Why Investing is Important | Wells Fargo Advisors (2024)

Having a savings account isn’t enough

Saving money is important, but it’s only part of the story. Smart savers start by building sufficient emergency savings within a savings account or through investment in a money market account. But after building three to six months of easy-to-access savings, investing in the financial markets offers many potential advantages.

Why is investing important?

Investing is an effective way to put your money to work and potentially build wealth. Smart investing may allow your money to outpace inflation and increase in value.

The greater growth potential of investing is primarily due to the power of compounding and the risk-return tradeoff.

The power of compounding

Compounding occurs when an investment generates earnings or dividends which are then reinvested. These earnings or dividends then generate their own earnings. So, in other words, compounding is when your investments generate earnings from previous earnings.

If you invest in a dividend-paying stock, for example, you might consider taking advantage of the potential power of compounding by choosing to reinvest the dividends. To help increase the potential benefits of compounding, start investing as soon as possible and automatically reinvest your dividends and other distributions. Read about the power of compounding and the cost of waiting.

The risk-return tradeoff

Different investments offer varying levels of potential return and market risk.

  • Risk is an investment’s chance of producing a lower-than-expected return or even losing value.
  • Return is the amount of money you earn on the assets you’ve invested, or the investment’s overall increase in value.

Investing in stocks, for example, has the potential to provide higher returns. In contrast, investing in a money market or a savings account likely won’t offer the same return potential but is considered less risky than investing in stocks.

The amount of risk you carry depends on your appetite — or tolerance — for risk. Only you can decide how much risk you’re willing to take for the potential of higher returns. But if you’re seeking to outpace inflation, taking on some risk may be necessary. An increase in risk may provide more potential for your money to grow.

Diversification can reduce risk

Diversification can help mitigate investment risk by choosing different investments and types of investments. See why diversification is important.

Learn the basic investing types

When it comes to investing, you have many options. Before deciding which investment vehicles are appropriate for you, it'll help if you know what they are, how they work, and why they may be a good fit for your needs.

Learn about investment types >

Stocks are subject to market risk, which means their value may fluctuate in response to general economic and market conditions, the prospects of individual companies, and industry sectors. Investments in equity securities are generally more volatile than other types of securities.

Investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal.

Dividends are not guaranteed and are subject to change or elimination.

Investment and Insurance Products are:

  • Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency
  • Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate
  • Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested

Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors. Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (WFCS) and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Members SIPC, separate registered broker-dealers and non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company.

Retirement Professionals are registered representatives of and offer brokerage products through Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC (WFCS). Discussions with Retirement Professionals may lead to a referral to affiliates including Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. WFCS and its associates may receive a financial or other benefit for this referral. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is a banking affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

Insurance products are offered through non-bank insurance agency affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company and are underwritten by unaffiliated insurance companies.

Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is a bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

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Why Investing is Important | Wells Fargo Advisors (2024)

FAQs

Why Investing is Important | Wells Fargo Advisors? ›

Investing is an effective way to put your money to work and potentially build wealth. Smart investing may allow your money to outpace inflation and increase in value. The greater growth potential of investing is primarily due to the power of compounding and the risk-return tradeoff.

What is the importance of investing? ›

An investment is a plan to put money to work today to obtain a greater amount of money in the future. It is also the primary way people save for major purchases or retirement. With stocks, bonds, real estate, or commodities, individuals can create a diversified portfolio.

Why should you invest in Wells Fargo? ›

Earnings Growth: Wells Fargo's earnings have witnessed a rise of 17.86% over the past three to five years, higher than the industry's growth of 6.17%. While the company's earnings are projected to decline 7.7% in 2024, it will likely rebound and grow 9.7% in 2025.

Why is investing important in an economy? ›

Investment adds to the stock of capital, and the quantity of capital available to an economy is a crucial determinant of its productivity. Investment thus contributes to economic growth.

Why invest with an advisor? ›

Advisors can't predict future performance, but they are committed to having a deep understanding of their clients, and this understanding allows them to construct diversified portfolios that balance clients' need for investment gains (to achieve their financial goals) with their tolerance for risk.

