Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. Skylar Clarine is a fact-checker and expert ...

Lisa Smith is a writer with a passion for financial journalism, contributing to popular media outlets like Investopedia and Bloomberg BNA. Ariel Courage is an experienced editor, researcher, and ...

Set up an emergency fund before investing to cover 3-6 months of expenses. Open a brokerage account for access to stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds. Contribute max to an IRA for its tax benefits and long ...

Koshy Mathai is the IMF’s Resident Representative in Sri Lanka. Opinions expressed in articles and other materials are those of the authors; they do not necessarily reflect IMF policy.