Your money is like a seed. Investing can help it grow.

Investing is not as scary as it seems. Just think of it like having a garden.

Your garden may have pretty flowers, or you may be growing vegetables to eat. Either way, with the right care and attention, seeds can grow into amazing plants. But if your plants don't get enough sunlight and water on a regular basis, they won’t be able to thrive.

Before you start gardening, you'll have to do some research. What plants do you want? Should they be in direct sun or partial shade? What time of year is best for the kinds of plants you want?

The same goes for investing. What do you want to invest in? How much money should you invest? How much time will you need to reach your goals?

Just like starting simple in your garden, you can start small by investing just a bit here and a bit there. And over time, any earnings you might make can be reinvested—like new seeds—helping you to grow your investments even more. This process is called compounding and it works over and over again.

Investing is a tool that can help you set yourself up for financial success later in life. With time on your side, the sooner you start the more successful you could be.