Afraid to Lose Money Investing? Avoid This Mistake - Bravely Go (2024)

The number one fear that I hear from my money community is that they will lose money investing.

And that fear makes sense! We’re working hard for our money and no one wants to watch thousands of dollars disappear in the stock market.

But the REAL risk of investing is not that the market will go down. Because we know for sure that the market will go down…and then it will come back up. That’s how the stock market works; it moves continuously depending on what’s happening in the world at large and in the business world. We can’t expect continuous growth, but nor should we expect only losses.

No, the TRUE risk to investing is not knowing how to invest for your own goals, and it’s a mistake that cost my beloved Tbone $26,000.

Afraid to Lose Money Investing? Avoid This Mistake - Bravely Go (1)

How Tbone Lost $26,000

My partner Tbone began investing when he was 20, which by any measure is young! I didn’t start investing until I was 27.

But if you look at our investment accounts side by side today, I have significantly more money than him. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? The man had a 7 year head start!!

It comes down to one thing: Tbone started investing without know anything about the stock market, and he was directed into a portfolio and an investing product that made absolutely no sense for him. (Well and to be fair, I am an extreme saver and investor.)

Since Tbone had no knowledge of the market, and no real plan for his money besides “I’d like more of it in the future,” he was essentially taken advantage of for the first 8 years of his investing life.

Watch our Youtube video, presented by Capitalize, a company that rolls over your old 401k for FREE, to see exactly what happened to Tbone and how YOU can avoid it!

How to Be A Confident Investor

While yes, sometimes you “lose” money investing because the market goes down, please note my quoatation marks. You’re not really losing money when the market goes down. What’s actually happening is the value of the asset you own is going down.

You still own the asset. So if you wait it out, there is a chance that the value will go back up. And we see that over and over and over again in the stock market. The market has recovered from the Great Depression and the Great Recession; it is definitely capable of recovering from a low Tuesday!

What’s most important is that you get IN and START. And the easiest way for more of us to do that is with a workplace retirement plan, like a 401k or a 403b.

What I see happen over and over again is people start working at a job, open a 401k there, and contribute a few thousand dollars over a few years. Then they get a new job, and they leave their 401k behind.

THIS IS MADNESS.

Making sure to transfer that 401k into your NEW plan, so the money you’ve already built up can work together with your NEW contributions, is a fantastic way to build your wealth! And watching your wealth grow is a way to become a more confident investor!!

But I get it; it used to be really hard to move an old 401k. A lot of paperwork. Literal paper checks. It was annoying.

That’s why Capitalize is so wonderful; they find your old 401k, do all the paperwork, and you reap all the benefits. They do the annoying parts and you do the building wealth part.

All you have to do is fill in an application on their website, confirm your information, and then let them handle it all. REMEMBER: THIS IS FREE. THEY DO THE WORK. YOU GET RICH.

We love to see it.

So! If you worry that you’ll lose money investing, please remember that you own an asset that can keep working for you for a long time. Don’t fall into the same trap Tbone did and let Capitalize do the work for you if you have an old 401k you want to roll over.

Dig this? The party doesn’t have to stop! Follow us onFacebook,Instagram, andTwitterfor money tips, jokes, and inspiration, and join ouremail newsletter here.

*The Capitalize links are affiliate links and I’ll earn a small commission at no cost to you if you open an account with them!

Afraid to Lose Money Investing? Avoid This Mistake - Bravely Go (2024)

FAQs

How to invest if you're scared of losing money? ›

6 steps to help you overcome your fear of investing
  1. Start small. ...
  2. Educate yourself on how different investment options work and how they're likely to behave. ...
  3. Set expectations. ...
  4. Pay attention, but don't get obsessed. ...
  5. Try not to let volatility scare you.

What is the fear of loss in investing? ›

Loss aversion is the observation that human beings experience losses asymmetrically more severely than equivalent gains. This overwhelming fear of loss can cause investors to behave irrationally and make bad decisions, such as holding onto a stock for too long or too little time.

