How to Start Investing for Beginners

Updated: September 27, 2024

Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

A couple sits together at a table, smiling while reviewing investment details on a laptop.

Investing can help you achieve financial goals, whether saving for retirement, buying a home or building a safety net. Unlike saving, where your money remains in place, investing allows your money to work for you by accumulating interest. With the right knowledge and strategy, investing offers the potential for returns that outpace inflation and increase your wealth.

Consider your overall strategy before jumping in — know your investment goals, risk tolerance and a general idea of what you want to invest in. Create a clear plan and understand the basics to confidently begin your investment journey.

Key Steps to Start Investing Your Money

Set specific, measurable goals to create a focused investment strategy, ensuring that your choices align with long-term financial objectives.

Determine how much risk you’re comfortable with based on your financial situation and investing timeline, ensuring you pick investments that match your comfort with volatility.

Choose your investment accounts. Tax-advantaged accounts like IRAs are ideal for long-term savings, while taxable brokerage accounts provide flexibility for shorter-term goals.

Decide how involved you want to be in managing your investments — are you more interested in passive strategies, like index funds, or active investing?

1. Identify Your Investment Goals

Are you aiming for long-term wealth accumulation, such as building a retirement fund, or do you have short-term goals, like saving for a down payment on a house? Understanding these objectives will guide your investment choices, strategies and the level of risk you're willing to take. This clarity will also help you stay focused and on track as you progress.

Below are some steps you can take to identify your investment goals:

1
Be specific and define clear milestones

Vague goals like "save for retirement" can make it harder to track your progress. Instead, set specific, measurable milestones such as "accumulate $500,000 in my retirement account by age 50." This gives you a clear target and makes it easier to determine if you're on track to meet your goals.

2
Align with your financial goals

Your investment choices should match your financial objectives. For example, if your priority is stability, you might focus on safer investments, while long-term growth goals could lead you to invest more heavily in stocks.

3
Regularly revisit your goals

Set regular intervals, such as annually or semi-annually, to review and adjust your investment goals. Life circumstances, financial markets and personal priorities can change, so it's important to realign your goals as needed to stay on track.

4
Consider flexibility

Life changes, such as job loss or family growth, can impact your financial goals. Ensure your plan has some flexibility to adjust for unexpected events, allowing you to pivot without jeopardizing your progress.

2. Determine Your Risk Tolerance

Risk tolerance is your ability to handle volatility and uncertainty in your investments. It directly affects the types of assets you invest in and how much risk you're comfortable taking. Those with lower risk tolerance may prefer safer investments, while higher risk tolerance allows for more aggressive strategies, accepting greater volatility in exchange for higher potential returns. Here's how you can figure out your risk tolerance:

1
Assess your financial situation

Review your overall financial health, including your savings, income and financial obligations. Take a close look at your cash flow — how much money you have left after covering your basic expenses. If you have a steady income and manageable debt levels, you may be in a better position to take on more investment risk.

2
Consider your investment horizon

The longer your timeline, the more risk you can typically afford to take. For example, if retirement is 30 years away, you may be more comfortable with a higher-risk portfolio. Shorter timelines generally require more conservative strategies.

3
Evaluate your comfort with market swings

Think about how you react to market volatility. If seeing your investments drop in value would cause significant stress, a more conservative approach may be appropriate.

4
Factor in your investment goals

Determine whether your goals are growth-focused or income-focused. Growth-oriented investors may tolerate more risk, while those seeking steady income may prefer lower-risk investments.

5
Use a risk tolerance questionnaire

Many financial institutions and robo-advisors, such as Vanguard, offer risk assessment questionnaires. These can help you quantify your risk tolerance based on your financial goals and preferences.

6
Reevaluate over time

Risk tolerance isn't static. As you approach major life events, like retirement or buying a home, you may want to adjust your risk tolerance and shift your portfolio toward safer investments.

3. Calculate How Much to Invest

There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to how much you should invest, but a good rule of thumb is to aim for investing 10–15% of your income, depending on your financial goals. You can also use compound interest calculators to estimate how your investments might grow over time based on your contributions, savings and long-term objectives. Remember, investing doesn't require a large initial sum — what matters is consistency and aligning your contributions with your financial reality. Below are some steps to help you calculate how much you can invest without overstretching your budget:

1
Review your income

Assess how much you earn each month after taxes. Consider how much of this income can be set aside for investing without compromising your ability to cover regular expenses.

