Welcome to “micro-investing”: investing’s less intimidating little sibling. Sometimes, it can feel like you need a high-six-figure salary to start your investing journey. But that’s not the case, and micro-investing can help. The idea is that you put aside tiny amounts each month, even as low as $5, to invest, or use apps that automatically round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and invest the extra change. Over a year, that can amount to $500 or so invested, which isn’t enough to save up for big goals like retirement, but it’s a low-risk way to learn about investing and pay for shorter-term goals, like buying a laptop or paying off some debt. To get started, you’ll need to set up an account, like a TFSA, with an investing app that fits your needs. Since you’re working with a small amount, you’re also looking for a platform with low account minimums, like Moka, and management fees under 0.5%, like Wealthsimple. Then, depending on your risk tolerance, a robo-advisor will typically invest your money into exchange-traded funds, which are funds that are made up of a bunch of different stocks and bonds, and can track different indexes or sectors. And voila! You’ve started your investing journey.
