12 months. i was afraid to do more but i'm sure i can make it longer

I'm reading a book now girl make your money grow if u ladies haven't read it check it out

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I like investing in index funds with vanguard.com

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I have money invested in a money market account and i own some stock through share builder. I haven't really added any more money to either vehicle for a long time. I need to get back to do that.

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i'm reading "think and grow rich" right now. i am so ready to start investing. is schwab.com any good?

I think it really depends on your goals. How much do you want to spend on trades, will you use auto-investing mechanisms, etc? I've used a number of different online tools over the years. Some are more user friendly than others. I've found the use of auto-investing tools really helpful because I can watch the market but generally let it ride for a while, but I have a little bit of new funds going in to make purchases regularly. If you want a firm to work for you and make all the decisions then just know that they will usually have an expectation that you're bringing a bit more capital to the table and the fees may be greater--you pay for that extra attention!

One thing I will add that folks don't usually tie to investment strategies is estate planning. Make sure you at least have a good list of all your accounts (investments and insurance policies) and stuff in case something happens to you and who you want to handle your stuff in the event something happens to you--especially if you are using auto-bill pays and auto-investing. I had a major illness this summer and redid my will and power of attorney--you may not think you have much, but when you start saving and investing it gets complicated if someone has to come in and handle your stuff for you for a while.

I started investing at 19, but it was a learning process and it still is because my mother never taught me about money, I learned it in the Army. I started listening to serious investors, reading books like, "Girl get your money straight", David Bach's "Smart Women Finish Rich", and I have 2 Suze Orman's books: one about women and money and the other about the money class. I am in the Army and I have roughly 4 yrs until my first retirement, puts me at 38 and I don't want to stress about money; that being said,

The main things that I learned are: develop a budget plan and stick with it, even if you change some pillars of it--look at where you spend money and see if it is beneficial, if not, change the bad habit; needs v. wants and not trying to live like the Jones'; pay yourself first-put money in your savings before you do anything else and don't touch it; and oh, don't be an ATM to family, esp. if it will alter your financial health. I invest in my ROTH-IRA; I own 1 house that I rent out; I have a money market acct; a recurring CD that I let mature for at least that prior year (I reassess my financial goals) before I let it roll over; I paid off all of my debt--to include my truck. It is an 03, I keep the maintenance up and it drives like a charm; I don't carry my two major credit cards--they are true emergencies only; I play around with my stocks on share-builder and I don't touch the money. I finally have an emergency savings account that I am still building, but it is a start. You have to be committed to paying yourself and saving. Don't pay out more than you take in-that means don't make debt (or new debt).

My vices are hand bags and shoes, but I use my debit card because it is like carrying cash and when you see the dent that you put in your acct or what you set aside to spend, it is a wake up call. I also have those money jars from "Til debt do us part" I put change or what ever in them; I don't frequent the ATM as well, it cuts down on fees.

HTH

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"The will of God will never take you, where the grace of God will not protect you"

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Great advice HTH.

I'm doing the exact same thg. It just takes patience to begin seeing results. My mother and father did not teach me about money either, but experience had been my major teacher.

I'm now following a modified version of the Dave Ramsey plan. My modifications are baby step 1 must have a bigger cushion.

He has daily podcasts which I listen to religiously everyday at 10 am. They help tremendously..

Live like no one else so you can Live Like No One Else.

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do you bank with NCFU? what types of investments are you looking into i.e. CDs, mutual funds, a certain stock? will you manage your portfolio or will you want someone else to do it? where are you researching? have you researched? are you looking to drop a large sum of $$ or are you starting small?

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"The will of God will never take you, where the grace of God will not protect you"

"No gem is ever polished without friction"

yes i do bank with them. i have a share certificate now, and i am trying to start small. the problem is that i don't have much now but i want to have a lot later. i've done my research and i want someone else to manage my portfolio, like schwab, etrade, etc.