Here’s how to get started so you don’t end up f*cked
If you’re over 35 and you’ve never invested, you’re not stupid.
You’re not lazy.
And you’re not uniquely behind.
But you are running out of time to pretend this will sort itself out.
The uncomfortable truth is that the world is not designed to take care of you later. Social systems are strained. Pensions are disappearing. Costs are rising faster than wages. And the idea that you’ll “figure it out someday” quietly expires once you hit your mid-30s and BEYOND.
This isn’t a panic article.
It’s a course correction article.
You don’t need to become a market expert.
You don’t need to catch up overnight.
You need to start, structure it properly, and stop sabotaging yourself with avoidance.
Here’s how.
1. Stop Treating Your Past Inaction as a Moral Failure
Most people over 35 who have never invested are carrying unnecessary shame.
They think:
- “I should have known better.”
- “I missed the boat.”
- “I’m so far behind it doesn’t even matter.”
That mindset is poison.
Shame doesn’t build wealth. It delays action.
The reality is that most people don’t invest early because:
- No one taught them
- They were focused on survival
- They were busy paying off debt
- They assume they needed more knowledge first
According to research by Dalbar, one of the biggest reasons people underperformed the market isn’t lack of intelligence — it’s behavioral delay and emotional decision-making. Not starting is one of those behaviors.
The past doesn’t need fixing.
It needs closing.
Action step:
- Write one sentence: “I start from here.”
- No explanations. No justification. No comparisons.
- This is your new baseline.
2. Understand the Only Thing That Actually Matters Now: Time in the Market
At 35+, you don’t have the luxury of wasted complexity.
You don’t need:
- perfect timing
- clever strategies
- constant adjustments
You need duration.
Compounding doesn’t care when you start. It only cares that you stay consistent once you do.
Research by Fidelity showed that their highest performing accounts often belonged to people who forgot they had accounts — or were inactive. Not because inactivity is smart, but because not interfering allowed compounding to work uninterrupted.
This should change how you think.
Your job isn’t to “make up for lost time.”
Your job is to protect future time from interruption.
Action steps:
- Commit to a minimum 10–20 year horizon.
- Decide now that you won’t stop because of fear, boredom, or headlines.
- Stop thinking in months. Start thinking in decades.
3. Build a Boring, Durable System (Not an Impressive One)
If you haven’t invested by 35, the worst thing you can do is overcorrect with complexity.
This is where people blow themselves up.
They jump into:
- risky assets
- hot trends
- constant trading
- over-monitoring
You don’t need excitement.
You need reliability.
Your system should:
- Be simple enough to understand
- Run automatically
- Require minimal decision-making
- Survive bad moods and busy weeks
This usually means:
- One primary investment account
- Broad, diversified investments
- Automatic contributions
- Minimal checking
The goal is to remove you as the weak link.
Action steps:
- Open one investment account. One.
- Set up automatic contributions — even if the amount feels small.
- Choose investments you can hold without touching for years.
- Decide how often you’ll check your account (monthly to quarterly is plenty).
If your system needs constant attention, it will fail.
4. Stop Letting Fear Disguise Itself as “Being Responsible”
Many late starters tell themselves they’re being cautious.
They say: “I don’t want to make a mistake,” “I need to understand more first,” or “I don’t want to lose money.”
Reminder: Not investing is also a decision — and it has consequences.
Inflation erodes cash.
Time erodes opportunity.
Indecision erodes momentum.
A well-known study by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman showed that people feel the pain of losses roughly twice as strongly as the pleasure of gains. This loss aversion is why people delay, hesitate, and overthink themselves into inaction.
But avoidance doesn’t protect you.
It quietly guarantees a worse outcome.
Action steps:
- Start with an amount that does not scare you.
- Accept that short-term fluctuations are normal and irrelevant.
- Decide now that volatility is not an emergency.
- Do not stop contributions because of fear.
You don’t need confidence.
You need commitment.
5. Redefine “Success” So You Don’t Quit Again
If you start investing at 35+, your biggest enemy isn’t the market.
It’s expectation.
If you expect:
- Fast results
- Constant growth
- Emotional reassurance
You’ll quit the moment reality shows up.
Real investing looks like: long stretches of nothing happening, occasional downturns, boredom, and delayed gratification.
That’s not failure; this is part of the process.
Vanguard research shows that disciplined investors who stick to a plan outperform those who chase returns — even if the disciplined investors are less knowledgeable (like myself).
Consistency beats brilliance every time.
Action steps:
- Measure success by months invested, not dollars earned.
- Track how many contributions you’ve made, not how “right” you feel.
- Commit to staying invested even when it’s boring.
If you’re still invested five years from now, you’re winning.
Being over 35 and never having invested isn’t the end; this includes people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond.
But staying there is a choice.
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life.
You don’t need to become obsessed with money.
You need a system that runs quietly in the background while you live.
Start simple.
Automate.
Stay in.
Don’t quit.
If you don’t change this now, the consequences don’t show up tomorrow. They show up later — when options are fewer, stress is higher, and time is gone.
That’s the version of “fucked” no one talks about until it’s too late.
Book a rapid audit if you want more hands-on partnership in your investment journey and save time and money in the long run learning from my investment mistakes.
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Reference: Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk. Econometrica.
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not financial, investment, tax, legal, or professional advice. Always consult a licensed financial advisor before making financial decisions.