Invest on Autopilot
Personal Finance · Advanced
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Contributing every month to a low-cost diversified fund—and leaving it alone when the market drops—beats almost every clever strategy.
Micro-habits to get started
Small actions of a few minutes to start this habit:
Automate your monthly contribution
Set up an automatic monthly transfer—even a small one—into a diversified index fund or ETF.
Buying every month removes the temptation to time the market.
10 minCheck the annual fee
Look up the annual expense ratio of each fund you invest in and write it down.
One percentage point in annual fees eats up a massive share of your returns over thirty years.
10 minDon't panic when the market drops
If the market falls, don't sell: reread your written plan and keep contributing.
Missing the best recovery days costs more than the downturn itself.
5 min