I've always felt that the biggest regret is not learning how to invest when you're young. Seeing young people nowadays start to pay attention to this makes me quite pleased.

According to some data, although 91% of teenagers say they want to invest in the future, very few actually start. The main reasons are simple—legal restrictions and knowledge gaps. Most minors can't open brokerage accounts themselves, and some think investing is too complicated, too time-consuming, or don't even know if they can buy stocks.

But in reality, teenagers can definitely invest in stocks, ETFs, and other assets. The key is to find the right direction.

Let's start with the most core investment tools. Stocks are the first choice, for very straightforward reasons—they offer the highest long-term returns and are understandable. When you buy stocks, you're owning a small part of a company, and you can profit from its growth. More importantly, stocks that appreciate in value and pay dividends can yield several times higher returns over the long term. I saw a statistic that over the past 25 years, the S&P 500 increased 4.5 times through price appreciation alone, but if you include reinvested dividends, it’s over 7 times. Just imagine how big that difference is.

Besides individual stocks, mutual funds and ETFs are also very suitable for beginners. These are essentially packaged investment portfolios that help diversify risk. Mutual funds are usually actively managed by professional managers, while most ETFs passively track indexes, with lower fees. I personally prefer ETFs because they are cheaper and more transparent.

Bonds, high-yield savings accounts, and CDs are lower-risk tools, but their returns are also not very high. If you need quick access to your money, these are good options. But for long-term savings, stocks and funds are still worth considering.

Now, about account options. Teenagers usually have several choices: joint accounts (opened with parents), custodial accounts (controlled by parents but with decision-making participation), and education savings accounts (like 529 plans or Coverdell). If you want full control yourself, Fidelity Youth Account is one of the few platforms that truly allows teenagers to invest independently, but it’s only available for ages 13 to 17.

As for how to start investing, many platforms now have very low barriers. Platforms like Acorns Early even allow you to start with just $1. The key is to choose the right account type and then stick to investing.

Finally, I want to say that investing in yourself is also very important. You don’t necessarily have to put money into investments. Spending time learning, improving skills, or even trying entrepreneurship can be investments that are worth more than buying stocks. When you're young, you have time to make mistakes and time for compound growth—that’s the biggest advantage.

If you're thinking about how to invest, now is actually a good time. You can also see various investment products and market trends on platforms like Gate, do some research, and understand the market. Anyway, for young people, learning to invest sooner or later is a good thing.