Camille Van Vyve
06 Jan 2026
Your checklist for getting started with investing in 2026
A good New Year’s resolution for the year ahead: put your idle money to work instead of letting it sit there (or worse, lose value!) in a savings account. Inspired by the excellent Snowball newsletter, this checklist is designed to get you moving as soon as tomorrow.
1. Goal for 2026: start investing
You’ve thought about it for years but always found a reason to put it off. In 2026, no more excuses: it’s time to take control of your financial future. Procrastination is the enemy of investors, because there’s really only one golden rule in investing: start as early as possible. Even small amounts invested early can make a big difference over the long term. Every year that goes by without investing is a missed opportunity. 2026 can and should be your breakthrough year.
2. Why invest?
Investing isn’t about trying to get rich fast. It’s about building long-term wealth. Wealth that can help you live more comfortably down the road, cut back your working hours, or finally realize the dreams you’ve been putting off. Whether it’s joy spending, career change, starting a business, or early retirement, investing is a tool to increase your freedom. By letting your money work for you, you regain control over your time and your life choices.
3. How to invest smartly?
The rational, simple, and effective way: index investing. This approach involves investing in funds that track financial indexes, commonly known as ETFs. It’s easy to understand, inherently diversified, low-cost, and has historically delivered strong long-term performance. Easyvest handpicks top ETFs for you, builds an optimal portfolio based on your risk profile, and handles all the paperwork. You are supported every step of the way to achieve your personal financial goals with complete peace of mind.
4. What might be holding you back?
Worried the markets might crash? With a global ETF, you’re diversified across countries and industries, capturing the long-term return of markets, which have historically averaged about +7% per year. It's hard to beat that. In this context, the real risk isn’t volatility; it’s not investing at all. Think you don’t know enough? You don’t need to be an expert, just understand what an ETF, a stock, and a bond are. Don’t have enough money? At Easyvest the minimum investment is 5.000€, nothing more. Don’t have enough time? Index investing is designed to be simple and low-maintenance. So stop finding excuses and investing starts now.
5. How to stay motivated for the long haul?
The key is regular investing. It smooths out market ups and downs and helps you build wealth steadily, without stress. By contributing every month or quarter, you keep a healthy, disciplined investing habit. Pair that with a modern, intuitive app to track your progress and you’ll be more motivated than ever. Seeing your net worth growing is a powerful incentive.
6. When should you start?
Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow! If you have 15 minutes, run a simulation on the Easyvest website and book a session with one of our wealth managers. A short chat and uploading a few documents is all it takes to open your account, usually in less than 24 hours. The longer you wait, the more you delay the benefits of long-term growth or miss them altogether. So kick off the year with a satisfying and exciting check mark: opening your Easyvest account!