Excuses are easy. Action is rare. Here’s how to get moving—no matter your starting point.

PhaetrixAug 05, 2025

Let’s get brutally honest: most people don’t fail at investing because of bad luck—they get stuck before they ever start. Over 35 years, I’ve seen the same excuses stall portfolios and dreams. Here’s what’s really going on, and what you can do about it.

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1. “The market’s too risky right now.”

I’ve heard this every single year—bull or bear, doesn’t matter. There’s always a headline screaming recession, inflation, elections, or “the next crash.” Waiting for perfect conditions just means you’re letting fear run your money.

Counterpoint:
You can’t predict the next 20% drop, but you also can’t predict the next 200% rally. The real risk is sitting on the sidelines. Time in the market beats timing the market—period. If you’re truly worried, try dollar-cost averaging: invest the same amount on a set schedule (say, $200 every month), rain or shine. Over time, you buy both highs and lows and take the emotion out of it.

2. “I don’t know enough yet.”

This is the classic stall—“Once I know more, I’ll start.” The truth? You’ll never feel 100% ready. I didn’t, either. But the only way to learn investing is to actually invest.

Actionable Step:
Don’t know where to begin? Start with $100/month in a target-date fund at Fidelity, Schwab, or Vanguard. Or open a Roth IRA with your first $1,000 and buy a simple S&P 500 index fund. Set it to auto-invest, so you’re building a habit. You don’t need to be an expert—just consistent.
The best education comes from having real money in the market, watching what happens, and learning as you go.

3. “I’ll invest when I have more money.”

This excuse has killed more dreams than any bear market. If you can’t start with $500, $5,000 won’t make you any smarter. Investing is about building habits, not waiting for a windfall.

Specific Advice:
If all you have is a few hundred bucks, use it. Buy a single share of a company you use every day—Apple, Starbucks, whatever you actually understand. Or set up a $50 monthly auto-transfer into an index fund. Small, steady moves are how every serious investor starts.

Bonus Excuse: “But isn’t investing just picking stocks and timing the market?”

A lot of people freeze because they think investing means day trading, picking hot stocks, or timing every entry and exit.

Reality check: That’s trading, not investing. You don’t need to outsmart Wall Street to build wealth. The index fund approach lets you own a slice of the entire market—no guesswork, no constant buying and selling, no staring at screens all day.
You’re letting the global economy work for you, quietly, in the background.

If you want to make it even simpler: buy broad-based funds, automate your contributions, and then go live your life.

A Real-World Start

I started out buying one stock at a time. No windfall, no fancy degrees. Just picking companies I knew and understood, and building my confidence (and account) step by step. Looking back, those “small bets” taught me more than any book or course ever could.

The Bottom Line (With Your Next Steps)

Excuses are easy. Action is rare. But if you want real progress, you need to move—today, not next month.

Pick one right now:

• Open a brokerage account (Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard—all solid).
• Set up an automatic investment for any amount you can spare—even $25/month is enough.
• Buy your first index fund or stock you understand.

Do it this week. Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment—it doesn’t exist. Start where you are, with what you have.

Clarity comes from action. And the only way out of “stuck” is through.