In order to build wealth, you have to know what is asset accumulation. Asset accumulation is the process of accumulating financial assets. In order to pursue asset accumulation, there are three key steps:

  • Generate income
  • Save
  • Invest

Asset accumulation is a slow process in the beginning. In the first few months to years you set out to build wealth, there is only so much money you will be able to save. 

Moreover, in a short span of time, you will not be able to invest and generate sizeable returns. This is because asset accumulation is centered around compounding, which takes time to materialize.

Asset accumulation and compounding

In order to accumulate assets, you need to understand what compounding is. You should also be aware that asset accumulation is challenging and takes time. Nothing happens overnight, but if you keep doing the right things over a long period of time you will be able to achieve different types of wealth.

Meaning that you will be mostly focused on earning more capital. A crucial step and one that most of us struggle with is saving. However, there are several saving tips you can get from books on the topic. 

While investing earlier on during your asset accumulation journey is wise, it will also not generate huge returns. The large returns come with time, and when you start using the capital generated by your investments to reinvest.

How to start accumulating assets

There are a few things you need to do in order to start your asset accumulation journey. Firstly, you should analyze your income. Think of different ways that you can increase your main income source, or if you can create new income streams. 

You should also be aware of the different types of income, as it can help you to generate additional income through different sources. This will help you to increase the amount of money you will have available both to save and to invest.

The next part is also incredibly important. You need to be able to save a good chunk of your income. In order to be able to invest and actually accumulate assets. One of the best ways to make sure you save a large portion of your income is to have a well-defined budget. Make sure that you can include your fixed monthly expenses as well as your variable expenses. Therefore, you should try to create 2 different budgets. One that includes the essentials, and another one for your expenses that may vary.

Investing is the final step in this process. Investing can be daunting if you do not know what you are doing. However, there are ways around it. If you have absolutely no experience in investments, one of the options is to get the help of a financial planner. Another option is to put your money in index funds, which tends to be the best solution for inexperienced investors.