3 Signs You're Ready to Start Investing

Investing is great for your financial future, but you shouldn't do it before you have an emergency fund saved up -- one of the most important things in your financial life. Without an emergency fund, you run the risk of having to take out a loan to cover the expense, which adds to the cost because of the interest you'll owe. If you've been investing without an emergency fund and an unexpected expense happens, you could be forced to sell shares, possibly resulting in owing taxes on any profits (or taking a loss).