4 easy investing ideas for beginners

When it comes to investing, many of us stay on the sidelines because we just don't know where to begin. So how do you start investing? Which investment is right for you? How do you even open an account? On this episode of Money Unscripted™, host Ally Donnelly talks with Fidelity Vice President, Financial Consultant Ryan Viktorin about one approachable starting point: investment funds. They break down how investment funds work and explain the differences between mutual funds, ETFs, index funds, and target date funds, so you can better understand your options and feel more confident taking that first step to invest. View transcript: https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/600_Fidelity_Com_English/documents/video-transcripts/money-unscripted/Money-Unscripted_Easy-Investing_Audio.pdf Research all Fidelity Funds: https://fundresearch.fidelity.com/fund-screener/ Tax Basics for ETFs: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/investment-products/etf/tax-basics-etfs View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/money-unscripted. New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted! © 2026 FMR LLC. All rights reserved Chapters (00:00:00) - Why consider investment funds?(00:00:58) - Stocks vs. funds: What’s the difference?(00:01:51) - Trade-offs of investing in stocks vs. funds(00:02:50) - What is a mutual fund?(00:03:45) - Passively managed vs. actively managed funds(00:04:30) - Difference between mutual funds and index funds(00:05:41) - Choosing a mutual fund or index fund(00:07:00) - What is a target date fund?(00:08:09) - Pros and cons of target date funds(00:08:51) - What is an ETF?(00:09:10) - Differences between an ETF and a mutual fund(00:09:50) - How to invest in a fund(00:10:22) - Choosing an investment fund(00:11:06) - Key takeaways: Investment funds

At the grocery store. At the gas pump. At the airport. We might all be feeling the effects of inflation. So, what can you do to try and keep up with everyday expenses while staying focused on your future retirement? On this episode of Money Unscripted™, host Ally Donnelly and Fidelity Market Leader Leanna Devinney share practical strategies for navigating inflation. Learn ways to adjust your budget, help protect your retirement savings, and build a financial plan that can help you stay confident about your future. View transcript A step-by-step financial checklist: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/financial-planning-steps Build a retirement savings plan: https://www.fidelity.com/retirement-planning/plan-for-retirement View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/money-unscripted New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted! © 2026 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

