I often hear from people who tell me that they’ve got money saved and that they’re thinking about investing but they’re really nervous to start the process and they have a fear of investing.

There are three main reasons why people fear investing:

1. You are afraid because they don’t want to lose their moneyI have a different perspective for consideration. Instead of being afraid of losing money, why not get excited about growing it or doubling that dollar amount. You’re not about to choose some “hot stock”, which someone told you is a “sure thing”. No you are going to carefully decide up front just how much risk you are prepared to take. The most sensible investment is a well-balanced portfolio, which meets your particular needs.
2. You don’t understand investing and are afraid of making a mistake

It is understandable that you don’t want to do anything that you don’t understand, but you don’t have to be a “day-trader” or quit your job to learn how to manage your money. You definitely don’t need to understand all of the nuances and all of the jargon. All you need to know is what kind of risks you’re willing to tolerate and what kind of return you’re looking for and leave the rest up to the experts.

You should connect with a Financial Planner, who will explain not only what you need to know, but answer all your questions and calculate your portfolio, taking into account risk factors. He/she will then present you with a plan, which works for you. You basically need to have someone that you trust in your corner, managing your money.

Check out my video on how to interview a financial planner. It is best to ask many questions to make sure that the planner is a good fit for you.

3. You are embarrassed that others are going to find out that they don’t know anything about investing

If this is you, and you’re feeling a little bit uncomfortable, you can start by asking your money questions over on my website: limor.money. I’ve got a panel of nine experts who are answering questions there for you. You can submit your questions anonymously. This is a safe place to get you started …. don’t forget, it is jargon free so will be easy to understand. You will start to feel more confident and feel ready to start looking into investing.

For most of us, we just have two ways that we make money. The first one is through our job. The second is through having your investments grow. If you’re not investing, you’re actually short changing yourself.

Don’t let the fear of investing prevent your money from growing. I know it can feel daunting, but it’s only going to get easier. Start with a really small amount at a low risk portfolio. Speak with your advisor or another financial planner or even a robo-adviser. There’s a wealth of different places where you can get investment advice.

Happy investing, you won’t look back!