Follow this step‑by‑step checklist to understand, compare, and start investing in the right fund for your goals.
Based on: 4 Easy Ways To Start Investing | Money Unscripted | Fidelity Investments by Fidelity Investments
▶ Watch the source video on YouTube
What if the only thing standing between you and your first real investment is knowing which fund to pick? Most people assume investing is complicated, expensive, or reserved for people who already have wealth. So they wait. They scroll past the opportunity, tell themselves they'll figure it out later, and later never comes. Sound familiar?
Here's what nobody tells you: the confusion isn't your fault. There are mutual funds, index funds, target date funds, and ETFs — and they all sound like they could mean the same thing. Without a clear guide, it's easy to freeze up and do nothing, which is the one move that actually costs you the most over time.
Imagine opening your investment account with real confidence. You know exactly what type of fund fits your goals, your timeline, and your comfort with risk. You understand the difference between actively and passively managed strategies. You know why fees matter, when to care about trading times, and how a target date fund can basically run on autopilot inside your 401k. That picture? It's closer than you think.
This checklist was built directly from Fidelity Investments' Money Unscripted series, featuring Ryan Viktorin, a Fidelity VP and Financial Consultant who breaks down investing for everyday people without the jargon. Ryan has helped countless people move from overwhelmed to informed, and his plain-language guidance on the four core fund types — mutual funds, index funds, target date funds, and ETFs — is distilled here into a clear, actionable checklist you can follow from zero to invested.
This PDF checklist walks you through every step: understanding what stocks and bonds are, how funds differ from individual stocks, what passive versus active management really means, how to use Fidelity's Mutual Fund Evaluator, and exactly what to do after you open your account. No guesswork, no paralysis. Just a proven sequence of decisions that gets you moving. Download it, work through it at your own pace, and finally take that first step.
Every checklist item comes with actionable notes to guide you — things like "Don't forget to do this before you start," "Avoid this common mistake," or "Set a reminder for 30 days out." Nothing vague, just clear next steps.
+ 23 more action items inside...
Instant PDF download. Start taking action today.
✓ Instant download · ✓ PDF format · ✓ No subscription