A lot of us have a retirement number in our head. Maybe it's $1 million. Maybe it's less or more. But what if that number isn’t actually telling you whether you're ready to retire? On this episode of Fidelity’s personal finance podcast Money Unscripted™, we explore why retirement readiness isn't about reaching a “magic number” or single savings milestone. It's about creating a flexible plan that can support your retirement lifestyle through market changes, inflation, health  care expenses, and whatever else life throws your way. Host Ally Donnelly sits down with Fidelity VP, Financial  Consultant Gina Gillespie to help you figure out how much money you may need to retire, how to build a flexible retirement income plan, and ways to improve your retirement savings outlook by making small tweaks to your overall plan. They also share how to use retirement calculators and planning tools to design and fund the retirement that’s right for you. View transcript  Saving for retirement: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/retirement/saving-for-retirement 5 moves to help maximize peak earning years: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/how-to-maximizeretirement-savings-in-peak-earning-years View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/moneyunscripted. New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].  Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted! © 2026 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Preparing for retirement also means preparing for Medicare.  Knowing when to enroll, how to sign up for Medicare, and understanding coverage options ahead of time can make a meaningful difference.  On this episode of Money Unscripted, host Ally Donnelly talks with Ryann Little from Fidelity's Medicare Services team about navigating Medicare with confidence and ways to avoid costly Medicare mistakes.  Help take control of your health care in retirement by knowing the ABCs of Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D. Watch now. View transcript Get help choosing the right Medicare plan.    Fidelity Medicare Services can help you compare options and enroll in the right coverage for you.   Learn more: https://medicare.fidelity.com/home/ Learn about Medicare: Our educational tools and resources can help you learn throughout your Medicare journey: https://medicare.fidelity.com/learning-center Medicare enrollment: Time to change plans? See practical tips on when it makes sense to make a switch in Medicare coverage: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personalfinance/retirement/medicare-enrollment-plans View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/money-unscripted. New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted! © 2026 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Estate planning is a process that’s full of emotions. And full of questions. Where do you start? Who should be part of the conversation? And what are the key documents you need? On this episode of Money Unscripted, host Ally Donnelly and Fidelity’s Pamela Pirone-Benson break down everything from writing a will and setting up a trust to choosing your power of attorney and navigating estate taxes. Watch now. View transcript: https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/600_Fidelity_Com_English/documents/video-transcripts/Money-Unscripted_Estate-Planning-2026_Audio.pdf 5 steps to create an estate plan: https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/wealth-management/estate-planning-made-easy 10 Estate planning pitfalls to avoid: https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/wealth-management/estate-planning-common-pitfalls View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/money-unscripted. New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted! © 2025 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Retiring early isn’t just about leaving the workforce—it’s about knowing whether your lifestyle and finances are ready to support the years ahead. On this episode of Money Unscripted, host Ally Donnelly talks with Donna and Stan about how they retired early–on their terms. Fidelity VP and Regional Planning Leader Andy Alvarez joins the conversation to break down the key questions anyone should consider as they think about retirement. How much do you really need to retire? How can you turn retirement savings into reliable retirement income? What could a retirement budget look like, and how can you help your money last as inflation drives up costs? If retirement is on your radar, watch now. View transcript: https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/600_Fidelity_Com_English/documents/video-transcripts/Money-Unscripted_Retire-Early_Audio.pdf How to feel financially secure in retirement: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/benefits-of-annuities How to safeguard your retirement: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/retirement-asset-allocation View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/money-unscripted New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email usat [email protected]. Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted! © 2026 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Market volatility can be stressful—especially when you’re close to or already in retirement. On this episode of Money Unscripted, host Ally Donnelly talks to new retiree Ted Mitchell about how he’s navigating life after work as the markets go up and down. Fidelity VP and Branch Leader Andy Alvarez joins to share what you can do now to help protect yourself and your finances from the unknown. See how to help build your retirement income, boost emergency savings, and when to revisit your long-term plan to try and safeguard against market swings and inflation. Watch now. View transcript: https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/600_Fidelity_Com_English/documents/video-transcripts/Money-Unscripted_EPG-Audio.pdf Market volatility: https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/market-and-economic-insights/market-volatility-overview Retirement calculators & tools: https://www.fidelity.com/calculators-tools/retirement-calculator/overview View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/money-unscripted. New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted! © 2026 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Understanding the difference between a will and a trust is a key step in building an estate plan that helps protect your assets and your loved ones. On this episode of Fidelity’s personal finance podcast Money Unscripted, host Ally Donnelly sits down with Fidelity Vice President of Advanced Planning Pamela Pirone-Benson to explain how wills and trusts work, who may need them, when you may need to go through probate, the difference between a revocable and irrevocable trust, and why estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy. Watch now. View transcript: https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/600_Fidelity_Com_English/documents/video-transcripts/Money-Unscripted_Wills-and-Trusts_Audio.pdf  Revocable and irrevocable trusts: https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/wealth-management/insights/revocable-and-irrevocable-trusts Wills and estate planning for parents: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/life-events/wills-and-estate-planning-for-parents/ View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/money-unscripted. New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted! © 2026 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

Being single can bring flexibility, freedom, and independence. It also means every financial decision is on your shoulders. On this episode of Money Unscripted, host Ally Donnelly talks to Rachel, a writer who is happily single, but realized she  needed to take charge of her financial plan–for life on a single income. Fidelity CFP Alex Roca joins the conversation to  break down the essentials of solo planning: building a realistic budget for money management, investing with confidence, and thinking ahead for retirement and estate planning. View transcript: https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/600_Fidelity_Com_English/documents/video-transcripts/Money-Unscripted_Soloist_Audio.pdf  6 money considerations for single women: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/women-talk-money/6-steps-for-single-women Estate planning for singles: https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/wealth-management/estate-planning-for-singles View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/money-unscripted. New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted! © 2026 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.

From fake emails and texts to suspicious voicemails and AI-generated videos—cyber scams are everywhere. And scammers are more sophisticated and persistent than ever. So how can you protect your account and personal information from phishing and fraud? On this episode of Money Unscripted, host Ally Donnelly and Fidelity’s Head of Cyber Defense Sean Downey break down how modern scams work, ways to spot the red flags, and what to do if you've been targeted. Watch now. 4 ways to stop identity thieves: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/family-financial-safety/4-ID-theft-protection-tips Protect your accounts: https://www.fidelity.com/security/overview  View all episodes here: https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/money-unscripted.   New episodes drop bi-weekly on Tuesdays.   Have a comment or episode idea? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].   Be sure to follow, like, and share Money Unscripted!   © 2026 FMR LLC. All rights reserved.