2
Establish an emergency savings fund

Before you start investing, ensure you have an emergency fund with at least three to six months of living expenses saved in an easily accessible account. This will help protect you from needing to sell investments in an emergency.

3
Address outstanding debts

If you have high-interest debt, like credit cards, it's usually better to pay these debts off before investing. The interest you're paying likely exceeds what you'd earn through investing.

4
Consider your basic expenses

Outline your essential monthly expenses, such as rent, utilities, groceries and transportation, to understand how much disposable income you have available for investments.

5
Plan for urgent needs

Take into account any upcoming expenses or financial obligations. You don't want to commit too much money to investing if you know you'll need it soon for other important matters.

4. Understand Your Investing Style

Your investing style reflects how actively or passively you want to manage your portfolio and your overall approach to investing. It's based on your preferences, personality and how involved you want to be in decision-making. Some investors prefer a hands-off approach, allowing professionals or automated tools like robo-advisors to manage their portfolios, while others enjoy researching and making their own decisions. Here are three common investing styles to consider:

    graph icon

    Active investing

    Active investing involves frequent buying and selling of investments to outperform the market. This style is best for individuals who enjoy analyzing stocks, following market trends and making frequent trades. It suits those willing to dedicate time to research and with a higher risk tolerance.

    financialPlanning icon

    Passive investing

    Passive investors take a long-term approach, often using index or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track the market. The goal is to match the market's performance rather than beat it. This style is ideal for investors seeking a hands-off strategy focused on long-term growth, with minimal trading and reliance on consistent market-based returns.

    laptop icon

    Automated or robo-investing

    Automated or robo-investing uses algorithms to manage and rebalance portfolios based on an investor's risk profile and goals. Robo-advisors offer a low-cost, hands-off solution perfect for beginner investors or those with limited time who want a simple, cost-effective way to invest without needing deep financial knowledge.

5. Choose an Investment Account

The best investment account for you depends on your financial goals. For retirement savings, accounts like IRAs or 401(k)s offer tax advantages, while a taxable brokerage account may be better for short-term goals or flexible access. Each account has its own features, benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to choose one that aligns with your needs. Below is a list of common investment accounts and their features to help guide your decision:

Account
Description
Best For

A tax-advantaged account designed for long-term retirement savings. Contributions may be tax-deductible and growth is tax-deferred.

Individuals saving for retirement outside of an employer-sponsored plan, wanting to lower taxable income.

Similar to a traditional IRA, but contributions are made with after-tax dollars. This allows for tax-free growth and tax-free withdrawals in retirement.

Younger investors or those expecting to be in a higher tax bracket in the future.

An employer-sponsored retirement plan allowing pre-tax income contributions, often with employer matching. Growth is tax-deferred until withdrawal.

Employees with access to an employer-sponsored plan, especially if employer matching is available.

Taxable brokerage account

A flexible investment account where you can buy and sell assets like stocks, bonds and ETFs. No tax advantages, but no withdrawal restrictions.

Individuals with shorter-term goals or those wanting full access to investments without tax limitations.

A tax-advantaged savings plan for education expenses. Contributions grow tax-deferred and withdrawals for qualified education expenses are tax-free.

Parents or individuals saving for future education costs.

6. Open and Fund Your Investment Account

After selecting the right investment account, the next step is to open it and begin funding it. Today, this process is quick and easy through online platforms and apps that let you set up an account in minutes.

You'll typically provide personal information, choose your investment preferences and link a bank account for funding. You can contribute lump sums or set up automatic contributions to fund your account to stay consistent.

7. Learn Investment Strategies

There are several investment strategies, such as buy and hold, dollar-cost averaging and growth investing. Once your account is funded, take the time to understand these strategies, as your chosen approach will shape your decisions. An investment strategy defines the types of assets you'll invest in, how you allocate your funds and the tactics you'll use to reach your financial goals. Below are some common strategies:

Investing Strategy
Description
Best For

Buy and hold

This long-term investing strategy involves purchasing and holding onto investments through market ups and downs. The goal is to let the assets grow over time, benefiting from compound returns. This approach requires patience and trust in the market's ability to recover from short-term fluctuations.

