3 Investment advice I'd give my 20-something self from my 40-something perspective
As I reflect on the journey from my 20s to my 40s, one thing stands out: time is the greatest asset. Most people's lives are linear. We go through the stages of learn, earn and yearn.
Learn when we are 0-20 years of age,
earn when we're 21-55 years of age and
yearn the lifestyle of others and also younger folks when we’re 56-99 years of age.
If you do not want this for your life, you need to live your life by design. If I could sit down with my younger self and offer some investment advice, here’s what I would say:
💡 1. Start Investing Early – Save and Grow Your Money
In my 20s, it felt like I had all the time in the world. I believed bigger paychecks would come, and I could invest later.
What I know now? Compounding is magic, and the earlier you start, the less you need to invest to reach your goals. You can read more about the magic of compounding.
Saving is important, but simply letting money sit in a savings account won’t outpace inflation or build wealth. I saw my parent’s savings sitting in the bank account (or worst still in the tin cans at home!) and lose out to inflation over 10-20 years because they did not know about investments and were fearful of the potential losses.
What I know now? Learn the basics of stocks, bonds, index funds, and ETFs. The sooner you start investing, the better you’ll understand risk and rewards.
Also, I believe that you can’t outsource financial literacy to anyone because everyone seeks to maximise their own financial upside. For example, the mortgage banker wants you to take a home loan for as long a tenure as possible, so that you pay more interests than the loan principal.
Hard decisions, easy life.
Easy decisions, hard life.
Therefore, the person who takes good care of your money should be yourself.
→ Advice to 20-year-old me: Start small but start now. That $100 a month today is worth more than $1,000 a month later.
→ Advice to 20-year-old me: Get educated and seek advice. Fear of the unknown will only cost you time and opportunity.
💡 2. Stop Trying to Be a Genius Investor - Play the Long Game
In my 20s, I thought picking stocks and timing the market would make me rich. Today, I understand this:
Active investing is a terrible hobby - learn to bake and play the drums instead.
Successful investing isn’t about predicting moods, political outcomes, or trends. Why?
→ Because markets are driven by stories and emotions, not just numbers. And predicting how millions of strangers will feel about the future is impossible.
Here’s what I know now:
✅ Avoid trying to beat the market. Instead, focus on broad-based index funds.
✅ Keep it simple and boring. Long-term, passive investing consistently outperforms flashy strategies.
✅ Be patient. Think in decades, not months. There are no shortcuts to wealth.
Advice to 20-year-old me: Stay in the game, avoid ego traps, and focus on consistent, steady growth.
💡 3. Invest in Yourself – Your Greatest Asset
Financial investments are critical, but the greatest investment is in your own skills, network, and mindset. In my 20s, I thought degrees and certifications were enough.
What I know now? Continuous learning and personal growth are the keys to long-term success.
Build network and relationships, develop skills, and invest in your health and well-being. Wealth is more than just money. You want to change your life? Read widely.
Reading is learning accelerated. You can absorb what took someone years to accumulate, understand, distill and refine. Other than living our own lives and stories, through reading, you gain access to the experiences, wisdom of thousand of lives - all for little to no costs!
→ Advice to 20-year-old me: Continuously read more books. Take care of your health and eat right. Health is wealth.
Now in my 40s, I realized wealth isn’t just about money - it’s about choices, freedom and peace of mind. I realize every small step taken in my 20s would have compounded into something much greater today. But it’s never too late to start. 🚀
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To those in their 20s: What small investments are you making today?
To those in their 40s+: What advice would you give your younger self? Let’s share and grow together. 💬👇
#FinancialFreedom #InvestmentAdvice #CareerGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #InvestInYourself