Not all investors are created the same. Learn what type of investor you are, and how that aligns with your goals.

When you enter the realm of investing, you’ve hit a new level of personal finance expertise. You’ve gone beyond the basics of budgeting and likely mastered your debt. But now, you are ready to tackle a new challenge – investing for the future. 

As you consider your options, you’ll find that there are many different decisions to be made along the way. With that, you’ll likely find that you favor a particular kind of investment strategy.

The world of investing is made of several kinds of investors. Whether you follow the numbers or your heart when it comes to investing, you’ll have a tendency to invest with a common theme. What does that say about you as an investor? Find out by taking our quiz!

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A newbie investor that struggles to save

Investors Come In Many Different Forms - Learn What Kind Of Investor You Are - A newbie investor that struggles to save

At this point in your life, you are just starting to tap into your personal finance journey. You know that you should be saving more, but you have other pressing needs like paying rent and getting out of debt. You want to start investing as soon as possible but you have limited funds. 

Don’t worry! You still have investment options even if you only have a few dollars to spare. Spare change investing apps are the best place to get started if you are just starting out. Acorns, for example, allows you to get started investing with as little as $5. As you set up your account, you’ll be able to choose an investment portfolio that will work to achieve your financial goals.

The app takes simple investing a step farther with the option to round up your purchases and invest the change. Plus, the app is free for students!

As a newbie, getting started can be overwhelming. But this app makes the process of building an investment portfolio much smoother.

A knowledge seeking investor

Investors Come In Many Different Forms - Learn What Kind Of Investor You Are - A knowledge seeking investor

You are ready to start investing in a serious way. But you don’t feel comfortable taking the plunge without a little bit more knowledge. 

It’s totally understandable to crave guidance as you step into the world of investing. With money on the line, knowledge can be powerful. Luckily, there is a platform that was essentially built just for you! Public is an investment app that is packed with educational tools to help you build an investment portfolio that meets your expectations. 

Beyond the informational tools, Public offers chat support and a community of investors to discuss investment options. As a new investor, you can learn a lot from the more seasoned crowd. 

An automatic investor

Investors Come In Many Different Forms - Learn What Kind Of Investor You Are - An automatic investor

Essentially, your goal is to set up an investment portfolio and forget about it. You know that investing is an important part of building your retirement funds

With that, you’ve decided to invest almost exclusively through your workplace options. You’ve signed the paperwork to pull out a set percentage of each paycheck and set up the portfolio to your liking. Now you plan to sit back and watch your retirement funds grow at a steady pace. 

But if you are planning to up your game and invest beyond your workplace options, you still have great options!

M1 is one great option. You’ll be able to set up your investment preferences easily and allow M1 to consistently rebalance your portfolio with your investment plan in mind.

Betterment is another good choice for an investor that wants to allow their portfolio to work automatically in the background. With Betterment, you won’t have to worry about picking out any stocks or funds. Instead, the platform will automatically invest your money into various index funds based on your risk tolerance. As a simple and affordable option – Betterment is hard to beat.

The tech-savvy investor

Investors Come In Many Different Forms - Learn What Kind Of Investor You Are - The tech-savvy investor

As a rule, you enjoy using technology to make your life easier. So it makes sense that you are planning to apply this same strategy to your investment portfolio. With that, you are looking for the best option to invest with the convenience of technology at the heart of your decision

If you want an investment experience streamlined through the use of technology, then Robinhood could be the right fit for you. The platform offers a visually appealing interface that is simple to use. You can check on your investments at a glance. If you want to buy or sell an asset, you’ll just need to tap your screen a few times. The streamlined experience is for anyone that craves a techie take on their investment portfolio.

Why not tap into the luxury of an easy tech experience as you dive into investing?

Disclosure – INVESTMENT AND INSURANCE PRODUCTS ARE: NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE

A hands-on investor

Investors Come In Many Different Forms - Learn What Kind Of Investor You Are - A hands-on investor

You want to be involved in the nitty-gritty details of building out your investment portfolio. You like to have access to research when you need it but want to be in charge of calling the shots in your portfolio. 

Public is the perfect solution for active investors looking to play a big role in their portfolio’s management. With Public, you’ll not only be able to build and manage your portfolio yourself, but you’ll have access to other investors. Public’s social approach to investing means that you can share tips, ask questions, and follow experienced investors to track the stocks they’re excited about. 

As a hands-on investor, you’ll truly value the no-commission platform that Public has to offer. 

An investor with an eye for the future

Investors Come In Many Different Forms - Learn What Kind Of Investor You Are - An investor with an eye for the future

As you build out your investment portfolio, you are keeping tabs on investing trends. One hot item is cryptocurrency. Although many investors are interested in this option, not all platforms will allow you to buy cryptocurrency through their platform. 

Robinhood is an excellent platform for an investor that values the ability to trade cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Beyond the ability to trade in crypto, you can build watchlists for stocks that you are interested in buying at some point. Monitoring a stock in this simple way can help you make your buy when you feel like the timing is right. 

Advertiser Disclosure – This advertisement contains information and materials provided by Robinhood Financial LLC and its affiliates (“Robinhood”) and MoneyUnder30, a third party not affiliated with Robinhood. All investments involve risk and the past performance of a security, or financial product does not guarantee future results or returns. Securities offered through Robinhood Financial LLC and Robinhood Securities LLC, which are members of FINRA and SIPC. MoneyUnder30 is not a member of FINRA or SIPC.”

A frequent trader

Investors Come In Many Different Forms - Learn What Kind Of Investor You Are - A frequent trader

You want to maximize your portfolio through frequent trading when the opportunity arises. But fees and commissions on those trades can eat into your bottom line quickly. Without a fee-free platform, the profits you earn might come out in the wash. 

Luckily, there is a platform that charges $0 for stock trades which could be critical to your investment success. E*TRADE not only offers low fee structures but also fee-free funds for any buy and hold components of your portfolio. 

With these two options, you can build a hybrid portfolio with a mix of self-directed investing and managed portfolio options. You can still enjoy the frequent trading that you crave without breaking your budget. 

A buy and hold investor

Investors Come In Many Different Forms - Learn What Kind Of Investor You Are - A buy and hold investor

Although your investment portfolio may lack the glamour and intrigue of frequent trades and hot stocks, you are planning to ride out the market for decades. 

Robinhood has the goal of making investing available to everyone. With that, they offer a zero commission service and don’t require any fees to maintain your account. You’ll be able to enjoy all of these low-cost features in an app with a very user-friendly interface. The app will allow you to easily keep tabs on your growing investment portfolio.

It might be a bumpy ride, but you’ve steeled yourself against the stock market rollercoaster ride ahead of you.

Summary

As an investor, you’ll need to consider your personal preferences and risk tolerance as you set up an investment portfolio to meet your financial goals. Take a minute to consider your style of investing and make sure that it matches up with your long-term plans.

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About the author

Total Articles: 56
Sarah Sharkey is a personal finance writer covering retirement, investing, debt, savings, credit cards, mortgages, and student loans. Additionally, she is the founder of Adventurous Adulting, a personal finance blog dedicated to helping readers tackle their money and take control of the adventure of life. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.