Starting Your Savings Now

I tell you about different
types of investments that match your investment goals.
To start out with any sort of investment, you need a cash
reserve —
and the amount varies, depending on your investment
choice.

As you’re doing your research and deciding which investments
match your goals, start putting away $100 a month in
an account earmarked for investment. By the time you determine
the investing opportunities that best fit your needs, you
should be well on your way to affording your investment.
Watching your dollars multiply can serve as motivation in
itself: Your investment accounts may become as or more
important to you than some of the other expenses that have
eaten up your money in the past.

If you’re the type who’s been saving gobs of cash in a
bureau
drawer for a long time and now want to start earning real
interest, you’re one step ahead of the pack. You have the discipline.
Now what you need is the knowledge and the tools.
The following chapters give you the tools you need to select
investments and create an investment plan to meet all of your
goals, including retirement. You also get the information you
need to monitor your investments, so you can keep your plan
on track.