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A lot of Discords and chat groups eventually drift into hype, memes, and people chasing the next hot stock. I'd be cautious about taking investment advice from anonymous strangers, regardless of how confident they sound. I'd start with beginner-friendly books and educational resources first, then use communities like this to ask specific questions. That way you'll have a framework for filtering good advice from bad. If you're looking for a beginner-friendly resource, I wrote No Clue? No Problem! A Beginner's Guide to Saving and Investing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGQMRTSM Full disclosure: I'm the author. It covers the fundamentals in plain English, including how to evaluate investing advice and avoid common beginner mistakes before you start putting real money to work.
I'd separate those two goals. If you're new to investing and want to build long-term wealth, keep the majority of your money in diversified, long-term investments (like broad index funds). Think of that as your foundation. If you also want to try aggressive trades, treat that as "learning money"—an amount you're completely comfortable losing. Most beginners underestimate how difficult short-term trading is. The biggest mistake is mixing the two strategies and risking money that's meant for your future. If you're looking for a beginner-friendly guide that explains brokers, index funds, ETFs, risk, and how to build a solid investing foundation before branching out, I wrote No Clue? No Problem! A Beginner's Guide to Saving and Investing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGQMRTSM Full disclosure: I'm the author. I wrote it for people starting from zero and trying to understand how investing works before putting significant money at risk.
For beginners, I'd stick with established brokers like Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard. They're well-established, have good educational resources, and make it easy to invest in low-cost index funds. Whether you use the app or website is mostly personal preference. I use both, the website is easier for research, while the app is convenient for checking balances or making contributions. The bigger decision isn't the platform, it's understanding what you're investing in. A good broker with a bad strategy won't help. If you're looking for a beginner-friendly guide that explains brokers, ETFs, retirement accounts, and the mechanics of investing without assuming prior knowledge, I wrote No Clue? No Problem! A Beginner's Guide to Saving and Investing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGQMRTSM Full disclosure: I'm the author. I wrote it specifically for people trying to navigate these first decisions.
Absolutely. At 15, your biggest advantage isn't how much money you have: it's time. I'd focus first on learning the fundamentals before investing significant amounts. Understanding budgeting, compound growth, diversification, and long-term investing will pay off far more than trying to pick winning stocks. Once you're old enough to open an account (or with a parent through a custodial account), you can start with small amounts in broad index funds rather than trying to beat the market. If you're looking for a beginner-friendly guide, I wrote No Clue? No Problem! A Beginner's Guide to Saving and Investing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGQMRTSM Full disclosure: I'm the author. It explains investing from the ground up in plain English, so you don't need any prior knowledge. At 15, your goal shouldn't be getting rich quickly, it should be building knowledge and good habits. Those will compound just like your investments.
First, I'm sorry you had to go through that. One positive is that you're taking your time instead of rushing to spend the money. I'd avoid buying gold or silver as your first investment. The best investment you can make right now is in your financial education. If I were in your shoes, I'd deposit the check, keep enough in a high-yield savings account for emergencies and trade school expenses, and only invest money you won't need for several years. Since you're 18, time is on your side. For long-term investing, many beginners start with a low-cost S&P 500 index fund through a brokerage like Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard rather than trying to pick individual stocks. If you're looking for a beginner-friendly guide that explains investing, retirement accounts, brokers, index funds, and how to build wealth from scratch, I wrote No Clue? No Problem! A Beginner's Guide to Saving and Investing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGQMRTSM Full disclosure: I'm the author. I wrote it for people asking the same questions you're asking now, without assuming any prior knowledge. The fact that you're asking these questions at 18 instead of spending the money impulsively is already a good sign.
I was in the same boat when I started. The hardest part isn't investing, it's figuring out the first few steps. For most beginners, the path is surprisingly simple: open a brokerage account (Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard are common choices), fund it, and start with a broad index fund or ETF rather than trying to pick individual stocks. Don't worry about options, day trading, or finding the next hot stock. The basics matter far more than the advanced stuff. If you're looking for a beginner-friendly guide that walks through brokers, ETFs, retirement accounts, investing terminology, and the actual mechanics of getting started, I wrote No Clue? No Problem! A Beginner's Guide to Saving and Investing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGQMRTSM Full disclosure: I'm the author. I wrote it specifically for people who are hearing "just invest" but have no idea what that actually means in practice.
At 23, the best investment you can make is in your knowledge first. A lot of people lose money because they jump straight into stock picking before understanding the basics. For platforms, beginners often start with brokers like Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard. The specific platform matters less than developing a simple long-term strategy. As for who to follow, I'd be careful. There are a lot of influencers who make investing look easy. I'd focus more on learning from books than personalities. Regarding returns, nobody knows what the market will do. Historically, broad US stock market index funds have returned around 7-10% annually over long periods, but some years are much higher and some are negative. You should expect volatility along the way. If you're starting from scratch and want a practical guide that explains investing, retirement accounts, brokers, ETFs, risk, and the psychology of money in plain English, I wrote No Clue? No Problem! A Beginner's Guide to Saving and Investing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGQMRTSM Full disclosure: I'm the author. It was written specifically for people asking questions like yours.
If you're starting from zero, I'd begin with The Psychology of Money. It's less about investing tactics and more about how money and behavior work, which is arguably more important. After that, The Simple Path to Wealth and The Little Book of Common Sense Investing are great introductions to long-term investing and index funds. The mistake many beginners make is jumping straight into stock picking before understanding budgeting, saving, retirement accounts, taxes, and diversification. If you want a practical beginner guide that explains personal finance and investing in plain English without assuming any prior knowledge, I also wrote No Clue? No Problem! A Beginner's Guide to Saving and Investing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGQMRTSM Full disclosure: I'm the author. I wrote it specifically for people who feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start.
If you enjoyed One Up on Wall Street, I'd suggest branching into both investing and psychology: The Psychology of Money is probably the best book on the behavioral side of investing. The Simple Path to Wealth is excellent for understanding index investing and long-term wealth building. A Random Walk Down Wall Street is a classic that challenges the idea that most investors can consistently beat the market. The Little Book of Common Sense Investing is great if you want to understand why many investors prefer broad index funds. For mindset, I'd also recommend Atomic Habits. It's not an investing book, but it's surprisingly useful for developing discipline and long-term thinking. If you're looking for something written specifically for beginners that covers both investing mechanics and the psychology behind money, I also wrote No Clue? No Problem! A Beginner's Guide to Saving and Investing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FGQMRTSM Full disclosure: I'm the author. It was written for people who feel overwhelmed by investing jargon and want a practical starting point.