What are benefits of investing? ›

Investing can bring you many benefits, such as helping to give you more financial independence. As savings held in cash will tend to lose value because inflation reduces their buying power over time, investing can help to protect the value of your money as the cost of living rises.

What are the three main reasons for investing? ›

Why Consider Investing?
  • Make Money on Your Money. You might not have a hundred million dollars to invest, but that doesn't mean your money can't share in the same opportunities available to others. ...
  • Achieve Self-Determination and Independence. ...
  • Leave a Legacy to Your Heirs. ...
  • Support Causes Important to You.

Why is Wells Fargo important? ›

Wells Fargo is ranked 47th on the Fortune 500 list of the largest companies in the U.S. In addition to banking, the company provides equipment financing via subsidiaries including Wells Fargo Rail and provides investment management and stockbrokerage services.

Is Wells Fargo a good investment bank? ›

Wells Fargo's investment bank still lags heavyweights such as JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, but has been steadily climbing the rankings. So far this year, Wells Fargo ranks sixth in U.S. merger and acquisition deals by volume, according to a scorecard from Dealogic and The Wall Street Journal.

Is Wells Fargo a good investing app? ›

Although it doesn't as many trading tools as Vanguard, automated investing with Wells Fargo Intuitive Investor still gets you access to valuable features like tax-loss harvesting and dividend reinvesting. Vanguard Personal Advisor is better for retirement-focused investors with larger balances.

Why is investment important for a company? ›

They provide a certain level of security for businesses in difficult times and can be used to generate income or increase the value of a company. Investing in assets also helps businesses get access to credit which is essential for growth.

What is the role of investment? ›

Investing can create wealth for a variety of purposes, such as to make up for shortages in income, save for retirement, or meet certain obligations like loan repayment, tuition payment, or the acquisition of other assets.

Why is saving and investing important? ›

Saving and investing are both important to consider in your future planning. Through saving money, your money is kept safe, and easy to access should you need it. By investing early over time, your money grows in value, benefiting from the magic of compounding.

What are the pros and cons of investment advisors? ›

  • Pro: time. Hiring an advisor can save you a significant amount of time spent on research and studying different investment strategies. ...
  • Pro: strategy. ...
  • Pro: peace of mind. ...
  • Con: peace of mind. ...
  • Con: conflict of interest. ...
  • Con: costs and fees.
Nov 29, 2021

Why are advisors important? ›

The advisor seeks to assist the individual students in maintaining a balance between the academic and extracurricular aspects of student life. The advisor works with the individual members to help them understand the importance of their role in relation to the group goals.

Is it worth investing in a financial advisor? ›

A financial advisor is worth paying for if they provide help you need, whether because you don't have the time or financial acumen or you simply don't want to deal with your finances. An advisor may be especially valuable if you have complicated finances that would benefit from professional help.

Why is investing consistently important? ›

People who invest regularly are more likely to have a financial plan – and stick to it. Their investments are better diversified, so they stay on course even when markets turn choppy. That means they're also more likely to see better results from investing – and accumulate more wealth.

Why is investing significant? ›

Investing is a powerful tool for achieving long-term financial health and security. Starting early allows your investments to benefit from the power of compounding over time, maximizing growth potential. It's never too early or too late to begin investing, but the sooner you start, the greater the advantage.

Is investing really worth it? ›

Investing provides the potential for (significantly) higher returns than saving. As your investments grow, they allow you to take advantage of compounding to accelerate gains. Investing offers many different access points and strategies, from individual stocks and bonds to mutual or exchange-traded funds.

What is the most important thing you can invest in? ›

So here are some of the most common ways to invest money.
  1. Stocks. Almost everyone should own stocks or stock-based investments like exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds (more on those in a bit). ...
  2. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) ...
  3. Mutual funds. ...
  4. Bonds. ...
  5. High-yield savings accounts. ...
  6. Certificates of deposit (CDs)

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