Direct Answer
Guides for first-time investors ages 18-24: priority stack, accounts, risk, automation, fees, and scam awareness.
Investing in the Launch Years (Ages 18-24): The Essential Guide
Guides for investors at the beginning of their independent financial lives, ages 18-24. These years are when you gain access to your first retirement accounts, start your first job with employer benefits, and make decisions that compound over 40-plus years.
- First priority: what comes before investing
- Account map: which accounts matter most
- Time horizons: separating short-, medium- and long-term money
- Risk capacity: how much volatility can your plan absorb
- Automation: set contributions up and get out of the way
- Investment fees: which costs compound against you
- Scam risks: what changes with life stage at 18-24
- Family money conversations: what to share and what to keep private
- Life events: the biggest investment plan changes at 18-24
- Annual review checklist for ages 18-24
Full guide: Investing in Your 20s
Also see: Investing in Your Late 20s (Ages 25-29)