Investing 101: A Beginner’s Guide for Women Ready to Grow Their Money

We’ve all heard that investing is one of the smartest ways to build wealth—but let’s be real: it can feel overwhelming, intimidating, and full of jargon. For many women, just knowing where to start is half the battle. Even while trying to find a photo for this blog, I could only find one picture of a woman making investments. Just goes to show we have some catching up to do. That’s why today we’re diving into a concept that’s perfect for beginners and seasoned planners alike: Dollar-Cost Averaging (DCA). If you’ve ever hesitated to invest because you weren’t sure when or how much, DCA was made for you.

What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging?

In simple terms, Dollar-Cost Averaging means investing a fixed amount of money on a regular schedule, like $20 every month, regardless of market highs or lows. It’s about consistency—not perfection.

Think of it like buying your favorite coffee every week. Sometimes it’s $4, sometimes it's $3.50. But over time, your spending averages out, and you're still getting your coffee. That’s how DCA works with stocks or index funds—you invest regularly, and over time, the market smooths itself out.

Why It’s Perfect for Women Learning to Invest

• No Market Timing Needed: You don’t have to guess when to buy. You just show up regularly.

• Confidence Builder: You see progress over time without needing a finance degree.

• Low Barrier to Entry: Apps like Robinhood, Acorns, and Fidelity let you start with as little as $1.

  (not sponsored)How to Start

• Choose an investing platform (Robinhood, Fidelity, M1 Finance, etc.) (not sponsored)

• Pick a fund or stock (S&P 500 ETFs like VOO are beginner-friendly) (commonly recommended)

• Automate your contributions (even $10/month counts!!!)

• Track your growth using dashboards or journaling—don't obsess over daily changes

How to Utilize Each App

Robinhood

• Manual DCA setup: You can schedule recurring investments in stocks or ETFs.

• Tracking growth: Robinhood shows your portfolio performance over time, including gains/losses per asset.

• Limitations: It doesn’t label your strategy as “DCA,” so you’ll need to monitor consistency manually or use spreadsheets to track monthly contributions.

Acorns

• Automated DCA: Acorns is built around DCA—it rounds up purchases and invests spare change or scheduled deposits.

• Tracking growth: You’ll see your portfolio balance, performance charts, and contribution history in the app.

• Bonus: It’s ideal for hands-off investors who want to “set it and forget it”2.

Fidelity

• Recurring investments: Fidelity lets you automate contributions into mutual funds, ETFs, or stocks.

• Tracking growth: You can view detailed performance reports, contribution history, and even set up custom dashboards.

• Advanced tools: Fidelity offers more robust analytics and long-term tracking options than Robinhood or Acorns.

Empowering Tip

You don’t need a windfall to start investing—you just need momentum. DCA lets you build wealth steadily, making investing feel less like gambling and more like self-care for your financial future.