Investors with long-term goals, like retirement, who prefer a hands-off approach and are comfortable with short-term market volatility.

Dollar-cost averaging (DCA)

Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) means investing a fixed amount of money regularly, no matter what the asset's price is at the time. This approach spreads out your purchases and reduces the impact of market ups and downs, helping to lower the risk of trying to time the market.

Beginner investors or those looking for a steady, consistent investment method that avoids the stress of timing the market.

Growth investing

Growth investing focuses on companies expected to grow significantly, even with low earnings. Investors aim to benefit from the rising stock prices as these companies expand. This strategy is riskier but offers higher potential returns over the long term.

Investors with a high risk tolerance and a long-term outlook looking for significant capital appreciation.

Value investing

Value investing involves finding stocks that are undervalued by the market, with the belief that their true worth will eventually be recognized. This strategy relies on thorough research and patience, as it may take time for the market to reflect the stock's intrinsic value.

Investors who enjoy researching and analyzing stocks, are comfortable with moderate risk and are patient enough to wait for long-term gains.

Income investing

This strategy prioritizes generating a steady income stream through dividends, bonds or other yield-producing assets. Investors focus less on price appreciation and more on creating reliable earnings.

Retirees or those seeking more stability and consistent income, preferring lower-risk investments that offer regular payouts.

8. Decide What to Invest In

After you’ve set your goals, assessed your risk tolerance and put your strategy in place, the next step is deciding what to invest in. For beginners, low-cost index funds or ETFs are great options. These offer diversification, low fees and are easier to manage than individual stocks. Robo-advisors are also a good choice for beginners seeking a hands-off approach.

However, the right mix depends on your goals, timeline and risk comfort. Diversifying across asset classes helps balance risk and reward, allowing your portfolio to grow while minimizing the impact of any single investment's downturn.

Investment Vehicle
Description
Best For

Stocks

Ownership in a company, with potential for higher returns but greater risk.

Investors seeking long-term growth and comfortable with market volatility.

Bonds

Loans to governments or corporations, offering regular interest payments and lower risk.

Investors seeking stable, lower-risk income streams.

Mutual funds

Pooled investments managed by professionals, offering diversification.

Investors wanting professional management and diversification.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)

Funds that track an index, offering diversification and flexibility like stocks.

Investors seeking low-cost diversification and ease of trading.

Real estate

Investments in property, offering long-term growth and passive income.

Investors seeking passive income and diversification outside of traditional markets.

9. Monitor and Review Your Portfolio

As you start investing, actively monitor and build your portfolio over time. Monitoring doesn't mean checking your investments daily. As markets fluctuate frequently, periodic reviews ensure your portfolio remains aligned with your goals and risk tolerance. As you monitor your investments, you may find opportunities to build and strengthen your portfolio by adding new assets, rebalancing or reinvesting dividends.

Following these steps can help ensure you're reviewing and adjusting your portfolio as needed:

    loanReview icon

    Set regular review periods

    Review your portfolio at least quarterly or biannually. These regular check-ins help you stay informed about performance without reacting to daily market swings.

    variableRate icon

    Rebalance your portfolio

    Over time, some investments may outperform others, shifting your asset allocation. Rebalancing ensures you maintain the right mix by selling and buying assets as needed.

    financialPlanning icon

    Diversify your investments

    Continue adding diverse assets across different classes, sectors or regions. Diversification helps reduce risk by spreading your investments.

    wage icon

    Reinvest dividends

    If you earn dividends, consider reinvesting them to take advantage of compound growth rather than cashing them out.

    freelancer icon

    Stay informed on market trends

    Keep up with economic news and market conditions that may affect your investments. Staying informed helps you make smarter adjustments to your portfolio.

    smartphone icon

    Use investing apps

    Take advantage of investing apps that offer tools for tracking your portfolio, automating contributions and providing insights into market trends.

Expert Insight

MoneyGeek consulted with dozens of industry experts about getting started in investing to help you on your financial journey.

