OC 500: Jeff Motske

If you didn’t grow up around people who invested, then chances are that you still may not know a whole lot about the process. It may seem like something you should do as an adult but otherwise difficult to wrap your head around. Particularly for young adults who entered the job market during the Great Recession, the idea of investing heavily in the stock market still carries a certain level of fear.

Yet, with the right knowledge and guidance, young investors are quite capable of successfully creating a portfolio that will deliver solid returns. To help you gain that crucial insight, 15 members of Forbes Finance Council share the most important things young investors should know about getting started with stocks…

Many view the stock market as a roller coaster, but they ride it the wrong way. Instead of a quick ride full of highs and lows, start the ride early, travel through the small bumps and know it will go back up in the decades between today and retirement. Remember, though, the key to financial success doesn’t depend on the market’s performance but on the sound financial decisions you make each day. -Jeff Motske CFP®, Trilogy Financial

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Written by: Andrew Lisa | Roughly 1 in 2 Americans retire between the ages of 61 and 65, and nearly 1 in 5 retire before that. Most Americans also now take Social Security before their full retirement age, which varies by year of birth. Not only are people retiring earlier, but they're also living longer — much longer — and there's mounting evidence to suggest that early retirement often doesn't translate into just a few extra years of golf, fishing, and margaritas on the beach. From your health and happiness to, of course, financial realities, consider the risks of calling it quits too soon.

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