees and didn’t even know it? It’s pretty amazing how much you can pay in fees without even knowing it.
Your first $100 should be invested in something you know and like. If you like sports you could invest in Nike, favorite lunch spot is Chipotle then make that your investment, love social media then maybe Facebook or Twitter are for you. I think it’s more about learning and having an interest in your investment.
If you’re going to use this approach, make sure that you own enough companies (domestic and international) to diversify your portfolio. The last thing you want is to own just a few companies and see your investments crash. I think Even Steven would agree that it’s best to own a lot of companies you love.
6. Keepsake “Investments”
I remember when I was a little kid I invested way too much into baseball cards. Their worth today? Not much to speak of.
Whatever you do, don’t buy your favorite player’s rookie card and store it in a safe deposit box to protect your “investment.”
Oops. Well, I was a kid, so who could blame me?
Want to Invest More?
If you have a little more money to invest – about $250 – then you can start investing with Motif, learn more about them by looking over this great Motif review.
I had a chance to meet Nick and Saquib who work at Motif and they expressed interest in doing another throwdown. I was interested, but as soon as they told me they could get together a whole bunch of financial bloggers on a leaderboard, I was sold.
In fact, you can even buy my very own Motif! Fun stuff, eh?
Keep on Investing!
Listen up people. Investing $100 (or even $250) isn’t enough investing to build a nice nest egg. You’re going to have to continue investing. Duh, right?
The best way to invest $100? Repeatedly.
Yep, I agree.
But hey, you have to start somewhere. Start at $100 and one day you will see yourself investing $500,000! Keep big goals in mind!
If you have more than $100 to invest, you can check out this video where I cover 5 ways to invest $500:
You might be wondering how much money you’ll need to have to retire. Well, I recently put up an article on Forbes that seeks to answer the question if $2 million was enough for a couple to retire. The truth is that you’ll need to run specific numbers for your situation in order to answer this question for yourself.
Or, I could help you.
Either way, here’s my final advice:
- Start investing as soon as possible
- Start investing even if you don’t have much
- Keep on investing
Invest, have fun, and let me know how it goes!
Grateful Mom in St. Pete FL says
Thank you for giving me ideas as well as some encouragement! I’m going to a fantastic bookstore this weekend (Haslam’s Bookstore in, St Pete FL), and I’ll look for the books you’ve mentioned.
I typically never leave comments on pages like this one. I read them, take a few notes or maybe a screenshot, and continue on my merry way.
Not anymore! I’m investing in myself, right now, by starting this new positive habit. I want to let people know that I appreciate their blog post and do everything in my power to keep positivity flowing.
Thank you so much! Hopefully I can plant my $100 to begin with and watch it grow.
Michael says
I’ve been thinking about how to go about my unemployment issue for a week to long now, Jeff.
Mom gave out her final $30 to help me out,so half into gas tank and the other half to the babysitter.went out looking for work and the hole time I just thought about “get rich quick” crap only to let myself get frustrated.
On my way to get my son a light turned on for me.i had a old bike I stord for to long and will never do anything with it so I went and grab it traded it at the pawn shop but the 8 bucks I got was obviously not the light the gentleman I met at the shops parking lot was he hired me to help him on his farm told me like 70 maybe 80 hours of work 18 an hour I was super grateful for all he did for me though our two and half weeks together. time to pay me gives me a check handwritten, some Navy bank ,therd party, it’s not his name on it and I don’t know how to get it cashed haven’t had a bank account in 20 years.but my gratitude for him made me just shake his hand and say or good buys an entire day, 240 miles,crying baby and a check that has rent,gas and FOOD in it sitting on my dash.no ware would cash it ….. 11/2 hours away from my bed, traffic at fast 35 MPH and on empty I yelled “Fπ÷k okay I get it .” My town has one traffic light , supermarket,gas station and one bank.
Only thing is,is I went two decades .but all I want,is to work on making my savings account bigger I have three hundred in there and a guy named Jeff that made me feel like I can do this.
Please send some positive feedback and encouragement.thanks, Michael
Jason F. says
This article has been very helpful in teaching me 20 different ways to invest $100.
money plant research says
I guess investment chocies really depend on risk appetite. Very nice article. I am mostly invested into share market. Safe(relatively) and simple.