  1. How much should beginners invest in stocks and bonds? And when is a good time to increase those investments?
  2. How do you choose the best stocks and bonds to invest in?
  3. What advice can you give people who are living paycheck to paycheck and want to start investing?
  4. Can you use an investment app and work with a financial advisor? Is it a good idea? How many investment avenues can you have?
Salil K. Sarkar, PhD
Salil K. Sarkar, PhDProfessor of Finance, Coordinator, Doctoral Finance Program at The University of Texas at Arlington
Yaseen Alhaj-Yaseen, PhD
Yaseen Alhaj-Yaseen, PhDAssociate Professor of Finance at Middle Georgia State University
Brandon Gregg
Brandon GreggMarket President and Financial Advisor at BBK Wealth Management
Li Cai, PhD
Li Cai, PhDAssociate Professor of Finance at IIT Stuart School of Business
Cicely Jones
Cicely JonesFinancial Planner, Certified Retirement Education Specialist
Scott Kyle
Scott KyleCEO and Chief Investment Officer at Coastwise Capital Group, LLC
Angela Roe
Angela RoeAssistant Professor, Department of Business Administration and Economics
Alper Koparan, PhD
Alper Koparan, PhDAssistant Teaching Professor at Northeastern University
James O'Donoghue
James O'DonoghueChartered Retirement Plan Specialist at BCG Securities
Joe Roberts, Ph.D.
Joe Roberts, Ph.D.Director, Center for Innovation and Professional Development at Webster University
Alexander Fleiss
Alexander FleissChairman and Chief Investment Officer at Rebellion Research Partners
Leanne Rahn
Leanne Rahn Financial Advisor at Fiduciary Financial Advisors
Katelyn Bombardiere, CFP
Katelyn Bombardiere, CFPFinancial Advisor at Commas
Brian Jankowski, CFA
Brian Jankowski, CFASenior Investment Analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group LLC
Andrew Zaro
Andrew ZaroFinancial Advisor at Granite Wealth Management
Brendan Halleron, CFP
Brendan Halleron, CFPPartner, Financial Planner at Affiance Financial
Kate Atwood, CFP
Kate Atwood, CFPSenior Advisor, Partner at Salomon & Ludwin
Robert S. Bacarella
Robert S. BacarellaFounder, President & Portfolio Manager of Monetta Financial Services
James H. Lee
James H. LeeFounder at Stratfi
Mark Struthers, CFA
Mark Struthers, CFAFounder and Lead Advisor at Sona Wealth
Kyle Rossi
Kyle RossiLPL Financial Advisor; AVP at Johnson Financial Group Financial Advisors
Joseph Farizo
Joseph FarizoAssistant Professor of Finance at the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond
Dan Kresh, CFP®
Dan Kresh, CFP®Financial Advisor at Creative Wealth Management, LLC
Lorrie Delk Walker
Lorrie Delk WalkerFinancial Advisor at Allen & Company
Kevin Lane
Kevin LaneFounder and Senior Wealth Advisor at Lane Brothers Investment Counsel
Andy Flack, CFP
Andy Flack, CFPFinancial Advisor at Cross State Financial Group
Michael Moskal
Michael MoskalDirector of Investments at MGO
David Strege
David StregeCo-founder and Senior Financial Planner at Syverson Strege
Ross Powell, CFP
Ross Powell, CFPCPA and Financial Advisor at Insight Wealth Partners
Matthews Barnett, CFP
Matthews Barnett, CFPFinancial Planning Specialist at Wiser Wealth Management, Inc.
Prakash Dheeriya, PhD
Prakash Dheeriya, PhDProfessor of Finance at California State University, Dominguez Hills, Author of "Finance for Kidz" series
Rich Curtis
Rich CurtisSenior Lecturer at Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management of Cornell University
Mike Aguilar
Mike AguilarAdjunct Professor at UNC-Chapel Hill Kenan Flagler Business School and Fuqua Business School at Duke University
Michael Egermier
Michael EgermierCFP, Owner of Egermier Wealth Management Group
Leo Chan, Ph.D.
Leo Chan, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Finance at Utah Valley University
Don Uy-Barreta
Don Uy-BarretaProfessor of Economics
