Start as early as possible

Yes, that’s right, young people should have started investing way before they were coined as millennials. As soon as you have an income (no matter how big or small) a portion of your paycheque should go into savings.

Thanks to a little thing called compound interest, there are big benefits for millennials who start investing early. Compound interest helps your investments grow faster because your monthly earned interest (or dividends or capital gains) is reinvested back into your account. Therefore, the next month you earn interest on the previous month’s interest and so on for years to come. It’s brilliant.

Think long term with your strategy

According to Forbes, investing for the long term helps millennials see the bigger picture when it comes to risk versus reward in your portfolio. “Risk is kind of like that friend who regularly cancels plans but always comes through in a pinch. There might be heartache in the day-to-day, but in the long run, you’ll be glad you stuck it out.

In investing, more risk means the potential for more reward. Could you lose money and never collect that premium? Sure, but that’s unlikely when you’re in it for the long-term.

Be honest with your financial advisor

Professional advice can help find an investment strategy that fits your individual plan, financial capabilities and life goals. However, that can only happen if you are completely honest with your advisor.

Think of a financial advisor as your financial doctor, they can’t totally assess the situation and provide a recommendation until they have all the information. This includes your short term and long-term goals, tolerance for risk, time horizon and general knowledge of the investing world.