START: Your First 5 Moves — Heavy Returns guide

Move 1 / Your money

Choose your starting money.

List money in, bills out, and what is left. What do you want that money to do?

1. Keep bills covered. Rent, food and money you need soon should stay out of stocks.
2. Keep cash for surprises. A car repair should not force you to sell an investment when it is down.
3. Look at expensive debt. Debt with high interest costs money fast. Paying it down may come first.

If nothing is left today, start with your budget. Review costs and ways to earn more. Invest only money you can leave alone for years.

Move 2 / Your account

Choose your account.

The account is the box. Investments go inside it. A broker is a company that holds the account for you.

These are three common choices. Each can hold investments that lose money. Compare fees, rules and available investments.

Move 3 / What you own

Know what you would own.

One player = one stock = one company. A whole team = broad stock fund = many companies.

A stock is a small piece of a company. A fund holds a group of investments. A broad stock fund spreads money across many companies.

One detail that matters

Some funds focus on one industry. A group of companies can still fall together. Check what is inside.

Explain it in one plain sentence. If you cannot yet, keep learning before you buy. A familiar name alone is not enough.

Move 4 / Your first buy

Set up your first buy.

1. Open and add money. Open your chosen account. Work plan? Use enrollment and payroll. Broker? Follow its bank-transfer steps.
2. Check cash and the name. Wait for your own cash to be ready. Match the full name and ticker, the investment's short code.
3. Preview the order. Use your Move 1 amount. Choose dollars or shares (units you own), if offered. Check the order type and costs.
4. Confirm only when ready. Submit only if you understand the buy and it fits. Pending means waiting. Filled means it went through. Check the final cost.

A market order uses an available price that can change. A buy limit sets your top price, but may not go through. App choices vary.

Robinhood is one option. The green link below is my referral; I may get a reward. Other brokers work too. Check fees and current referral terms.

Move 5 / Next payday

Give next payday a plan.

Give a piece of each future payday a job.

When you have room to invest

Untrained Money reacts to every headline. Trained Money follows a plan and reviews the facts.

If you use an automatic buy, confirm it buys your chosen investment. Moving cash into an account alone may not buy anything.

When the number turns red

What if my money drops?

You put in $500. Now it is worth $400. That is a $100 drop in value. Yes, that hurts.

Pause. Use your plan.

A lower price is not automatically a bargain. A bounce back is not promised.

1. Has my life changed? Check your income, bills and when you need the money.
2. Has the investment changed? Learn what caused the drop and whether the risk still fits your goal.
3. What needs a closer look? Use facts before adding more or selling. If you are unsure, get help understanding the choice.

A worked example

Mike's first plan.

Mike is made up. This is an example, not a buy list. Mike checked Roth IRA eligibility and account rules first.

Goal + time

Retirement in 25 years.

Starting money + cash kept safe

$500 to invest. Bill money and cash for surprises stay separate.

Account + provider

A Roth IRA at a broker; rules and fees checked.

What it owns

A broad U.S. stock fund that holds many companies.

Reason + risk + fee

Spreads money across companies. It can fall. Made-up yearly fee: 0.10%, about $0.50 on a fixed $500.

Next amount + date

$25 on the first of each month, if the budget still fits.

Review date + reason to look sooner

Every three months; sooner if income or the fund changes.

The fee example holds $500 steady for one year. Real balances change; other costs can apply.

Your plan

Put a date on it.

Write your goal and your next action. Give the action a date. Start with what you can do.

• My goal + when I need the money

• My starting amount + cash I will keep safe

• My account + who holds it

• What I would buy + what it owns

• Why it fits + main risk + fee

• My next amount or action + date

• My review date + a reason to review sooner

These seven fields are fillable in the PDF. Type in a PDF reader or print that page. Save a copy to keep your answers. They are not sent to us.

Today

Give "one day" a date.

Another payday can come and go while this sits in your downloads. Give yourself one move to finish today.

Watch now. Take your first step.

Before you close this, write your goal and next action. Start with learning or making room if money is tight.

Subscribe on YouTube for plain-English investing lessons.

Video example: DRAM focuses on memory-chip companies. It is not a broad-market fund or a default buy for you. Investments can lose money.

Sources

Want the details?

These sources explain the rules behind the guide. Tap a title to read more.

• Your money: Investor.gov: money for a rainy day
• Your account: IRS: work 401(k) plans
• Your account: IRS: Roth IRA rules
• What you buy: Investor.gov: funds and spreading risk
• Video fund: Roundhill: what DRAM holds
• Your order: Investor.gov: order types
• Your order: Investor.gov: buying part of a share
• Your next payday: FINRA: buying on a set schedule
• Costs: Investor.gov: fees
• Referral terms: Robinhood: current referral terms
• Your account: Investor.gov: brokerage accounts

This guide is for learning. It is not a personal investment or tax plan. Investments can lose money. Check current rules, fees and offer terms before you act.

The examples are made up to teach the steps. The cover is an illustration. Your completed plan stays in your own copy.