Angela Sloan
Angela SloanCEO and Founder of Sloan Financial Group
Rose M. Price
Rose M. PricePartner, Financial Planner CFP®, AIF at VLP Financial Advisors
Christina Ubl, CFP
Christina Ubl, CFPCo-Owner of Clute Wealth Management
Christopher J. Marquette
Christopher J. MarquetteAssistant Professor of Finance at Millikin University
Jim Uren
Jim UrenCFP® at Phase III Advisory Services, Ltd.
Andrea Belzer
Andrea BelzerPersonal Finance and Investing Expert
Brian Walkup, PhD
Brian Walkup, PhDAssociate Professor of Finance, Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College
Paul Meeks
Paul MeeksProfessor of Practice, Baker School of Business, The Citadel
Tammie S. Lang, EdD
Tammie S. Lang, EdDProgram Director, Business Administration at Southeast Community College
Jordan Patrick, CFP
Jordan Patrick, CFPFinancial Planner at Commas
Vidal Peoples
Vidal PeoplesFinancial Specialist at Strategies for Wealth
Steven Shagrin
Steven ShagrinJD, Certified Money Coach/Master Money Coach & Trainer, Certified Professional Retirement Coach, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, Registered Life Planner, Former CFP®
Ray Charles Howard, PhD
Ray Charles Howard, PhDAssistant Professor of Marketing at Texas A&M’s Mays Business School
Barbara VanderWerf
Barbara VanderWerfAssistant Professor of Business and Management at Palm Beach Atlantic University
Yuval Dan Bar-Or, PhD
Yuval Dan Bar-Or, PhDAssociate Professor of Practice at Johns Hopkins University's Carey Business School
Jesse Hurst, CFP
Jesse Hurst, CFPFounder of Impel Wealth Management
Maureen Wright
Maureen WrightFinancial Advisor, CFP®
Kathy Longo
Kathy LongoPresident & Founder of Flourish Wealth Management CFP®, CAP®, CDFA®
Aaron Nelson
Aaron NelsonSenior Financial Consultant for Emerant Wealth
Moshe Bellows
Moshe BellowsManaging Principal of Maccabee Ventures
Zero Deng
Zero DengAssistant Professor of Accounting at the Oregon State University College of Business
Jesus M. Salas
Jesus M. SalasAssociate Professor at Lehigh University
Michael Manahan
Michael ManahanLecturer at California State University Dominguez Hills; Author and Business Consultant
Dr. Kimberly Goodwin
Dr. Kimberly GoodwinDirector of the School of Finance, the Parham Bridges Chair of Real Estate, and Professor of Finance at the University of Southern Mississippi
Brian J. Adams, PhD
Brian J. Adams, PhDAssociate Dean of Graduate Business Programs and Professor of Finance at the University of Portland's Pamplin School of Business
Charles H. Thomas III, CFP
Charles H. Thomas III, CFPFounder and President of Intrepid Eagle Finance
Justin Shure, CFP
Justin Shure, CFPFounder & Wealth Advisor at Endeavor Strategic Wealth
Thomas Kopelman
Thomas KopelmanCo-Founder and Financial Partner at AllStreet Wealth
Peter Zaleski, Ph.D.
Peter Zaleski, Ph.D.Professor of Economics at Villanova University
Scott Deacle
Scott DeacleAssociate Professor of Business and Economics and Department Chair at Ursinus College
Kent Fisher, CFA
Kent Fisher, CFAFounder and Senior Wealth Manager at Southern Investment Management Collective
Brandon Renfro
Brandon RenfroFinancial Planner
Andrew Creekmur
Andrew CreekmurWealth Advisor at Creekmur Wealth Advisors
Jie Ying
Jie YingAssistant Professor of Finance at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Robert Goldsmith
Robert GoldsmithFinancial Professional/Coach/Mentor/Best Selling Author
Coby Cress
Coby CressWealth Advisor, CFP® at Beacon Pointe Advisors
Lawrence Delva-Gonzalez
Lawrence Delva-GonzalezOwner of The Neighborhood Finance Guy
Taylor Jessee
Taylor JesseeCPA, CFP® and founder of Impact Financial
Clint Haynes
Clint HaynesPresident, Certified Financial Planner® at NextGen Wealth
Tiffany Grant
Tiffany GrantOwner & Financial Wellness Facilitator
Tawnya Redding