Dividend Driven says
Thanks for this list. It’s easy to forget how many options there are to invest and save for ones future. I always say coming up with investment ideas is not the hard part. The hard part is coming up with the funds to decide where to invest them. 🙂
Sean @ Frugal Money Man says
Thanks for sharing this list!
The first thing my fiancée and I did when we became debt free and our paychecks began to open up more, we began to throw all the extra money into my 401k. Well 1 year later we now max out my Roth 401k and it has definitely paid off!
Great post!
Jeff Rose says
An excellent example (and incentive) of what can be done when you become debt free Sean. Thanks for sharing!
Leslie U. says
Hi Jeff,
Your article was truly the Best “attention getter” ever. I have googled so many quick rich schemes and for me, being a newby, You really grabbed my attention. But for being a newby, I’m not familiar with financial terms, lingo, nor do I understand exactly how certain things work.
Is there a Simplified Book or Website that explains exactly how Vanguard, Betterment or Lending Club for example works and what that would mean for me?
Sorry folks….I know absolutely nothing about investing except for my bank account that is always a zero 0 balance after every 2 weeks.
Jeff Rose says
Hi Leslie – Take a look at my reviews on this site of both Betterment and Lending Club. I’ve given detailed accounts of how they work. For Vanguard, Google “Vanguard reviews” and read a couple of those. Thanks for checking in!
dividendgeek says
I guess investment chocies really depend on risk appetite. Very nice article. I am mostly invested into mutual funds. Safe(relatively) and simple.
Mitch says
So I’m 42, been disabled for 10 years , half my SSD goes to my rent alone , add gas and electric , and 20% of every surgery , Dr visit and MRI , i can’t afford to eat . I have a little money to hopefully by a decent car but also have medical bills piled up and will just get deeper with those and will never not have them even if i pay them off (conclusion, waste of money) Therefore , Before I buy a decent car (at $2000) I know , not so decent actually….I had a bright idea of trying to put a little into something that can maybe help me down the road . I’m single and always have been so can’t see that changing as I’m getting older and older and falling apart at a rapid pace…
Please guide me to something I can invest …..
Thanks so much
Jeff Rose says
Hi Mitch – In your situation I don’t know if it’s advisable to invest. You need all of your money for bills. You’re in a tough spot, which you don’t need me to tell you, but I would recommend that you speak with a financial person who knows you well and who you trust before doing anything with your money. Most investing involves some level of risk, which means you should only invest with money you CAN afford to lose. It would be sad if you lost money on an investment and then couldn’t pay a medical bill or utility bill as a result.
Alyson says
The saddest part is that I’d wage a guess that 50% of our society (give or take a few) is in some way so compromised financially, such that the household can not afford to invest (in other words, has no income they can afford to do without – in a serious sense – not the no one likes to lose money sense, but the we won’t eat or take care of our health if we do this sense).
What sort of world will we live in when 50% of our population can’t afford to retire (no SS, no pensions)? A whole generation is come along facing that prospect. Scary.
Patricia k wilsdorf says
Will lending club pay out monthly?
Jeff Rose says
Hi Patricia – They do, but if you take full monthly payments, the account will be depleted in 3-5 years when the loans are fully paid off. For that reason, you really have to reinvest payments received on P2P platforms, rather than taking them as income.
PickALoan says
This is a great list! Lending Club is one of the more popular ones but putting your money in any savings account that gives you the highest return on investment would be just as wise and safer.
Hakeem R. Hunter says
This was a really good read. As someone just starting to really get into investing while also attempting to understand it I appreciate you sharing your knowledge on this platform.
Thank you for the insight Jeff Rose
Abhi Jr says
Thanks, Jeff Rose!
I Agreed, far too many overlook it in my opinion. I think so much of it comes down to thinking outside the box and looking for a way to grow yourself.
John says
you might find yourself being charged, for example, a $50 annual fee which can cut your account in half
John says
The time value of money describes the greater benefit of receiving money now rather than later. It is founded on time preference.
The principle of the time value of money explains why interest is paid or earned: Interest, whether it is a bank deposit or debt, compensates the depositor or lender for the time value of money.
