Why I Started Robo-Investing My Retirement
I used to love playing around in the stock market. I would spend hours poring over stock reports and reading investment briefs from thought leaders in the industry. It was fun and exciting, and I even managed to make a little bit of money. I’m not going to say I was great at investing, but I was decent.
Fast-forward 10 years and I’ve completely changed my investing style. Family, a demanding job and life have gotten in the way of my research time. As much as I love looking into the hottest new stock, I just don’t have the time to devote to the in-depth research that is needed to be a successful investor. But I’m still a firm believer in investing in the stock market, so three years ago, I went searching for less hands-on options.
Read More: New to Investing? A Robo-Advisor Will ‘Make Everything Easier,’ Says Charles Schwab Pro
I knew that I needed investing options that would allow me the peace of mind to place my investments on autopilot. At the same time, I wanted a low-cost option with minimal fees. Robo-investing was the answer I was looking for.
Robo-investing comes in a variety of models, but at its heart is investment management online with moderate to minimal human intervention. Your financial decisions are being determined by mathematical rules and algorithms.
Crazy, huh? I’ve turned over most of my investing to a computer.
Related: I Invested in a Robo-Advisor — and So Should You
Now, let’s be very blunt: Robo-investing isn’t for everyone. Some people swear by a computer’s ability to pick better options than a human. I’ve read all kinds of opinion pieces arguing both sides of the issue. I think that, in some cases, the computer wins and, in other cases, the human wins.
What I do like about the robo-investing options is that the fees are typically very reasonable. Fees can easily eat away at your profit margins and they are always something I watch carefully when picking investment options.
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I also love robo-investing because it takes all of the guesswork out of investing. I can set up my risk level and then forget it. I check back on my investments quarterly and move on with my life.
I continue to do traditional investing but on a much smaller scale. I’ve found that over the last few years, my robo-investing has matched or done better than my traditional investing. I don’t know if the trend will continue but, for now, it is working for me and my investment goals.
If you are hesitant about investing in the stock market, check out some of the robo-investor firms available. They will literally take all of the guesswork out of investing, and help you finally start investing in your future.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Why I Started Robo-Investing My Retirement
