Depending on where you happen to live, planning for the future has changed considerably from that of the previous generations. Declining state pensions, the rising cost of housing, and general financial uncertainty in many countries has made more than a few of us start to evaluate our own financial situations for the near future. The problem is, we often have no idea about how we should invest our hard-earned cash, or how to make it work the hardest for us. When you have never invested before, it can be a daunting prospect to place a decent sum of cash into an industry you know very little about, especially one that has no real guarantees on what your returns will be like. This doesn't, however, mean that investing is not for you.

Luckily, in the current digital age, you aren't short of useful apps and instructional videos to help you get off the ground, but the first port of call when looking to invest online, should be the experts, such as those at InvestorJunkie. Sites like this will aid you in your understanding of different investment strategies, what help is available out there for you, and keep you abreast of all the latest news in the investment world. Once you have done a little research, you will probably find that at the moment there are a few different options when it comes to investing online and creating a portfolio. If you wish to keep things simple, your options for your first investment can fall into one of three easy to understand and control categories, stock trading, crypto trading, and low-fee index funds.

Stock trading

Stock trading is something many of us are familiar with, but for the uninitiated, it can often look rather mind-boggling. We have all witnessed the scenes from the trading floors, where manic crowds of men and women shout numbers at each other from across the floor, while investors call in to instruct their brokers on when to buy, and when to sell their various stock. This is far too complicated for us mere mortals to understand, right? Not anymore! Plenty of stock trading apps have cropped up over the last few years that simplify the process of trading, and cut out the middle-man, leaving you free to simply track stock, and buy and sell at your whim. Some of these apps even let you 'copy trade', so you can leverage the expert's advice and simply invest in whatever stock they are investing in. While this isn't a guaranteed way of making money (stock can obviously go up or down in price), it certainly is a simplified way to start building your own stock portfolio. You can also do online stock trading here. 

Crypto trading

Cryptocurrencies have made headlines over the last decade or so, sometimes for good reasons, other times for bad. Essentially, many experts believe the rise of cryptocurrencies can be looked at as the precipice for a revolution in how money is used and stored in the future. Does this make it a particularly worthwhile investment? It could be. The key to investing in crypto is to understand that in all likelihood, many of these currencies will fall by the wayside, but if you are savvy (or lucky) enough to pick one of the cryptocurrencies that does indeed revolutionize the way we trade in the future, you may have found the golden ticket. While a slightly riskier way to invest your money, the payouts for those who pick the right blockchain-based currency will be substantial.

Index funds

If you are looking for a particularly low-cost way to start investing, index funds may be the right choice for you. In simple terms, an index fund is a collection of investments from a given index, organised into one simple to manage package. You can purchase them from online mutual fund companies, or a brokerage, and the main selling point of this type of trading is the low overheads associated with them (after all, they are accounts that aren't managed by a personal broker). While you may not make as much money in the sort of trading (especially if you are looking to make money quickly), it is generally looked at as a sensible way to start an investment portfolio, especially for those who are less knowledgeable when it comes to stocks and shares, and are happy to leave their money invested for a considerable amount of time.

When it comes to investing, the two golden rules that you should always adhere to are, firstly, never invest more than you can afford to lose, and secondly, always listen to the experts. With that said, there has never been a better time to start investing, with the plethora of options available to you online, and the simplicity that some of the available apps and services provide, even a novice has a far better arsenal available to them than the same novice investor 10 years ago. Leverage those advantage and get investing!