Tim Kim @ Tub of Cash says
These are great options! I’d throw in my hat in the Index Funds bucket. Plain ol’ vanilla Vanguard index funds with low E/R’s have served my family very well.
asim mahesar says
that’s so great i liked so much thanks for share this keep growing thanks again for share .
Tye says
I really appreciate this article. I am on a quest for financial freedom and building a solid foundation for my son and I. Others get discouraged by the idea of investing, because the misconception is that you need a hefty dollar amount to get started. Me, I get scared of the jargon and numbers, which confuses me at times. However, I am big on doing my research, so I will look into these suggestions and get started on establishing my portfolio. Thanks again.
Dinna says
Loyal3 is closing shop. It was a great site. I almost doubled my initial investment $300 for AMC when it had its IPO. They’re moving current users to FolioFirst. Not sure what to do yet… i feel abandoned. 🙁
Thanks for all the useful articles.
Chris @ DigitPedia says
I love the idea of Loyal3. We don’t have anything like that in the UK. Do you know if they allow people from outside the USA to invest or do you have to be an American citizen?
Jeff Rose says
Check with the website Chris. Even if they don’t offer it now, they may in the near future. Many applications and services are going international so anything’s possible.
Paul S says
Great article overall. But you missed it on ‘keepsakes’ if by that you mean collectibles. Collectibles actually have an amazing return in many cases.
With limited starting funds, buying / selling on ebay may be a good play as well.
Stephen says
So you’re saying JUST INVEST IT? Really it doesn’t matter how, just make sure it gets invested and not wasted. Always a good choice!
RichGrowthTips says
Keep on investing with Dollar-cost-average is a good way, especially for 100 dollars every month. Investing in oneself is also a good way, anyone needs to know more if he/she wants to get more. Financial investing actually needs more knowledge, it is a combination of mass behaviour, philosophy.
krystal says
I want to invest everyday $100 dollar how to invest
Lovely Sharice says
Thanks for the read. I thought you needed at least $5,000 to invest in lendingclub and prosper. Off to learn more. Thanks. Oh and I definitely agree with buying at least 2 books to read.
Jeff Rose says
That’s actually the requirement for a no fee IRA. But you can do as little as $25. They DO recommend that you invest more so that you can diversify across many different notes.
Millennial Money says
Thanks for giving us a list of micro-investment options. Peer to peer lending or stock investment at such a low entry point are really good ways to motivate oneself to continue to save. Generally though, I approve of the human capital and charity options. Making yourself and the world a better place is what will ultimately make the difference in your life.
Rachael says
I want to join
Jaanika says
How would I spend extra $100 bucks? There is awesome Rabbit rescue in need, I would get for those bunnies (135+) big bag of hay, crispy gribbles, and bucket of fresh greens, so they can enjoy Thanksgiving this year.
michael says
Can you please do a podcast segment or YouTube video discussing how to file P2P lending taxes, and tax treatment? The forms they issue seem like a pain.
Jeff Rose says
@ Michael It’s not as difficult as you think it would be. I’ve had a Lending Club account for several years and it’s never been an issue.
Parthenia says
Thanks for the suggestions! I will definitely look into the Lending Club option. The extra $100 is better being invested than wasted on something with no value 🙂
Margin of Saving says
Yes, great article! Lending Club is something I’ve thought about as well, but have yet to put money to work with them.
Adam @ AdamChudy.com says
Nice list, though my first thought is do nothing. If you have $100, it needs to sit in the checking account until you’ve accumulated about 100x that.
Brittney @ Life On A Discount says
Interesting ideas on investing money. I have considered Prosper and Lending Club, just haven’t made the leap. Overall, I agree though, you don’t need thousands to start investing, even $100 can be a great start.
Kate @ Cashville Skyline says
Great post, Jeff! And thanks so much for including my tip 🙂
Jordan says
Awesome list here! I would hope people don’t fall for the infomercials – but I guess something is keeping them going. Thanks for sharing!
Kathleen O'Malley Celmins says
What a fun list — thanks for the link (and the clarification!).
Natalie @ Financegirl says
I’m in the ETF / books club when I have an extra $100. Or better yet, it goes to my student loan repayment (down from $206k to $131k). Slow and steady wins the race.
Lovely Sharice says
That’s great Natalie!!!! You grow girl!