Tawnya ReddingElementary Special Education Teacher
Kenneth Romanowski, MBA, CTFA (Ret.),  CFP BOARD EMERITUS(R)
Kenneth Romanowski, MBA, CTFA (Ret.), CFP BOARD EMERITUS(R)Volunteer and Retired Adjunct Faculty at Rosemont College and Retired Senior Financial Adviser
Alex Pomelnikov, PhD
Alex Pomelnikov, PhDVisiting Lecturer, College of Business at Texas Woman's University
Pam Krueger
Pam KruegerCEO & Founder, Wealthramp
Kelan Kline
Kelan KlinePersonal Finance Expert and Owner of The Savvy Couple
Rockie Zeigler, CFP
Rockie Zeigler, CFPCFP®, Host of Hey Peoria! Let's Talk Money Podcast
Mitchell Kraus, CFP
Mitchell Kraus, CFPOwner at Capital Intelligence Associates
Matt Elliott
Matt ElliottCFP®, CSLP®, Founder of Pulse Financial Planning
John Longo
John LongoProfessor of Finance at Rutgers Business School
Josh Simpson
Josh SimpsonInvestment and Financial Advisor at Lake Advisory Group
Autumn Lax, CFP
Autumn Lax, CFPFinancial Advisor at Drucker Wealth Management
Nick Cantrell, CFP
Nick Cantrell, CFPFounder, Wealth Advisor at Green Future Wealth Management
Miye Wire
Miye WireManaging Partner, CFP®
Richard Speed
Richard Speed Financial Advisor at McClurg Capital
John Odell, CFP
John Odell, CFPPrincipal at Arroyo Investment Group & Capital Research & Consulting
Joe Allaria, CFP
Joe Allaria, CFPPartner and Wealth Advisor at CarsonAllaria Wealth Management
Patrick Gregory
Patrick GregoryManaging Director of the Stephen D. Cutler Center for Investments and Finance, the Director of the Babson College Fund, and a Senior Lecturer in the Finance Division at Babson College
Nate White
Nate WhiteInvestment Analyst and Senior Project Manager at Spectrum Wealth Management
Matt Hylland
Matt HyllandFinancial Planner at Arnold & Mote Wealth Management
Susan Hume, PhD
Susan Hume, PhDAssociate Professor Finance at The College of New Jersey
Lynda S. Livingston, Ph.D.
Lynda S. Livingston, Ph.D.Professor of Finance at University of Puget Sound School of Business
Dr. Benjamin A. Jansen
Dr. Benjamin A. JansenAssistant Professor at Middle Tennessee State University
Marguerita Cheng, CFP®, RICP®
Marguerita Cheng, CFP®, RICP®Certified Financial Planner at Blue Ocean Global Wealth
Thomas O’Connell
Thomas O’ConnellPresident of International Financial Advisory Group, Inc.
Derek Horstmeyer
Derek HorstmeyerProfessor of Finance at George Mason University's School of Business
Kevin Ha
Kevin HaWriter/Blogger at FinancialPanther.com
Rakesh C. Gupta
Rakesh C. GuptaAssociate Professor of Management and Decision Sciences at Robert B. Willumstad School of Business at Adelphi University
Josh Hastings
Josh HastingsPersonal Finance Writer
Mark Ratchford
Mark RatchfordProfessor of Practice - Freeman School of Business at Tulane University
Michelle Connell, CFA
Michelle Connell, CFAPresident/Owner of Portia Capital Management, LLC
Brian Stormont
Brian StormontPartner & Financial Planner, CFP® at Insight Wealth Strategies
Tony Ash, CFA
Tony Ash, CFAManaging Director at Dattilio & Ash Capital Management

FAQ About Investing for Beginners

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions to help you better understand the basics of investing and make informed financial decisions.

What age should I start investing?
How do I invest money wisely?
How can I diversify my investments?

About Alvin Yam, CFP


Alvin Yam, CFP headshot

Alvin Yam is a certified financial planner (CFP) with over 15 years of experience working with individuals and corporations. Before founding Paraiba Wealth Management, he was a director at HSBC and a financial consultant at Charles Schwab. Yam is MoneyGeek's expert consultant on wealth management and personal banking.

Yam earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego, and his Master of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.