When you invest, you’ll usually find that the bigger the risk you take, the more money you’ll end up making. But, you need to make sure that you do your homework and don’t invest haphazardly. When you start, and where you put the money, are the keys to success in accumulating wealth. For example, if you make an investment and earn 4% a year on your money, it will double every 18 years or so. If you earn 8% on your money, it will double every 9 years. So, if you invested $400 at 4% interest a year when you were 16, you’d have about $3,200 by age 70. But, if at age 16 you invested $400 at 8%, when you turned 70, you’d have about $25,600. Then again, if you invest poorly, you could end up with nothing.

If you’ve never invested before, you’re probably wondering how to get started. Before you do anything, consider consulting a financial advisor, who might be able to help you make informed decisions about where to invest your money. If you’d like to do things on your own, here are some ideas of where you can find some of the investment avenues discussed in this section.

Click the links below to read more about each of the topics:

You may also want to check out the various Bank of America Resources to help you take control of your finances.