Subject 7 of 15
Investing
Investing, explained from scratch: why it matters, what risk really means, and how people get started with small amounts.
How does investing work for a complete beginner?
11 modules, from the first step to the finishing touches. Each one is a few short lessons you can do in one sitting.
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1
Why money cannot sit still
Why cash slowly loses value, what it means to put money to work, and which money shouldn’t be invested at all.
7 lessons -
2
What risk actually is
What risk really means, why higher returns come with bigger swings, and how much ups and downs you can live with.
9 lessons -
3
What you can actually own
Stocks, bonds, funds and index funds explained, plus the yearly fee that never sends you a bill.
10 lessons -
4
Actually starting
Open the account, start small, invest a set amount on a schedule, and keep an eye on fees.
7 lessons -
5
The days you cannot pick
Why staying invested usually beats trying to time the market, and why the latest news is a poor guide.
5 lessons -
6
The account with a tax break
Retirement accounts with tax breaks, free money from an employer match, and paying tax now or later.
5 lessons -
7
Limits, locks and deadlines
How much you can put into tax-advantaged accounts, the cost of taking money out early, and the deadlines to know.
6 lessons -
8
Moving it and naming it
What happens to your retirement account when you change jobs, and accounts meant for one specific purpose.
5 lessons -
9
Spending what you saved
How much you can take out each year in retirement without running out, and why the order of good and bad years matters.
5 lessons -
10
The mix that shifts
Choosing your mix of investments, rebalancing when it drifts, and all-in-one funds that do it for you.
7 lessons -
11
Choosing where it goes
Which account to fill first, which investments to keep where, and how to do it all if you work for yourself.
6 lessons
Questions about investing
How does investing work for beginners?
You put money into things that can grow over time, like small pieces of companies or funds that hold many of them at once. The value goes up and down along the way, which is why time matters so much. This subject starts at the very beginning and builds up one lesson at a time.
Do I need a lot of money to start investing?
Not these days. Many places let you start with a small amount and even buy a piece of a single share. Lever shows how getting started works and the fees to watch out for along the way.
What is an index fund?
It’s a fund that buys a whole slice of the market, like every company on a list, instead of trying to pick winners. It’s a popular starting point because it spreads your money out. Lever explains it alongside shares and bonds.
Ready to start investing?
It’s free, and your first lesson takes about two minutes.