Once you're ready to start investing, it's time to open and fund a brokerage account. Anyone at least 18 years old can open an online brokerage account. Those who are younger than that will need a parent's assistance. Parents can either open a brokerage account on their teen's behalf or set up a custodial account.
A parent or guardian opens a custodial account for you and then “gifts” funds into it. For 2020, up to $15,000 can be gifted into a custodial account. Once the funds are in the account, you can begin investing the money. Of course, your parent or guardian will have to make the actual trades for you.
It's Never Too Early to Start Investing
Spending every penny you earn when you're young is tempting, but investing at 18 or even earlier puts you far ahead of the game later in life. You could potentially grow your investments much more, and you'll have a better understanding of the financial system.
When you're young, you generally want higher returns that stocks, stock-based mutual funds, or ETFs can provide – rather than slower-growing investments like bonds and CDs. Yes, there is inherently more risk in these types of investments, but remember: You're investing with a long-term mindset.
To start investing in stocks on their own, your kid will need a brokerage account, and they must be at least 18 years old to open one. They can start earlier than this, but they'll need a parent or guardian to open a custodial account for them.
If you put off investing in your 20s due to paying off student loans or the fits and starts of establishing your career, your 30s are when you need to start putting money away. You're still young enough to reap the rewards of compound interest, but old enough to be investing 10% to 15% of your income.
If you are under 18, you cannot own stocks, mutual funds, and other financial assets outright. As a minor, you can make investments only under the supervision of your parent (or an adult) through a custodial account. Your parent will have to sign you up for a custodial account offered by an online broker.
Investing has the potential to generate much higher returns than savings accounts, but that benefit comes with risk, especially over shorter time frames. If you are saving up for a short-term goal and will need to withdraw the funds in the near future, you're probably better off parking the money in a savings account.
Assuming a deduction rate of 5%, savings of $240,000 would be required to pull out $1,000 per month: $240,000 savings x 5% = $12,000 per year or $1,000 per month.
The rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must-have or must-do. The remaining half should be split up between 20% savings and debt repayment and 30% to everything else that you might want.
Investing is an effective way to put your money to work and potentially build wealth. Smart investing may allow your money to outpace inflation and increase in value. The greater growth potential of investing is primarily due to the power of compounding and the risk-return tradeoff.
Learn more about these 6 keys to better investing:
Leverage the power of compound interest. Use dollar-cost averaging. Invest for the long term. Take your risk tolerance level into account.
Beginning at age 18, you can become a millionaire at age 89 if you save $2,500 per year ($48 per week), achieve a 5 percent average rate of return, and pay a 28 percent federal tax rate and 3 percent state tax rate.
Opening an Investment Account for Teens
If your child is under 18 years old, the most effective way to start investing for or with them is to open a custodial account. With this type of account, an adult "custodian" opens an account and can save and invest money on behalf of the child.
The ICICI Prudential Equity and Debt Fund is considered as a good investment option for students due to the combination of equity and debt instruments in its portfolio. The 1-year returns offered by the scheme are recorded at 11.01%, the 3-year returns are recorded at 15.50%, and the 5-year returns stand at 21.90%.