Procrastination is the biggest barrier to getting wealthy. You can always find an excuse for not investing.

Your first investment should be in an emergency fund. This is a three to six-month cash reserve in case you need money to tide you over during a period of unemployment or disability.

Make investing a habit. If you can’t trust yourself to invest on your own each month, put your investments on auto-pilot by signing up for automatic deductions from your checking account or paycheck that are transferred to a mutual fund, brokerage account or employer-sponsored savings plan.

Invest systematically. If you have $5,000, invest $1,000 for five consecutive months, rather than taking the plunge all at once. Make sure you research the investments you’re making and you don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Review your investments on a regular basis to see which ones are performing well and which ones aren’t.

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