How to get 10% return on investment? ›

Investments That Can Potentially Return 10% or More
  1. Stocks.
  2. Real Estate.
  3. Private Credit.
  4. Junk Bonds.
  5. Index Funds.
  6. Buying a Business.
  7. High-End Art or Other Collectables.
Sep 17, 2023

What is the best investment right now? ›

11 best investments right now
  • High-yield savings accounts.
  • Certificates of deposit (CDs)
  • Bonds.
  • Money market funds.
  • Mutual funds.
  • Index Funds.
  • Exchange-traded funds.
  • Stocks.
Mar 19, 2024

What is the safest investment to not lose money? ›

Here are the best low-risk investments in April 2024:
  • High-yield savings accounts.
  • Money market funds.
  • Short-term certificates of deposit.
  • Series I savings bonds.
  • Treasury bills, notes, bonds and TIPS.
  • Corporate bonds.
  • Dividend-paying stocks.
  • Preferred stocks.
Apr 1, 2024

What is the number one rule of investing don't lose money? ›

Longtime Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett ranks as one of the richest people in the world. Buffett is seen by some as the best stock-picker in history and his investment philosophies have influenced countless other investors. One of his most famous sayings is "Rule No. 1: Never lose money.

What is the psychology of losing money? ›

Loss aversion is a cognitive bias that describes why, for individuals, the pain of losing is psychologically twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining. The loss felt from money, or any other valuable object, can feel worse than gaining that same thing.

What triggers fear of loss? ›

Few common causes that may build fear of loss in us are death of a loved one, separation including divorce, betrayal, war, cheating, insecurity, hereditary, illness or some other mental illnesses like depression. This fear impacts our behaviours as well.

Why do I fear losing money? ›

The fear of losing it all is deeply rooted in loss aversion. Coined by psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, loss aversion refers to the tendency of individuals to feel the pain of losing something more acutely than the joy of gaining the same thing.

How much will 100k be worth in 30 years? ›

Answer and Explanation: The amount of $100,000 will grow to $432,194.24 after 30 years at a 5% annual return. The amount of $100,000 will grow to $1,006,265.69 after 30 years at an 8% annual return.

How much money was $1000 invested in the S&P 500 in 1980? ›

In 1980, had you invested a mere $1,000 in what went on to become the top-performing stock of S&P 500 (^GSPC 0.49%), then you would be sitting on a cool $1.2 million today. That equates to a total return of 120,936%. The stock? None other than Gap (GPS 2.90%).

Where should I put $50,000? ›

Carefully consider your own goals and your risk tolerance as you move forward.
  • High-Yield Cash Account. ...
  • Tax-Advantaged Investment Account. ...
  • Taxable Investment Account. ...
  • Real Estate. ...
  • I-Bonds. ...
  • Precious Metals. ...
  • Alternative Assets.
Apr 4, 2024

What is the safest investment with the highest return? ›

Treasury Bills, Notes and Bonds

U.S. Treasury securities are considered to be about the safest investments on earth. That's because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Government bonds offer fixed terms and fixed interest rates.

How to grow 5000 dollars? ›

Here are seven of the best ways to invest $5,000:
  1. S&P 500 index funds.
  2. Nasdaq-100 index ETFs.
  3. International index funds.
  4. Sector ETFs.
  5. Thematic ETFs.
  6. Real estate investment trusts (REITs).
  7. Investing with the greats.
Mar 1, 2024

Where to invest $1,000 right now? ›

Here are eight of the best ways to invest $1,000 to help grow your money over time.
  • Pay down high-interest debt. ...
  • Build an emergency fund. ...
  • Stash your money in a high-yield savings account. ...
  • Put your cash in a certificate of deposit (CD) ...
  • Contribute to an individual retirement account (IRA) ...
  • Get your 401(k) employer match.
Mar 7, 2024

Can you invest and not lose money? ›

One way to manage risk is to invest in a variety of asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate. This can help to balance out any potential losses in one area with gains in another. This is usually referred to as all-wealth investing.

What is the riskiest way to invest your money? ›

The riskiest investments are often speculative in nature. While there are investment opportunities in each asset class that could result in you losing some or all of your money, cryptocurrency is often considered to be among the riskiest types of investments.

Why am I so afraid of losing money? ›

The fear of losing it all is deeply rooted in loss aversion. Coined by psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, loss aversion refers to the tendency of individuals to feel the pain of losing something more acutely than the joy of gaining the same thing.

Is it normal to lose money when you start investing? ›

Remember – there are no guarantees, which means you could get back less than you invest. Your money could potentially grow too of course – that's why people do it – but there is that risk you could lose money. The key thing is to make sure you have some money saved up before you start investing.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Manual Maggio

Last Updated:

Views: 6460

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Manual Maggio

Birthday: 1998-01-20

Address: 359 Kelvin Stream, Lake Eldonview, MT 33517-1242

Phone: +577037762465

Job: Product Hospitality Supervisor

Hobby: Gardening, Web surfing, Video gaming, Amateur radio, Flag Football, Reading, Table tennis

Introduction: My name is Manual Maggio, I am a thankful, tender, adventurous, delightful, fantastic, proud, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.