Trevor Abes: Writer

It may or may not be obvious by now, but as a young person time is still capable of being very kind to you. It can still heal all your non-lethal wounds, just by letting it pass, because you have so much of it still to spend.

Go forth and get yours, lil cub.

When it comes to investing, having healthy time reserves is essential to actually making money. Stocks have a positive expected return only over very long periods—somewhere around 7% per year for a globally diversified stock portfolio over a couple decades—but they’ll go up and down unpredictably year to year. You’re in a fantastic situation here because, as a twenty- or thirty-something, you can simply keep investing and let those up and down years eventually add up to money in your pocket while you focus on living your life.

Another reason I’m interested in helping young people like myself invest is how boring all this stuff can get. I happen to be someone who’s blessed with an appreciation for economics, personal finance, and business analysis, but 90% of the people my age that I know can’t take more than a few minutes of investing talk without their eyes going glazy. I think it feels like work or grade school, something you’re obliged to partake in without particularly wanting to. My intention with Young Canadian Investor is to convey basic investment knowledge in accessible language to hopefully knock that 90% down in a meaningful way.

One more point worth mentioning is how nonurgent it can feel for a 27-year-old to put money away they’re only going to use 10-30 years from now. It’s much more enticing to splurge now than to delay gratification for your future self by investing 40 of those $60 in your wallet. And make no mistake, you should splurge to a degree. Life is short and it’s a gift meant to be savored. You just want to take steps to continue savoring comfortably well into your old age, and investing is one way to ensure that happens by minimizing your chances of going broke.

Being young is only full of advantages if you know how to recognize them. I’m just here to point one of them out for you. It’s the same reason I wrote my little book, Nine Steps to Successful Investing: A Guide for Young Canadians. I wanted to make it easier for people my age to cushion the expansive futures before them with more financial security, at least compared to not investing at all. Feel free to give it a shot and to ask any questions you may have in the comments.

And I do mean any, no matter how basic, because we all gotta start somewhere.

I’m also available to teach you 1-on-1 over Zoom if you prefer.

Disclaimer: This article is meant for general education purposes only. It does not constitute financial advice as I am unaware of your personal situation. Consult with a professional who abides by a fiduciary standard before making any investment decisions.