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Investing Made Easy

So you’ve decided to start investing. Congratulations—and hold on tight.

Because frankly, it’s a lot. Investing your money is a unique, personal combination of art and science. You can tailor your financial game plan to favor specific interests, or trust in established funds to create a slow and steady approach.

But take your time. Consider a stock market simulator like Wall Street Survivor or Trading View before investing real money.

Because there are more options than ever. Personal finance apps like Robinhood or WeBull have put stocks in every pocket. Or you could try hiring a robo-advisor—companies like Betterment and Wealthfront use algorithms to build and manage a diversified portfolio for you, making them a great option for beginners.

In the end, where you invest isn’t what matters—it’s how you invest that really counts. Here are three small steps you can take:

1. Start with Financial Literacy Basics

   • Familiarize yourself with fundamental concepts like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, and compound interest. Investopedia is a great place to explore, NerdWallet is another. Learn how these accounts work, and which one best fits your goals.

2. Automate Your Contributions

   • If you have a steady paycheck, set up automatic account transfers every payday—even if it’s a small amount. If steady paychecks aren’t really your thing right now, try an app like Acorns, that rounds up your everyday purchases.

3. Stay Calm

   • The market will go up and down; avoid panic selling during market dips, which often leads to losses. Make decisions based on your financial goals rather than emotions. Long-term investing typically rewards patience.

Starbucks Ends the “Vegan Tax”

Starting November 7, Starbucks will remove the surcharge for plant-based milk. As reported by Fortune, the move comes after weaker-than-expected sales growth, and is aimed at addressing customer dissatisfaction over high prices.

The company, under the new leadership of CEO Brian Niccol, will allow customers to substitute almond, oat, soy, or coconut milk in their drinks at no additional charge. The surcharge removal represents a potential 10% effective price reduction for some orders, aimed at aligning with consumer demands for affordability and value.

PETA, which has long campaigned against the “vegan tax” on nondairy milk, celebrated the change as a win for animal welfare and eco-conscious customers.

#FinTok: Fact or Fiction?

#FinTok, TikTok’s finance community, is big business. The community provides a mix of content, from educational advice to opinion-based, and sometimes speculative, information. The community boasts over 500 million views, according to a new report from The Drum.

However, the nature of FinTok also allows for misinformation. Anyone can share financial advice, regardless of expertise. Some content, especially around high-risk investments like cryptocurrency, affiliate marketing schemes, or unconventional side hustles, may be speculative or oversimplified.

So choose your influencers wisely, and consider this:

1. Cross-verify information from trusted financial sources (like government sites, established finance publications, or financial advisors).

2. Look for Educators: Credible creators focus on explaining concepts (e.g., how stocks or bonds work) rather than pushing you to buy specific investments.

3. Stay Away from Pushy Language: If a creator pressures you to “act now” or implies you’ll “miss out” if you don’t join right away, it’s a red flag for potential scams.