Episode Details

We truly believe investing can be simple. But all the jargon — 401(k)s, IRAs, ETFs, target date funds — can be enough to stop a new investor in her tracks. When every decision seems to come with another acronym or account type to understand, it’s easy to keep putting off getting started.

In this episode, we’re going back to the basics to answer two key questions: Where should your money go, and what should you invest in once it gets there? 

We walk through the accounts you may want to prioritize, beginner-friendly investment options, and what we’d each do if we were starting from scratch today.

Remember: You don’t need to understand everything or build a perfectly optimized portfolio before you begin. You just need enough clarity to take that first step — and you can adjust as you learn.

✨ Episode Highlights ✨

• [00:00] The two questions that can make getting started with investing feel much simpler
• [02:00] Why an employer-sponsored retirement plan with a match may be the best place to start
• [04:00] How HSAs work, including the triple tax advantage that makes them so valuable
• [05:30] Roth vs. traditional IRAs — and why choosing the “perfect” one matters less than getting started
• [08:00] When a taxable brokerage account might deserve a higher spot on your investing priority list
• [11:00] Why trying to optimize every decision can keep us stuck — and why our investing strategies can change over time
• [12:30] The beginner investing step that’s easy to miss: actually investing the cash after transferring it
• [14:00] How target date retirement funds offer a simple, beginner-friendly approach
• [16:00] A more hands-on strategy using index funds and ETFs
• [18:30] What we’d each do if we were starting from scratch today — plus our beginner investing roadmap

✨ Resources ✨

• Why you don’t feel ready to invest (and how to start anyway) / 67
• We tried it: Opening (and investing in) an HSA / 89
• Roth IRA or 401(k)? Where to invest first with Sean Mullaney / 72
• Is investing $100 a week enough to fund retirement? / 85

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